The Washington herald., 1914-12-23
NEWPORT BATTLE
IS TURNING POINT
Climax Of Campaign in North
ern France, Critic
Declares.
ALLIES FIGHT IN WATER
Germans Driven from Advantageous
Position by Unrelentins Batter
ing of Enemy's Big Guns.
By ANDREW BEAUMONT.

Northern France. Dec. 22.-of all the
actions in Northern France and in
Flanders. the most successful during the
past week has been the battle of Nieu-
port, where the French with the Belgian
troops, captured several important posi-
tons. The result is that there has been
an advance of the allies in all the inun-
dated districts in Flanders and at GER
tain points in the north of France
The battle of Nieuport marks the turn
ing point in the operations in Flanders.
The Germans apparently wished to OBJ
viate the attack by bombarding COST
Dunkerke and Coxyde, but the action OF
their artillery evidently was only, a
feint intended to give the allies the i'm
preston that the German army at this
point conter plated a movement en-
masse, which was far from a fact
The position Of the Germans was good
and their defense was desperate. The
set up their batteries in the dunes and
concealed their machine guns, hut the
allies resolutely made an attack ut that
very point and tie Germans were driven
from their positions along the right bank
at NieupOrt. This channel position is Of
great Importance. The little tide channel,
in fact, cuts of a slice Of land between
the Nieuport Canal and Passchendaele
and the sea and it was here that the Ger
mans found natural protection.
The French troops took the position
at a point where they had to cross five
bridges, all of which were commanded
by the enemy.
CannOnade Starts Attack.
The attack began early last Tuesday
with a furiousr cannonade. The Germans
replied with a maximum discharge from
all their guns. The guns OF the allies,
however, gradually proved their superior
fly, the guns from the British ships fir
ing at the same time as the land batter
les in which the French "seventy-ive"
predominant.
After an hour the German guns began
to slacken their fire. Eye witnesses de-
clare that several times they saw groups
of German soldiers blown bodily over the
sand dunes where they had been hiding.
When, at a signal, the batteries ceased
firing, the infantry made a sudden rush
across the bridges and drove the remain
ing Germans out Of the trenches.
The French troops were supported
by the Belgians on their right, who
rendered great assistance.
Three French aeroplanes few con-
stantly over the enemy's lines. They
were of use not only over the land.
but over the sea. where they kept a
sharp lookout for the enemys subma-
rines, several Of which were sighted
and which the torpedo destroyers
chased away.
Bethune Cleared of Foe.
The day was one of the most sue
cessful recorded for the allies thus
far. The Germans had turned a num-
Der of farmhouses of the district into
veritable citadels, but were driven out
of them.
As if to avenge themselves, German
aeroplanes immediat ted began securing
seacoast towns. dropping bombs upon
them. These machines have again be-
come familiar feature Of the sky around
Calais and Dunkirk.
simultaneously with the advance at
Nieuport, the allies also were successful
in the region of Bethune. They had a
hard task but they have now succeeded
in driving the enemy, after four weeks
stubborn fighting, in which the ground
was disputed inch by inch, to a distance
of more than ten miles from Bethune.
That town is now beyond the range of
the enemy's guns. While it was within |
range, the German artillery systematic
ally bobmraded it every day.