New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-20
KAISER PREPARES
FOR YPRES DRIVE
BOmbardment of British
Positions Believed Pre-
Jude of Offensive.
AlRMEN SHELL
SALOONS TWICE
Raid Station South of Metz
Fortress on Two Success.
sive Nights.

London, Dec. 19.--The possible prel-
ude Of a strong German offensive
movement on the western front, where
! the Germans are reported TO have re-
ceived large reinforcements, occurred
( early Sunday morning against the Brit
ish line to the northeast Of Ypres. To
/ the accompaniment Of a heavy bonn
bardment, the Germans directed clouds
Of gas against the British, who, in con-
junction with the French batteries,
! turned their guns on the German
trenches engaged in the gas operations
The British official report OF the at
tack says that most Of the German
infantry were prevented by the gun
fire from leaving their trenches, while
other attachments were driven back
before reaching the British line.
officers returning from the western
front express the belief that fighting
there on a big scale is impossible be-
cause the country is muddler and alto
gether in worse condition than last
! year.
As the result of continuous rains, the
region around Hazebrouck and the val
ley Of the River Lys at Steenwerck, in
the Northern France zone, are flooded.
The water has risen six feet at Estaires
and the current Is flowing at rate OF
seven miles an hour.
Troopers Near Drowning.
At Steenwerck soldiers are reported
TO be losing their way over the roads,
which are under water. Several troop
ers barely escaped drowning IN the
bitches. All the roads in lower Haze
brouck and many fields are under
water. Heavy rains continue, menac-
ing an increase of the food.
But there is increasing evidence that
the Germans are preparing attempts 70
break through at one point or another,
and the Allied airmen are buSily ham
pering movements OF troops By raids on
railway lines and supply depots behind
the TeutOn lines.
French aeroplanes shelled the build
ings Of SabioBs, south OF the Metz fort
ress, twice in the last forty-elght
hours. On the night OF December II
forty bombs were dropped by squad
ron of four aeroplanes. Last night
threw down ffty-three bombs.
FRENCH OFFICIAL.
The following communication was
issued by the French War Office to-
night:
The day was marked by intense
activity by our artillery at NUMBER
of points on the front In Belgium
cur batteries, in cooperation with
the British artillery, very violently
bombarded German trenches IRON
which suifocating gas was directed
toward the English front, to the east
of Ypres. No infantry attack fol-
lowed.
Enemy aeroplanes this morning
few over the district of Poperinghe
southwest of Ypres) and dropped
about dozen bombs. One woman
was killed and one woman and two
children were wounded.
In Artois our artillery dispersed
enemy pioneers in the sector OF
Thelus. to the north of Arras. The
enemy threw about hundred pro
jectiles on Arras.
Trench Guns Rout Foe.
Between the Somme and the Disc
work i'm the region of DaLcOurt. Be
tween Scissors and Rheims our ar
tillery has taken to task bomb throw
ers and batteries of the "enemy
located to the east of Berry Bac
In Champagne heavy artillery fire
directed on the first lines Of the en-
e.ny to the south OF Sainte Mare
a-Pv has given excellent results
In the region Of Saint Mihiel ef-
fective Smelling Of Chauvarcourt
brought about a reply from the en-
envy artillery, which was stopped i'm
mediately by our fire.
Last night one of our squadrons,
COMPOSED of seven aeroplanes,
dropped on the Sablons railway sta
ton at Metz fifty -one shells Of ninety
calibre and two shells of l55 calibre.
Ore OF our machines. on account OF
motor trouble. was obliged to make
a landing. which was accomplished
without incident within our lines
near Dieulouard, to the south Of
Pont-a-Mousson.
The afternoon statement read:
In the course Of the night the Ger
man and French artillery both
showed feeble activity. In the re-
resulted to our advantage.
The bombardment of enemy works
and environments in the sector OF
Apremont, in the southeast OF st.
Mihiel. was continued early in the
evening and it gave excellent re-
suits.
On the night Of December 17-lo
squadron of four aeroplanes exc
cuted a new operation, bombarding
the station of Sablons, on the rail
road to Metz. About forty bombs
were thrown on the station and on
the adjacent buildings.
BELGIAN OFFICIAL.
The Belgian official communication
reads:
After a quiet night the German ar
tillery was very active during the
course of the day of December 10,
especially before part OF the Belgian
front. More to the south an en-
gagement with bombs was under
taken and turned 20 our advantage.
The Belgian batteries bombarded ef-
fectiyely Eessen, Clercken and Ley
CHEN and destroyed train on the
narrow gauge road at Leke and
convoy which was about leaving.
BRITISH OFFICIAL.
The following British official state
ment WAS issued tonight:
Early this morning the enemy dis
harOed GAS against our line to the