New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-30
WINTER HOLDS UP
ALLIED THRUST
British Are Sure They Can
Break Through in West
When Time Comes.
JOFFRE INCREASES
GAINS IN VOSGES
French Claim Capture or WORKS
Southwest Of Hartmanns-
Weilerkopf.

London. Dec. E5.-biSP"N :, .
both east and west express 'ns ue''e'
hat The winter weather is likely 10
n-ove The most severe obstacle 10 WAT
operstions on the principai fronts Du'
ine the next fev weeks.
ny :;r ~ nos, dreaded period Of winter
- January" WAS a French gen
-. ranIv a wear ago 20 the demands
.t offensive. The same re-
r, M you'd probably apply equally 10
this year. 81 uastern
bsodo ,arters. after remarking that tne
RritisL staff is confident that the Allles
are now so strong in men ana mum
tions that they can break through the
German lines whenever the right VINE
Zines declares that the weather Is tne
chief reason for postponing the Dig
movement and adds: t.I
"such m.-ement needs careiui
planning and extreme caution. koIl'hs
n, tactics always involve the posi-
h;Iitv Of counter attacks. which may
ond in rolling u the aggressor. win
me face Of the country in a porous
and mushy condition il IS Impossible
10 effect the essential quick move
ments Of artillery, without which any
big offensive is foredoomed to fsil'
Must Wait Chance.
"The Allied troops would probably
have little trouble IN occupying the
greater part of the German fron'
trenche. forthwith, because the enemy
h Ids these lightly. But then, with the
distances registered 10 nicely from
nnyriads OF artillery and machine guns,
such a step would be sheer suicide
until the opportunity is ripe.
4 Russian correspondent writes
THE most severe part OF winter mas
now begun in the Russian theatre. All
reports agree that the weather TINS
year ia harder than usual. 1t is IN
creasingly doubtful if any serious
events will occur until the end OF Janu-
airy" A..
Despite the weather the duel IN the
Vosges Mountains, in the western zone
continues. and may eventually prove 70
be one of the big operations OF the war.
The gains in either direction thus tsr
have been small. but the French claim
progress in their efort 70 eslapi,sh
themselves on the crest OF the toothllls,
which here dominate the plain.
Notwithstanding the violent coun-
Ter attacks Of the enemy says the
French official statement. the action
commenced yesterday left us at the
end of the day masters Of series OF
German works established between
Rehfelsen and Hirzstein. which have
been added to the trenches already
lost by the enemy"
Berlin. admitting that the French
carried some positions, denies that
Jofrre's troops were able to hold them.
The Gern"n statement SAYS:
THE advance on Hirzstein three
miles southwest of Hartmanns-W Weller
kopf). which we reported yesterday.
broke down under on. fire during the
evening.
''The French twice attacked positions
on Hartmanns-W eilerkCpf which our
troops had recaptured. They pene-
trated certain points in our trenches.
After the first attack the enemy was
driven off everywhere Immediately.
Fighting for possession Of certain
trench sections continued. Up to the
present the French have lost FIVE Off
GERS and more than 200 men. who have
been captured
The losses in the fierce fighting have
undoubtedly been heavy on both sides.
1.-THE number Of Germans who have
fallen into our hands since yesterday
has reached 300,' says Paris. THE
total number of uninjured prisoners
taken since the beginning OF these
operations is .66s. Prisoners say that
the German losses in the course Of our
attack of December 81 and the follow
ing days were large"
ain Belgium and Artois,' the French
official adds, "the artillery displayed
activity on both sides in the course Of
the day. To the north of the Aisne we
destroyed by our fire machine gun
shelters and dispersed workers around
Ville-au Bois.
an the Argonne We exploded two
mines near Hill 2s5. To the north OF
La lFille Morte a small German post
was blown up.
yosges Guns Active.
"In the Vosges rather spirited
cannonade occurred at divers points OF
the sector, especially between the Fecht
and the Thur. II was very violent in
the region of HartmannsW eilerkopf."
"Westende Belgium was bombarded
again by an enemy monitor, without
result" SAYS the German statement
The British lost two aeroplanes yes
terday. One was forced to descend at
a point to the north Of Lens. The other
a large battle aeroLlane, was shot
down in an aerial battle north Of Han.
On December 81 a third British aero
plane was destroyed b. fire. west OF
Lille"
The Belgian official communication
reads:
ITO the north and south of Dix
nude our shellling of the enemy ma
chine gun shelters has given the best
results. Our batteries destroyed the
parapets of German fortified works at
the Chateau de Woumen and near
Luyghem."
"The enemy made an unsuccesstul
attack on one Of our aerodromes," says
the British official. "Of four machines
only two reached their objective. No
damage was done. One of our aero
planes was shot down.
Last night there was A successful
near Armentieres. The
enemys trenches were entered and
bombed, with good effect. The casual
ties were numerous. After ten min
utes the party withdrew. Our casual
ties were slight.
To-day our artillery was effective
against the trenches and billets in
many places between Mametz and
Monchy. The enemy exploded two
small mines near Givenchy. There
was no damage to either troops or
trenches"