South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-12
MAKE A new ADVANCE
IN The BLOODY ANGLE"
French Get ReinfOrCementS of
British and Indian Troops
and Make New Effort to Dis
lodge Germans.

PARIS, Jan. Il. - French troops
have repulsed the Germans attempting
TO recapture trenches north of Sois-
sons and have made a slight advance
in that region, according to an Oftic-
ial statement issued here this after
noon. 1t admits, however. that the
Germans, after a severe fight, succeed
ed in gaining q fOOthold inside of the
French earthworks north of the
Beausejour farm, near Perthes.
The statement says that the French
artillery is effectively shelliDg the
Germans between scissors and
Rheims, while on the heights along
the river Meuse two German attacks
were repulsed. A blizzard is raging
in Alsace and in the Vosges. with
consequent hampering of military Op
eratiOns.
The official statement follows:
From the sea to the Oise there
has been an intermittent cannonade,
very violent at some points.
TO the north OF SoissOns some very
violent cOmbats have been fought
around the trenches captured by US
on Jan. s and Jan. 10, The enemy.
during yesterday. made several coun-
ter offensive movements, which were
repulsed and we gained new parts of
trenches.
Artillery Duels.
From scissors to Rheims there
were artillery duels. our heavy pieces
responded effectively to the batteries
and the bomb thrOwers of the Ger
mans
I'm Champagne, in the region OF
SOuain. our artillery fired with great
precision on the opposing positions.
Near Perthes, the field forts To-
Gated to the north of Beausejour farm
was the scene OF a sanguinary fight.
The enemy succeeded in establishing
a trench inside of the works of which
we hold the salient. The battle con-
tinues.
lin the Argonne and as far as the
Meuse, there is nothing to report.
"On the heights OF the Meuse. two
German attacks. one in the envirOns
OF Consenvoye, the other at BOilebOu-
chOt we're repulsed. To the southeast
of Cirey-SUr-V ezouse one of our de-
tachments surprised and put TO flight
a German company which was pillag-
Ing the village of St. SauVeur.
I'm the Nosges and in Alsace the
day was quiet. Bad weather and a
blizzard continues"
Undertake New Drive
Reinforced by British and Indian
troops. the French forces lying in the
"bloOdy angle" formed bv the iunc-
tion of the Disc and Aisne rivers, have
undertaken a new drive in an effort to
force the Germans from their strong
position at LaOn. Laon. lying upon
high ground 10 miles north of the
Aisne is the key 20 the German right
center. If the Frencht could weaken
the German position there the Ger
man line all the way from NoyOn to
Berry-Au-Bac would probably have to
yield ground
This explains the official announce
ments of fierce fighting northeast of
scissors. where the French have taken
up a new forward position on hill No.
132. The Germans have the adVan>
tage in position there. occupying
higher ground than the French. but
the latter have superior mum berS and
also the advantage of fresh troops
Laon has been, and probably is vet,
the headquarters of Gen. Won Her
ringen. II lies at the junction of two
German armies which gives it even
further strategic Importance from 4
military viewpoint. lt is at a point
lust southeast OF Laon. near Berry
Au-Bac, where the German line
swings southwark across the Aisne,
and curves TO the east and south
around Rheims.
West and south OF Laon, the Ger
mans hold several lines OF trenches
along the hillsides and have a large
amount OF heavy artillery on the
wooded heights behind their front.
Allies Try To- Push Forward
The allies have been trying TO push
forward along the road running
northeastward from scissors to a
point where il joins the river Lette.
a small stream, now swollen by recent
rains which flows south Of Iaon
Flooded rivers are hindering opera
tions at a number Of points on the
front from the North sea TO the Swiss
border
In West Flanders nothing but artil,
lery duelltng was reported in the night
dispatches.
Between Rheims and the ArgOnne
the fight for rOadways continues. IN
fantry attacks are varied there with
brisk artillery bomhardments and
sniping contests IA which the French
invariably get the better of It.
Despite the heavy fall OF snow in
the Nosges and ia upper Alsace. oper-
ations there are going forward brisk
IS. German troops from the Muel-
hausen garrison have been sent 10 the
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