South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-28
Berlin Statement Says KaiSer'S
Birthday Saw Advance at
Craonne and Paris Announces
Enemy'S RepuISe.
STRENGTHEN GERMAN
LINES ON THE AISNE
Two Armies of 100000 Men
Are Now Facing Each Other
on Line From TraCy-Le-VaI
to Berry-Au-BaC.

BERLIN (by wireless). Jan. IS
German troops in France celebrated
Emperor Williams birthday by max
ing further gains on the heights of
Craonne. An official report from the
general staff issued this afternoon re-
ports the capture of 500 yards more of
French trenches near Craonne. With
the 300 yards captured Tuesday the
Germans have now taken more than
a mile of the French field works in
that region.
Hard fighting has been in progress
on the Craonne heights since Monday
The official German report says that
from Monday to Wednesday 1900
dead Frenchmen were found on the
battlefield and that the Germans taak
LOO prisoners.
The allies are continuing their bonn
bardment of towns held by the Ger
mans on the Belgian coast says the
official report.
PARIS, Jan. 2S.-That all the con-
fiicts which took place on Emperor
Williams birthday resulted in French
successes despite the fact that the
Germans had planned to make a great
effort. is the emphatic assertion in the
statement issued by the French war
office this afternoon.
BOmbard Enemy'S Position.
The statement continued with a de-
tailed summary of the military opera
UOnS of Wednesday as follows:
In Belgium the positions of the
enemy were bombarded and many oil
their trenches demolished.
ITO the south of the Lys, the Brit
ish artillery bombarded the roads and
the points of concentration of the Ger
man troops In the sectors of Arras,
Albert, IROye, NOyen and Soissons,
there were intermittent cannonades
and rifle engagements. At several
points the enemy's infantry attempted
TO leave the trenches TO attack. These
forces were Immediately repulsed by
a sharp fire.
sin the region of Craonne, the total
losses suffered by the Germans on Jan.
25 and Jan. % certainly reached the
effective of a brigade (abOut 5000
mem. The German prisoners have
the impression that they have suffered
a severe check. Our losses, in killed,
wounded or missing for these two days
are in the neighbOrhOod of 500. These
losses are explained 10y the fact that
the fighting was intense and by the
partial collapse, announced yesterday
Of an old quarry in which were two
companies, sheltered there during the
bombardment. Finding themselves
walled in the soldiers were compelled
to fall into the hands OF the enemy
alive during the first part of the at
tack. our counter attacks regained
for us all of the ground in dispute.
strengthen German Lines.
Two armies Of 100, 000 French and
German soldiers are facing each 9TH
er on the Aisne river along a line
stretching from Tracy-Le-Nal to
Berry -Au-Bac. German prisoners, ia
ken in the fighting on the plateau Of
CraOnne, revealed that heavy rein
forcements had been concentrated
south of LaOn for a repeated series Of
assaults against that section of the al
lies front lying toward Paris. The
German lines on the north bank Of
the Aisne have been greatly strength
ened as q result Of the gains made.
South Of SOupir the German guns
compelled French artillery 10 aban-
don it's positions in the forest of st,
Mard. where it had been maSsed in
the elbow formed by a bend of the
Aisne river. The Germans control the
roads running from Laon into Laval,
Pasly, CUffies-CrOuy. Vuillery. Nreg-
ny, Celles and Craonne.
A French aviator tried TO wreck the
narrow gauge railway on the north
bank Of the Aisne. which was being
used by the Germans for the trans
pOrtatiOn Of supplies. He was COM
PEELED by the high angle guns to re-
tire after he had thrown a few bombs.
The losses in the past weeks fight
ing along the Aisne have been heavy
The casualties Of the Germans were
much heavier than those of the
French because the invaders were
comp pelled to expose themselves con-
stantly for attacks upon the French
trenches. II Is believed that since
the Germans first attacked at hill 132.
north of scissors. they have lost co.
tured.
Artillery duels form the chief part
OF the fighting in west Flanders.
SharpshOOterS Are Brilliant
Along the la Bassee canal. espe-
cially in the region Of Cambrin. Gil
venchy and Guinchy, the French and
British SharpshOOters have done bril-
liant work and the loss among the
German officers in that region has
been extremely heav1-.
on the MeuSe, in the region of St
Mihiel. the Germans are compelled
to sacrifice many men in an effort TO
maintain a paSsage-way over the riy-
er. The accurate French artillerymen
demOlish the bridges as fast as the
Germans construst them. Here is an
Instance OF the work done there:
German pioneers worked vigorous
Is all night Monday constructing a
pontoon for the conveyance Of am
munitiOn ON the next morning at
dawn the French guns opened fire and
within two hours the bridge had hepn