The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-09
ALLIES GAIN, SAYS
FRENCH EYEWITNESS
Account Of Fighting Describes
Feat in Capturing st.
d Georges.
MUD HINDERs THE ACTION
specie, Cable Despa,ch 10 THE svS.

1pcCfdf tuOtC Dctp0tCH 10 ihA oNFs
PARIS, Jan. (delayed) 1.-The War
Office issued tonight an account Of the
operations in Belgium. northern France
and Alsace between December 25 and
January T. II says that the French and
their allies gained during this period along
the whole. front. with three important
actions, all resulting In allied victories
marking the fighting. The three actions
were those at 81. Georges. In Flanders In
the region OF Perthes IN the Argonne. and
at SteInbach, In upper Alsace. The ac-
count follows.
The period from December IS b jan
uary has been marked. Notwithstanding
the wretched state OF the terrain and the
bad weather. by three important actions.
all OF which terminated in Characteristic
success--the occupation OF ct Georges,
the development of our gains In the region
OF Perthes and the taking of Stelnbach.
I'm addition 10 this on the whole extent
OF the front our aggressive activity has
not ceased to manifest itself by gains
which will be given later In detail. on
certain points the enemy has been able
TO reply In kind on others he has counter
| attacked with violence and has every
whore been repulsed. on no part has he
obtained results which would appear from
a distance comparable with those that
, these eleven days have brought to us.
ITO the north Of the Lys the event OF
most importance Hlncc december 20 mas
been the taking OF st. Georges On ac-
count Of the state 81 the terrain the sue
cess OF that operation appeared 10 be more
than doubtful, but Il has been complete.
st. Georges includes "A number OF houses
In alignment between the User Canal and
a road. The lnundstion rendered imprac-
ticable every other way OF access than the
elevated highway and the ditch south OF
the canal. Everywhere else Il was water
or a very liquid mud. in which one sank
10 the knees.
"St. Georges had been organized By the
enemy into veritable blockhouse. walls
iocpholed. barrIcsdes of sacks filed with
earth and machine guns commanding
beth ends The road was occupied and
d guarded by wire entanKiements
e. THE marines, chasseurs and cyclists.
10 whom with n detachment OF Dragons
had been given the honor Of taking the
village advanced by cxcsvatlng through
the road. by sapplnR passage. From
place to place this passage was enlarged.
forming a shelter for the troops upon
, whom devolved the task Of making the
| assault similar work was executed
| along the ditch TO the south.
! "On December o. We had reached as
far as house. belonging to a ferryman
| situated to tho north OF ST. Georges This
point OF support fell into our hands The
\ assault was carried out the next day
Notwithstanding the violent fire OF the
! enemy some Of the marines succeeded
In placing a piece OF artillery on a small
boat and in mounting a battery on the
ditch a short distarce from the houses 81
! ST. Georges. which crumpled up under
the shell Are.
! AT the same time TO the south the
Belgian troops advanced through the
| mud. and detachment from the war
ships Venus and Doris tBritish) from
Ramscapelle established themselves on
two farms, where by their FIRE they were
| able TO eDflade the hostile defenders OF
| st. Georges.
Groups OF rifemen in the excavation
along the road delivered an assault and
the last OF the Germans who remained
I'm st. Georges surrendered. They num-
bered not more than forty In the ruins
OF the village and the environs 800 bodies
| were found.
There was severe street lighting in
steinbach The Germans made two mag
n!flcent counter attacks and drove US out
before they firally lost the town.
"our aviators have been active Several
returned with their machines damaged by
shell fire. Two air'nen were wounded
The avlators dropped twenty bombs on
the railway station at Metz on December
30 and six on December 81. Many
arrows were dropped on German camps
- German Aviaiik bound for Paris
vas stopped at Corbeauiieu.
I'm bomb dropping raids at nigh; our
airmen were shelled In the light OF IL
Illuminating bombs and searchlights were
thrown upon them. Two of our aviators
we're captured as the result Of the break.
down of their machines. They descended
near Ypres and discharged their carbines
into the gasolene tanks o; tn machines
, The machines were burned up, while ths
Germans fired AT them from all sides.
"a letter has arrived from "A French
prisoner In Germany written in invisible
ink He states that he is being atrocously
treated. that he is underfed and is suffer
Ing from the cold and that his captors II,
to him regarding news OF the war"