South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-02
EYEWITNESS Narrative of AL
lies Operations Says Battle
in Northern France and Bel
alum Increases in Violence.
LAST DAY OF 1914 IS
QUIET ALONG THE FRONT
Battlefield Now a Labrynth OF
Trenches Where Excavations
Have Been Going on for
Weeks, Turning up Graves.

LONDON. Jan. after a compar-
ative Ium. caused by stormy weather
agbting between the allies and Ger
mans in northern France and Belgium
is becoming much fiercer, according
tn an official eye witness narrative,
written by "A member OF the stan OF
Field Marshal Sir John trehch anu
issued by the government press ou-
reau today. io,,
raided Furnes as well as Dunklrk'
dropping many bombs.
The Germans have been carrying
ON a violent bombardment or Armeh-
tieres. The account which IS dateu
De- 81. follows:
The day of the 2Sth was markeu
by hurricane OF ram DuIlhs IIS
night there was a s violent thunder-
storm with high wind. No incident
occurred along our line on that day
as neither the weather nor the
water-logged condition OF the ground
favored military operations.
During the past few days the
French have continued TO make
progress. Among their successes
fheV have captured the village of ST
heavv losses upcn the enemy.
''On the 29th our troops recovered,
kv a gradual advance much OF the
ground that had been lost to the
enemy during the previous week
Likewise, on the following day our
gradual progress was maintained
Shell Armenticres.
The Germans have again lombard
ed Armentieres (nine miles northwest
of Lille) and also shelled our line on
.sTo the north the German aviators
have disDlayed more activity by
bombarding Dunkirk and Furnes
from the sky. The weather was IA
vorabIe for aerial work, being bright
ard frosty.
The last day Of 1914 passed quiet
Iy all along our front
The fighting Is now taking place
on ground where both sides for weeks
past have been excavating in all di
rections until IL has become perfect
labrvnth. Sometimes where new
ground is being broken the spade
turns over long buried dead, CHASTITY
relics of former fights on all sides
the surface is plowed and furrowed by
fragments Of shells and bursting
bombs. Seen from a distance it pre-
sents the appearance OF a confused
mass OF passages, crossing and re-
crossing each other.
1.-The life OF the infantry on both
sides in their close quarters has be-
come very mOnOtOnOus. There Is but
one dull background-mud. water and
distorted field. The roads leading TO
the allies front present a kaleido-
scopic aspect and strangely contrast
ing views All types OF humanity can
bo seen from the wild Arab horse
man VI the North African deserts to
the tribesmen from the wild frontiers
OF India. Here and there are detach-
ments Of French Cuirassiers, giving an
old world touch 10 the scene. Leaving
the trenches can be seen columns Of
cold. hungry men, their uniforms
masses or mud; but all are cheerful.
Prisoners Sick of Life.
German prisoners we have taken
appear sick of the life they have been
leading I'm the trenches but this is
Or, oabiy not a fair indication of the
ser tment of the German troops as
whole. They are conscious that the
war will last much longer than they
first anticipated. but the fact that it
is being waged almost entirely in
alien country prevents them from
realizing that they are lighting for
what must eventually prove a losing
cause. They believe firmly that Rus
sia has suffered a decisive defeat.
In TACT, II IS reported on Dec. Is, the
Germans had all the bells in Client
toIled TO celebrate the capture of
500, 900 Russian prisoners"
Some of the Missiles.
The account has the following to
say about the weapons in use on the
firing hnea
"One pattern of the factOry-made
grenade in use among the Germans
consists OF an iron globe, about four
inches in diameter and weighing one
and one-haf pounds. The surface is
scored with deep groves which cause
the metal 10 fy in fragments when
they explode. They are loaded with
powder and explode with "A slow burn
ing compound hTed by friction tube
before the bomb is thrown.
some OF the bombs are attached
20 a stick like the handle OF a ladys
hand-mirFor and are swung before
being thrown in order TO give them
momentum. The fuse is lighted be
fore the grenade is thrown. The
trench mortar bombs are made of
thin metal and are constructed in the
form Of cylinders weighing from
four 70 IS pounds each. They are
loaded with a high explosive and
charged with scrap iron"
PETERSBUBG.-A pup belonging
A ff-x-