South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-27
Emperor Williams Arrival at
ThieIt is Signal For General
Attack in Flanders = Artil-
Iery HeraldS Assault.
DIRECT HOT ATTACKS
AGAINST THE BRITISH
Germans HurI Severe Assaults
at English Lines in West
Flanders and Northern
France Along LabaSSee Canal

AMSTERDAM. Jan. q. - Emperor
William is reported to have arrived
at Thielt late yesterday afternoon and
advices from Sluis state that a great
forward movement by the German
troops in Flanders began early today.
Passchendaete, between ROulers and
Ypres. IS said to have been occupied
by the Germans. the allies making no
attempt TO hold it because 1t would
be of no strategic advantage.
SIis dispatches state that heavy
artillery lighting continues in southern
Flanders all night in preparation for
"A great attack now under way IN
celebration Of the kaiser's birthday.
PARIS, Jan. 27.-That the German
army attempting to cut its way
through the allies lines has suffered
"a severe check in the declaration
made in an official statement issued
bv the French war office this after
noon. 1t also asserts that in their at
tack upon the French trenches To the
east of Ypres the Germans lost bat
talon and a half.
A German flying machine that sue
ceeded in flying over the Belgian army
was destroyed yesterday. IN the re-
giOn OF CraOnne the French army is
maintaining its positions in the
trenches, which We're recaptured from
the Germans.
New pontoon bridges thrown across
the Meuse by the Germans have been
destroyed 10y the French. This is the
third time that the French army has
succeeded in wrec<ing these bridges.
The text Of the official statement
follows:
I'm the sectors OF Nieuport. and Of
Ypres artillery combats occurred yes
terday. A German flying machine
was destroyed within the lines of the
Belgian army.
Brigade Made Attack.
Stories told by prisoners establish
tho fact that il was not "a battalion
hut a brigade that attacked our
trenches 20 the east of Ypres on Jan.
% The enemy lost in that affair the
effective force Of ii battalion and a
half 1t is confirmed that near La
Bassee Givenchy and Guichy the
Germans yesterday suffered a great
check. On the road from LaBassee
TO Bethu1e alone there were found
the bodies of six officers and OF 400
men. The total losses of the Ger
mans. therefore certainly represent
an effective force of two battaliOns at
least.
From Lens TO scissors there were
artillery combats. In the region of
CraOnne we are maintaining our pO-
sitions in the trenches retaken by us
in the course of counter attacks on
Jan. 20.
In the region of Perthes Hill No.
200 four violent attacks by the enemy
were repulsed. In the Argonne i'm the
region of st. Hubert a German at
tack was rolled back with the bayo-
net
AT ST. Mihiel we destroyed the new
pontoOn bridges of the enemy on the
Meuse The day was calm i'm Lorraine
and in the Vosges.
Combine Against British.
Official dispatches from the front
show that in the lighting by which
the Germans hoped TO achieve q VIC
tory for the kaiser on his birthday
today. the severest attacks We're con-
centrated against the British. A series
of violent assaults were launched
against the English troops I'm West
Flanders and IN northern France
along the Labassee canal and the
Bethune road.
Hard lighting is not confined TO
these districts alone, however The
renewed pressure OF the Germans on
the Aisne indicate that they may Try
20 debouch TO the south bank In the
vicinity OF scissors. for their artillery
has been violently Smelling the French
lines and the French anticipated that
this CannOnade would be followed by
an attempt 10 throw pOntoon bridg
across the river.
Near Soissons. IL is said. the Ger
mans are near enough tO the river
% make such an attempt These po-
sluons are advanced lines. however
and the bulk OF the troops on that
part Of the German right center re-
main in their original trenches south
and southwest OF Laon.
Emperor William - believed 10
have gone 20 the heGdquarte-s Of one
~ his commanding generals I'm Bel
gium or France for his birthday. Re
ports agree that he is somewhere In
the field in the western theater of
war.
Try TO DislOdgc Artillery
North OF Rheims. in the neighbor-
hood OF the plateau Of Cra0nue the
Germans have been trying to dislodge
French artillery. which has proved
particularly troublesome 10 the Ger
man trenches These attacks how
ever. have failed. The fight in the
Argonne has now given way 20 skirm-
shes.
That the French attacks in Alsace-
..orraine is causing great aur-
sion in Germany is shown by the fact
nat trenches are being dug along the
Rhine 60 reinforce the already strong
7efensive works i'm that reeion.
~ Is reported from Belgium that