The sun., 1916-12-22
TRENCH RAIDS ON
WEST FRONT FAIL
British Attack Germans Near
Arras, but Finally Are
Driven Out.
FRENCH REPEL TErTONS
Six Entente and Four German
Aircraft Brought Down in
SOmme Fighting.

LONDON. Dec. 2i.-Biitish troops
raided German trenches and Germans
raided French trenches on the front In
France during the last twenty-fOur
hours. In air battles. mostly over the
Somme front. the Germans report hav-
ing brought down six. the French four
airplanes. French aviators made many
raids upon German communication lines,
The British raid was made In force
and after strong artillery preparation.
The infantry got into advanced German
trenches north Of Arras after hand to
hand struggle. but were driven out again
soon after by a German counter at
tack.
The German official statement to-day
reports as follows on fighting In France; {;
Army group Of Crown Prince Rup-
precht: North Of Arras British de-
tachments which. after strong artil-
lery fire. had entered our most ad-
vanced trenches were elected by a
counter thrust.
On both sides Of the SOmme clear
artillery. which In some sectors In
creased to great violence. West of
Viliers Carbonnel grenadiers Of the
Guard and East Prussian Muslieteers
forced their way into a strong hostile
position that had been destroyed by
effective nre and returned. after blow
ing up some dugouts, to their own
lines. as they had been ordered. bring
ing back with them four officers and
twenty-six men as prisoners and one
machine gun.
French PatrOls Repulsed.
In numerous air engagements and by
our defensive fire the enemy in the
Somme sector last six aeroplanes.
Army Group OF the German Crown
Prince Artillery firing was for the
most part OF an unimportant nature.
and there was no infantry activity Of
a major character. On the Aisne front
several French patrols were repulsed
The French statement issued to-day
follows:
The night passed In relative quiet
along the entire front. On the Somme
been brought down by French pilots.
The first came to earth near Malln-
court the second In. the environs Of
Clery. the third near Devise. while the
fourth was brought down at a point to
the south Of Pouy -le-Grand by Sub
Lieut.. Nungesser. This makes twen-
ty-one teh total number Of enemy
aeroplanes brought down by this avi-
ator.
Another one OF our pilots. pursuinS
German machine. collided with his
adversary. Both machines crashed to
the around.
During the day OF December 90
forty eight shells were dropped upon
the railroad station at EniEy. The
evening OF the Goth four French avia-
tors dropped $50 kilos tabout 1000
pounds) OF projectiies upon the rail-
road stations at Brieulles-sur- -Meuse
and Charleuil-le- I.azieres. The same
evening eleven French aviators sailed
forth and dropped forty seven shells
OF 12O milimeters each upon the rail-
road station and the barracks At
Nesles and also upon certain conveys
marching behind the lines.
Gas Machines Destroyed.
The statements tonight from the
French and Belgian War Offices read
French-The enemy violently bonn
barded our lines in the sector NJ
Louvemont-Vaux; our artillery re-
piled.
There were other artillery actions
OF spirited character at various
points along the front. in one Of which
enemy gas machines were destroyed
by our fire between Berry -au-Bac and
Rheims.