The sun., 1917-12-13
Bavarian Troops Attack
Lasts From Dawn Until :.
About | p. NJ.
CHARGE IN MASSES
English Lay Down Heavy
Barrage and Slay
Enemy in 1t.
LITTLE SALIENT SOUGHT
Intense BOmbardmcnt En-
ables Foe to Get Foot
ing There.
LITTLE SALIENT SOUGHT

LONDON, Dec. IA fierce mass At
tack was made by the Germans to-day.
against the elbow in the bend Of the
British line between Bullecourt and
Queant (about ten miles west Of Cam.
bra). says the Reuter- correspondent at
British headquarters in France.
Their intention was to overwhelm their
opponents by sheer weight OF numbers.
Owing to the staunchness Of the British.
opposition. the attack only enabled the
Germans to get foothold In about 500
yards Of the British front line, when the
attack was arrested.
Thus the attack was reduced to the
limits Of a very small local success at
the front. The correspondent adds tina.
1t is difficult to get details. hut the
fghting lasted from dawn until o'clock
in the afternoon. and the continuance Of
firing after that suggested British
counter attack.
Description OF Battle.
In his description Of the battle, the
correspondent says:
What apparently was intended as q
determined German attack upon the
sector Of our line east OF Bullecourt was
delivered shortly after dawn. The SPOT
the enemy chose was the elbow in the
bend OF our line between Bullecourt and
Queant.
The Gerpans opened an intense
bombardment as the first streaks Of a
frosty dawn were paling the eastern
sky. Our artillery promptly replied with
a barrage put down between the oppos-
ing trenches, In order to catch any in
fantry advance.
"Assaulting waves Of Bavarian troops
came over In close formation. It was
the manifest intention to throw great
pressure upon the front Of the attack
and overpower the defenders. II pos.
siblos by sheer weight Of numbers.
Fierce fghting ensued, but 1t Is too
early to get details, since communicA.
tions are always difficult during engage
ments. So far as ! can gather. the Ger
mans managed to get some sort Of
footing In about 500 yards Of our front
line trenches before their attack was ar.
rested.
Counter Attack Indicated.
THE artillery duel continued until
about ! 80 o'clock. when it died down.
but the constant rattle OF machine guns
suggested that some fighting was still In
progress. and 1t is quite possible that We
were counter attacking.
This is really all there is to tell. 1t
seems reasonable to believe that the
Germans failed In their project, what
ever 1t was. since the extent OF their
gain was so small and so indefinite in
point OF tactical achievement that II 10
difficult to regard 1t as representing any
complete scheme of opera tions.
The weather remains fine and dry 50
that open warfare Is still possible at a
time OF the year when normally both
sides would be settled into winter
quarters"
The following British Official state
ment on the days developments was
issued tonight:
This morning the enemy delivered
strong local attack on the front
about a mile east OF Bullecourt. On
the right Of the position attacked
the enemy succeeded in entering q
short length OF front trench, which
formed a salient in our line and had
been demolished by the bomba rdment
preceding the attack.
At all other points the attack was
repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy,
many OF whose dead are lying in
our wire. A number OF prisoners were
captured.
Tho enemy's artillery has been ac-
tive during the day in the area %
his attack and has shown some ac-
tivity south OF Lens and in the neigh
borhood of Armcntieres and Messine.,