The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-13
Day Opens With Intense Artil
Ierying on Entire Front.
Indicates TeqtOns Pick French
for Crushing Blow.
FAIL UTTERLY AGAINST BRITISH
Huns Who Reach Abandoned
Trench Killed or Captured.
Italy Holds Own in Bitter
Fighting Near Mt. Grappa.

Paris, Dec. 13.-Active artillery
fighting is in progress along the whole
front, the war office announces. The
initial belief ated is that the Ger
mans have swung their war machine
today for a tremendous smash against
the French lire such as broke down
yesterday against the British near
Bullecourt.
Haig Reports Big Battle.
London, Dec. 13.-British lines out
of Cambria held firm, today despite
tremendous blow struck in almost
continuous fighting yesterday by
Crown Prince Rupprecht's reinforced
army, Field Marshal Hsis reported
today.
The German drive, he said carried
some of the enemy thru the British
lines to obliteraeed British trei ches
but the situation was unchanged" by
this.
The enemy suffered very heavy
losses in repulse of its attacks. the
British commander-in-c chief reported.
AT Bullecourt yesterday there were
two enemy attacks at dawn after
heavy artillerying," Field Marshal
Haig reported today.
Made Three Attacks.
1.-The first was Immediately to the
east and the other was on a wider
front east and north and against the
angle lines south of Reincourt and Lez
Cagnicourt.
Both were repulsed.
Shortly afterward," the report con-
tinues, 'in another attack on the lat
ter front, parties of the enemy pene-
trated oblitered trenches at the apex
of the angle. The few Germans who
reached there were killed or taken
prisoners
There was local fighting until late
in the evening, the portion of the
trench which the enemy reached not
changing the situation
Heavy Losses on lily Front.
italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 12.-(By the
Associated Press. )-General Won Bel
ow's German troops have Joined the
AustrianS and Bohemians under Field
Marshal Conrad Won Hoetbendorf in
series of heavy assaults during the
last two days between the Brenta and
Piave rivers just north of Monte
Grappa. The fighting has been Sc
we're and has been attended with large
losses but in the main the italian line
has been sustained with one slight
indentation at Monte Spinoncia, where
the enemy secured a temporary foot
hold which is still being contested
bitterly. Artillery preparation early
yesterday was followed by infantry
rushes with the Austrians on the right
and the Germans on the left. The
fourth Austrian division on the right
had number of Bohemian regiments
in the front line. These men are fresh
from the Russo-Galician front
Win Position Only to Lose 1t.
A desperate struggle went on
around Col Beretta where the Aus
TRANS were aided by enfiladed fire
from batteries on the west bank of
the Brenta river in positions estab-
ilshed when the lines were reformed
last week For some time the Beretta
positions were in the hands of the
enemy but brilliant counter attack
has restored nearly all the Italian pos
Sessions.
German reserve forces were en-
gagged for the first time since thew
were used on the big Isonzo offensive
The fighting was bloody around
Monte Spinoncia and Col Orso-"Bea,.
HiIl''-with the enemy gaining a foot
hold
The result of the two DAYS fighting
has not advanced tacticaIly the
enemy's possession leading toward the
Venetian plains, which IS its real ain,