Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-02
BRITISH REPUESE
NUMEROUS RAIDS
Germans Disorganized by
Artillery Fire and Cut
Up by Patrols.
FRENCH DOWN SIX AERos
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, January 2.-Several raids
were made by the German forces last
night on the British positions on the
Belgian and Arras fronts. The official
statement issued by the war department
today says that all the ratding parties
were repulsed. The statement reads:
Yesterday evening under cover of
a heavy bombardment three parties of
the enemy attempted to raid our posi-
tions in the neighborhood of Mericourt,
southeast of Lens. The hostile parties
were disorganized by our artillery fire
and they failed to reach our trenches
land by our patrols, who inflicted many
casualties and secured few prisoners.
other raids attempted by the enemy
in the course Of the night south of Lens,
at Hill 10. in the neighborhood of the
Menln road and north of Passchendaele,
were all repulsed. We secured few
more prisoners in these encounters
French Drop Six Enemy Filters.
PARIS. January 2-The official state
ment of today follows:
There were intermittent artillery ac-
tions at some points on the front. We
made successful raid in the region
north of Courtecon and brought back
prisoners There were patrol encount-
ers south of Corbeny. Everywhere. else
the night passed in quiet.
In the course of numerous aerial
combats French pilots yesterday
brought down four German airplanes.
Two other German machines, badly
damaged, fell within the enemy lines"
Fight Near La vacquerie.
OTTAWA. Ont. January 1.-The fol-
lowing dispatch from London has been
received here by the Reuters Limited
Agency:
"A dispatch from British headquarters
states that the enemy's attacks yester-
day northwest of La Vacquerie were
carried out after fierce bombardment
The attack was concentrated on a half
mile front and the enemy waves ad-
vanced under cover of LIQUID fre.
Parties swarmed into a short length Of
trenches on the right. but elsewhere
they were unable to rush the parapet
in face of heavy machine gun and rife
IRE.
Only Remnant Of Enemy Left.
while our supports were orsanizinr
Tor the counter attack our gunners put
up 2 fierce barrage against the invad-
ers, driving them to cover, with the
result that when we crossed the snow
clad ground we took the whole Of the
-~s-.~~A~S $40 SSA sh6tIS a<4A Garfield.
was very struggling remnant Of the
original storming enemy parties that
got back across no mans land.
The New Year was ushered in ac-
cording to custom. At midnight sroups
or batteries put over saIvos Of high
explosives in bursts Of a dozen AT q
time, thus indicating that It was ~
O'Clock. Then other gunners Joined In
punctually with firing, indicating the
numeral 1913. after which bouquets Of
gas shells were sent speeding to the
Germans q happy New Year. Naturally
this form of greeting was resented al
some places, notably near Arleux and
Fressnoy. where q regular quarrel be-
tween the parties blasted up the party.
Airman Charges Germans.
"A wonderful story is told Of the ad-
venture OF ayoung airman, who In
thick weather landed and asked a peas
ant his whereabouts At that moment
he beheld a troop of German cavalry
galloping toward him He immediately
opened his engine full and. skimming
the ground. charged the advancing Ger
mans.
Tho leading onicer nred an auto
matte pistol and the airman began oper-
casualties include the oficer and nu-
merous men and horses. The remainder
bolted.
'The airman intended leaving moth
ing to chance. 60 he Jew o great dis
tance west to insure landing on the
British side. When he next landed It
was needless to ask his whereabouts,
because he recognized Paris only few
ki1ometers away"