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Show HEAVY ATTACKS BV THE GERMANS Parle, Dec 8, 11 p. m Official bulletin: bul-letin: "In Belgium a violent German attack at-tack upon St. Klol, to the south of J pres. has been repulsed "The fighting la still very spirited In the forests and to the east of the Argonne. "There are no other important developments." de-velopments." Paris, Dec. 8. The Germans have resumed the offensive in Flanders, but their new efforts are being met by the allies with determination and success This announcement WOB made officially by the French war office. With the dawn of yesterday aggressive aggres-sive activity was shown by the invaders in-vaders all along the Yser from the Calais corridor at the south of Xieu-port, Xieu-port, where the bombardment of Oost Dunkirk continues almost to the river Lye The action was particularly vigorous vigor-ous in the vicinity of Vpres. indicating i genera movement in this direction Today this effort crystallized in a irlolent attack against St. Biol, a position po-sition of great strategic value to the south of Ypres. The attack was made iu great force, and with the en emy's prodigal disregard of its cost in men this toll was great for the attackers were hurled back time after 'iine, the rapid-fire guns in the allies" I trenches cutting them down like rows of corn. Rivaling In Importance the battle in Flanders is the struggle that is rapidly reaching its height in the Argonne region, where the French rigiu is luceu uy uew ;iuu uuutnutri- able bodies of German troops Today In the Argonne forests and on the heights and in the ravines to the east of the wooded sections the fighting was very spirited. Sapping operations were conducted by both armies and the troops are given no rest day or night The forest of Grurie was the theatre thea-tre of the most deadly combats of the long battle. No great bodies of troops were engaged in a mighty struggle such as proceeding from th open country in Flanders, but myriad myr-iad small detachments of valorous French infantry, dismounted cavalry and even of marine fusiliers axe encaged en-caged in the perilous task of hunting out some detachments of Germans who have been carrying on a system of guerrilla warfare, hiding In the woods and striking at small outposls or cutting down sentries and attacking attack-ing commissary details wherever found. These groups also have been active In planting mines and burrowing close to the trenches of their opponents, where they risk their lives in the chance of annihilating sections of the occupants by hurling bombs and grenades Allies are Gaining. Northwest of Pont-a-Mousson. in the forest of Le Pretre the fighting has been more in the open, for both armies have cleared the woods in front of iheir trenches in order to give a better sweep to their fire. Here the French war office states that the Germans have been forced back and the French troops have made slight gains. On what is now the center the artillery ar-tillery is heavily engaged and the Alsne and the Champagne region rumbles rum-bles with the continuous crash of the cannon. Several days ago the war office announced that the French gunners gun-ners were winning an advantage over the Germans. |
