FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 19 December 1914, Page 5

FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

GROUND GAINED

ALLIES STEADILY- PRESSING THEIR OFFENSIVE. GERMANY SHORT OF AMMUNITION. A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. SUCCESSES AGAINST FRENCH AND RUSSIANS CLAIMED.

PARIS, Dec. 18. Official.—The Allies gained ground northward of Ypres, on the Merrin road, also southward of Bixschoote. "We debouched to the north-east of Arras, and reached the outskirts of . St. Laurent and Brangy. We have made appreciable progress in the Bapaume «nd Beronne distract. • LONDON, Dec. 18. The Daily Chronicle's Dunkirk 'correspondent- says the destroyers off Westende beat off several submarines, "'Nisjrich were attempting to attack "the iefalper-British waTsMpß. The Allies are steadily pressing their offensive, and have cleared the Germans from between Ypres and Dixmude. BetaHs <of the success "in the out«kirts of the wood at Wytschaete «how that the Germans in the forest trenches surrendered without a shot, due to the capture of the sentries' rifles. The maxim fire began to decimate the German prisoners and tthe British alike. A shell fired a hayrick, \ lighting up the formation of the German trenches. A fresh British battalion -was -working iip to the flank of the first. The letter charged. Many •German fugitives surrendered, and the remainder were secured by the cavalry. COPENHAGEN, Dec. 18. It is stated on high authority that the Germans have only a fortnight's supply of cartridges. BERLIN, Dec. 18. A communique claims that the Germans repulsed the French at Hollebeke and La Bassee, with severe losses, and that they are also pursuing the Russians in the whole of Poland.