WESTERN CAMPAIGN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16744, 28 December 1914, Page 7

WESTERN CAMPAIGN.

ALUES MAINTAIN GROUND GAINED.

PROGRESS AT MANY POINTS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. PARIS, December 25. An official report states :

There has been intermittent artillery fighting in Belgium. The Allies between the Lys and the Oise on Monday evening reached a point where roads meet from Loos R.utoire and Loos Veraelles. The Allies captured part of the village of La Boisolle, which is north-east of Albert, and also made some progress at Lihons, near Chaulnes, where various attacks were carried out with much spirit.

Everywhere we have maintained ground gained. The Allies' artillery has overthrown tho defensive organisation on the plateau Nouvron. There have been artillery duels in the Aisno and Champagne districts. Several German attacks have been repulsed. The Allies havo advanced north of Sapignoul, near Berry-au-Bac. A violent counter-attack followed, but failed. SVo caotured a wood north of Mesnil, following up tho capture of trenches on December 23. We now are in possession of tho whole of the enemy's first lino of defences in this region. The Allies in the Argonno repulsed five attacks at Bois de la Grurio, our heavy artillery mastering the German batteries at Cuisy, in the Bois do Forges region, where maohine guns enabled tho Allies' infantry to make a good forward

Wo have advanced in tho lower Vos- ' ges to 1500 metres from Cirey sur voaouso. PROGRESS ON EOTH WINGS. GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. ENEMY'S BATTERIES SILENCED. (Received December 27, 3.40 p.m.) PARIS, December 26. An official report states:—We havo slightly progressed from Nieuport. Wo repulsed an attack in the direction of Notre Dame de. Loretta, captured a trench at Puisaleine and held our ground notwithstanding several coun-ter-attacks. The enemy made a vigorous unsuccessful attack on Thursday night at Entre-deux-Faux, in tho Vosges. A later report states that fog paralysed operations from tho sea. to tho Lys. Tho Allies repulsed several coun-ter-attacks at Noulottos la Boiselle, Lihons and Cirey. The artillery silenced tho enemy's batteries at Perthes, where particularly violent German counterattacks by important effectives along a front of 1500 metres completely failed. We have appreciably progressed in upper Alsace. ATTACK ON BRITISH. GROUND LOST AND RETAKEN. GERMANS SUFFER SEVERELY. (Received December 27, 4.50 p.m.) PARIS, December 26. Tho Germans attacked tho British positions on Thursday night at La Bassee and at first compelled the British to give ground. The British made a vigorous counter-attack threo hours later, recovered all the lost ground, nflicted severe losses on tho Germans and took four hundred prisoners.