WAR NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 December 1914, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

BOMB DROPPED NEAR DOVER CASTLE. FALLS IX A PRIVATE GARDEN. (Received Dec. 25, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 21. Offic'al.—An aeroplane dropped a bomb in :i private garden at Dover. The bomb exploded without '"njuring anyone. 'I lie aeroplane was only seen for a lew seconds, mid e-vcaped seawards in ibe foggy weather. The acre-plane came from the direction ol' Deal, and emerged from o, cloud and dropped the bomb, which fell at the roar of St. James's Rectory, fronting Dover Ua.Hle. Some w- ndows were shattered Two aeroplanes promptly went in pursuit, but without result - GENERAL JOFFRE'S PLANS. .MORE SUCCESSFUL ALO.X.G WESTERN FRONT. (Received Dec. 3">th, »,:> p.m.; LONDON, Dec. 21th. The "Timer's'"' military corro:ipondeut states that General Jo/fro plj) nly sparring for an opening, and has made a double advance eiiabl'.ng liiin to learn where be.*, to strike and pri>,>,s the enemy so as to take oft' the strain from the .Russian* in tho Eastern theatre of war. BELGIAN ARMY CROSSES THE YSERi. (Recoived Dec. 25th, 3 p.m.) PARIS, Dec. 24th. Offic'al.—Wo have advanced from the sea to the Lys. An attack before Lombaertzyde wa's repulsed. We abx) progressed at Zwarleleii, .soutil-west of Ypres. The Belgian army harthrown, detachments across the rightbank of the Yser, and has organised a position at a. bridge-head southward of Di xmude. We took four hundred metres of trenches northeast of Mtvmiiles and Hurlus. Artillery wrecked and cleared several trendies in the Forest of Aprmont, and silenced several batteries on the iYoevre. GERMAN PRESS PESSIMISTIC. (Received Dec. 25th, 5.5 p.m.) The German recently asserted that Germany was incapable of tak'ng the offensive. a.nd must revise her The Austro-German forces would probably not reach a million and a-lialf and 'Russia should not have insuperable difficulty in overthrowing such, a force by superior numbers. She ought to enjoy a numerical superiority of over a million, and therefore Germany could not expect General von Hinderburg's sue-. . ee.>; to be last'ng, although his coun-ter-offensive had temporarily saved Silesia, relieved pressure at Cracow, and postponed the day of reckoning. ' —■("T'.mes" and Sydney "Sun". Servicer.) GERMAN DEFEAT ON THE BZURA. (Received Dec. 26th, 12.5 a.m.) PETRWR-AD. Dec. 25th. . Official'.—Considerable German forces at Schonkow. near Sochaezew. on the right bank of the Rzura, were completely defeated, and a regiment was almost entirely annihilated. Six maxims, five, officers, and 515 -men wore captured. There ha.i been hard fighting at Rolinowo. and also on the Pitca. The Germans were- everywhere repulsed . An obstinate two days' fighting has been in progress on the Nida between. Wisloca and Korechin. tho Russians capturing ,57-.officers and -1000 men northward of IVnchow, and -eisrht'officerf.i and GOO men southward of" Pinchow. They _ also took 1500 prisoners southward of the Vistula. The situation in East Pru.usia 1; unchanged. AUSTRIAN SUCCESSES CLAIMED. (Received Dec. 26th, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 25th. An official Vienna message states: —-\Y O repulsed several Russian attacks in the Latoroka Valley. The enemy suffered heavy losses,_ and one battalion wan blown up. We gained ground in the Ung Valley, and made tioO pri. oners near tlie U/.sokar Pass ad 2000 on the .Lower Drina o n Dor. 22nd. WAR ON BRITISH MERCHANT j SHIPS. IDEA PLEASES GERMANY. ' /Received Dec, 25th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 24th. The German Press is exultant at Grand-Adroral von Tirpitz's bo.vst that he will blockade the coast of Britain and destroy merchantmen with big submarines. All agree thai th-'s furnishes a policy by which England's starvaton of Germany can be countered.—"Time;.'' and Sydney "Sun" Service. TURKEY~AN~TiIE WAR, AUSTRALASIAN FORCE PARADE IN CAIRO. (Received Dee. ,25th, 3 p.m.) CAffiO, Dec. 2-ltli. The Australian and New Zealand troops made a route mrch through Cairo, and-showed themselves in fiplendid condition. They had an enthu&'astic welcome from the crowds. The Commander-in-Cliief in Egypt, General Sir I. Grenfell Maxwell, took the salute. The Egyptian Red Crescent was presented by General Maxwell' to the hospital tra-'n, •BATTLESHIP TORPEDOED. FRENCH VESSEL, DAMAGED. (Received Dec' 25th, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Dee. 24th. An Austrian submarine in the Straights of Otranto fired two torpedoes one of . them damaging a French battleship, but not doing serious injury.