German position at St. Mihiel, in the Verdun section without
gaining any ground. Farther north on this section the French pressed
on and gained a little ground near the German fortress Metz; but
the very vicinity of this fortress counterbalanced this gain.

[Illustration: NOTRE DAME OF RHEIMS RUINED BY GERMAN SHELLS.

SOLDIERS AND PRISONERS OF GERMANY. BELGIUM AND FRANCE. FIRST AID
TO THE WOUNDED

German lookouts, wearing the distinctive spiked German helmet, are
stationed in a treetop overlooking the battle front. The branches
aid in screening them]

[Illustration: A body of German prisoners on their way to Paris
under escort of French cuirassiers. The country people line the
roadway to see them pass]

[Illustration: Belgian soldiers--the famous Louvain Lancers, accompanied
by an aviation corps--coming up to take positions near the coast
in northern France]

[Illustration: Two cuirassiers--French cavalrymen who wear a cuirass
or breastplate--have dismounted to give aid to a wounded comrade]

[Illustration: An injured British aviator cared for by a Red Cross
doctor. Airmen who have been wounded often bring their machines
to a safe landing]

[Illustration: The choir and nave of Notre Dame, Rheims, before the
bombardment which destroyed its matchless carvings and stained-glass
windows]

[Illustration: The ruins of Notre Dame, the wonderful cathedral at
Rheims, which was shelled by the Germans. The statuary and carvings
remaining about the entrances are protected by timbers]

[Illustration: French sailors who have landed on the southwestern
coast of Belgium making a jovial feast of their dinner ashore]

On January 21, 1915, the Germans recaptured the Le Pretre woods
near St. Mihiel, and next day the belligerents fought a fierce
engagement in the Vosges without advantage to either side. Prince
Eitel, the second son of the Kaiser, commanded an attack upon Thann in
Alsace on January 25, 1915, but was repulsed by the French defenders.

On January 28, 1915, the Germans made some gains in the Vosges
and in Upper Alsace, but in their attempt to cross the River Aisne
on the 29th they were unsuccessful.

January 30, 1915, brought some successes to the Germans in the
Argonne forest, where throughout the month the most savage fighting
was going on in thick underbrush and from tree tops.

PART II--NAVAL OPERATIONS

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXII

STRENGTH OF THE RIVAL NAVIES

Se