les distant from Ypres, on December 8, 1914, from the vicinity
of Ypres, while their own forces had been concentrated upon Dixmude,
twelve miles to the north. This town had suffered severely before, but
the allied forces using what shelter they could improvise, were doing
considerable damage from this point. Therefore the Germans began to
bombard the place.

On December 9, 1914, the Germans succeeded in gaining slightly toward
Ypres. Farther north they were by this time also in a position to take
Furnes under fire. This town lies on the frontier between Belgium and
France, in the path of some of the most savage onslaughts on the part of
the Germans to break through the allied lines in order to reach the
channel towns of Dunkirk and Calais.

On December 10, 1914, the allied forces made an ineffectual attack on
Roulers, which the German General Staff had just left. South of Ypres
the allied forces made a severe attack upon the town of Armentieres,
about eight miles from Ypres, but gained no permanent advantage.

During this time the Germans had also so far succeeded in consolidating
their positions in the neighborhood of Ostend, that they could put their
heavy guns in position near the shores of that famous watering place.
This was a very necessary precaution to meet the attacks of English
gunboats, and even larger cruisers that were patrolling that coast.

On December 12, 1914, the severest fighting was along the Yser Canal,
which was crossed and recrossed several times.

On December 13, 1914, the Allies succeeded in repulsing the Germans on
the River Lys, where for three days the Germans had inaugurated a hot
offensive. These engagements were exact counterparts of the fighting at
other points in Flanders, where both opponents were apparently well
matched, and where advantages were won and lost in rapid succession.

There was severe fighting also on December 14, 1914, extending along the
entire front in Flanders from Nieuport to below Ypres. In the north the
Germans made severe onslaughts, all more or less held up or repulsed by
the Belgians, French, and English. The fighting was hottest near
Nieuport, where the Allies made some small temporary gains. Besides the
three armies participating in the conflict, the British fleet also took
part in bombarding the German coast positions. Three British barges
equipped with naval machine guns entered the River Yser in order to
cooperate in the fighting. These boats took the t