region of Balschwiller, and
demolished some trenches and a munitions depot northwest of Altkirch.

British aeroplanes dropped bombs on the aerodrome at Douai, and a
German aviator dropped a few on Boulogne. The German War Office
statement briefly announced that "fighting with artillery and mines at
several points on the Franco-Belgian front is reported." The next few
days are almost a blank; hardly anything leaks out; but things are
happening all the same.

To the south of Hartmannsweilerkopf, after a series of fruitless
attacks, followed by a severe bombardment, the Germans succeeded in
recovering the trenches which they had lost to the French on December
31, 1915. Besides that, they also captured 20 officers, 1,083
chasseurs, and 15 machine guns. This move compelled the French troops
occupying the summit of Hirzstein to evacuate their position.
Artillery incessantly thundered in Flanders, Champagne, Artois, the
Vosges, and on the British lines at Hulluch and Armentieres. By
January 10, 1916, it looked as though the Germans intended to retrieve
the misfortunes of Champagne. An assault by the kaiser's troops under
General von Einem was made on a five-mile front east of Tahure, with
the center about at Maisons de Champagne Farm, close to the Butte de
Mesnil. At this point the French had held well to the ground won
during the previous September. On the 9th the German artillery opened
fire with great violence, using suffocating shells, and this was
followed by four concentric infantry attacks on that front during the
day and night. The French fire checked the offensive, but at two
points the Germans managed to reach the first French lines. The battle
raged for three days, during which the Germans took a French
observation post, several hundred yards of trenches, 423 prisoners,
seven machine guns, and eight mine throwers. The French counterattack
broke down, though it was claimed that they had recovered the ground.

At Massiges the Germans attacked on almost as large a scale as the
French had done the previous autumn. The German bombardment increased
steadily in intensity, and during the last twelve hours 400,000 shells
were stated to have fallen on the eight-mile front from La Courtine to
the western slopes of the "Hand" of Massiges. The infantry were thrown
forward on the 10th. The first attack was launched on the hill forming
the western finger of Massiges, whence the French fire broke their
ranks and drove them back