The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-29
Eleven Thousand Dead Are Taken From Trenches Won by the Allies In the
 Champagne District
INDIVIDUAL DEEDS
 OF HEROISM TOLD BY
 THE ALLIED FORCES
Germans Driven Steadily Back But Fight With Ob- stinate Courage-General JOffre Visits Scene

GhaIons Sur Marne, France, March 25.-Eleven thousand German dead have been taken from the trenches won by the French during 20 days fighting in the Champagne country. German losses in killed, in prisoners and in wounded are estimated by the French at 5O,0OO. The German wastage, they say, has been two to one compared with the French losses because the Germans would try to regain lost ground by counter attacks. repeated again and again with obstinate cour- age.
 It was in these counter assaults, sup ported by relatively inadequate artillery and what the French assert was made quate morale that so many German sol diers have fallen. Graves in which they are buried by hundreds are thick on a narrow front of some 15 miles.
 For nearly a month now. the French their officers declare, by superior artil- lery and by a certain irresistible spirit, have. day by day. gained ground. some times a few hundred yards of trenches: on other days a mile of frontage, and from 300 to 800 yards deep.
 The Germans are bringing up new con tingents steadily They have had in ac- ton on this segment curing March five army corps. or about 100000 men. Yet on the evening of every day the French of ticers assert that the French have held somewhat more of the field than they did the evening before.
 
 Goes Over Ground
 The Associated Press correspondent has beeia over the gfo,ud and found that tliis' Is what has taken place:
 The French artillery subdues the Ger man guns and tears up parts of the Ger man trenches Then at telephone signal the guns cease and the men in the trenches. with reserves crowded into the approaches, run for the trenches opposite Then body to body fighting finishes the attack
 Meantime a barrier of bursting shells behind the German front line prevents reserves from coming up. This is con tinued until the captured trenches are put into condition to resist assaults. The re- suits. from day to day apparently have been gains for the French
 The correspondent nas seen for him. self the ground gained by the French and compared the positions occupied months ago with those held today.
 The French commanders, who find the courage and confidence of their troops mounting with each success, express the opinion that the Germans have been dls- heartened by feeling that French at tacl1s are successful and that their count CT attacks, delicered with admirable pluck under the circumstances, have been useless.
 The French, employing quantities of
  and concentrating their fire in such a way as has not been seen before in this war French officers say their guns can dominate the adversarys position at any time or place.
 During the 20 days advance in the Champagne region the French have used ,500O coo projectiles.
 Individual Bravery
 All along this front one heard narra- tives of deeds of individual soldiers and of officers. There was the incident of Vandal master gunner. He was badly wounded at the same time as one of his fellow gunners Jacques To a comrade Nho was trying to Dandage his wound Vardal said:
 1T feel that am dying. Save Jacques '' Then to lieutenant arranging to have him taken to the rear while an enemy aeroplane flew overhead Vandal said: Do not trouble about me. Do not let them see the battery. vive la France. ' The next moment vandal died.
 Private Galeski, who was the talk of his company on the 7th and Sth of March, because of his audacity and coolness in the storIning of trenches, fell on the 9th. When picked up GaleslSi said:
 Did you carry the Fortin hill?'
 "Yes, we took it." was the reply, and
 tContinued on Page Eight)