The Washington times., 1915-02-21
Six Furious Assaults on Position
Commanding verdun FoiIed
by Counter Attacks.
ALLIES GAIN on LONG LINE
General Movement to Roll In.
vaders Out Of French Terri.
tory Is Under Way.

French forces engaged IN Foi'hs '"e
German crown princes armies back
from verdun are reported in official
dispatches.
The Germans renewed their assaults
upon the French trenches several miles
north Of verdun. They made SIX furi-
GUS attacks with the object Of capturing
positions from which shell-hre could be
directed upon verdun itself. Each on
slausht was repulsed.
The French troops then counter at
tackled. and. following close upon the
heels of the retreating Germans. cap
tured several rows Of trenches adjacent
to those occupied Friday. Two hundred
prisoners. two mortars. and other war
material were taken by the French.
Successful North of Perthes.
Success for the French offensive rnove-
ment north Of Perthes is claimed in the
official communique. The French forced
the Germans to evacuate a wood where
the enemy held a strong position. The
offensive movement in the Champagne
is developing favorably. The Germans
have ceased to attack in that region and
in the ArEonne.
The official statement said that Fto-
lent cannonading continues In Belgium,
and all along the battle line from the
seacoast to Rheims.
The general movement to press the
ready under way. This Is indicated by
the latest unofficial advices from the
'front.' In the north there has been much
severe fighting along the entire 'front.'
from Lens, inside of the Belgian IRON
tier. But at every point. the reports
say. the Germans have been repulsed
with heavy losses.
Fighting Severe on Long Line.
Commencing on the Arras road. south
Of Lens. the battle line extends north
through vermelles to the east OF Gil
venchy, then describes an acute angle
to Festubert. shifts almost due east by
north to point east of Armentieres'
and wavers between Ypres and Zonne-
beke through Langemarck 70 Nieuport
and the coast. All along this line Sc
we're fighting has been in progress for
several days. The British forces de-
Tending the chief portions of this line
have been heavily REINFORCED.
Through snow which at some places
Is waist deep, the contending forces ere
battling in the Vosses' The French
believed that no definite results can be
expected until after the spring thaws
A similar situation exists in upper Al.
SAGE.
Notable Successes Claimed.
Notable successes in the Argonne, Won
by desperate lighting. and gains all
along the western battle front for the
ten days ended February II are chron-
icled in the report OF the official "eye-
Witness" ISSUED by the minister Of war.
The report says Of recent operations:
During the past ten days detestable
weather. continuous rains in some
parts and violent snow squalls In
Others and thick fog have hindered the
operations nearly everywhere on the
western battlefront. In spite Of the con-
ditions this period has been favorable
for us. Our artillery obtained very bril-
liant results, and the enemy evidently
was unable to equal our fire. The
French superiority In ammunition and
supplies is being more and more con-
firmed.
Our infantry showed an aggressive
spirit in the Artois. Champagne. Ar
gonne. and Alsace regions, and their
operations crowned with success.
Allied Artillery Scores.
I'VE thus obtained appreciable results.
That the German official communica-
tions. after having flatly denied the
statement, have now partially admitted
that prisoners and materials have fallen
into our hands. moreover, is the best
proof Of our successes"
The total communication discusses in
detail the activity OF the allied artillery
in the region from the English channel
to the river Aisne. 1t alludes to the ex-
cellent work of the Belgian batteries
and the remarkable energy Of the British
artillery, working in concert with the
French guns. Shells. the writer says,
Were placed with remarkable accuracy,
rendering the movements of the German
troops in the rear of their trenches ex-
ceedinsly difficult and often impossible.