The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-27
Germans Pressed Back to Sec
ond Line of Defense in Many
Places
BRITISH PENETRATE
LINE AT OTHER POINTS
Take Village OF Loos And
Reach Outskirts of Hullach.
Allies Will Make Offensive
General

Paris, Sept. 26.--After an un.
usually heavy artillery prcpara--
ton French troops have broken
the German line in Champagne
district ON front OF about fif-
ten miles, driving back their OPP
ponents at most points to their
secon line positions, nearly three
miles TO the rear. More than 49,
600 prisoners have been captured
and u large amount OF war ma.
terial taken.
At two other points on the long
front from the North Sea to Al
SAGE Offensive movements have
begun. North Of -.Arras, the
French, while not gaining the
amount Of territory captured il
Champagne. have taken ut the
point OF the bayonet several
strongly fortified positions iB
which the Germans have held out
for many months, particularly the
cemetery and town OF Souchc7
and important earthworks north.
cast of Ncuvillc-St. WAIST.
In conjunction with the sue.
cessful attacks, the British, under
Sir John French, took the Often
sive east OF Vcrmellcs and south
Of the IAhaseee Canal, and sue.
ceeded in driving back the Ger
mans on front OF more than
five miles, penetrating their lines
ut some places for u distance OF
more than two miles. The village
OF LOOs was captured while tho
British reached the western out.
skirts of tho village of Hnllach.
which lies a short distance to the
north.
MET BY STRONG COUNTER.
Another and not less offensive BY
he British was not SO successful. This
vas a general attack ON the Germans
position along the Ypres-Menin Road
south of the road the British car,
led the German trenches over front
" 500 yards. North of the road thu
British captured the Belle Wards
2idge, an important position. but were
to give 1t up in the face Of
In unusually strong counter-attack
The highly successful attacks By
he French forces. 1t Is freely admitted
here tonight. are the beginning OF tn
general offensive so long awaited. Mil
tary critics have pointed out tha1
artillery work that ha!
,een feature OF the war office state.
nents for the last three weeks wa!
n preparation for an important move,
nent The stiffening of the Russian
iefense within the last few days at /
point where the enormous German
forces advancing into Russia wert
ar from their own railways and tn
Anglo French offensive campaign
which began early Saturday morning
Ire taken here to mean that complete
accord exists between the high com.
hands of the allied armies.
Offensive to He Prolonged.
Paris tonight is unusually gay ate,
ong weeks and months Of anxious
for good news from the front
rhe early reports indicate that thu
battle OF Champagne Is only second
% the battie-of- tho Marine, and It i,
hoped that its results will be as far,
1t Ii believed that dur1nl
hese long weeks Of waiting. Genera
Toffre has stored up sufficient ammu.
1ition for h prolonged offensive.
The details OF the operations since
morning can be sketched ouI
briefly by a glance at the statements
ssued by the war office. After an ar.
illery preparation the magnitude 81
which has never been eQualled. ne
.ven in the Austro-German campaign
n Galicia, the German trenches II
from a point north O.
3ouain as far east az the ArgOnnt
forest were reduced to a mass o.
earth and tangled wire. Huge masse,
II French troops leaped forward /,
The assault. The German first lint
trenches had been obliterated an{
he advancing French dashed through
m far as the third line trenches
Large numbers OF the Germans VIII
to hold their positions
we're cut or and captured. This 40
counts for the unusually large mum
Der Of prisoners taken. number eati
mated by the war Office ~ more thai
IL s,ss nss
Railway n Ohjcctfye.
The objective Of thc fighting IN III
region II the railway lin
from Neufchatei throHS3
somme and north Of the ArgonnN d.
Erict to the town Of varcnnes. TIL
French are now only about two mtleI
from this railroad and once II n cap1
kured generaf retreat In this fe8t0l
vii be absolutely necessary. This 1al3
way line runs along the rear Of tho m
lire German poeitions north Of Hh43e
10 the Argcnno Forest IT. cayt1el
would also neeeseitate retreat - xA(
part Of the Groin PFincs'e arnA
The Argonne. I'm q
Tho fishtins aorth q Arras = =
~ ss3z