Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-15
BATTLE OF CHAMPAGNE
IS SERIES OF ASSAULTS
Inherent SECTIONS Of French Forces
Execute independently Part
OF General Plan.
GERMANS CAUGHT IN BEDS
10 Thorough Preparation Is Attrib-
uted by Most Competent Critics
Success of First Rush and High
proportion of Prisoners Taken.

fAklS. November 1I.-Thc battle or
Champagne. according to information
received from most reliable soprco,
was series of assaults by dirroror,
sections of the French forces eocn
OF winch had it's particular object In
view arranged to harmoniZe with tba
general plan, but executed indenond~
entity. Ihe lines that We're forced were
1hose organized by the Germans oftcr
the battle of the Marine and perfocted
oS year OF systematic labor to n
point where their defenders had 90
iirich confidence in them that the ON
ers IN command, though anticipat-
NE an attack. were caught IN their
beds by the first lines OF tie French
rush.
The trenches were not only fortified
ny every means that the war or
trenches has developed. hut the posi-
ton was naturally strengthened by n
line of heights north of Perthes. from
Souain to Tahure. by the twin height
Mammcllc Nord and Mammelle Sud
north of the Mesnil, with the strong
iortincations of the TrapeZe To the
north of MaSSiges. the heights No 1911
ana 1879 furnished excellent supnort
ana were strongly organized Rest
ing on these heights were two posi-
tons about two miles apart the first
composed of thrcc lines OF parallel
trenches in some places and Ave In
others, with barbcd wire dcfcnscs hc
tween them. All the ground covered
by these positions was also fortified
with transversal and diagonal trenches
permitting lateral and cniilating fire
with rcdoubts SO armorcd as to hold
out and continue firing even after the
trenches had been demolished
LABYRINTIIS AND NETWORK
IN MOST EXPOSED SPOTS
tn,
country there were labyrinths and net
works. Complicated as were these
earthworks they had no secrets for
the French staff. Every one of those
trenches redoubts. communicating
trenches and labyriaths had been 10
Gated. named or numbered and plotted
on the general stat maps. so that each
sector knew exactly what it would
ind. The ranges of every part of those
lines had been taken. and when the
artillery opened. the thrcc-inch shells
fell with dctdly precision upon the
defense works. lcrcllng trenches, de-
molishing redoubts and blockhouscs
with loopholes. blocking up cornmuni-
acting trenches and oblitcrating bar
bed-wirc entanglemenis. While the
fire of the light field pieces covered
all the ground covered by tho FIRST
line and the supporting trenches az
far as the second position. the heavy
-
and encampments further back. com
pletely blocking railway traffic by the
destruction of stations and making ii
impossible to bring UP supplies to tho
trenches OF the first position during
seventytwo hours
While the bombardment was in
progress the officers eXpla ined tn the
men OF each different sector what the
general plan was, and what part his
particular sector was to take In IL.
The men knew from the maps that
were shown them what they would
find after they had lcapcd over the
parapet of the first trench; they knew
from their instructions what they were
to do at each obstacle They knew
what their final objective was and
when they reached ii. though ig-
norant OF what the adjoining sector
was to do further than the columns
were to meet at designated spot.
To this thorough preparation is at
tributcd by most competent critics
the success of the first rush and the
remarkably high proportion OF pris-
onerS taken.