The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-21
EYEWITNESS TELLS 0F FIGHTING IN WEST Past Ten Days Favorable for Allies, Says French
 Report

Paris, February 20.-An official eye witness account of recent fighting in France and Belgium was given out to- day by the French war department. The writer says:
 During the past 10 days detestable weather, continuous rains in some parts and violent snow squalls in others. have hindered operations.A This period has been favorable for us. Our artillery ob- tained very brilliant results. 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 were crowned with success.
 The communication speaks of excel lent work by Belgian sister batteries and the remarkable energy of the Brit ish artillery working in concert with the French guns
 Trench Destroyed
 "At the moment when French infan- trymen advance to storm hostile works on the edge of the village of Carency the night of February 6-7,'' M. Ethel continues, "60 volunteer resefvists with a squad of sappers brilliantly ac- complished the destruction of a skill fully arranged German trench.
 We lost only three men killed The Germans lost more than half a com. pany.
 Operations north of Arras were char acterized by splendid bravery by thu Zouavas and African infantry.
 "We achieved brilliant success in tho Argonne region. West of Bagatelle or February r we made a gain of severa hundred yards. That afternoon the Ger mans counter attacked furiously and { violent hand to hand engagement ensued For more than three hours the contendint forces used nothing but bayonets. Oul infantry delivered several successve bay onet charges. The decimated enemy wal finally repulsed and the ground gained was definitely organized.
 Desperate Fighting
 "The fighting was even more desperat on February 10 and II. At Marie There's the enemy delivered a strong military at tack and showered field bombs simul taneously with the explosion of mines fl
 
 yards of our work were upheaved. Then following an attack with large bombs three battalions of infantry charged owe armed with grenades and bombs. Tn companies of our advanced line wer decimated and were obliged to giv, ground entailing the withdrawal of tn forces holding the trenches in the rear To the left and right our men held thei position
 "A counter attack was executed i'm rnediately and we succeeded in capturin, our second line under fire of machin guns which the enemy had brought up The same afternoon and evening by sue cessive counter attacks we retook nor, Of the lost ground and the trenches an, cannon lost in the morning. Our infan try inflicted enormous losses upon th enemy.
 Tn front of our trenches and on thu ground lost and retaken more than 40 bodies of the enemy were counted Fac l ing our lines the first line of German trenches was constituted by a ridge mad, by the dead bodies of their men. 'In the Argonne region we were sue l ccssful in fighting in the forest of I1 Pretre and made substantial gains in thu forest of La Grurie. In this part of tn 1 line our ascendency over the enemy ap pears to have been established definitely