Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-17
DRIVE BY FRENCH IN THE CHAMPAGNE
HAS PURPOSE OF CUTTING RAILROADS
WHICH SUPPLY ARMY OF CROWN PRINCE
BY FRANK II. sIMoNDs.

BY FRANK n. sIMoNDs.
Copyright 1915. by the New York Tribune)
Two weeks ago 1 described on this
page the larger aspects of the allied
offensive in the west, which was Their
commanding the attention of the world
and remain the most important mill
tary operation on foot. In general
fashion the two efforts, that in Artois
and that in Champagne. were compared
to the similar converging attacks OF
Hindenburg and Mackensen in Poland
attacks designed primarily to break IN
the Polish salient and If possible to en-
velop the Russian armies between the
two pincers the German armies con-
stituted.
Looking at the map, 1t will be seen
that the attacks of the allies in Artols
and in Champagne, II pressed home
successfully, would cut the railroad
lines which supply the whole German
front from Lille to the Argonne; that
the cutting of the lines nearest the
original points of attack would prooa-
bly settle the question of German oc-
cupation of northern France. the pos
sibility of the development of a por-
ton of the German armies is plain. but
the Russian campaign is pretty fair
indication that Sedans on a largely in
creased scale are unlikely under CO.
temporary conditions Of warfare.
Now, apart from the central purpose
of allied strategy, which Is to thrust
the Germans out of France. not by d.
rect attack along the whole 'front.' OUT
by piercing attacks at two points, there
are minor detectives and incidental de-
tails of the present operation which
are of real value and interest. Thus,
the local success of the Artois opera
ton will regain for France the city OF
Lens: it will relieve the closely in
vested front of Arras: it may eventual
" lead to the freeing of Lille. In the
same fashion the success OF the Cham-
payne operation, viewed only from It's
local side, will free Rheims, relieve
verdun and threaten the whole Ger
man front between the Meuse and the
Disc.
A Modern Battle.
The accidental circumstances OF the
Champagne battlefield make it possible
to study the operations at close range
and with advantages that are lacking
in tfte Artois fight. which Is being car
ried on in a densely inhabited region
is a battle from house to house, from
village to village. In Champagne, on
the other hand, the struggle is being
fought out in an open country, almost
destitute of population. under condi-
lions which recall many of the battles
of our own civil war.
In the old-fashioned sense. therefore.
the Champagne operation more nearly
satisfies the notion of a battle than
anything in the west since the German
checks along the User and about Ypres
exactly year ago. What the Germans
of fad in nd he nNh a re
undertaking in Champagne. So far the
fight recalls in many particulars the
desperate efforts which marked the
final German drive in the west. :.
is necessary, first of all. to describe
the battlefield, which. fortunately. is
utterly simple Twenty miles due east
from Rheims the national highway
older Roman road. meets the Chalons
highroad, which goes straight north
toward the frontier. The point of in
tersection is the little hamlet of Souain.
the southern branch leads somewhat
sfnuously ten miles due east to WILLIE
1 sur-Tourbe. another little village sit
Nuated on the tiny Tourbe river just
above its junction with the Aisne. /
At Tourbe the Rheims road meets the
national highway coming north from
ST. Menehould and also leading through
Vouziers to the frontier. Four miles
north of Souain the Chalons road enters
the little town of Sommepy. the south
ernmost point of the -Chal-
lerange railroad Three miles north Of
yille-sur-Tourbe. the st. Menehould
road reaches Cernay. where it crosses
the northern fork of the Rheims-Souain
highway. Now, the present battlefield
Is comprehended in the paralielogram
which has at it's four corners the towns
Of Souain. Ville-sur-Tourbe, Germany
and Sommepy. The road from Cernay
to Souain is the diagonal.
Objective of the Battle.
When the present battle opened the
French were occupying a front from
Souain to Ville-sur-Tourbe. through the
little towns or rather hamlets of
Perthes-les Hurlus. Les Mesnils and
Massiges. names familiar to all readers
of the official French reports for many
months. Half way between LIE Mesnils
and Massiges is the farmhouse of Beau
sejour. also well known in all battle
reports.
On this front of approximately ten
miles the French were facing due
north. one flank resting upon the Aisne
a little east of Ville-surTourbe, where
contact was made with the army in the
Argonne; the other flank rested on the
Souain-Sommepy highway. to the west
of which contact was made with the
French army covering the city OF
Rheims Midway between Souatn and
Ville-sur-Tourbe the French center
rested on either side of the local road
going due north from Perthes to the
Cernay-Souatn highway, which 1t met
at Tahure, the exact center of our par
allelogram.
Now. the immediate purpose of the
French was to advance until their left
hank reached SoInmepy and thus cut
the Bazancourt -challerange railroad.
one of the two lines on which the Ger
mans in the Argonne depend for their
supplies. The left. therefore. would ad
vance along the Souain -Sommepy road
They had four. miles to go. The right
conforming to the general movement
would advance on the ST. MenehouId-
Vouziers road from Nillesur- Tourbe to
Csrnay: The center. for its part. would
move up the Perthes-Tahure road to
Tahure. North of Tahure it would
aim to reach the railroad east of Som
mepy by various country lanes and
roads.
We have. then. looking at the French
plans of September "a. a contemplat ed
advance of some four miles the LEFT
and center aiming at the railroad the
right al the town of Cernay, which the
railroad avoids by the wide curve that
II makes toward the north after pass
ing In front of the hills above Tahure
The success of the movement would be
established when the railroad was
reached or when the French came near
enough to II to command IL by tneir