The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-29
IL, 900 GERMANS DEAD
IN CHAMPAGNE FIGHT
French Bury That Number in 20 Days
Trench After Trench Held
Against Counter Attacks

CHALONS SUR MARINE, France
March 29.Eleven thousand German |
dead have been taken from the trenches
won by the French during 20 days OF
lighting in the Champagne country The !
German losses III killed, in prisoners and |
in wounded are estimated by the French |
military authorities at 10000 The Ger
man wastage. they say, has been two to
one compared with the French losses, be
cause the Germans would try to regain
| lost ground by counter attacks, repeated
again and again with obstinate courage.
| 1t was IN these counter assaults, sup
ported by relatively inadequate artillery
and what the French officers assert was
| inadequate morale, against the allied
| troops that so many German soldiers have
fallen. The graves in which they are
buried by fifties and by hundreds are thick
upon a narrow front of some - miles.
For nearly month now the French,
their officers declare, by the superiority
Of their artillery of both large and small
calibre and by a certain irresistible spirit,
have, day by day, gained ground, some
times few hundred yards of trenches; on
other days mile Of frontage and from
three to five hundred yards deep.
, The Germans are bringing up new con
tingents steadily. They have had in ac-
ton on this segment of of the fighting
lines during March five army corps, or
about 100000 men. Yet on the evening
of every day, the French officers assert
that the French have held somewhat more
of the field than they did the evening be
fore
The Associated Press correspondent has
been over the ground, and found that this
is what has taken place: The French ar
tillery. numerous and concentrated, at
q times subdues the German guns and tears
up parts of the German trenches by sus-
; tanned shell fire, then, at a moment sig
: nailed by telephone, the guns cease and
a the men in the trenches, with reserves
+ crowded into the approaches, jump ont
: and make quick run for the trenches
s opposite. Then body to body fighting fin
r ishes the attack.
5 Meantime barrier Of bursting shell:
< behind the German front line prevents
o reserves from coming up This is contin
n ued until the captured trenches are pat
ii into condition to resist assaults Thes,
n assaults are sometimes unsuccessful, but
the results from day to day apparently
9 have been gains for the French.
: The correspondent has been able to So
" for himself the ground gained by tn
Il French and TO compare the positions occu
m pied months ago with those held today
AZ The French commanders, VINO find III
1 courage and confidence Of their troop
: mounting with each success express tn
i opinion that the Germans have been some
- what disheartened by feeling that Frenc
- attacks are successful and that their cour
-, ter attacks, delivered with admirabl
." pluck under, the circumstances, hav
been useless.
~ The French are employing such quar-
r. tities Of artillery, newly constructed, an
'e' Of heavy field calihre, that they are alb
a TO combine and concentrate their tre
u such d way az has not been seen befoi
~ in this war The French officers say the
.y. Guns can dominate the adversarv'S DOS
hc fions nj any time or place.