The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-04-02
GERMAN LOSSES HEAVY
IN CHAMPAGNE COUNTRY
Correspondent Estimates 11,0OC
Dead in Trenches.

0udlUIlS ouI MdIuS,
March 2S.-Eleven thousand Ger.
man dead have been taken from the
trenches won by the French during
the 20 days fighting in the Cham
payne country. German losses in
killed, in prisoners and in wounded
are estimated by the French al
i $4,000. The German wastage, they
say, has been two to one com
pared with the French losses be-
cause the Germans would try to re-
gain lost ground by counter-attacks
repeated again and again with OBJ
stinate courage.
! 1t was in these counter assaults
supported by relatively inadequate
artillery and what the French assert
was inadequate morale, that SO
many German soldiers have fallen.
Graves in which they are buried by
hundreds are thick on a narrow
front of some Is miles.
For nearly a month now the
French, their officers declare, by
superior artillery and by a certain
irresistible spirit, have, day by day,
gained ground, sometimes few
hundred yards of trenches; on 9TH
er days mile of frontage and from
three to five hundred yards deep.
The Germans are bringing up new
contingents steadily. They have
had in action on this segment dur
ing 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 before.
FRENCH ARTILLERY IS EFFECT
I'VE.
| The Associated Press correspond
ent has been over the ground and
found that this is what has taken
place:
The French artillery subdues the
German guns and tears up parts of
the German trenches. Then at q
telephone signal the guns cease and
the guns in the trenches, with re-
serves crowded into the approaches,
run for the trenches opposite. Then
body to body fighting finishes the
attack .=. s...
Meantime, a barrier of bursting
shells behind the German front line
prevents reserves from coming up.
This is continued until the captured
trenches are put into condition to
resist assaults. The results from
day to day apparently have been
gains from the French.
The correspondent has seen for
himself the ground gained by the
French and compared the positions
occupied months ago, with those
held to-day. ...
The French commanders, who
find the courage and confidence of
their troops mounting with each
success, express the opinion that the
Germans have been disheartened by
feeling that the French attacks are
successful and that their counter at
tacks, delivered with admirable
pluck under the circumstances, have
been useless.
The French, employing quantities
of newly constructed artillery, are
combining and concentrating their
fire in such a way as has not been
seen before in this war. French Of
ficers say their guns can dominate
the adversary's positions at any
time or place.
MANY ACTS OF BRAVERY.
During the 20 days advance in
the Champagne region the French
have used million and a half pro-
iectiles. ..-..
All along this front one heard mar
ratives of deeds of individual sol
1iers and of officers. There was the
Incident of Vandal, master gunner.
He was badly wounded at the same
lime as one of his fellow gunners,
Jacques. To a comrade who was
.rying to bandage his wound Vandal
aid:
81 feel that I am dying. Save
Jacques"
Then to lieutenant arranging to
lave him taken to the rear while an
nemy aeroplane flew overhead .
Tandal said:
do not trouble about me. Do
lot let them see the battery. Vive
a France!"
The next moment Vandal died
Private Galeski, who was the talk
+ his company on the 7th and Sth !,
f March because of his audacity !,
nd GOODNESS in the storm of trench
$, fell on the 9Th. When picked up
Ialeski said:
did you carry the Fortin HIP"
Eyes, we took it," was the reply,