The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-09
GERMANS PRESSING
GAIN IN CHAMPAGNE
st. Souplct Attack Continues
Line 500 Meters Long
Captured.
PARIS CLAIMS PROGRESS
Special Cable Despatch to Tns srs.

LONDON, Dec. s.-The German attack
on the French limos IN The sector run
ming from Saint soupiet, on the west,
60 MassigeA on the east, N Champagne.
which resulted In tho capture OF ESQ
meters Of An advance French trench
south of Saint Souplet on Monday night,
stiIl continues. The German infantry In
an assault made north Of Souain has
taken a position 500 meters los,g on
I'M 1e3. according to the official state.
ment issued In Berlin to-day. -Four
counter attacks made by the French In
an effort TO regain THAI position wero
frustrated. The German War Office also
Bays that counter movements made by
the French against the position east OF
Auberive and south q Saint Souplet
taken Monday night failed.
The French communicate say that the
French arc continuing to make progress
In their effort to retake tho Saint boupiet
position. the fighting for the lost trench
being carried On by use Of hand
grenadee. II adds that the German at.
tack north Of Souain has been mastered
BY French counter attacks ana that
fsht,ng for the positions lost here stu
continues.
The ground contested In this sector
Wa won by the French in their Septcm-
Der offensive. In which an effort wa
made to reach the railway running BE-
hind the German lines IN this rseion.
The offensive Was stopped before u
reached the railroad. which 10 tho source
Of supplies for all the German troops
on this part OF the line. Recent activity
here has been the result Of French ef-
forts 70 continue their advance to he
railway and Of German attemp's to
push the French back far enough to re-
licve the railway from danger.
A German attack. preceded by a mine
explosion. was made yesterday also
north Of Arras. but Il was stopped by
the French curtain Of fire.
The Official communicate issued By the
French War Once tonight follows:
The day was relatively calm. There
were artillery actions In Artois. In the
sectors OF Loos n Of Givenchy and
between the Somme and the Disc. In
the region of Fouquescourt.
In Champagne. W the presence OF
the enemy artillery activity. our ar
tillery went into action with great
violence. Observations made by our
aviators enabled us to maintain the
efficiency of our fire.
Fighting with hand Erenades con-
tinues to the east OF the Butte de
SOualn, Wnere our duNan'e IL UcCoiH-
ing more definite.
Between the Argonne and the
Meuse. rear Bethincourt. our bat
ieries demolished some reservoirs for
sufrocating gases.
The afternoon French communicate
was as follows
In Belgium our machine gun last
night prevented the enemy from re-
constructing the field works previously
destroyed by us in the region OF Het-
a
To the north OF Arras. at a point
west Of Hill No. 40. our curtain OF
FIRE put a definite check to "A German
attack, the way for which had bee
prepared by the explosion of a mine.
During the day OF yesterday our ar
tillery bombarded and destroyed the
S%a!nturin Mill in the vicinity OF Roye.
This position had been organized by
the enemy for defence.
In the Champagne district We have
continued to make progress by means
OF hand grenadcs In hat front trench.
where the enemv secured a footing
yesterday, TO the south OF ST. Sou
plet. To the east OF Butte de Souain
u counter attacks were successful
in mastering the German attack.
which yesterday evening had been cut
in two by us. The fighting here "
still going on for the %recapture Of
the positions occupied by the enemy.
The German War Once statement
was as follows
Western theatre OF war: Attempts
by the enemy to contest our success
east OF Aubcrivc lin the Champagne
district) failed. In addition to the
prisoners taken three machine guns
fell into our hands.
To the north of Souain n position
on Hill No. 1913 over "A distance Of
about 500 meters was wrested from
the French. -Four counter attacks were
repulsed. One officer. l2O men and
" machine guns were captured.
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