The sun., 1916-01-13
TEUYON LOSS $4,000
IN BIG SUNDAY DRIVE
French Say Champagne Fin.
counter Was DcadlieSt
Since September.
PICKED MEN THE VICTIMS
Special Cable Desposch to rns srr.

LONDON. Jan. l2.--The battle In Cham
payne. which started with the important
German offensive OF Sunday. was con-
tinued yesterday with French attack
on the German positions OH a front Of
some 1000 meters north Of lie Mesnil-
les-IIurlus, according to a German ON
cial statement issued to-day. Tho French
War Orlcc announced yesterday that a
small rcctangie west Of the Maisons de
Champagne farm remained In the hands
Of the Germans after the battle OF Sun
day. and II is probable that tho opera
tons mentioned by Berlin to-day were
a counter attack.
According to the German official state
ment, the French attack broke down
and a later attempt to repeat the attack
was frustrated by the German guns.
The destruction Of a German ammu-
milton depot In the southern section OF
Lille. with the death OF at least seventy
civilian inhabitants and the injury OF
forty more. also Is recorded In the Ger
man official statement. which adds that
the Inhabitants "bclieve the accident was
due to a British attack.
Lille. which the French and British
have been striving for months to re-
cover. has been under frequent lombard
ment and II liz possible that the explosion
/ was the result Of the sheiling. How
ever, the use in the German statement of
the word accident" as opposed to the
inhHbitauts belief that a British attack
blew up the depot. may mean that the
I t,eA al
/ The dead and injured. II would appear
from the German statement. were living
in nearby streets. The statement says
that these streets naturally suffered "a
very considerable extent"
The German official statement follows
North OF lie Mesnil. In Champagne.
the French attacked our positions
stretching over "a width of about 1000
meters. The attack broke down. The
enemy attempted to return quickly
into his own trenches under our very
| active firing. A repetition OF the at
tack was frustrated by our artillery.
Rel Cross flags. which were taken
away some time ago from the neigh
horhood Of the railway station AT Sois-
sons. were hoisted again yesterday on
the occasion of our renewed lombard
ment of the railway establishments.
III lle SOuliltI1l "dlieu-lil sVNN.'b va
Lille an ammunition depot, belonging
to the pioneer detachment, lodged in
one OF the cas.mates of a fertilization.
blew w. The nearby streets natu-
rally suffered to "A very considerable
| extent Rescue measures taken re-
| suited mp to last night In the finding
| OF seventy killed and forty injured in
habitants The inhabitants believe the
accident was due TO an English attack
French Omcial Statement.
No mention is made OF the Frencl
| attack In the sector Of lie Mesnil nor o
the explosion of the ammunition depo
| IN tn. French commuHique Issued TIM
! afternoon. This communicate says:
There were no events OF importance
! last night. except In the region be-
tween the Meusc and the Argonne.
where our batteries dispersed groups
| OF enemy sappers who were at work
/ In the region OF Malincourt.
The report from British headouar'er'
| In France made public here to-day said
Last night We raided hostile trenches
! tn the east Of Armeutieres, Twenty OF
the enemy were disposed OF. machine
| gun emplaceinent Was blown up and
| two prisoners were captured.
| To-day there has been artillery firing
near Nermelles, Wieltje and Pilkem.
Further details of the German oftensiv,
OF sunday Coufirm the earlier statement
, OF the careful preparations which pre-
Ccded II and Of it's extent and violence.
Reports received in Paris to-day from
the Champagne region state that 90. 00
men took part in the assault and that
| considerable number OF prisoners takei
by the French we're members Of the I'm
perial Guard. showing that picked troop
had been used bv the Germans. Tn
hombardment which preceded the attacl
lasted Tor tweuty-four hours ana wa
one OF the heaviest to which the Frencl
troops have SO far been subjected
The first three waves OF the German
attack were stopped by the concentrate
fire OF the French I5s. and 1t Was no
until the fourth wave was sent for
ward that the French trenches wer
reached. Before the Germans could or
gaIiZo the positions they gained III
French counter attack caught them b
surprise and many were forced to sur
render. Few returned TO their lines
The battle is described as the bloodies
encounter on the western front since tn
allied offensive of September. Unofhcia
dispatches place the German losses a
5000 men.
The prolonged bombardment gave tn
French ample time To make all prepara
tions To bring up reenforcements and I
prepare for defence.