Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-13
FIGHTING IS BITTER
IN MANY SECTORS
ON WESTERN LINE
French Assault and Capture
German Positions in
Champagne Region.
TEUTONS REPULSED
IN COUNTER ATTACKS
Kaiser's Men Attempt to Cross User
Canal, But Fail, Says
Paris.
PENETRATE BRITISH FRONT
Eventual Expulsion Reported by
London-Hot Action in Vosges.
English Answer Aero
Raid Claims.

LONDON, FEBRUARY 12.-l ne
Champagne region in France,
where comparative quiet has pre-
vailed recently, while sanguinary
battles have been in progress in
the .Artois and south OF the
Som1ne, has again been the scene
OF bitter fighting, of which the
French have had the advantage.
After capturing about 800
yards OF enemy trenches near
Butte de Mesnil, the French
have been forced to undergo sew
eral attacks OF severe
character, all of which have been
repulsed, according to Paris.
The fighting which is going on
at many points is OF intense char
acter. The latest French official
statement says:
Fail to Cross the User.
in Belgium, after quite violent
artillery preparation, the Germans sew
eral times attempted to cross the User
canal at the SteenstEaete--hsiGhts and
at Het Sas.. Cnder the combined fire
of our artillery and machine guns
these attempts failed.
In Champagne there was very
marked artillery activity in the re-
Eions of the Butte du Nesnil and
Navarine. After a bombardment last
ing several hours the enemy was able
to penetrate a small salient of our
line between the road from Navarin
and that from Saint Souplet.
Germans Repulsed.
Mesnil the Germans attempted by a
new counter-attack to drive us from
those parts of the trench occupied by
US yesterday, but were repulsed. We
continued to progress by the use of
grenades to the east of these parts,
and have made some prisoners.
In the Argonne. near the Four de
Paris. we exploded camouhet, which
shattered the mine works of the enemy
I'm tie tosges to the north of Wis
senibach. east OF st. Die. enemy at
tack met by our fire WAS not able to ap-
proach our first line
British Statement.
Relative to the more recent fighting on
the western front the British official
statement of last night says:
Early this morning the enemy broke
into our trenches near Pilkeln, but was
driven out by bombing parties. leaving
some dead and wounded behind. This
afternoon the enemy made two small in
fantry attacks about the Pilkeim road
which were repuised.
There has been mining activity about
Hulloch and north Of the Ypres-Comines
canal At the latter place an under
ground fight took place. resulting in the
enemy being driven back. our miners
successfully firing their charge.
German Aero Attack.
The facts Of the German aeroplane
attack described in a German wireless
report on Tuesday are as folIows:
Eleven hostile machines appeared. One
machine dropped three bombs about
six miles behind our front line. 1t was
driven down by two Of our machines
crossing the limo at 500 feet. Tho re-
mainder of the machines did not face
our patrols. nor did they cross the
line"
On Tuesday German army headquar-
tess reported an attack by a German
air squadron on the railroad station at
Popsrinsne. Belgium, and on British
camps between Poperinghe and Dix
nude. the German airmen had several
H2
"ording to the statement, but returned
Tithout loss