The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-18
GERMAN LINES FOR F MILES
 ARE BATTERED
French Drive Foe From FirSl and Second Line
 Positions.

battle front was extended for anothe1 F miles yesterday when the F'rencE drove the Germans from all their mrs line positions and part of the secola line from Rheims to the Champagne front. The victory was staged on the ground which saw the great orenslVe of 1915 and the German loss is estl- anted at s0,oOO killed, wounded and prisoners.
 The invaders were exceptionally wei placed along series of WoOdeu heights, varying in height from 6oO 10 800 feet and running north along the main road from Rheims to St. Hila1re le Grand. The Germans were well aware that an attack was coming anc lad mads full preparation for it. The French attack, however, wassdel1vered with such skill and vigor that the de- lenders, disheartened by a long and furious preliminary bombardment, broke ground after a. reasonably stiff resistance and the whole line fell into the hands of the French. South of MoroRvilliers the impetus of the at tackers carried them clear through the first line into the second line system, which centered at Mont Haut. This summit, $50 feet high, was stormed.
 Tn the meantime, on the Soissons- Rheims front, the French troops are busy organizing the captured ground won in the first day of the battle ana repulsing fierce counter attacks. Over their heads a storm of artillery fire is preparing the way for another drive against the Germans in the positions to which they retired.
 The latest French victory, while on a smaller scale than that of Monday. is an enqually importan success. Both of the sections attacked had been left alone hitherto on account of the ex- ceptional neutral strength of the Ger man positions.
 The Frenech command held that an assault could only be successfully ur- dertaken when overwhelming re- sources had been accumulated and the general situation was favorable. \ The general who commands the ar- mics of the right center had been planning the attack for several weeks and had left nothing to chance. Ev- chiefs under him had nothing to do but follow his instructions to the let ter
 As soon as the result of the battle between Soissons and Rheims was known the order was given to attack. Punctually at 4:45 the French infantry went over," we'll supported by a powerful mass of artillery. They swept forward in magnificent style and in two hours the first line system had been captured. Later news came back that the French soldiers were carrying all before them and taking prisoners by the score. They seized Mont CaTnillet, Mont Haut and all the crests commanding the region.
 From their new positions the French now look down upon Moron villiers and Nauroy. This Moron viliers chain of hills was regarded by all French soldiers who had ever been in the section as virtually inn pregnable and its capture caused the
 Hveliest satisfaction to everybody. The 75s followed up the infantry rap idly and were soon in action. They caught large bodies of the enemy, massing with the object of making a diversion. and decimated them. Ac- cording to onlookers such carnage had
 not been seen since the action of Charme Gap, at the beginning of the war.
 On the right wing the struggle was equally to the advantage of the French Auberive, on which the left wing of the Champagne offensive of 1915 broke, fell speedily, as we'll as all the surrounding works. The French made especially good progress north of Auberive. In the section east of Vaudesincourt hill 112 was stormed. as we'll as small wood east of the hill which was a veritable nest of German machine guns.
 At certain points the advance was close on four miles in depth. The latest news reaching Paris says the I battle continued we'll into the night,
 the Germans counter cking with I out success and the French recon
 strupcting the trench systems under 1 cover of their artillery.
 l According to information from re- liable source the double offensive of | the British north of Arras and of the French on the Aisne disarranged the 1 German plans. Field Marshal von Hindenburg, 1t is, declared was pre- pairing an offensive against Riga and
 another against Italy, while on the western front he was considering an attempt on Calais on the one hand and on Paris on the other. The AL
 lied western offensive spoiled all this l by obliging him to bring back large 1 part of the electives intended for the | ,cC;o fol