Evening star., 1917-03-29
GERMANS HIT BACK
IN THE CHAMPAGNE
T0D|VERT NVElLE
Both Paris and Berlin Report
Successful Operations.
Fighting at Verdun.
FRENCH SEMI-CIRCLE
CLOSING ON ST. GOBAIM
Entire Plateau Soon May Be in
Grasp-British Are Moving
Forward Steadily.

The Germans are striking back in
Champagne in determined effort to di-
vert Gen. Nivelle from his ceaseless
pounding at the base of the shaken
Hindenburg line. The scene of the
counter offensive launched by Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg is along a
fifteen-mile front, starting about TWEEN
ty-five miles east of Rheims. Attack
ing in force In this sector the Germans
have driven the French from some of
their advance trenches. but have failed
so far to make a serious impression on
the defenders'-lines.
In the meantime the iron seni-circle
which Gen. Nivelle has thrown around
the southern half of the great st. Co
balm plateau is steadily contracting.
If the French maintain their present
rate of advance. it can only be a mat
ter of a very few days before the en-
tire plateau is in their grasp, remov-
ing the last great natural barrier to
Laon.
British Move Forward.
The British are moving forward
steadily to the north, but the fact that
they are capturing villages with cav
airy indicates that they are not yet in
contact with the main German forces.
The most advanced British. outposts
are still ten miles from the Cambria
line. where allied observers have as
sumed the Germans proposed to make
their real stand.
Military critics in Paris and London
are reverting to the belief that the
present German retreat is only part of
the plan for a retirement on tremen-
dous scale to the Belgian border. In
support of this theory it is pointed out
that the withdrawal from the Noyon
and Bapaume salients is rapidly fore
ing the whole German line into the
rnf r;r ~
upright of this angle runs north and
south for 120 miles from Nieuport on
the Belgian coast to Laon. The hori
xontal runs for about an equal distance
the apex Of this angle that Gen. Nivelle
Is boring his way, threatening to cut
the forces of the Invaders squarely in
two.
The French are reported by Berlin to
have attempted an extensive attack
northwest of verdun. This latter move,
a sweeping. assault on Hill 3o4, is de-
clared to have failed. while in the
have been frustrated in their attempts
TO recapture the trenches they recently
lost.
French Official Report.
PARIS, March 90, 2:1O p.m.-The Off
cial statement of today follows:
From the Somme to the Aisne there
is no change in the situation. Intermit-
tent artillery fighting occurred during
the night Our troops everywhere
maintained contact with the enemy's
lines.
In the course of the operations of
recent days south of the Disc we took
possession of important depots of ma
terials and ammunition. Yesterday
German long-range guns fired seven
shells at scissors. In the region of
Rheims we made successful surprise
atf ri nj
I'm the Champagne near Tahure and
in the Argonne, a. Courtes Chausses,
attacks by the enemy We're repulsed
completely by our fire. On the left
troops recaptured in spirited attack
the last elements of the trenches which
he enemy had been holding since
March 49, We took prisoners in the
vicinity of AyOcourt wood and Hill 304.
There Were no important events on
the remainder of the front"
Heavy artillery fighting between the
French and Germans took place yes
terday on the ESsigny-Benay front.
The Germans delivered strong attack
In the Champagne region. gaining a
foothold in the French first line but,
according to the official communication
issued last night by the war office, all
their attempts against Maisons de
Champagne were defeated with san
culinary losses
NSAAAoAo SAoAAi S0NSCSSCSs
BERLIN. March 29.-Following is
the official account of operations on
the Franco Belgian front:
There was vigorous artillery fight
ing yesterday, continuing into the
night between Lens and Arras. Before
daybreak yesterday in an engagement
near Croiselles and Ecoust st. Meinnein
northeast of Bapaume, the British lost
one officer and fftyfour men, who
were taken prisoners in addition to
numerous men who were killed by an
advance of our protecting troops
'In the Champagne several attacks,
undertaken by the French in an effort
to regain the trenches captured from
them failed with heavy losses.
"On the left bank of the Meuse (Ver-
dun frontD, yesterday our defensive
fire frustrated French advances against
Hill 304. which were in preparation.
This morning an attack launched on
wide front failed under our fire and
at one place through n counter attack.
East of Nerdun our airmen shot
down Two captive balloons. In air
engagements and by defensive fire four
enemy airplanes were brought down"
British Capture Towns.
LONDON, March 2s.-The communica-
ton of last night says:
..FoIIowing up their success of yes
terday morning. our cavalry captured
during this afternoon Villers-Faucon
and Saulcourt and several prisoners
and four machine guns.
Last night a hostile attack on our
new position at EquancoUrt was driven
off. with considerable German losses
"Further north our troops established
themselves during the night at two
points on the Boignes-Lagnicourt road
after a short fight, and TODAY gained
GROUND south and west of Croisilles
meeting with strong resistance