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Show IFRENGH Olli'T . GERMANS m GENERAL PETAIN'S MEN SWEEP I OVER GERMAN DEFENSES WRECKED BY DIG GUNS. Audacious Airmen Aid In Fight, Flying Over German Positions and Using Their Machine Guns With Telling Effect London. Tho French forces of Gen-rral Gen-rral Petuln struck u mighty mid r.iiox-peeled r.iiox-peeled blow itgnlnst tho Gorman lino ncirtlu'iiHt of Solssons Tttosdny morn-- morn-- ' lug and miulo soino of tho most lm- portmit Ktitus of terrain since they " threw hack tho nrmy of tho Oerinan crown prlntM which was besieging Verdun. Tho stroko was niado over n front of tibotit six miles, from tho cast of Vnuxalllon to Purgny-Fllnln, and came after a week of lieavy artillery fire. Under rainy nnd generally nnfavorahlo weather comlltloim, tho French pushed forward nil along the line, aided by audacious aviators who Hew over tho Gemma positions nt an nltltudo of about 1M) feet, using their machine Kims and penetrated the Gonnnii lino ut ono point to u depth of two and onc-llfth miles. ! Take Many Prisoners. HH Numerous Important positions fell HH Into tho hands of General I'etaln's HH men nnd, In addition, more than 7500 HH Germans, an enormous amount of war HH material and twonty-llvo heavy and HH Held guns were captured. HH Tho grcntest depth of tho drive was HH in tho center of tho line, where tho HH vlllngo of Chuvlgnon was captured HH after u violent struggle, which resulted HH In tho enemy fleeing pell-mell. Somo HB of tho best troops In the nrmy ot tho HB German crown prince were ongnged In HB endeavoring to hold hack tho on- flH slnught, but their efforts were unuvall- Hb lug, under tho enthusiasm of tho HB French to win positions which would Hb place them more advantageously for Hb nn ndvnnco later toward I.uon. Hb Britons Holding Gains. Hi In Flnndors both tho ltrltisli nnd HH French troops uro holding all tho gnlns Hb Hindu In Monday's drlvo northeast of Hb Yprcs, except nt ono place on the HH mmtlicrn fringe of Iloutholst fqrost, HH where tho Germnus, In n furious conn- HH tor-attack, forced u slight retirement HI by tho Ilritlsh. Hb Tho latest advices concerning tho HB naval nctlvlty In tho gulf of Itlgn be- HH tween tho Germans and tho Husslnns Hb, ' lhow thatflthough tho llusslnns lost HHHbBl! IholujBHJilp Shivn mid n largo tor-HBHHVBv-)rj4Ha( destroyer,' tho Gorman? HBHbVH were tho losers. Two of HBHHHF their dreadnoughts, ono cruiser, twclvo HBHJH torpedo boats, ono transport nnd mini- HBHr erous initio sweepers were put out of HJ action by tho Husslnn fleet. Whllo Hi tho exact fata of these vcssels'lins not H been ascertained by tho l'ctrogrnd gov- BH eminent, It Is announced that nt least BH six of tlio Oermnn destroyers wcro BH BH Further German attempts to land BH forces on tho Ksthonln coast to the Hi horth of Worder havu been repulsed by BH Husslnn detuchments. , HI On tho other fronts no Important en- BH gugements uro In progress, except In BH Jho nature of bombardments. On tho BH Julian front tho Austro-Itallau theatre, Hi tho artillery activity again has become HI Intense. An Austrian attack with In- BH faiilry In tho Cadroe region was re- BB pulsed by tho Itnlluus with heavy BB losses. |