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Show HEAVY AGTiONS REPORTED FROM THE VKST FRONT Artillery and Infantry Along Whole Line; Joffre Brings Weight to Bear on Enemy. BOTH SIDES MAKE SOME SMALL GAINS Advantage, However, Appears Ap-pears to Rest With the v French, Whose Gains Are Superior. (Special Cable by Arrangement with Ixmdon Dajty Telegraph and International Kow Service.) LOXDOX, Feb. 20. Heavy artillery and infantry aetiona were fought today to-day along the whole of the western front, according to tonight's official i statement from Paris. ! Fighting in the dunes and before 1 Ypres continues violent, but tho inost , vigorously prosecuted and the most determinedly de-terminedly resisted action on the whole line is being waged in the Champagne region, where the French are bringing all tho weight of their increased numbers num-bers and metal to bear on the sturdy line which is defending tho Germau center army's lines of communication. To the German claim that the French during the night of Friday did nothing more than enter a few advanced trenches in tho region north of Perthes and Les Mesnils, their other attacks failing, the French communication tonight to-night adds to its previous reports of success by declaring that the battle continues con-tinues to turn to their favor. Several renewed counter-attacks were repulsed, it says, and fresh progress mado. X wooded position north of Perthes, which, the Germans had strongly entrenched, was occupied. Fight Around Verdun. Berlin attaches importance to the action ac-tion around Verdun, where, to the north of this keystone fortress, the German bulletin asserts, French attacks were repulsed re-pulsed and French artillery delivered a violent bombardment, preparing tbe way for new infantry attacks. Tho French statement ignores the reported action north of the fort aod dwells upon the fighting to the southeast, whore, at Les Perthes, six terrific Gorman counter-attacks wero repulsed, followed by an attack in return w hich' resulted in, further gains for the French. Three machine guns, two trench mortars and 200 prisoners, including several officers, are enumerated as the French booty. Bodies of soldiers belonging to five different regiments were found on the field after the action at Xon, in which, the French carried several Germau trenches, is a Paris claim pat forth as showing the strength of the German force, which, was overwhelmed. Germans Shell Rheims. German shells continue to rain upon Rheims and in the region of Berry au Bac the artillery action is very energetic, ener-getic, but without definite result. The afternoon official statement from Paris gives details of the action fought to the cast of Ypres. Important force wero utilized by the Germans in their repeated assaults on the allies' trenches. After several attacks, accompanied by cannonades and fusillades, had failed, the Teutons resorted to cold steel and drova down upon the allies' ntle pits wub the bayonet. They were turned back, after a terrific hand-to-hand encounter in which hundreds of dead were left on the field. The reserves, which should have given support to the attacking line of Germans, were held immobile by the furious fire of the French guna. War in the Vosges. Fighting in tho Vosges continues. Paris admits that the Germans succeeded suc-ceeded in gaining a foothold on tho eastern srmr south of La Fecht. where the French had established an advanced post. German attempts to retake hill Xo. 607 have failed. Berlin asserts that the kaiser's troops stormed moro than a mile of tho French front on tho heights west of Sulzern. and on Belch-sacker Belch-sacker Kopf. weBt of Mueuster. The battle for toe possession of tho bills to the north of ileulbach continues and the Germans have taken Metzerland and Sandornach after a terrific battle. |