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Show oo BAYONET CHARGE NEAR SOISSONS Paris, Jan S, 10:85 p. m. The following fol-lowing official communication was Is sued tonight: "To the north of Soissons we have captured a German redoubt, taking two successive lines of trenches and reaching the third line. Three counter coun-ter attacks bv the Germans failed "In the Argonne a very violent German Ger-man attack on the summit of the i heights of Chevauchee was made. We were at first forced to retire one kilometer kilo-meter (about two-thirds of a mile) at this front, but later made counter attacks at-tacks and reoccupied our positions." Paris, Jan. S A terrific drive rivaling rival-ing In intensit the battle of the Yser, and in spectacular daring of execution ex-ecution the brilliant attacks in Alsace, carried the French forces facing General Gen-eral von Kluck's left over a redoubt and two lines of the German trenches and up to the third in the region north of Soissons today. Air scouts earlv in the day reported report-ed important concentrations of troops in the rear of the German lines from the direction of Laon Strong bodies of reserves and landwehr troops were being moved up through the labyrln-thlan labyrln-thlan system of trenches on the plateau pla-teau on the north bank of the Aslne. An attack in force to forestall the German effort was ordered, and the French 75s got the range of the reserves re-serves and shelled the positions In the I rear to disperse the forces which were assembling for their support, while the smaller guns and the quick-firers j raked the first line of the enemy's trenches and hammered the earthworks earth-works from which the Germans were working their rapid-fire pieces Bayonet Charge. A terrific cannonade was maintained main-tained for a fixed period, and when firing fir-ing suddenlv ceased the French Infantry In-fantry swarmed over the front of their trenches and struggled through the mud up to the redoubts. In the face of the deadh fire they fell upon these works and bayoneted the or- I cupants within. Halting only for a j j brief spell while the Frcnlh guns again hammered the German lines In front, they advanced ajrain. and. with only . a brvf pause at the wire entangle ments. clambered up and over tlv' first line of the invaders' defensive , works Here trie attacfcers mane rneir most stubborn resistance The fight- j ing was man t man, and the Fast Indian detachments did valiant serv ice. Mud covered the clothing of the hostile hordes, so friends were not easily distinguished from foe, and the treacherous footing added new terrors to the bayonet fighting The Germans I finally were overwhelmed, however, i and broke for the second line of ! trenches Their retreat spread panic among the foremost of the reserves, and after af-ter a brief struggle the second line of works was in French possession, l and the Frenchmen and their valiant allies were preying lorward toward I the third and last line of trenches. But the Germans had recovered 1 from their temporary demoralization and here met and effective! repulsed i the further advance of the French-! French-! men. They immediately conducted a counter assault on the attackers, who retired to the second line of captured works, and there maintained their position despite twice-repeated counter coun-ter attacks. |