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Show ; GREAT BAHLES BEING FOUGHT; ; GERMANS MEET WITH DEFEAT Paris, Sept. 26, 2:35 p. m. More than 12,000 Germans were taken prisoners pris-oners by the French In a terrific battle bat-tle yesterday In the Champagno dlB-trlct dlB-trlct of France, according to an offl-cia-1 statement issued today by the French war department French troops penetrated tho German Ger-man lines along a front of fifteen miles and for a depth at some places of two nnd one-half miles, tho announcement an-nouncement says. Stubborn fighting fight-ing Is still going on today in the Champagne sector. On the western front tho British and French have captured in two days more than twenty tbousnnd unwound-ed unwound-ed prisoners, according to the French official communication Issued tonight New progress by the French troops to the north of Arras also is reported, Souchez being stormed and captured. In Champagne the allied forces still continue to maintain ground. London, Sept. 26, 9:30 p. m. The British and French armies have taken tak-en several large "nibbles" out of tho German linos between Verdun and the Belgian coast, capturing trenches along a front of about twenty miles and thousands of prisoners, eight guns and anumber of machine guns. At the Bame time British warships and French and Belgian batteries bombarded the German positions on the coast between Zeebruggo and Nieuport. The offensive, -which resulted in the British and French victories, began Saturday morning. For several weeks there has been an almost Incessant bombardment which late last night resulted in intensity, particularly in the sectors where the infantry attacks at-tacks took place. French Make Gains. The French, who are credited with the most Important gain, made their nMoF nneof noilnot Mi o f2rrmnn Htipr aroupnd Perthes, Beausjours and Sap-pes Sap-pes in Champagne, where in December Decem-ber they made a considerable gain of ground. Saturday's attack, however, gave them possession of more territory terri-tory than they had retaken from the Germans since tho latter dug themselves them-selves in after the battle of the Marne. According to the French accounts tho Germans were driven out of their trenches over a front of fifteen miles, varying In depth from two-thirds of a mile to two and a half miles. Apparently the advantage Is being pressed still further, as the French communication makes only the briefest brief-est mention of the operations. Germans Weaken. The importance of this gain lies in the fact that every yard of ground taken in this region weakens the German Ger-man position around Verdun, from which the Germans might be compelled com-pelled to retire should the French succeed suc-ceed in making any further advance. The French also have regained the cemetery of Souchez and trenches east of the Labyrinth In the Arras district, which was the scene of heavy fighting earlier in the year. The Germans Ger-mans had built what they considered almost Impregnable fortifications. This attack was made in co-operation with the British, who attacked on either side of La Bnssee canal. The attack to the south of the canal, Field Marshal Sir John French reports, re-ports, was a complete success. TrencheB five miles in width and about four thousand yards in depth, were taken at this point nn |