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Show TlflK ATTACKS OK THEJRENCH Lines Assaulted With Extreme j Violence, the Germans Retiring Re-tiring Each Time. LOSSES WERE HEAVY i Tremendous Bombardment m With Large Caliber Guns and Use of Poisonous Shells. PARIS. May 31, noon The Germans Ger-mans attacked the French lines in the i Champagne with extreme violence at j several points last night. The attack-i attack-i ing forces were checked at somo places by the French fire and at others at the point of the bayonet, the Germans Ger-mans retiring each time after heavy losses, the war offlco announced today. The fighting was particularly desperate des-perate In the region of the Teton, the Casque and Mont Haut, tho attack being be-ing launched in four successive waves after a heavy bombardment from large caliber gjins and suffocating gas shells. The French took prisoners during the fighting, Including two officers. Tho afntnmpnt fnllmvs- "There was pronounced activity by the artillery south of St. Quentin and on tho Chemin-Des-Dames, north of Jouy, near Cerny and in the vicinity of Hurtebise, where a number of patrol pa-trol encounters also occurred. Violent Bombardment. "In the Champagne the enemy made sharp attacks during the night, following follow-ing a violent bombardmept in which poisonous gas shells and shells from large caliber guns were discharged. Northwest of Auberive and at Mont Blond all the German efforts were checked. The enemy attacked with particular strength our positions at t h ejDtgn th oQaaquound -Mon t Hauv 'We'TCpulsed four different attack's after a struggle of extreme severity. Tho fighting began at about 2 o'clock and was continued until daybreak. Broken up by our fire or ropulsed by the bayonet, the attacking troops each time were hurled back in disorder to the trenches whence they came after having suffered heavy losses. Only at one point on the front attacked, northeast north-east of Mont Haut, did enemy troops gain a footing in some advanced positions. posi-tions. We took a number of prisoners, of whom two are officers. "On the left bank of the Meuse (Verdun front) the artillery fighting was spirited in the region of hill No. 304. Two attacks by the enemy wero repulsed." oo |