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Show BITTER BATTLES RAGEJNJRANCE Most Important Sectors in Throes of Sanguinary Fighting Fight-ing and Allies Gaining. (By Tho Associated Pross) On several of the most important sectors in France from the region of Valenciennes to the east of Le Cateau; north of Laon between tho OIso and the Serre rivers and on the front from the Meuso river to the vicinity of Granpre battles of a sanguinary char-:, acter are being fought. In these British, Bri-tish, French and American troops everywhere ev-erywhere are making progress against the stubbornly resisting Germans. In Belgium tho allied forces owing to the rapid retreat of the enemy and the flooded condition of the lowlands, have not yet been able to come into full fighting contact with tho Germans, but doubtless a few days more will see them again hard after their quarry and driving him farther toward his own frontier. South of Valenciennes the British Third and Fourth, armies with which Americans are co-operating have continued con-tinued successfully to press onward, with Mons and Maubeuge their objectives. ob-jectives. Valenciennes is gradually being enveloped, and soon is destined to be pinched out of the fighting line by turning movements from the north and 30uth. in the manner generally adopted in the present day tactics when it is more desirable to envelop a strong position than to waste life and limb in reaching the objective by a frontal attack. The Germans in this region continue con-tinue to use numerous machine guns to retard the advance of Field Marshal Haig's men, and the artillery of both sides is violently active. British aviators avia-tors are materially aiding the offensive offen-sive by dropping bombs behind tho line or flying low and cutting troop Formations to pieces with machine gun South of the Oise river tho French are making sharp thrusts against the enemy with the intention of clearing out the entire triangle between Flav-igny Flav-igny and Montcornet and taking all the railroad lines within his region and. also blotting out tho salient that still exists there. The Germans are strongly strong-ly counter-attacking on all the fronts of attack, but the French have warded off their efforts to regain lost territory terri-tory and have gained ground south of Montcornet, one of the principal railway rail-way junctions in this region. North of Grandpre and north of Verdun, Ver-dun, in the sector lying between the Meuse river and north of the Argonne forest, the Americans have cut further and deeply Into the enemy's line, despite de-spite tho continued extremely heavy use of machine guns and artillery by the Germans. American aviators are dropping bombs behind the enemy lines, while enemy air men are returning re-turning the compliment by bombing towns inside tho American front. no |