[Illustration:  Map of the French Operations in the Champagne

Some of the severest fighting on the western battle front took place in this little section of about four miles of trenches, lying between Rheimes and Verdun.  For a whole month from Feb. 15, the attacks were kept up by the French forces almost continuously, and the sketch gives the graphic result of changes for three weeks of that time.  Ostensibly the purpose of the French was to pierce the German line and cut the railway a few miles to the rear.  Incidentally, the French aimed to keep their opponents busy, and thus prevent any reinforcements being sent to von Hindenburg in the east.

The total gain of ground—­that between the most southerly and most northerly dotted lines—­varies from 200 yards northeast of Perthes to 1,400 yards, half way between Le Mesnil and Beausejour Farm.  But the whole of this space has been a series of trenches and fortified woods, each of which had to be attacked separately.

The letters (A to G) in the sketch indicate the points of the severest fighting.  A (the “little fort”) was taken and lost three times before the French finally held it.  B saw some of the stiffest encounters, the Germans attacking the hill nearly every day after the French captured it, and even the Prussian Guard being put in.  The woods at C, D, and E were centres of terrific combats, in which trenching and mining were continuous tasks.  The redoubt at F was captured only after large losses on both sides.  At the extreme west is still another wood, (G.) which the French attacked three times before they were successful in getting a foothold there.]

Some of the points where the fighting has been heaviest are shown in letters on the map.  A is the “little fort,” a redoubt on an open spur, holding perhaps 500 men.  This was first attacked in January; it was partly taken, but the French in the end retained only the southern corner, where they remained for something like a fortnight.  On Feb. 16 it was again taken in part, and lost the same day.  On the 17th the same thing happened.  On the 23d they once more got into the work; in the evening they repulsed five separate counter-attacks; then a sixth succeeded in turning them out.  On the 27th they took all except a bit of trench in the northern face, and two days later they made that good, as well as a trench about fifty yards to the north of the work.

B is a small hill, marked 196.  The capture of this, with its two lines of trenches, was one of the most brilliant pieces of work done.  Since this date, the 26th, the enemy have continued to counter-attack nearly every day.  It was here that the Prussian Guard was put in; but they have failed to get it back, and their losses have been very high.  The prisoners stated that one regiment had its Colonel and all the superior officers killed or wounded.  C is a wood, called the “Yellow Burnt Wood.”  It is still in the hands of the Germans, a regular nest of machine guns, which command the ground not only to the front but also down valleys to the east and west.  The French are just in the southwest corner.