near the road from Lille, they blew up several
German trenches and prevented their reconstruction. In Champagne
the French made fresh progress. They gained ground in the woods
to the northeast of Souain and to the northwest of Perthes. They
also repulsed two German counterattacks in front of Ridge 196,
northeast of Mesnil, and extended their position in that sector. In
the region of Bagatelle in the Argonne two German counterattacks were
repulsed. The French demolished a blockhouse there, and established
themselves on the site of it. Between Four-de-Paris and Bolante the
Germans attempted two counterattacks which failed. At Vauquois
the French infantry delivered an attack which gave it possession
of the western part of the village. Here they made prisoners. At
the Bois-le-Pretre, northeast of Pont-a-Mousson, the Germans blew
up with a mine four of the French advanced trenches which were
completely destroyed. The Germans gained a footing there, but the
French retook the first two trenches and a half of the third. Between
the Bois-le-Pretre and Pont-a-Mousson, in the Haut de Rupt, the
Germans made an attack which was repulsed.

In Champagne, before Hill 196, northeast of Mesnil, on March 19,
1915, the Germans, after violently bombarding the French position,
made an infantry attack which was repulsed with heavy losses.

In the Woevre, in the Bois Mortmore, on March 20, 1915, the French
artillery destroyed a blockhouse and blew up several ammunition
wagons and stores. At La Boisselle, northeast of Albert, the Germans,
after a violent bombardment, attempted a night attack which was
repulsed with large losses.

The Germans bombarded the Cathedral of Soissons again on March
21, 1915, firing twenty-seven shells and causing severe damage to
the structure. On the same day Rheims was bombarded, fifty shells
falling there.

Near Bagatelle the French, on March 22, blew up three mines; and
two companies of their troops stormed a German trench in which
they maintained their position in spite of a strong counterattack.
Five hundred yards, from there, the Germans, after exploding two
mines, and bombarding the French trenches, rushed to an attack on
a front of about two hundred and fifty yards. After some very hot
hand-to-hand fighting the assailants were hurled back in spite of
the arrival of their reenforcements. The French artillery caught
them under its fire as they were falling back, and inflicted very
heavy losses.

The Fre