crete, and its underground chambers for sheltering men from
the shells. Each successive dotted line shows the line held by the
French on the evening of the date written in the dotted line. Thus the
total gain of ground, that between the most southerly and the most
northerly dotted lines, varies between 200 yards, where the lines are
close together northeast of Perthes, and 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 has had to be
attacked separately.

[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