d the first
position, past the batteries, to the defences established by the enemy
on the heights to the south of Py.

[Sidenote: At extremities offensive does not progress.]

At the two extremities of our attacking front, subjected to converging
fires and to counter-attacks on the flanks, our offensive made no
progress. The fighting which took place in Auberive and round about
Servon were distinguished by more than one trait of heroism, but they
were destined to have no other result than that of containing the forces
of the enemy and of immobilising him at the wings while the attack was
progressing in the centre.

[Sidenote: Position from Auberive to Souain a triangle.]

[Sidenote: Wire checks the attackers.]

[Sidenote: Gains maintained.]

(1) _Sector of l'Epine de Vedegrange._ The first German line was
established at the base of a wide glacis covered with clumps of trees,
and formed a series of salients running into each other. At certain
points it ran along the edge of the woods where the supplementary
defences were completed by abattis. The position as a whole between
Auberive and Souain described a vast triangle. To the west of the road,
from Saint-Hilaire to Saint-Souplet, the troops traversed the first
enemy line and rushed forward for a distance of about a kilometre as far
as a supporting trench, in front of which they were stopped by the
wirework. A counterattack debouching from the west and supported by the
artillery of Moronvillers caused a slight retirement of our left. The
troops of the right, on the contrary, maintained their gains and
succeeded on the following days in enlarging and extending them,
remaining in touch with the units which were attacking on the east of
the road. The latter had succeeded in a particularly brilliant manner
in overcoming the difficulties with which they were confronted.

[Sidenote: Nature of the position captured.]

[Sidenote: Prisoners and guns seized.]

The German position which they captured, with its triple and quadruple
lines of trenches, its small forts armed with machine guns, its woods
adapted for the purpose in view, constituted one of the most complete
schemes of defence on the Champagne front and afforded cover to a
numerous artillery concealed in the woods of the glacis. On this front,
which was about three and a half kilometres wide, the attack on
September 25, 1915 achieved a varying success. The troops on the left,
after having penetrated into the fi