Skillful Attack is Met by Desperate Defense in Latest Battle in Northern France.
French troops rapidly have a hard defense against the German counterattacks and take thousands of prisoners. Troops filled with delight over the change to open warfare.
From the Staff Correspondent of the Associated Press.
UN FRENCH FRONT IN FRANCE, April 20.?Pushing steadily along with great dash, there, defeating terrific German counterattacks and taking thousands of prisoners, the French carried their victorious forward move farther today along the entire front from Rossons to Auburville. Hundreds of thousands of men face each other in this latest battle, wherein skillful attack is met by desperate defeat.
As the Associated Press correspondent today observed a section of the battle for the ridge upon which runs the Chemin-des-Dames Head, branching eastward from the great Maubeuge Road, about four miles northward of Valley, and parallel with the Aisne River, batches each of a hundred German prisoners marched toward the rear to augment the 10,000 already counted since the engagement began on Monday.
For the first time since the French moved from their lines to attack, the sun shone and the brilliance of the weather was reflected on the faces of the troops, who were.  Filled with delight over the change from trench warfare. The men sang in their bivouacs and marched with a confident swing when ordered forward. The French artillery fire constituted one continuous roll all along the front, and the Germans replied heavily, but their guns were forced gradually back. Possession of the Scheml-des-Dames ridge gives the occupant excellent positions for observation, and the Germans fought desperately to retain it. 