| Show FIGHT HAS THRILLING HILLING INCIDENTS r RIS Iii S i June 9 How Ho How a daring lieu- lieu ant t. t colonel In the French army I fie leis death after atter a brilliant and amI attack on the blockhouse of an an- incident o of the fight fighting ng r o tn ul d Ve Verdun dun and how the news of Bath was brol broken en to his son him him- lath f C. C r an 1 Officer is recounted in the latissue lat lat- latIssue issue Issue 10 of the de France Ue fie reads as follows IT The he retaking of oC the blockhouse of Avocourt v court on March 29 is one of oC th the 1 Zo t t successful episodes conn connected up the tha battle of V Verdun Following l i iq Ger German nan advance in the woods of ot I and Avocourt on March 20 olost e this very important position retake ithe ithe it was was was necessary that tha we he operation to this end was given F vcr ver it to Colonel C C- C commander of ofiel iel brigade ne brigade of oC infantry and was on March 29 at 4 30 in the 1 corning The he first ranks of oC the le leading bati bat- bat i lons which formed the line Ime of stick at- at lock ick ck went to tho the edge of the woods wood rid lid ad with iron hatchets cleared the mains of the wire entanglements so alto make way for the artillery The enemy only awoke to the situa- situa on some some distance from the outskirts outskirts' f the he woods A hand to hand combat took place all along the front and d 1 with the capture of some of the enches We Ve took possession on the ther hand of a a- sixth of the he prisoners of wounded of-wounded with their captain eight pid firing guns ammunition etc eta At clock o'clock in the morning the whole of ofie ie blockade ie-blockade was in our hands pAt At 30 the temporary calm on tho ont ceased The Germans with ind and grenades came to the attack i especially on the west side lour MOUT I ur wor works Each attack was re- re and was followed by a a. new tt ck The Tho enemy put up an i mary ary resistance resistance- They seemed to toll ll on the exhaustion of our Jr r ces s and ammunition In the rear Mme ome hand approached our ournes ournes ournes nes n-es nes against some accessory defenses l as yet vere frere ere imperfectly organ- organ ed From this point they launched i on us At a a. few points they our positions or engaged ve us t lhand hand to hand combat combat- but they ere ero never a able ble to overcome our fears fear fear- 58 gs s line of defense The fire of our firing guns mowed down our assailants while the barrier lour our hand of which an detachment had fortunately Ten in n provided provid d kept at a safe distance l ig e hand of the enemy the fire fr from m our our artillery un- un for three hours constituted powerful attack which prevented the lemy from bringing up reinforce reinforce- lents and broke down the elements attack that had played t themselves it j jAt At 2 o'clock In the afternoon the atI at- at I ck was broken The enemy retired Ving before our lines lines' heaps heap's of de dead d id iiI wounded Without taking an any anys st at atour s our men men went about the task of aking new defensive dispositions or- or orone one has to be a lab laborer as well as I- I Ione soldier in these modern battles Rich Ch seem never to come to an end eua When the tile enemy r retired their axI ar- ar I cr started The heavy German feces l es went into play la bombarding IiI o t any letup the positions that ej had gained New counter attacks re e started as night fell i f s 5 regards the amount of energy is 18 isis is n needed eded by a a. detachment in bri orto br- br ii i to maintain a position that has 1 s sen yen een assaulted and won too much can- can c be said One great hard effort is obtained but the effort that c continues the durable et ef ef- rt fit tr the tenacious effort the effort fat t is renewed again and again and mat seems never to be accomplished the one that merits admiration The he Col de M M M- was killed tf 4 1 o o'clock clock the next afternoon In the of of- Avocourt which he had by a shell which struck at atIe atie ie same time the major of staff wh who i i him lie had led in the g t with his habitual calm and fear- fear Besides he had a son who was Irving ving n-ving ying as in another of the brigade The battalion tIthe latter was not engaged on the fight of the The news of the of the blockhouse however a ad already permeated its ranks A As Ase I e passed the headquarters of the colo- colo eJ elin Jn command of the brigade the officer approached his chief nom horn horn he lIe knew well and said Joy Joy- Well my colonel you are well welli i with my t father ther are you not l tie he colonel had heard both sides of ofie ofie ie ie story He lIe took the tIle arm of the dung oung officer and answered Ah my r young lad Thus the young yeu tenant of oC M M I arned Darned of the death of his father A the te later he himself went Int into the of Avocourt where he lund fund and watched over the corpse of OC is father ather |
