OCR Text |
Show GERMAN TRENCH TAKENBYFRENCH Paris, April 22, 6:48 p. m An official of-ficial eyewitnesB, describing the operations op-erations by which the French are menacing men-acing the German positions In the wedge of St. Mihlel. says: "All the Allly woods, which constituted con-stituted a strong and well-fortified support for the Germans Is now entirely en-tirely in French hands, conquered, for the moat part, by troops from the center of France, and several days of systematic preparations by a heavy fire from three-inch and big guns and bj aerial torpedoes At certain points the Germans had constructed in front moats twelve yards wide, spiked by barriers extended about six feet above the level of the earth and surrounded surround-ed by barbed wire entanglements, which were so intricate as to make them impervious to any toola. "A concentration of artillery fire opened large breaches In these defenses de-fenses Parapets were sent crashing to the ground and dismembered bodies were blown into the air above the clouds of smoke. The earth was strewn with overturned trees and branches. Garrlaon Annihilated. "After four hours of intense fire, five mines, laid under the parapets adjacent to the principal fort holding the position, exploded, annihilating the garrison and spreading panic In the trenches. "An attack with fixed bayonets then began in three lines preceded by a detachment with hand grenadea. Engineers En-gineers followed with little bridges, which had been prepared in advance to facilitate the pabsage over the not-work not-work of trenches. The order had been given not to stop in any trench but to pass over and take the enemy In the rear. "Three lines of trenches were thus cleared of the Germans. Those who sought refuge In tho underground shelters perished from suffocation, through the collapse of the entire earthworks "Toward 3 o'clock on April 5 the enemy attempted to counter-attack, supported by a heavy artillery fire, which was neutralized by our batteries batter-ies Our attack wag renewed tho following fol-lowing day and devoloped into a furious furi-ous hand to-hand struggle with gren ades and cold steel. In tho narrow lines of trenches. The enemy offered such resistance that the order was given to evacuate part of the ground that had been gained. This was then bombarded until the enemy was obliged to retire. We then held the three main-line trenches of the Allly wood 6 "The enemy's losses were heavy. We counted 200 dead on the evening of the 5th and on the evening of tho 6th wc found the dead piled In three rows. "During the 7th and 8th we re pulsed eight counter-attacks. The enemy succeeded in entering one trench, but was unable to hold It. Ot the Allly woods there remained noth ing but a few hacked trunks, and not an Inch of ground in it that had not been turned up by explosives. In ihe strange chaos stones, corpses and a debris of limbs lav mingled. "At 5:30 o'clock on April 8 an in tensive bombardment by the enemy was begun In ninety minutes upon( this comer of the woods, over a front from 350 to 400 yards deep, 20,000 shells were fired, thev included all calibers, from four to Hght-inch. The entire hill disappeared In a cloud of smoke All communications were cut during this. time, and when the fire ceased manv men were mentally deranged. de-ranged. They had to be removed and required several days for recovery ' Again on April 10 and April 13 our attacks were renewed, resulting in the gain of the balance of the Allly woods. Six German companies, be sides the garrison in the fort, were onniliilatoH In tbfc.o en pa trrm en t . |