The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-23 00:00:00

THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS.

The special correspondent of Ahe Daily News with the
Saxons telegraphs from Margency January 21 :—This
morning the German batteries opened fire on the group
of forts surrounding St. Denis. The armament of these
batteries consists chiefly of the siege-train employed in the
reduction of Mezieres, and it was brought down by the
railway to Villers-le-Bel, whence it was brought, partly
the night before last and partly last night, into
the emplacements which had been stealthily prepared
for it more than a week past. The batteries now directed
against St. Denis are ten in number, mounting, therefore,
about s;,:f.v guns, chiefly German 24-pounders, and there
are also at least two mortars in position behind the Stains
batteries. The guns might have been earlier pushed for-
ward, bbt there was no occasion for hurry in this respect,
pending the accumulation of a sufficiency of ammunition.
Commencing on the right, there is no battery in the
neighbourhood of Epinay. The nimble gunboats might
enfilade batteries here. The batteries on Mont d'Orge
mont will take care that they do not do so as
regards the other two, which might otherwise be
affected by them. These are (1) one battery
of six 24-pounders in front of St. Gratien on
right of Rouen Railway, directed against La Briehe ; (2)
one battery of short 21-pounders at La Barba, a little
nearer Montmorency. At La Chevrette, almost directly
in front of Montmorency, there is a third battery. The
height known indifferently as Richebourg or Pierrefitte
(lying between the village of the latter name and Mont-
magny) presents on its summit nearest St. Denis a splendid
offensive position for artillery, dominating alike all the
forts ; but the position is so much exposed, that it has
been wisely avoided, without any detriment to efficiency.
This long bluff, whose nose looks out to St. Denis, con-
tracts about its middle, so that its promontorium throws
forward, as it were, two sheltering wings for batteries
stationed in the narrow waist behind. This configura-
tion of ground has been admirably utilised. The
summit has not been loaded with guns, but two
batteries have been, as it were, slung pannier-
wise across the narrow waist, one on either side, and they
can throw a telling indirect and plunging fire down into
the forts, while the bastion-like bluff in front of each is an
effective screen against the French return-fire. On the
slope behind the village of Stains (further round to the
east), with the butt ends of the guns towards Garges, are
four • batteries with the howitzers. On the verge
of the elevated table - land between Garges and
Dugny is the ninth battery, and close to Le
Bourget, between it and Dugny, is the tenth. I believe
that the guns manning the two latter have already been
in use in positions further to the rear and more southward.
Thus there is a converging fire on the focus of the forts
from the radius of at least a semicircle. The French had
not to all appearance the remotest cognisance of the pre-
parations, and it was some time before the forts shook off
their surprise sufficiently to reply with vigour. Up
till the present (midday) the cannonade is active on both
sides.