Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-10-15
TELLS OF BATTLE
German Officers Letter Pic.
lures Hand-to-Hand Fighting.
Pays High Compliment to French and
English Troops-DecIares That
Losses on Both Sides Have
Been Enormous,

London.-General French's latest rs-
port Of the battle of the Aisne given
out here quotes this missive found on
a German officer of the Seventh Re-
serve corps:
"Cerney, South Of Laon, Sept. IT,
1sl4:-My Dear Parents: Our corps
has the task of holding the heights
south OF Cerny in all circumstances
TIL the Fourteenth corps on our left
nank can grip the enemy's flank. On
our right are other corps. We are
nghting with the English guards, High
landers and Zouaves. The losses on
both sides have been enormous. For
the most part this Is due to the too
brilliant French artillery.
The English are marvelously
trained in making use of ground. One
never sees them, and one Is constant
~ under fire. The French airmen per-
form wonderful feats. We cannot get
rio or them. AS soon as an airman
mas flown over us, ten minutes later
we get their shrapnel fire in our po-
s4tlon. We have little artillery in
our corps; without it we cannot get
forward.
Three days ago our division took
possession of these heights and dug
itself in. Two days ago, early in the
morning, we were attacked by i'm
mensely superior English forces-one
brigade and two battalions-and were
turned out Of our positions. The fell
lows took five guns from US. 1t was
tremendous hand-to-hand fight.
How l escaped myself l am not
clear. then had to bring up support
on foot. My horse was wounded and
the others were too far in the rear.
Then came up the guard jaeger battal-
ion, Fourth jaeger, Sixth regiment, re-
serve regiment Thirteen, and landwehr
regiments Thirteen and Sixteen, and
with the help Of the artillery we drove
the fellows out of the position again.
Our machine guns did excellent work:
the English fell in heaps.
In our battalion three iron crosses
have been given-one to -, one to
Captain -, and one to Surgeon -,
(names probably deleted). Let US
hope that we shall be the lucky ones
the next time.
During the first two days of the
battle I had only one piece of bread
and no water. l spent the night in
the rain without my greatcoat The
rest of my kit was on the horses,
which have been left miles behind
with the baggage, and which cannot
come up into the battle because as
soon as you put your nose up from
behind cover the bullets whistle
War is terrible We are all hop
ing that a decisive battle will end the
war, as our troops already have got
around Paris. If we best the English
the French resistance will soon be
broken. Russia will be very quickly
dealt with; Of this there is no doubt
1--WE have received splendid help
from the Austrian heavy artillery at
Maubeuge. They bombarded Fort Ger
\fontaine in such way that there was
not ten meters Of parapet which did
not show enormous craters made by
the shells The armored turrets were
found upside down.
Yesterday evening, about six, in the
valley in which our reserves stood,
there was terrible cannonade so that
we saw nothing of the sky but
cloud of smoke. We had few cas-.
ualties."