Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-08-21
PASSES IN HILLS
HELD BY FRENCH
Germans VaIiantIy StOrmed
Vosgas DstiIes.
HEAVY LOSSES REPORTED
Paris War Office Says kaisers
Troops Were Defeated in all Skir.

Troops Were Defeated in all skir.
mishes.
An official report issued in Paris
says:
mo fact of striking Importance took
place in the theatre Of operations Oh
Thursday.
There were however, several sklr
mishes between German and French
patrols and encounters between out
posts, notably at Chambrey in Ger
man Lorraine, where two companies oil
the Eighteenth Bavarian infantry reg
iment were surprised by the Frencn
troops and driven off, leaving mum
erous dead and wounded on the held
An announcement also says that a
large number of French troops have
entered Belgium and are proceeding
from Chareroi to Gemblouz, ten mlies
to the northwest of Namur.
After five days battle between
French and German soldiers IN the
yosges Mountains, the German forces
that have been trying to retake the
Bonhomme and Saint Marie passes
west of Colmar In Upper Alsace, nave
been compelled to retire, 1t was al
nounced at the War Office. !
During all the five days Of fgntlng
the German soldiers fought gallantly
in their efforts to storm the French
batteries which commanded the pass
es, but their desperate charges were
futile. Whole ranks of the Germans
fell dead or wounded beneath the
storm of bullets from cannon and rap
id-fre guns.
The counter attacks of the Ger
mans were not confined to any one
particular point, but the hostllltles
ranged for miles. At times 1t resolV'
ed itself into an artillery duel be
tween the French batteries and the
German guns, which had been maui
ed up the lofty mountain slopes with
extraordinary exertions on the par'
of the German soldiers. The French
took many prisoners, and casualties
were heavy.
At one point where the German line
had been weakened by the accurate
and incessant artillery fire of the
French, reserves were thrown forward
in a charge at double quick, but the
efforts to capture the French guns
with cold steel again proved unaVail
ing. At this point, according to the
War Ministry announcement, an en-
tire section of German troops threw
down their arms and gave themselves
up to the Frech.
Although the Germans were SUPER
or in num''ers the French had the
most advantageous positions. The
French artillery also proved superior
over the guunery of the Germans, the
report says.
French frontier forces In Spincourt
and the Department OF Meurthe-et
Moselle have driven the Germans back
to the border, inflicting heavy losses
according t. another statement issued
by the War Office.
The Germans, in superior force, had
forced the French line back but the
French received reinforcements, as
sumed the offensive and penetrated
the German line with desperate bay
onet charge. Hand-to-hand fighting
with bayonets predominated and was
severe.
The report says that an entire Ger
man battery has been destroyed and
that several guns were captured. The
fighting continues, according to the oil
fetal dispatches.
The War office also claims that be
sides capturing several thousand Ger
man prisoners in conflicts in Mousele
the French troops have taken several
other batteries of German guns. Tlese
have been ordered brought to Paris