South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-11
Artillery Duel Lasts II Hours
InterSperSed With Infantry
and Cavalry Charges and
Fierce Hand to Hand Fights.
BY FRANKLIN p. MERRICK.

| By FRANKLIN =. MERRICk.
PARIS, Sept. 1.-THE most fur
ious fighting of the war has been
going on between Vitry-le-Francois
and Verdun, where the German loss
] of life is appalling, it is stated in
dispatches from the front today. An
artillery duel which ragged for 72
hours was interspersed with infantry
and cavalry charges wherein the
hand to hand fighting equalled for
ferceness anything known in modern
warfare.
| Encouraging reports to the gov
ernment now lead to the belief that
all danger of the allied armies being
surrounded has passed.
The French and British have
taken the offensive at many points
along the line and at others the
Germans are unsuccessful in their
efforts to break down the allies
front, it is said.
The retreat of the Germans
along the Ourcq river, after a two
days attempt to pierce the Anglo
/ French lines is said by the allies to
have developed into a rout-
The German forces at Nancy have
been driven back 10 miles, French
dispatches claim.
Short OF Ammunition.
The Germans are short Of am
munitiOn. German prisoners say
that the soldiers of the invading
army are ordered to strip all their
dead comrades Of cartridges.
NJ BRAND, minister of justice in
the French cabinet, and NJ. Sembal,
the minister of public works, have
returned to Paris from Bordeaux, the
temporary seat Of government. Their
presence in the capital is giving the
populace much encouragement.
Details of the fighting during the
past five days along the line from
Nanteuil-le-Haudoin to the German
frontier show that the allies won
only after the most vigorous and de-
termined fighting. Both sides have
suffered the most tragic losses in
the fighting which centered around
Meux, La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre, Sc
zanne, Chateau Thierry and Vitry-le-
Francois.
The French and English have been
successful all along their left flank
They have not only rolled the Ger
man wing back nearly 40 miles, but
are now able to carry operations on
to a battlefield of their own choos-
ing.
On Wednesday the German right
took the offensive, pushing strongly
against the army of Paris, which had
taken up position along the Ourcq.
With savage fury the German le-
gions assaulted repeatedly the French
line. Artillery famed and steel
barbed lines were showed against
the French and English ranks, but
without avail.
The Germans retired, but they re-
fused to admit themselves beaten.
All night the soldiers rested upon
their arms and at daybreak on
Thursday, German artillery was
again in motion and shells were
being hurled into the French and
English lines. German reinforce
ments had arrived during the night
Cavalry Leads Charge.
For hours the bombardment was
kept up. When the cannonade died
away, the German cavalry, supported
by infantry, moved forward. The
! French were entrenched and against
the defensive works the Germans
charged time and again. Rapid-fire
T guns and steady volleys Of infantry
cut great swaths in the advancing
ranks The thinning lines fell back
with the soldiers stumbling over the
bodies of the dead. Above the din
of the firing the notes of dozens OF
German bugles could be family heard
, ralIying the men to another charge
The grey ranks swept forward
again but they could not dislodge
the French. Late in the afternoon
the Germans fell back rapidly
French officers report that the re-
treat was a rout and that in theil
flight some Of the Germans threw
away their arms The French ar
I tillery shelled the disordered ranks
= of the enemy while the British cav
airy rode forward at a gallop cutting
down the rear guard.
British Cavalry Gets Credit.
The British cavalry IS given much
credit for hurting the Germans back
% miles in one day. The British
, troops were invinciOle. Over the
table lands north of Sezanne the
battle ragged for three days. The
French and British were acting in
cooperation there and the Germans