New Britain herald., 1915-01-06
STUBBORN FIGHT FOR
 TOWN OF SIfNBAcH
French Accomplished Capture Winch >,. Seemed to bc Impossible.

Thann, Alsace, Jan. 4, Via Paris, Jan. 5, 11:35 a. m.-A race of three miles up the steep slope at Engelburg through thickets and up rocky steps, between a battalion of French light infantry With mountain guns and German battery, determined the re- suit of the stubborn fight for the Alsatian town of Steinbach. The French surprised a movement of the German battery ascending to- ward the summit of the mountain by road, and, taking a short cut, accom- pished what seemed to be the inn possible.
 German Battery Annihilatcd. The French battalion arrived five minutes before the Germans appeared in an open space and had just time to put their mountain guns into position Five minutes more and all was over. Too late the Germans attempted to retire and the battery was annihilateG
 Possession of this point permitted the French to cross the River Thur, above the town of Thann, and to re- inforce the troops operating around Steinbach.
 French Demand Surrender.
 On the morning of December 31 the French occupied all the heights around the town and sent an envoy to the German conmandant demanding the surrender of the place. The Ger man officer replied:
 The German commander-in-chi considers that our forces are in ID wise cut off. The route to Carney (Sennheim) still is open and retreat al ways is possible. In any case tho emperor's troops are ready to die; but to surrender, never.'
 French Commence Attack.
 At noon on the same day the French commenced an attack, which was con- tinued without intermission. The French successes began with the cap ture, at the point of the bayonet, of a farm commanding the road enter ing the town. The French then progressed road by road until the vil lage was reached.
 Charges and counter charges of in- fantry were made, amid the contin ual booming of the French 3-inch guns from all the heights, to which the Germans replied with ever-diminish ing violence, which indicated a short age of ammunition.
 Offer Stubborn Defense.
 The Germans made a stubborn de- fense with machine guns and cold steel at the outskirts of Steinbach and the chasseurs also were met with a niur- derous fire from the church steeple.
 One French company asked permis sion to charge. Many soldiers fell before they reached the German line. but nothing could stop the rest, and the German force guarding the road soon was surrounded and annihilated.
 In possession of the road and the farm, the chasseurs mounted quick firing guns and swept along yard by yard, finally capturing the first line of houses.
 The struggle was then continued from house to house, the French los ing one the buildings captured tho preceding day, but always returning to the charge with greater violence and making further advance. Every alley was an ambush and every house a little fortress. <t.
 Fierce Combat Commences.
 The French finally succeeded in slipping around the enemy's right along the Steinbach brook, and then commenced fierce combat for the possession of Steinback itself.
 The church and the cem etery were taken and twice were lost. Since hand to hand fighting was now going on night and day and from door to door the Germans, unable longer to use their artillery, resorted to incendiary barns and houses occupied by the French.
 A changing wind, however, obliged the Germans them selves to quit the first line of trenches, being unable to control the fire, and the flames finally reached the ammunition reserves.
 Little Town Trembles.
 ''The explosion which occurred when the ammunition caught fire caused the little town to tremble as though from an earthquake.
 Still the Germans held on till the morning of Jan. 4, when the last courageous resistance of the defend CTS was worn out by the persistent and impetus charges of the chasseurs and the whole town was occupied. This point, the gateway to Cernay (Sennheim), ), which commands i'm portant routes to the south, to the north and to the east, Is no longer tenable for the Germans.