The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-03
WIN VOSGES HEIGHTS
IN MONTHS FIGHTING
Young French Troops Of 1915
Class Charge Over Ger
mans in Trenches.
RETAKEN, SAYS BERLIN
Special cable Despatch TO Tnr suS.

NDSCfTf ' UDfr bfsVutCN ~ llt shE
PARIS, Sept. "A special comrnu-
nique issued by the War Office Tonight
describes the heroic fighting. lasting
more than a month. which resulted In
the capture of Lingekopf, Schratzmaen-
nele and Barrenkopf. important noun
tain peaks IN the Nosges which domi-
nate German positions In the Alsatian
! valleys and plain. The statement says:
THE German official statement issued
In Berlin yesterday says that the Ger
mans have recdptured Lingekopf and
Barrenkopfl
preparations for our attack on Linge
Massif included the building OF a noun
tain road eight miles long will long
communicating trenches extending even
further. and also the construction OF
innunerable camps, sheds. munitions
and repair depOts, as well as ambulance
stations. The mountain road proved
To- be a triumph OF engineering. more
than 100 tons Of war material passing
over 1t daily without a single break
down.
The slopes We had to carry were
densely wooded, this greatly facilitating
their defence, while our main approach
trenches were exposed to a double en-
Made fire, rendering their use impos-
slOle In daytime. Between SChrdtz-
mdennele and BarIeukUpf there was a
German blocknouse with ,emented walks
ten feet thick. This was surrounded
with barbed wire and chevaux de frise.
our first attack took place on July
20. After violently bombIrding the
slopes for ten hours. chasseur bat.
talions stormed the positions, capturing
the lInRe summit IA, fh. laff md fha
Barren summit to the right. Cnfortu-
nately, the Germans held their ground
OIL Schratzmaennele. and catching our
Hanks with machine gun fire, forced the
cha sseurs to retire to sheltered posi-
tons lower down the slopes.
N0una Troops show Ueroism.
Two days later, after another ter
rihc bombardmcut. We gained further
ground, this time using mostly young
troops OF the 1915 class. who fought
their first big battle. The General COM
manding the operations declared that
he WIS thrilled with pride when he
ordered them 10 dash furiously at the
enemy under a hot fire. They fung
themselves over the trenches. literally
walking on the Germans who occupied
them.
They cleared the SUBMITS and went
further. but neglected to deal with the
Germans whose trenches they had
passed. Their excessive daring robbed
the second attacking line OF a chance
to upport them and counter attacking
successfully the enemy partially reoc.
cupied the Linge and Barren submits.
"Afterward. however. we again ac- !
cupied these SUBMITS ard momentarily
held the top Of Schratzmaennele. on
the Linge we completely DESTROYED one
company. capturing the major. Fur
ther desperate lighting for the crests
Followed. ON one uf the subsequent |
A'ls one of our companies reached the
bdrbed wire works and dug themselves |
~ a Few yards from the Germans vlllp /
under a violent fire. For thirty-s.N
hours they repulsed repeated counter at
tacks. while singing the 'Marselllaise.
until reenforcements finally reached
them. when, after a night and day OF
stubborn fishting. We seized the SChrstz.
maennele crest August /, capturing abO
yards or trenches and tour blockhouses.
"On August I and 3 the Germaus
shelled our positions with unprecedented
violence, 10000 projectiles of all calibres
drenching our. trenches n dugouts
our losses We're serious, the stretrher
bearers n telephonists suffering with
IN" troops. A~lthouGh the Germans
counter attacked daily they made only
>'i-ht gains, We finally obtained COM
plete possession on August - and the
enemy, who had used seven brigades
against rs, had To accept defeat.