New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-19
British Gain Positions IN
Attack at Ypres and
French in Alsace.
GARB OF INDIANS
WORN BY GERMANS
Burnoose-Clad Troops Moved
Down When Ruse Is Discov'
cred, Says Eyewitness.
rBy Cable to The Tribuns.l

'aris, April l6.-lhe Hos'
fighting on the western front appears
TO be taking place at almost the very
onds Of the long line. In Alsace the
French arc advancing slowly northwest
If Colnar in the face Of furious Ger
man counter attacks, while in the fpres
rc.,ion the British have again taken
the offensive. They have gained some
nositions. according TO unomclal as
matches. and the battle is still gong on
The CAPTURE of an important heignt
mar NefIeral. mentioned in yesterday
disnatches, is pointed to by military
evnert, ., an indication o. the SUD
stantial nature Of the French advance
in the Vosges region. .-. -
Following is an official statement OF
the fighting issued tonight Dy inc
French War Office:
an the valley of the Aisne, at the
Rois de st. Mord, the enemy attacked
orr trenches at the close of the after
noon. but was promptly stopped by our
artillery, while q bsyonet charge IN
Aicted severe losses on the enemy
Germans Lose Caves.
an Champagne, to the northwest; OF
portbcs the Germans were compelled
N evacuate an excavation which they
had been occupying close to our INES
nv the explosion Of mines, followed Dy
an attack, we captured sixty metres OF
enemy trenches.
an the Woevre there was only can
nonading. l.,;,.orod
In tho enyirons Of the forest or Far-
row. several minor attacks, with weak
electives. particularly near Bures'
Nouracourt. Embermenil and ST. Mar
tin. but were easily repuised.
an Alsace the Germans thrice at
tackled, without success, our trenches
on Little Reich AckerkOpf. We, on our
part. made fresh progress in the region
Of Schnepfen- Riethkopt."
The earlier statement Of the day. re
ferring to the fighting in Alsace, SAID:
IN the Vosges a German attack, pre-
pared for by violent bombardment
and carried out by a battalion against
our positions northwest of Orbeyi Al
SAGE fourteen miles northwest OF Col
mari, was repulsed. The Germans lett
many dead in front of our trenches
and ee made about forty prisoners
Hand Grenades Deadly.
A
fantry over network of strongly for
tilted trenches which resulted in the
gain of a thousand yards at Bots jaime
Brules. near Mesnil-le- Hurlus, IL de-
scribcd by an eyewitness IN an Official
statement issued to-day by the W ar
Office. The French attack was prepared
by sappers. who dug into the first line
Of trenches and annihilated the occu-
pants with hand grenades. The three
men who survived were made prls-
oners.
"The Germans, surprised. were I'M
able to defend their 'front.' says the
eyewitness, "and the French advance
Guard was installed in the first line. A
general attack followed Immediately.
The fighting was hand to hand and few
shots were fired. The Germans scarce
~ were able to utilize their hand gren-
AIDES and were obliged to retire pre-
cipitately.
Pushing their advantage, the Fyench
infantry captured strong redoubt IN
the centre of the woods. They then
pushed out to the right to broaden the
front captured.
"The Sd Regiment Of the Prusslan
Guard offered a stubborn resistance,
trying to deceive the French by send
ing forward troops dressed in the bur
moose (woollen cloaks) Of Moroccan
rifemen, taken from the dead. This
ruse was discovered after a brief in
terval. Machine guns moved down line
after lire of the advancing Prusslans
until the ground was strewn with
bodies. More than a third OF the sol
diers in this regiment of the Guard
were killed. The French losses were
300 killed, including several officers"