Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04
GERMANS PUSHED BACK
FOR GAINS BY FRENCH
strategical Victory at Altkirch Great.
est on western Front Since Fight
ing Reached Deadlock.
INVADING, FORCE oUTFLANKEp
Intensive Before Muelhausen Main.
tanned With Great Vigor-Weath.
or Conditions on Almost Entire
Front Reported as Very Bad.

t hoporteu as Very Bad.
Especial Cable TO The Times DIspa,ch
! PARIs. January 3.-The French
troops operating In Alsnce have out.
haiiked the Germans AMI are now bonn.
harding Altkirch. Al other poInta n,
the 3oo-nile battle front thev h,vs
ripped through the German lines. mnk
ing gains of n third OF n milo .t ono
point and NTH OF mile at nnother
hurting the Germans back upon thcir
| renrmost trenches.
The strategical victory won before
Atkirch Is the greatest recorded on
me me western battle front Since the neht-
lhS reached deadlock, with the as
sumption by the Germans OF their rigid
defensive along the User
FOR the past fortnight tho French
nave been hammerinS heavily at the
German stronghoids which constitute
| the advance posts protecting Mnai-
hanscn Thanh has been gained, AS
pach captured. Ccrnay bombar,l.d ana
Steinbach invested. All are within :,
small area. about eight miles from
Ir.n asen' ana from the rigor OF the
FRENCH attack. both with artillery and
infantry. the Germans were led Into
believing that this was the objective
upon which the French were centrlnc
their forces to the exclusion OF any
other part of the line. Indeed. so ter
| rlfc was the demonstration made on
this frontier that the Germans were
iorced TO call for reinforcements to
| stem the tide of the French advance
Just when tho French were hghtine
Tor Ste!nbach ms IL their national ex-
tstence depended upon the taking Of
this town. when house to house fight
Ing was the rule and ground WAS
| gained only foot by foot. considerable
thanking force was diverted TO the
southward. aSsniling the line of rail-
{'ar
and Dierespnch TO Altkirch.
After destroying the German line OF
| communication by tearing up the rail
| way between carspach and Dierespach.
to tn" southwest Of Altkirch. the
French advanced along the line Of the
railway until they brought Ankirch
Itself within range. Here they bonn
bardcd German train on which troops
we're being loaded. The train was
standing in the railway station of Alt
kirch. and considerable damage was
done. beside throwing tho German
troops into panic. the attack coming
az complete surprise This brings
the French back on tho line which
they occupied In August and Is q
most important gain.
Meanwhile. the French offensive be-
! Tore Mueihausen WINS maintained with
great rigor. all the previous gains In
the region of Thanh being maintained.
Weather conditions on almost the
rH'ifc iToht are oHnclnilS reported an
very bad. The incessnnt rains have
soaked the ground. turning the battle
fields into mud holes Operations
everywhere are almost impossible" ac-
cordirR to the French War Office state
mcnt
The statement adds: ITO this should
be attributed the perceptiblc abate-
mtnt which can be noted in our active
offensive"
French military critics nre inclined
to impute to the War DIIlce n certain
sense OF humor because Of this OBJ
servn tidn. which is peculiarly fncrti-
GUS when taken in the light OF tho days
Developments. IL is worthy OF note
that the official reports to-day speak
OF advances OF 400 to 500 metres with
ITO more show Of elation shan was evil
dencrd when n matter OF two months
or even month ago they had gains
OF no more than fifty metres to record.
For cNnmplc. before l.ailoiselle after
furious artillery engagement. which,
ragged All through the region OF Albert
and Roye. the French Infantry smashed
their way through the kalscrs de
lenses. driving the Germans back
distance OF some 500 metres to their
rear guard trenches. occupying the
German works as they advanced, and
strengthening them as defensive posi-
tons for further operations.
Near Baustjour, further east along
the Aishe. ana in the general vicinity
pr Perthes- |. en- Hurlus. tile French In
fantry again plunged forward. lung
ing through MUD. stumbling. scram-
bling and lighting all the way. until
they had pressed the Germans back a
distance of more than 200 yards Seri-
Gus losses wern INFLICTED on the Ger
mans. who were utterly lemora liZed by
the ferocity OF tile French attack.
Both these efforts were outcroppings
Of Tie spirit Of unrest which has fallen
Dttcn
tivity which has been forced upon them
due to the weather conditions. II was
as If they were fighting terrors held
in leash. and at last given their chance
&c beat the enemy again
The German infantry also attempted
strong offensive In the forest OF La
Grhrie. but without success. On this
front, rs along the whole line, Mt Zonne-
beke lin Flnhders)j on the plateau OF
touvent, near the Disc. where the
French guns demolished several fortif-
cations froif which The enemy had been
harassing the French sappers; to the
east and west OF Crsonne; in the re-
gion of Verlun: on the heights OF the
Mouse, and near Ban-de- Sapt, in tile
Vosges. artillery conflicts have been
raging with tremendous activity.
Slight gains are recorded also by the
War Ofice statement III the forest of
Bouchoh, to the northeast of Ttoyon,
and In the forest Of LePretre, to the
northwest OF Pont "a INCLUSION. In the
Fosges region infantry operations in
connection with the brilliant target
work Of the French stnners have given
the French several trenches formerly
occupied by the Germans.
In Paris the feeling Is growing that
the campaign is go.ng well for the
allies, and there Is II disposition to
await with the utmost confidence the
development OF the plan put in opera
tion by General Juffre.
Although there ID no mention in the
official statements Of the operations
along tile Belgian coast, where the,
NFranco. Belgian forces are threatening
the right wing of the Wurttembergers.
tons gained before Newport and about