The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-28
Near Craonne Is
One of Eercest in War
German Attack on Trenches in FOulon Wood Leads to
Sanguinary Hand to Hand Fighting-Two
French Companies Are Surrounded.
1 900 GERMAN DEAD ARE FOUND IN ONE PLACE

ELVES, however, were unable TO OCCUPY
These events, together with an unsuccess
ul assault near st. Hubert IN the Ar
yonne, are told OF in the night commu
llque which follows:
The enemy tried a surprise attack
last night against the wood OF st.
Mard tnear Tracy-le-VaD. After a
lively fusillade no exploded several
mines, which destroyed our trenches
on front OF so meters, but he was
unable to gain a footing there on ac-
count OF the sweeping fire of our artil-
lery. The trenches referred to have
been reOccupied by us and rebuilt
West OF Craonne tho night was
calm. The fighting ON January 25-26
In that region may be described as
follows After prolonged and in
tense bomhardment by guns of heavy
calibre and hand grenades the German
infantry delivered an attack on the
Heurteblse-Foulon wood front This
attack was repulsed everywhere with
heavy losses except at La Creute,
where q landslide. caused by the fall
Of heavy projectlles closed the en-
trance TO an old quarry which served
as powder magazine and shelter
FOR the garrison of our trenches ut La
Creute 1.-TWO Companies). These troops
thus found themselves surrounded
The enemy having thus gained foot
ing at La Creute made an entry into
the Foulon wood. and the trenches
near by were rendered untenaulo for
us and We were forced 10 evacuate
them.
The counter attacks by which we
won back large part of the lost
ground were very brilliant The valor
nf q al 81
enemy suffered very heavy losses,
having left 900 dead on one part Of
tire ground. The prisoners taken by
US belonged to four different reg-
ments, which Is clear proof of the
Importance Of the attack.
In the Argonne. near S. Hubert,
n German attack failed. During tho
day three fresh attacks delivered at
intervals Of two hours we're vigor-
ously repulsed.
The night OF January 2G-27 was
calm in Alsace and the Vosges.
Nothing important has been re-
ported from the rest Of the front.
German LOSSES nj Ypres.
Tho afternoon co.nmunique gives som
dea OF the tremendous losses which tn
Germans have sustained as the result o
heir recent attacks at La Bassee an,
Ypres. The statement says that It wa
d full brigade and not a battalion whicl
ASA ulted the British trenches at Ypre
on Monday and that consequently the Ger
man losses there and in Yesterdays fight
lng al La Bassee were three and a hal
battalions. or $500 men.
The German failure at La Bassee /
now believed to have been greater thai
at first reported The finding OF the bodie
Of six officers and 400 men In a small plo
Of ground shows with what determinatio
they advance. Other German efforts yes
terday were directed against Perthes, he
tween Rheims and the A1gonne and a
Npres and Nieuport The French sue
ceeded In destroying the new pontoon
which the Germans had put across tn
Mouse at St. Mihiel. In Flanders a Ger
man aeroplano was brought down With
the Belgian lines. The afternoon com
follows:
In the sectors OF Newport and Of
Npres there were artillery engage
mcnts yesterday A German aero
plane was brought down within the
lines Of the Belgian army. State
ments made by prisoners establish
the fact that IL WAS not 4 battalion,
but brigade which, on January -.
attacked our trenches to the east OF
Gpres The enemy lost in this affair
what amounted to a battalion and a
half of men.
II has been confirmed to-day that
near La Bassee. Givenchy and
GInchy the Germans yesterday suf-
fered great chcck on the road
from La Bassee to Bethune the bodies
Of six officers and 400 men were
found The losses OF the Germans
consequently must represent at least
two full battalions.
From Lens TO Scissors yesterday
there was artillery fighting. In tho
region OF Craonne we maintained our
selves in the trenches recaptured by
us by our counter attacks of jan
uary IS.
In the region OF Perthes. Point No.
200, four violent attacks on the part
OF the enemy have been repulsed In
the Argonne. IN the vicinity OF St
Hubert a German attack was re-
pulsed with the bayonet. At st. Mihiel
we destroyed more foot bridges
thrown by the enemy over the Meuse
Yesterday passed quietly In I,or-
raino and in the NosGes.
The concen, ration OF troops il Alsac
continues. In Lorraine there are ind
cations Of approaching action and III
military critics expect news OF great az
tivity there within a short tine. Ther
was no bombarding OF the Fren' h pc
sltions In upper Aissce, at Thanh or Stsir
bach Yesterday