Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-31
Official Eyewitness State
ment Given Out by War Of
flee Covering Ten Days Of
HosliIilieS,
GERMAN FATALITIES
SAID TO BE ENORMOUS
Detailed Account of Fighting
in Western Theater Of War.
Reveals Many Interesting
Developments,


tav roesas,a ioueaAl assc,sl tsAstp WISH
Paris, Jan. 10. 3lb r. m-An Off
cial eye Witness statement was issued
by the French war office today COW
ering the period of the campaign IN
Franco from January lG Ia January
90, II says
"Our advance has been slight, but
regular. Under the cover OF night
troops protected by portable hucklers
slip along the dunes and roads, rap
idly improvising new defenses with
sacks. baskets and eases filled with
earth, for deep trenches are impos-
slble IN the sandy ground. The ar
tillery supporting these operations has
made many Of the German trenches
In the dunes untenable,
The only infantry action around
Ypres occurred at dawn January 20,
when a German infantry company
deployed 15O yards from our lines
and charged at double quick. Three
companies followed each other at
short distances. supported by an en-
tire brigade. This attack was in
stantly checked by the violent fire
Of our infantry. supported by artlll-
I cry
I "The officer commanding the --
company was the first TO fall, and 10
a few minutes the ground was covered
with more than 400 German dead.
while many became entangled in the
barbed wire and were made prisoners.
Some OF them. Notwithstanding pain
/ full injuries from the barhs tore them
selves out of the tangle. The pris-
oners said that the attack was to he
supported by other forces which we're
dispersed by our artillery fire.
Violent Attack Repulsed.
British infantry and French ar
tillery repulsed a violent attack a La
Bassee. Hundreds OF dead still lie in
the field. The attack was renewed
and again repulsed, the German loss
es being at least two battalion (2,O00
men).
"Fr0m In Basse to Arras there have
been continuous artillery engagement,
1 the most violent at Blangy, which was
/ followed by an infantry charge In
/ force. The entire shock was received
! by three companies which held their
ground In spite Of a formidable cam
nonading by three-nch, four-lneh,
slx-inch and elght-ineh guns, bombs,
and grenades It became necessary
to abandon the burning houses at Ia
Fonderie which were destroyed by
Germans Part of our forces sue
ceeded in retiring; the others were
killed or wounded and fell into the
! enemy's hands.
Three companies from the second
| line of defense delivered several coun-
/ ter-attacks with fire and bQyonet nm
Ill the lost ground was regained.
THE action was particularly vlo-
lent al La Boiselle, being nearly con-
tinuous from January 16 to January
49, a prisoner taken January IL
said that Emperor william has or
dered the occupation Of this place,
In honor of the anniversary Of the
founding of the empire and promised
700 marks to wbomsoeYer brought
back a French machine gun. No ma
chine gun was captured. but nine sue
cessive attacks were repulsed.
"The explosion Of a depot Of melan-
ite permitted the enemy TO capture
small section Of the trenches but
they were driven out half an hour
later and the cemetery at La Boiselle
was found to be fun of German dead,
including several officers.
Lines In Close Contact.
around scissors the enemy had
gained no advantage since January
II. AT Palsy the two adversaries
are within 20 yards Of each other
and the same line Of harbed wire
serves as defense for each side |
Four companies OF German attacked |
at this point. after the explosion Of
a mine, but were repulsed, and /
counter-attacks drove the enemy from
the trenches They left hundreds Of !
dead and many wounded. our losses
was forty killed. /
There was a three days battle at
Berry Bac, beginning with bom-
bardment on January 20 which de-
moralized our trenches and permitted
q successful attack by the Infantry /
The enemy Installed himself in our
advanced trenches and resisted our |
counter-attack on January o. from 3
o'clock until II. when we reached
one trench and took a number Of
The other french was
held until the 23rd, when an attack
by single company OF French in
fantry succeeded. The enemy left
twenty prisoners In our hands, but
Immediately engaged in an artillery
action lasting four hours. This fol-
lowed by q counter-attack by the
German infantry. which was repulsed
with heavy loss.
Both Sides Make Gains.
In the region of Perthes the Ger
mans tried desperately to reconauer
the positions they had previously lost,
but We maintained our position and
made further gains. The Germans