The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-08-06

as that OF the French and English had
been. The invaders took up an ad-
mirable defensive position. II ran
Just north Of the Aisne river, on a
series of bluffs, then just north of
rough regions of the Argonne and the
Woevre. Joining hands here with the
troops besieging Verdun. The allies
have tried this line in vain ever since.
Both combatants now tried to turn
the west flank. Enormous bodies of
cavalry On the part OF the French
| Flanders. On the part of the French
there was largely the desire to link up
with the Belgians, now being attacked
in Aptwerp. The mighty siege guns
| of the Germans made short work of
| the Belgian seaport, however, and il
| fell on October o. The remnants of
the Belgian army retreated along the
sea coast and the Germans in a final
rush reached Ostend October 15).
Line Extended to the Sea.
The battle line of the Aisne was now
extended TO the sea, the Germans hold
ing the important French city of Lille.
while the allies kept Ypres in Belgium
and, partly by flooding the lowlands,
held the position of the User river and
canal.
From October 16 to November 10
was fought the desperate first battle
Of Ypres, when the Germans suffered
enormous losses In attempts to break
tbrnVub hn Hna In 1a rnanh
Calais. They succeeded In pushing
back the allies only a little and the
invasion OF Silesia by the Cossacks
finally induced them to desist and
send re-enforcements TO Russia.
The Germans in September had per-
into the French line south OF Verdun
which terminated on the west bank Of
the Meuse river at st. Mihiel; while
the French had taken the offensive
with some success in Champagne at
about the same time.
For the most part throughout the
winter the fighting consisted Of regu-
lar siege warfare, with heavy artillery
combats and mine and counter-mine
The flooding Of the River Aisne
from winter SHOWS gave the Germans
chance to entrap the French troops
on the north side of that river in the
vicinity Of scissors for a considerable
distance and kill or capture most of
them January 1D.
Take Offensive In Spring.
With the spring, the French and
English attempted to take the offensive
at several points.
In the Vosges the dominating height
Of Hartmannsweilerkop was taken
and retaken several times In sanguin-
airy charges and finally remained in the
hands Of the French.
The salient of St Mihiel was also
subjected to tremendous French pres
sure on both legs" The French sue
ceeded in gaining a little ground, but
the Germans, despite the apparent
weakness of the sharp wedge they had
driven into the French line, could not
be dislodged and later succeeded in re-
gaining some of the territory they had
lost.
The British also reported victories
at Neuve Chapelle and Hill No 60, in
Flanders. Whether these should be
accounted successes for the allies is
doubtful The British suffered enor-
nous losses and at Neuve Chapelle
bungled affairs to the extent Of she'll
ing their own men who had taken Ger
man trenches.
The next development was the un-
expected use of poisonous gas fumes
by the Germans in attacks just north
Of Ypres. With this novel weapon
they succeeded In taking several small
villages and more than compensating
for the British gains south of Ypres.
The losses of the French, Canadians
and British were severe, but they sue
ceeded In stemming the German on.
slaught effectively few miles back
from their former position.
Begin Series Of Attacks.
The German line makes a salient at
Scissors, though not such pro-
nounced one as at ST. Mihiel The
French now began series of at.
tacks on the upper side of this salient,
to the north of Arras. Expending hun
dreds of thousands OF shells, they time
and again blasted away the barbed
wire entanglements and concrete
trenches, held by Crown Prince Rup-
precht Of Bavaria's men, and then
charged across the desolate ground for
slight gains.
The fighting centered about the su.
gar refinery of Souchez and the great
German work called the Labyrinth.
Fighting went on in cellars and tun.
nels below the earth and the casual.
ties were heavy. The French bent the
German line and captured the Laby-
rinth. but whether the gains justified
their sacrifice in human life is ques-
tionable.
In July, Crown Prince Frederick
Williams army attacked in the Ar.
gonne forest, west OF verdun. and
succeeded in gaining several hundred
yards of shattered woodland and cap.
turing several thousand Frenchmen.
There were rumors that tne Ger.