Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-21
DETAIL STORY
OF DESPERATE
WORK IN FRANCE
Eyewitness Tells of Opera
lions Against Invaders Re-
Sulting in Bitter Fighting on
Entire Front,


Paris, Feb 2G.-An official eya-
witness account Of the recent fightins
IN France and Belgium was given 0ul
today ty the French war department
The writer says.
During the past ten days detest-
able weather. continuous rain in some
parts and violent snow squalls IN 9th
crs. and thick fog nave hindered the
operations nearly everywhere on -ha
western battlefront. In spite OF lhe
conditions this period has been favor
able for us. our artillery obtained
very brilliant results and the enemy
evidently was unable 10 equal our
fire. The French superiority In anu
munitlon aud supplies is being more
and more confirmed.
Infantry Aggressive.
"Our Infantry showed an agrees
sive spirit in the Artois. Champagne,
Argonne and Alsaee regions. and their
| Operations were crowned with sue
cess. We thus obtained appreciable
results. That the German official
communications after having fatty
denied. have now partially admitted
that prisoners and materials have fall
len into our hands, moreover. are the
best proofs OF our successes"
The account discusses in detail the
activity Of the allied artillery in the
region from the English channel u
the river Alsne. II speaks Of the ex-
cellent work OF the Belgian batteries
and the remarkable energy Of the
British artillery working IN concert
with The French guns. Shells, the
writer says. were placed with remark
able accuracy. rendering the move
ments Of the German troops in the
rear Of their trenches exceedingly diff
fieult and often impossible.
DO Brilliant Service.
At that moment. when French in
fantrymen advanced to storm hostile
works on the edge Of the village of
Carency. the night of February ca"
the statement continued. sixty volun-
teer reservists with squad of sapper-
brilliantly accomplished the destruc-
ton Of skilfully arranged German
trench which had been baptized The
Ambush
"On a road leading from Bethune
10 La Bassee a mill which previously
had been occupied by Germans was
recaptured By brilliant French
charge on February s.
Zouaves and Africans.
The operations to the north Of Ar
ras were characterized by splendid
bravery on the part Of the Zouaves
and African infantry who charged
German trenches, blown up by mines.
captured the enemy's principal line
and repulsed vigorously counter-at-
lacks
Between souain and Beausejour
where our lines were pushed forward
Tor more than a mile and a half IN
December, We again advanced on
February Is and II, following a dozen
successive attacks, and captured min
No. zoo, an important fortified posi-
ton which we organized and defended
against impetuous counter-attaeks
On February Is in The same re-
gion. another brilliant action pre-
pared BY our artillery developed the
fact that the enemy was unable to
reply shot for shot to our guns.
Take 400 Prisoners.
To the north of Beausejour we
captured two and three-fourths miles /
OF the enemys first line OF trenches +
on the heights, taking 400 prisoners /
including many officers.
Pursuing this success on the next /
day, our troops brilliantly carried the 4
enemy's second line over a front half I
a mile in extent. In this engagement /
We took several hundred prisoners
We achieved brilliant successes in
The Argonne region. West of Baga-
ielle on February II we made gain
Of several hundred yards. on the at
ernoon of the same day the Germans
'ounter-attacked furiously and a vio-
ent isand-to-hand engagement en-
sued. For more than three hours the
nj t o. !
layonets. Our infantry delivered sew
,ral successive magnificent bayonet
,hafges and the decimated enemy was
inally repulsed and the ground gain
ID was definitely organized
Desperate Engagement.
The fighting was even more des-
Defate on February 10 and II. At
darie Therese the enemy delivered Il
trong artillery attack and showered
ield bombs simultaneously with the
EXPLOSION of mines in contact with
ur trenches by which fifteen yards
# our work were upheaved. Then.
an attack with large bombs, Q
hree battalions of infantry charged .
Yer the excavation, the first ranks
eng armed with grenades and In
ombs. The companies of our adj n
aneed line were decimated and were , i
Dllgeu TO give ground, entaiiing the
of the forces holding the I,
renches in the rear. To the left and /,
light our men held their position.
Retake Lost Ground. I
"A counter-attack was executed i'm ]
lediately and we succeeded in cap q
lring our second line under fire Of
Machine guns which the enemy had
rought up. On the afternoon and !,
vening of the same day by successive 4
ounter-attacks we retook more OF the o
,st ground and the trench and can t
on lost in the morning. Our infan- {
y inflicted enormous losses upon
ne enemy. IN front Of our trenches !,
nd on the ground lost and retaken 4
lore than four hundred bodies Of the c
lemy were counted. Facing our lines g
he first line of German trenches was p
instituted by a ridge made BY the q
cad bodies of their men.
In the Argonne region we were n
lceessful in fighting in the forest OF d
g Pretre and made substantial gains ici
the forest of La Grurie. In this in
irt of the line our ascendancy over n
lie enemy appears to be established y,
~
Poorly l.,