Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-06
RACE UP MOUNTAIN
SIDE WITH CANNON
French Win Three-Mile Sprint that
Turns Tide of Battle for Pos
session of Steinbach.
ANNIHILATE GERMAN BATTERY

THANH. Alsace, Jan. "a race Of
three miles up the steep slope at Engel-
burg, through thickets and up rocky
steps, between a battalion of French light
| infantry with mountain guns and Ger
man battery determined the result of the
stubborn fight for the Alsatian town of
Steinbach.
The French surprised movement Of
the German battery ascending toward
the summit of the mountain by road, and
| taking short cut. accomplished what
seemed to be the impossible.
The French battalion arrived five
minutes before the Germans appeared in
an open space and had just time to put
into position their mountain guns. Five
minutes more and all was over. Too late
the Germans attempted to retire and the
battery was annihilated.
Possession of this point permitted the
French TO cross the River Thur above
the town of Thanh and TO reinforce the
troops operating around steinbach.
French Occupy Heights.
On the morning OF December 81 the
French occupied all tho heights around
the town and sent an envoy to the Ger
man commandant demanding the sur
render Of the place The German officer
replied:
The German cOmmander-in-chief con-
siders that our forces are in no wise cut
off. The route to Germany (Sennheim)
still is open and retreat always is pos
sible. In any case the emperor's troops
arc ready to die but to surrender,
never"
At noon on the same day the French
commenced an attack which was con-
tinued without intermission. The French
successes began with the capture at the
point of the bayonet of a farm COM
manding the road entering the town
The French then progressed road by
road, until the village was reached.
German Defense il stubborn.
Charges and counter charges of infantry
were made amid the continual booming
of the French three-inch guns from all
the heights to which the Germans replied
with ever diminishing violence which in
dictated shortage of ammunition
The Germans made a stubborn defense
with machine guns and cold steel at the
outskirts of Steinbsch and the Chasseurs
also were met with a murderous fire
from the church steeple. one French
company asked permission to charge.
Many soldiers fell before they reached
the German line, but nothing could stop
the rest and the German force guarding
the road was surrounded and annihilated.
In possession Of the road and the farm
the chasseurs mounted quick firing guns
on line of sheds connecting with the
village and sweeping along, yard by
yard, finally captured the first line of
| houses.
The struggle was then continued from
house to house, the French losing one
day the buildings captured on the pre-
ceding one. but always returning 20 the
charge with greater violence and MAKING
further advance. Every alley was an
ambush and every house a little fortress
Church Twice Taken, Twice Lost.
The French finally succeeded In slippinr
around the enemy's right along the stein
bach brook and then commenced a fierce
combat for the possession OF Steinbsch
itself. The church and the cemetery
twice were taken and twice were lost
Since hand-to-hand fighting was now 20.
ing on night and day and from door 10