Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-20
EYE WITNESS TELLS
OF The FIGHTING
CONTINUED from PAGE one.'

Continued from Page One,
upon both sides by the unfavorabie
weather conditions. During the fighting
around la Boissello and Aveiuy the Ger
mans asked for a truce to care for their
injured, which was refused.
ION January H." says tho eye witness.
we we're violently bombarded. but did
not yield. Also on January Is we re-
pulsed violent attack"
The fighting az scissors. which began
with an attack by the allies on January s.
is graphically described
In these combats. which we're entirely
local" says the account, "our offensive
was crowned with complete success on
January 8. . and 10, but was checked. be-
ginning January II. by the overlooking
OF the Aisno"
Instances of Ieroism.
The battle on the first day was par
ticularly fierce and instances OF heroism
were numerous. One hundred French in
fantrymen. who were surrounded in a
bayonet attack. refused 10 surrender and
we're killed, after infllcting heavy losses
on the Germans and preventing their pro-
gress.
Referring to the fighting on January
10. the chronicler says:
The morale OF the troops Is excellent
despite the sufficiently serious loss, SIS
being wounded and the number of dead
not yet being known.
beginning the night OF January l1-1g
the situation for the allies became COM
pllcated by reason OF the high water i'm
the Aisne. the German offenslV, move
ment ana the failure OF the allies rein
forcements to arrive. Preparations for
a withdrawal began and II was executed
In good order on the night OF January
1914 From Scissors to Perthes the en-.
gsgement was limited to artillery duels,
the advantage resting with the allies.
In the region OF Perthes." cont nues
tho account, the Germans tried per-
sistently by violent attacks to regain the
lost ground. Not only did they fail, but
We realized further progress"
German Losses Heavy.
The German Losses In this section arc
declared 10 have been heavy. The fight
ing In the Argonne also Is described as
having been severe. the allies losing nu-
merous officers.
Tn the region Of vofdun and on the
heights Of the Meuse," says the eye wit
ness. "our artillery frequently silenced
that OF the enemy. At the Bots lie Pretr
our progress was continuous for two
months. without an instant's retreat. It
is verItabie siose war
Tho excellent results obtained in upper
Alsace would have been increased II the
conditions of the battle field had not
affected the operations. the soldiers suf-
fering greatly from the rigors OF the
Weather--the rain ,snov ana ,,ua W.
had many injured on January 5. because
inc guns OF our men were dirty and could
not be fired, but II Is not true that the
Germans captured unwounded prisoners |
In the region OF upper Alsace the Ger
mans were unable to pierce our lines. al |
though aided by heavy achievements |
- is.v Exploits of Airmen.
Referfns 10 the exploits of the French |
Aerial corps the writes says:
IT was Lieutenant Won Falkenstein.
not Van Fallkenhayn.. as enormously re-
ported, who was killed by the French
army aviator, Gilbert. This was the third
lime that Gilbert. who Ia military
medalist. succeeded in bringing down a
hostile craft"
4 report from Paris last week said Can
lain Won Falkehhayn. a son OF the Ger.
nan chief OF staff, had been killed in a
iuei ~ the air at an altitude of 1000 feet |,
oy French aviator driving a monoplane.
-Aptaln Won Falkenhayn was said 10
nave been accommodating with q pilot in
IN air craft near Amiens when a bullet
rom the Frenchman pierced his heart
Ahu another seriously wounded his pilot.
Inc German machine fell in French ter
urofy and the pilot vyas nnado +. ,,ri.o.,.