Evening star., 1915-07-15
Eyewitness" Says Germans
Thought Their Positions
Were ImpregnabIe.
ASSAULT AFTER ASSAULT
FINALLY BROKE THE LINE
Chasseurs Died to Last Man Rather
Than Obey Surrender
Command.

PARIS. July 16 1890 p.m.-"The
operations by which our troops cap
tursd the towns of Metzeral and Sond-
ernach, which are situated In the
Fecht valley" says the official eye
witness today in recountfng the French
success in the battle of Metzeral, up
DER Alsace, have been remarkable be-
cause of the means employed and the
results obtained and because the AL
nine troops have been forced to sur
mount great difficulties"
Metzeral the eyewitness explains, Is
situated in a valley surrounded by
hills, the sides of which dropped pre-
cipitously down to the Fecht region.
On these hills was stationed artillery.
to the rear of which, within easy &C
cess, large reinforcesments could be
massed and brought to the front when
needed.
Thought Positions Secure.
From prisoners we learned" con-
tinues the account, that the Germans
~asiiered their position impregnable
ss vas surrounded by several lines Of
Eenches and barbed wire entangle-
ments. We made long preparations for
the attack, concentrating troops and
through winding, narrow and hastily
constructed roads twenty miles in
length. New trenches were dug. mines
laid and various other details were at
June Is, after prolonged and heavy
artillery fire on both sides of the val-
ley, the attack was begun against hill
No. $40, on which we captured trenches
situated on the slopes. taking two
companies prisoners A portion of the
trenches on Braunkopf also fell into
our hands.
German Line Too Strong.
eat Eichwald we gained less. as here
the German fortifications were strong
est At Anlass. also. although many
grenades were thrown, the fortifca-
lions were of such a character as to
make it impossible to break through.
"On the day following the attack was
resumed with the purpose of gaining
us all the positions on Braunkopf and
hill No. $50. We began at this point
to encircle Eichwald, as the road to
Metzeral now lay open. The Germans
remained at Anlass, where our attack
always stopped. and with their FIRE
across the valley on Braunkopf made it
impossible for us to proceed.
"An our efforts were now concen-
trated on Anlass- We attacked June
Is and 19 and on the goth the German
D0SltfOnS 1Su INTO our uduuS.. OuI
troops continued on down the valley.
capturing six officers. eleven non-com-
missioned officers and 14o men.
IAN attack directed at the same time
against Winterhagel, situated to the
south of Anlass. was marked by a sad
Incident. A small group of chasseurs
who succeeded in breaking through the
bArbed wire entanglements found them
solves under a cross-ffre OF quick
ssThe men tried to construct shelter
with the tools they carried. The Ger
mans cried Surrender Not one man
plished their work and the men were
found with faces to the ground as If
they had dropped when drawn up in
line for parade.
Capture Burning Village.
"our attacks were now centered on
Metxeral. The factory at Steinbruck
was taken on the night Of June II and
. battalion entered Altenkof the day
following. On June 81 our men came
down from Braunkopf. surrounded the
way station The Germans IN Metzeral,
threatened with capture, place quick
firers in several houses to protect their
retreat and prepared to set tho place
on fire.
Our artillery quickly demolished the
houses in which German artillery had
been placed, and our troops entered the
flaming streets from the north and
west; The The village ,0,,a, WAS burned a,.,,. ,,.
our troops harassed the retreating enc
my winterhagel and Sondernach fell
into our hands and our line was estab-
lished along the length of the valley of
the Fecht as far as Sondernach.
The action resulted in the capture Of
20 officers, 53 non-commissioned officers
and S3s men