New-York tribune., 1915-03-16
Scale Steep Cliffs After
Mines TunnelIed Into
Hills Are Exploded.
GERMANS DRIVEN
TO PLATEAU'S EDGE
Invaders Losses In WOevre
Region Battle Placed at 1000
st. Mihiel Is Menaced.
nv Gable TO The Tribune ]

London, March l6.-~"Ths horning
Post" to-day publishes a delayed dis
patch containing description OF the
important French victorv IN the battle
Of Combres, In the Woevre region. To
drive the Germans from the heights
the French had to scale steep cllfs
with ladders, the dispatch states. Inc
correspondent, writing from town on
the River Meuse on March ., says:
Despite the miserable weather con
ditiOrs, heavy persistent rams iol-
lowed by snow and intense cold, no one
could possibly be downhearted in the
cast OF France. The entire aspect OF
the campaign has changed, and from
being defenders the Allies have as
sumed the role OF tireless attackers.
1t is now the Germans who are cling
ing desperately to the strongholds that
still remain TO them and whose posi-
tion is daily becoming more precarious
as the French fanking attacks are
being pushed home through the weak
spots or on 10 commanding positions
dominating the German advanced
points.
"As In the west, we have to face IN
certain places advanced German posi-
q
from which, owing to the confguration
of the ground, it is inadvisable, il not
impossible. to dislodge the enemy by
direct frontal attack. There are three
such salients:
81 That OF St. Mihiel.
go. That between Verdun and the
Argonne. running from Montfaucon
down TO Narennes.
49, That Immediately to the east OF
Rheims, consisting Of the spur OF hills
which abuts upon the River Vesle OPP
posite Sillery.
Germans Strike Blind Wall.
"The Germans advance, hcweyer
came up against something in the
nature of blind wall at St. Mihiel,
where it was faced by the winding
Nouse and by almost impregnable
earthworks o nthe further bank and
hcmmcd in by powerful fortIticatiOns
on the hills commanding the town on
either hand, which, If they cannot she'll
the Germans in St. Mihiel itself, owing
70 the extreme stocpness OF the hills
surrounding the narrow valley, at all
events prevent them from spreading in
any direction.
"What appears 10 be the most Sc
rious menace 70 the advanced German
position, ST. Mihiel, comes at present
from the western base angle at Fresnes-
cn-Woevre The country down each
side of the wedge Is so difficult as 10
render attacking operations very doubt
ful of success, but If the base is
broken in the same result will be at
tanned.
The line Of battle swings wide
around Verdun, which Is safe from oil
danger now, and turns down into the
St. Mihiel wedge. Behind Fresnes lie
the forest heights Of Amblonyille.
They have belonged TO the French for
months. but for equally long our most
advanced position was at Les Eparges,
at the bottom Of valley, where our
trenches we're opcn to severe attack
from the heights beyond, held by the
Germans. Thanks 20 some Of the most
brilliant fighting in the campaign,
these heights are now in our posses
sion.
Mines Dug Through Hills.
"The Crete de Combres, as it is
called, Is in reality Il plateau. Ihe top
Of this plateau is not very broad, and
Il descends pretty steeply 20 the broad
plain Of the WOevre, not so steeply,
LlOukuf as IL I saNo - Ni'' r.'~
which Les Eparges lies, for there the
hillside presents series OF small cllls,
which, when the final assault was made.
had TO be sealed with ladders In the
same way as fortress.
This operation was preceded by
some OF the most thorough and eXten-
sjve sapping seen in this war Mines
were dug practically through the hills,
and when the final explosion, which
heralded the infantry attack, occurred
the light was obscured by the tremen-
dous upheayal of earth, like the erup-
tion of volcano. At the same time
the ground was being prepared By a
heavy artillery fire. Battery after bat
tery had been concentrated on the for
est heights and they swept the German
positions with perfect inferno Of
Shells. Reply TO them was difficult, be-
cause the French guns were well con-
ccaled in splendid cover, while IN the
trenches in the valley below the men
had through long, hard experience dug
themselves in so deeply as 70 be very
nearly immune. When, therefore, this
hurricane of iron eliminated IN the
cataclysm Of the mines the Germans,
panicstricken, fell like sheep before
tn. swift onslaught OF chasseurs, who
swarmed up the scaling ladders like
destroying demons.