The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-08-05


Of Ypres, when the Germans suffered
enormous losses in attempts to break
through the line in Flanders and reach
Calais They succeeded in pushing
back the allies only a little and the
invasion of Silesia by the Cossacks
finally induced them to desist and
send re-enforcements TO Russia.
The Germans in September had per
formed the feat of pushing a salient
into the French line south of Nerdun,
which terminated on the west bank or
the Meuse river at St. Mihiel; while
the French had taken the offensive
with some success in Champagne at
about the same time.
For the most part throughout the
winter the fighting consisted of regu-
lar siege warfare, with heavy artillery
combats and mine and counter-mine.
The flooding of the River Aisne
from winter SHOWS gave the Germans
a chance to entrap the French troops
on the north side of that river in the
vicinity of scissors for considerable
distance and kill or capture most OF
them January IA.
I Take Offensive in Spring.
With the spring, the French and
: English attempted to take the offensive
/ at several points. Always preparing
! the way with tens or hundreds Of thou
! stands of shells, they tried joint after
Joint of the German armor.
In the Vosges the dominating height
| of Hartmannsweilerkopf was taken
and retaken several times in sanguin-
airy charges and finally remained in the
hands of the French.
! The salient of st. Mihiel was also
subjected to tremendous French pres
sure on both legs" The French sue
ceeded in gaining little ground, but
the Germans. despite the apparent
weakness of the sharp wedge they had
driven into the French line, could not
be dislodged and later succeeded in re
gaining some of the territory they had
lost.
The British also reported victories
at Neuve Chapelle and Hill No. 60, in
Flanders Whether these should be
accounted successes for the allies Is
doubtful. The British suffered enor
nous losses and at Neuve Chapelle
bungled affairs to the extent Of shell
ing their own men who had taken Ger
man trenches. In other cases they
left gallant little parties lodged In
enemy's trenches without supports tc
be annihilated.
The next development was the un
expected use of poisonous gas fume:
by the Germans in attacks just nortf
OF Ypres. With this novel weapon
thev succeeded in taking several small
villages and more than compensatinI
for the British gains south of Ypres
The losses Of the French, Canadians
and British were severe, but they sue
ceeded in stemming the German on
slaught effectively a few miles bacl
from their former position.
Begin Series Of Attacks.
The German line makes a salient a
Scissors, though not such a pre-
nounced one as at st. Mihiel. TIL
| French now began a series Of a.
lacks on the upper side of this salient
, to the north Of Arras. Expanding hui
, dreds of thousands Of shells, they tim
I and again blasted away the barbe
wire entanglements and concret
. trenches, held by Crown Prince Rul
> precht Of Bavaria's men, and the
: charged across the desolate ground fo
!. slight gains.
4 The fighting centered about the 81
f gar refinery of Souchez and the gres
4 German work called the Labyrinth
a Fighting went on in cellars and tut
D nels below the earth and the casua
ties were heavy. The French bent tn
s German line and captured the Lab
f rinth, but whether the gains justife
t their sacrifice in human life is que
f tionable.
e In July, Crown Prince Frederic
Il Williams army attacked in the A
gonne forest, west of Verdun, ar
succeeded in gaining several hundrt
" yards Of shattered woodland and ca
J. turing several thousand Frenchme
e, There were rumors that the Ge
N mans were reinforcing for anoth
S, great drive toward Calais or Par
ID but the Teutonic campaign in q
West continued to wait upon 4
10 crushing Of the much weaker enen
lie In Poland.