The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-21
MARKSMEN SCORE
IN FLANDERS FIGHT
French eyewitness" Says
They Picked OFF Many at
Stcpnstraetc.
1000 GERMANS KILLED
spec,o, ca5ie p,spatch N rrr srs.

FAIRS. MAY 2n.--Thc French eyewIt-
ness sends The following description or
the Fighting at steenstracte:
"Our soldiers were not satisfied with
carrying the trench In front OF the VII
Iare. ard In the wild charge that fol-
lowed they carried the second line. or
the village nothing remains but ruins.
but these ruins are. like all the rest. or
ganized In "a highly effective manner. In
the street fighting the Iouaves. sharp |
shooters and Algerians gained ground
RAPIDLY. They captured -four mitraiI-
leuscs, also rifles and bomb throwers.
The Germans. who occupied the deep
cellars Of an old brasscrie. offered a de-
termincd resistance. They were IN
,rcnchcd In the cellars and much or mo
lighting was underground. A. tho end
Of "A brief interval the Iouaves were
seen coming out by the stairway. They
were masters NJ the cellars.
ION the right the sharpshooters also
were making progress. The enemy. oy
means Of n tunnel. precariously held.
s,ill had access to the Ypcrlee bridge,
hut fearing that his flank would he
turned. he was ddshing hither and
,hither. advancing and rctreating.
sharpshootrrs pick on Men.
'On tho steep shore, n short distance
away, our seasoned sharpshooters were
following his confused movement ana
every time a head appeared a well aimed
rifle bullet added another body IN the
German dead in the trenches.
AT the end Of the day We reached
the canal and took mp nnr positions along
tho road from ste nstraete to the
Yperlce bridge and Iilerne. We hold
this road as far as the bridge.
'"rhc spectacle offered in tho evening
on the battlefield around Stecnstraete
and In tho village itself was frightful
The left more than 600 dead
on tho field. our losses were serious.
hut far less than thee Of the enemy.
AT the same'momcnt that our attack
was begun against Steenstrdete another
attack was delivered ON tho het Sas
front. ON the latter our artillery prep
: aration had been very easily carried out
The infantry ngnting WAS. therefore. less
severe. At nightfaIl the Zouaves were
masters OF the cnemy's three lines or
trenches and Of all the houses In iIet
Sts ton The left bankb. We walked IN
with our hands In our pockets. said u
sergeant. lighting his pipe.
"Our progress was continued immcdi-
atcly toward the north. We captured
three mitraillcuses aud several bomb
throwing guns and made prisoners
three officers and thirty men in the
tunnels. The number OF German dead
exceeded zoo. They belonged to two OF
the three regiments which the enemy
had nassed on the LETT bank 10 M
sure i,s possession.
During the night the Germans tried
10 take advantage OF the darkness to
deliver "A counter attack. At Steen-
strae;e. in the cut up ground which
our troops had not had time TO or
ganize. the enemy succeeded in making
AN advance and through the interval be
,.... ,I. .s,.n 0AaffnnE thnN nnsnrn6 tho
village. They had begun to advance In
the streets when some one shouted.
VOLTA les Boches 80
this cry rife fire burst forth rom
every point. The Germans, about n
company. attempted TO retreat. bu, II
was too late. The s~harpshooters got
before them and the entire company
was encircled and captured.
Battle Fought in Dark.
From the direction OF Het Sas the
Germans showed "A preference for the
use OF asphyxiating shells. Our SOL
diers. however. donned their masks and
successfully withstood this form OF at
tack. when the German infantry de-
bouched they found our men ready 10
resist, hurting their hand grenades into
the darkness with rare precision. The
enemy was repulsed. and several hun-
dred more German dead were added 10
the casualties OF the day. As one Of our
Zouaves said. It's disgusting. but W.
have to walk over them
The morale Of the Germans leaves
much to be desired.
ION and after May 10 we heard salvos
ot rifle fire from the German trenches
but not a single bullet reached oul
lines.
1T has been confirmed that one Gr..
man company was called hastily TO tn,
front To make an example of marin
fusiieers who wished tu surrender, and
that thirty of the latter were sho,
inside the trenches. ON the same day
we saw an officer fire with his r~evolvcl
on soldiers who were holding up ,hei,
hands In token OF surrender.
THE losses suffered by the enemy
were very high in r,oTcr'ion to tn,
number Of their electives engaged OF
the evening OF May II. In occupvim,
the entire ground as far as the cana
We found several hundred more dead
which brings the total OF German losse,
To more than 1000 in the fighting be.
tween Steenstraete and lIet Sas.
- our side w had heavy losse,
too. hut We had more wounded tina,
killed, and many more slightly wounded
! than severely wounded"