Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-08-13

the Germans' great drive inte the
Ihiel.
the e~ntrenched siege line where the
nee October is.
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 requirements to Russia.
The Germans In September had per.
formed the feat of pushing q salient
into the French line south of Verdun,
which terminated on the west bank Of
the Mouse 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 snows gave the Germans
a chance to entrap the French troops
on the north side of that river in the
vicinity of Scissors for a considerable
distance and kill or capture most OF
them January 14).
Take offensbe 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 wal also
subjected to tremendous French pres.
sure on both legs" The French sue
ceeded in gaining a 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
Whether these should be
successes for the allies Is
doubtful. The British suffered enor-
nous losses and at Neuve Chapelle
bungled affairs to the extent of she'll |
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 to
be annihilated.
The next development was the un-
expected use Of poisonous gas fumes
by the Germans In attacks Just north
Of Ypres. With this novel weapon
they succeeded In taking several small
villages and more than compensating
'or the British gains south of Ypres.
The losses of the French, Canadians
and British were severe, but they sue
,eeded in stemming the German on
effectively a few miles back
their former position.
Begin Series of Attacks.
The German line makes a salient at
Scissors, though not such a pro-
bounced one as at St. Mihiel. The
French now began a series of at.
acks on the upper side of this salient,
o the north Of Arras. Expanding hun
lreds of thousands Of shells, they time
Ind again blasted away the barbed
wire entanglements and concrete
renches, held by Crown Prince Rup.
,recht of Bavaria's men, and then
across the desolate ground for
light gains.
The fighting centered about the SUI
'ar refinery Of Souchez and the great
work called the Labyrinth.
lighting went on in cellars and tun-
Iels below the earth and the casual
les were heavy. The French bent the
line and captured the LADY
NTH, but whether the gains justified
heir sacrifice in human life is ques-
ionable.
In July, Crown Prince Frederick
VILLAINS army attacked in the Ar.
forest, west Of Verdun, and
ucceeded in gaining several hundred
ards Of shattered woodland and cap.
uring several thousand F~renchmen.
There were rumors that the Ger
mans were reinforcing for another
reat drive toward Calais or Paris,
ut the Teutonic campaign in the
Vest continued to wait upon the
rushing of the much weaker enemy
] Poland. l,