The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-01-05
Rival Organizations Of Ger.
mans and Soldiers Of Repub.
lie Hold Speed Contest Up
Three Mile Slope.
FIVE MINUTES sEPERATE
vICTORs AND LOOsEKs
Infantry Battalion With
Mountain Guns Gets Into
Position Barely in Time ia
Shell 0noOming Battery-

Thann. Alsacc. Jan. Z. 1919 Paris.
Jan. 8. 1875 a. MIA race % three
miles up the steep slope at Enslchurx.
through thickets and up rock. sleeps.
hetween battalion of French iisht
Infantry with mountain gus. and a
German battery. determined the re-
suit Of the stubborn isht for the Al
satlan town OF steinbach.
The French surprised a moyone N
Of the German battery ascending TO-
ward the summit of the mountain by
road and. taking short cut. accom-
pllshed what seemed to be the impos-
slble.
The French battalion arrived Ave
minutes before the Germans appeared
In an open space and had just time 10
put into position their mountain guns.
Five minutes more and all was over.
Too late the Germans attempted 10
retire and the battery was annihiinted.
Possession Of this point permitted
the French 20 cross the river Thur.
above the town Of Thanh. and Go re-
inforco the troops operating around
| Stcinbach.
on the morning of December 81.
the French occupied all the heights
around the town and sent an envoy 10
| tho German commandant demanding
the surrender Of the place. The Ger
man officer replied;
THE German CON ia nder-l chlef
considers that our forces ire in zoe
wise cut on The route 90 Cernay
/ (sennheim) still lz open and retreat
| always In possible. In an, sse the
emperor's troops are ready 10 dle. out
20 surrender never"
| AT noon ON the same day, the
French commenced an attack which
was continued without intermiHsion
The French successes began with the
capture al the point Of the bayonet,
OF farm commanding the road en-
tering the town. The French then
progressed road by road, until the
viliGsc was reached.
Charges and counter charges OF In
mntry were made amid the continual
booming OF the French 5-inch guns
from ali the heights TO which the
Germans replied with ever diminish
ing violence. which Indicated a s,sort-
age OF ammunition.
The Germans made stubborn de-
Tense with machine guns and cold
steel at the outskirts of tSeinbach, and
the Chausaeurs also were met with a
murderous nre from the church
steeple.
one French company asked per-
mission 10 charge Many soldiers fell
before they reached the German lines
but nothing could stop the rest and
the German force guarding the road
was surrounded and annihIlated.
In possession of the road and the
farm, the chansHeurs mounted quick
firing guns on line of sheds con
Meeting with the village, and aweepine
along. yard by yard. finally captured
the first line of houses.
! The strugsle was then continued
, from house to house. the French lor'
! ing one day the buildingH captured tbs
preceding day, hut always returnint
To the charge with greater Wolenc'
3 and making further advance, Ever,
9 alley was an ambush ana every hous'
, q little fortress.
, sllpping around the enemy rish
along the stciuSach brook ana thef
Z commenced q fierce combat Tor 10
posscssiou 81 stciRhach itscH Tn
church and the cemetery were twlc'
taken and twice lost Since hand u
hand Rshting WAS now going ON nish
aud day. and from door 10 door th'
, Germans. unabie longer 90 use thei
artillery resortcd % incendiafs bomb
and set IRE 10 a number pf barns :
houses occupied by tho French,
A changing wind. however. ohlise'
the Germans themselves 90 quit IN
2 FRS, lire OF trenches being unable q
control the lire, and the flames iinali
r reached the ammunition reserves.
The explosion which occurred whei
the Ammunition caught ere made an
llntie town tremblo as though IRON
an earthquake.
2 still the Germans held on th th'
. morning OF January g. when the lar
a courageo resistance OF the defend
o ers was worn out By tho perslsteh
d and mpetuous chargos of the Chas
Y seurs and tho whole town was oecu
= pied
Thie point. the gateway "a Cefha'
tsennheim) which commands iuiport
/, ant routes to the south, 20 the nortl
. and 20 the east. u no longer ienaDi
for the Germans.