The midland journal., 1915-08-06

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 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 verdun,
which terminated on the west bank of
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
on the north side Of that river In the
vicinity of scissors for considerable
distance and kill or capture most of
them (January IA.
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
shands of shells, they tried joint after
joint of the German armor.
In the Vosges the dominating height
of Hartmannsweilerko was taken
and retaken several times in sanguin-
ary 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. go, 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 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
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 back
from their former position.
Begin Series Of Attacks.
The German line makes a salient at
scissors, though not such a pro-
nounced one as at St. Mihiel The
French now began series of at.
tacks on the upper side of this salient,
to the north Of Arras Expending hun
dreds of thousands of shells, they time
and again blasted away the barbed
wire entanglements and concrete
trenches, held by Crown Prince Rup-
precht OF Bavaria's men, and then
charged across the desolate ground for
slight gains.
The fighting centered about the su
gar refinery of Souchez and the great
German work called the Labyrinth.
Fighting went on in cellars and tun-
nels below the earth and the casual
ties were heavy. The French bent the
German line and captured the Laby-
rinth. but whether the gains justified
their sacrifice In human life is ques-
tionable.
In July, Crown Prince Frederick
Williams army attacked in the Ar.
gonne forest, west of Verdun, and
succeeded in gaining several hundred
yards Of shattered woodland and cap.
turing several thousand Frenchmen.
There were rumors that the Ger
mans were reinforcing for another
great drive toward Calais OF Paris.
but the Teutonic campaign in the
West continued to wait upon the
crushing Of the much weaker enemy
in Poland.