Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-05
Three Mile Race and
Close Fighting Wins
Ste;nbach For Allies

Thanh, Alsace, via Parls. Jan.
A race of three mics up the steep
slope at Engelburg, thru thickets
ana up rocky steps. between u
battalion of French infantry, With
mountain guns. and "a German bat
terry, determined the stubborn fight
tor the town Steinbach.
The French surprised move
ment of the German battery as
cending toward the summit of the
mountain, and taking a, short cut
accomplished what seemed to be
impossible.
The French arrived five minutes
before the Germans appeared in
an open space, and just had time
to put up their mountain guns.
Five minutes more and all was
over. Too late. the Germans at
tempted to retire and the battery
was annihilated.
Gekmans Refuse to Surrender.
Possession Of this point per-
mitted the French to cross the riv-
er Thur above the town Of Thanh.
and to reinforce the troops oper-
ating about Steinbach. On the
morning of Dec. 81, the French oc-
cupied all the heights around the
town and sent an envoy to the
German commandant commanding
the surrender of the place. The
German officer replied:
THE commander-in-ch chief con-
siders that our forces are in no
wise cut off. The road to Carney
(Sennheim) still is open and re-
treat always is possible. In any
any case the emperor's troops are
ready to die; but to surrender.
never!"
Germans Surrounded.
At noon the French began the
attack. The French successes be-
gan with the capture at the point
of a bayonet of farm near the
town. The French then progressed
road by road until the village was
reached. Charges and counter
charges We're made amid the con-
tinual booming of the French g.
inch guns. to which the Germans
replied with ever-diminishing vio-
lence which indicated a shortage
of ammunition.
The chasseurs were met with a
murderous fire from the church
steeple.
One French company asked per-
mission to charge. Many fell before
they reached the German line. but
nothing could stop the others and
the Germans were surrounded.
The chasseurs mounted quick firing
guns on 1ineNof sheds and sweep
ing along yard by yard finally cap
tured the first line OF Eouses. Z,
House to House FighY-a
The struggle was eontinusd from
house to house. the, French losing
on one day~the house taken the
previous day. but always returning
with greater violence and making
further advance. Every alley was
an ambush and every house a little
fortress.
The French finally succeeded in
slipping around the enemys right
along the Steinhach brook and then
commence a fierce com bat for the
possession Of Steinbaeh itself. The
church and the cemetery twice were
taken and twice lost. Since hand
to-hand fighting was going on night
and day. the Germans unable
longer to use their artillery, re-
sorted to incendiary bombs. and set
fire to houses and barns occupied
by the French. A changing wind,
however, obliged the Germans
themselves to quit the first line Of
trenches, and the flames finally
reached the ammunition reserves.
Ammunition Expiodes.
The explosion which occurred
when the ammunition caught fire
made the little town tremble as tho
from an earthquake.
The Germans held on till the
morning of Jan. 4. when the last re-
sistence Of the defenders was worn
out by the impetuous charges Of the
chasseurs and the whole town was
occupied.
This point, the gateway to Ger
new (Sennheim), which commands
important routes to the south, to
the north and to the east. is no
longer tenable for the Germans.