Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-26
Mines Are Exploded Under
German Trenches and a
Fierce Attack With Bayonet
Follows,
TERRIBLE ARTILLERY
ENGAGEMENT ENSUES
Whole Position Becomes OBJ
Scured by Smoke From
Bursting Shells Concentrat-
ed on British Forces,

tsv MORNING JOURNAL srteiAt tnssGp wRsi
London. April 25 6 u. m)-
Trenches, parapets and sandbags dis
appeared" says the British official
eye witness in describing the effect of
the explosions Of the British mines
which preceded the recent attack and
capture by the British Of hill No. go.
to the southeast of Ypres
THE whole surface Of the ground,
the narrative continues, assumed
strange shapes. Here II was torn into
huge craters, there large mounds Of
fallen debris were to be seen.
Forces Rush TO Attack.
AS the reports Of the explosions
died away and while dense columns
of smoke and dust hung in the air
our me.. led by their officers, sprang
from the trenches and rushed across
the intervening space Of some forty
to sixty yards lying between our line
and the gaping craters before them,
the front covered hy the attack being
only some $50 yards in length
where the mines had actually OK
ploded nothing was left Of the occu-
pants of the hostile line, but in the
neighboring trenches our assaulting
infantry witnessed an extraordinary
scene, Many German soldiers, posi-
bly, owing to the fact that they were
working. were surprised while In
their shirt sleeves and without equip
ment. Stunned by the violence of the
explosions. bewildered and suddenly
subjected TO a rain OF hand grcnades
thrown by our bomburding parties
they gave way TO panic.
Defenders Panic-striclScn.
"Cursing and shouting, they were
falling over one another In their hur-
ry to gain the exits aeading into the
communication trenches. Some of
those in the rear. maddened by ter
ror. were driving their b0yonets into
the bodies of their comrades in front
of them
"Of all this our infantry only had
momentary glimpse before they fell
upon the enemy with the bayonet.
burst through the maze of trenches,
poured into the craters and pressed
on down the communication trenches
until at last they were stopped by
barricades defended by bomb-throw-
ers
"The first line Of trenches was
captured in a few minutes with little
difficulty, and fifteen prisoners fell
into our hands, but 1t was then that
the real struggle began, for the Ger
mans quickly recovered from their
surprise.
German Gunncrs Rake Hill.
From our line the hill is salient
which is exposed To fire from three
sides, and IL was only few minutes
before the German gunners took ad-
vantage of this fact and opened fire
Soon the whole position became OBJ
scured I'm the smoke of bursting
shells. Meanwhile our batteries had
begun to support the attack. and a
terrific artillery fire was maintained
far into the night
From many points along our line
to the north and south of hill No 60,
could be seen the flashes from the
shells, while the flares from the guns
were so nearly continuous that they
resembled the effect Of musketry fire.
Under this fire our men had to work
throwing up parapets toward the en-
emy, blocking their communications
and generally rendering the position
defensble
Use Hand Grenadcs.
"Nor was the cnemy's infantry idle.
Advancing up the communication
trenches they threw hand grenades
ON CT IIlE DdIiittuf6 anu dlSb illAO INV
mine craters on the crumbling sides
OF which our men We're clinging in
an endeavor to obtain a foothod.
"Throughout the night the fighting
continued, eliminating early In the
morning Of the Sth in two massed at
tacks by the enemy. These were beat
en- off, principally by the fire of our
machine guns, some Of which had
been rushed up
Nevertheless in spite Of the heavy
losses, which left the hill piled with
dead the enemy continued his pres
sure during the whole Of Sunday until
we were gradually driven from the
southern edge Of the hill At p. m.
help reached our front line IN the
form of reinforcements, who swept
the Germans from the foothold they
had gained.
Bombarlmcut Intense.
prior 10 this, the close proximity
of the contending sides had led to
slackening in the bombardment; but
il then broke out afresh ana with al
most as great intensity as on the pre-
ceding evening our position how
ever now was more secure and al
though the sheling and bombarding
never ceased altogether, the night
may pe Hdlu ~ nave PoAstu III toth-
paratiVe quiet
The narrative says the lombard
ment was maintained Monday April
49, and ttat the Germans extended
their shellng TO the entire Ypres
area. including the town itself. mi
which it is asserted fifteen children
were killed Toward evening the
Germans made another attack on hill
No 6, but, the eyewitness asserts.
again did our machine guns do tire
mendous execution and the attack
was beaten off.
Persistent Attacks Continue.
Another attack at o'clock i'm the
evening" the narrative continues,
suffered the same fate. Still the
Germans would not admit defeat and
all night long parties armed with
hand grenades, made repeated efforts