The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-18
TERRIFIC BATTLES
HIT FRENCH HARD,
BUT THEY PUSH ON
Germans. Too. Lose Heavily in
Series of Engagements
Around Melville.
CROSSFIRE KILLS 700;
FIGHT FOR CEMETERY
sn.einl Cnhle Despdtch TO TnE srN

,,clusiye was issued under to-day's date
O. follows;
The struggle which developed from
Nav to Is around Melville Saint
vaas, was OF particularly violent
character. Our troops. who attacked
with magnificent aidor and %tenaclty,
attained practical results of great
,alue. The attack was delivered from
the west Of Neuville as far as the
southeast o: the village by regiments
belonging 10 two divisions.
The troops of u left, on May ..
after crossing $50 meters of open
ground. reached the first line OF the
enemy. His barbed wire defences
tihe wire being as thick as a finger
aad barbed) was destroyed by our fire.
snail hand bridges had been prepared
10 eros. the trenches, but since the
Germans had built narrow trenches
our soldiers, dropping their hand
bridges. leaped across and continued.
Fierce battle In Cemetery.
We reached the village OF La Tar
get g. where the fighting. foot by foot
in the streets and orchards, was such
as 10 prevent "A quick advance. As
the village IS not large we soon pas ed
IL. and 900 meters further on we
fe1cne0 the nTSt nbuttN VI ENtuN llt.
II was then II so O'Clock in the morn
ing.
In the centre. our attack delivered
with the same elan, crossed the
Bethoune road at the heights OF the
hamlet OF Les Rietz. Our attack
soon reached the enemy's works at
the southern edge OF Melville and
extended toward the north in the di-
rection OF the cemetery. Here. amid
the tombs and grave-tones. n SAN
culinary struggle ensued. Twice
during tn. day we were masters OF the
cemetery. and twice we lost IL again.
We maintained our positions close by
after having conquered and held five
long lines OF trenches. as We did
on the left.
Our right wing alone was stopped in
Its advance. finding in from; of 1t a
labyrinth Of trenches. II has made
some slight progre, $. however. de-
spite the enormous difficulties en-
coun:ered and has captuI ed the south
EN- part OF the village OF Melville.
But these operations caused us heavy
losses. We hold hat which We cap-
tured. bI; we were obliged to stop our
advance and our front was heightened
so that il ;ook the form OF a right
angle, with Melville as the apex.
Al II 10 o'clock in the morning a
heavy found between the intervals
Of our artillery firing caused u
troops TO % behind them. Our bat
teries were ds hing forward audi-
c.ously and many OF u soldiers APP
plauded a spectacle the like OF which
they had not Witnessed for SO long.
Under a hail OF shells the gunners.
calm and precise as at manpuvres.
took up their positions at the edge OF
La Targette and opened fire for the
purpose OF hating the enemy's re-
achievements.
shout Rs They CHARGE.
Then. shouting a: the top CT their
voices, our soldiers dloNe before them
from the trenches the German Light
Horse Cavalry. which. dismounted,
was acting as infantry in the trenches.
He W made Inc best capture Of
the battle. seven - guns watch had
Teen so solidly emplaced In their case
mates that they could not be re-
moved. and which our shell had de-
stroyed. Near by we found in under
ground caverns 500 shells, a clothing
depot. two cows and n rabbit hutch
which was well stocked.
Yonder on the little public square
Of the village there Is n fountain. and
one could see our men running 10 fill
theiy canteens under the fire of the
enemy's machine guns which brought
0 many OF them.
Night OF MAY 9-l0-During the
nisht OF sunday and continuing 10
Monday. We organized our rev front.
In Melville we mad. at the first at
tack, secured a foothold in the south
ern group of houses where We held on
under an artillery fire which from
hOur 10 hour grew worse. AT the
east oui lines were near the cemetery,
but we were able to remain there.
Thence our line ran TO the south. and
me stretch to the east reached the
labyrinth. above mentioned. OF which
We hold a part but the rest Is still
to be captured.
Capture 81 Melville.
In the following days our efforts
we're directed toward tie capturing OF
Melville and to extend our lines be-
yond II II possible. We we'll knew
mat the struggle in the streets, from
house 10 house. would be desperate
o1t the desperation Of the Germans,
determined to mold these positions, ".
knew ~ well.
One must have visited the village
- b'A 80 blhlAN az 'is' Ail'llNs W
me houses Of Melville to understand
mis-. These Easements. deep as they
are Weie not sufficient for the Ger
mans. They not only covered thu
roofs of the Easements with mortal
about one meter thick. but they dul
endorsements which were well pro
lected. In these ba sements they lived
curing the bombardment.
From the basement OF house Il
another they dug communicating gal
.erles, and these galleries extended
through the village from end to end
% Ike moles, they crawled from
pace to place along their subterranea
me, climbing out suddenly where
one expected them the least, On
German who had ridden back Of on
INES IN an abri. and who was watch
ING our movements through a peri
SCOPE was chased but escaped by al
Underground tunnel.
tdrn corner OF each house we foun,
protected by a machine gun set up II
"eH guarded position, strengthens,
Wy concrete, Some Of these machin
sun positions were closed from In
rear by an iron fence which wa
"cKed behind the gun operator.
Inc enemy hastily bringing up hi
nlnlery commenced the bomba rdmen
~ 'hal part OF the village occupied b.
W. and the regulation of his Are wa
mrect, II was under these condition
udl our troops. without a moment
resi- from Monday to Friday. con
ohued the conquest OF the village
our progress was slow and II coul
Sol be otherwise. for each group O
houses had to be assailed successivel.
snn almost always by the under
BrOuhd p%assage6 an we'll an nv tn
streets.
AZ .nlghtfall on Saturday evenIn
held ths greater part OF the villag
~th The exception OF the most north
me regiments which were aesigne
" we south and east of Melville ha
ulncult task. Their attack had I