Middletown transcript., 1915-05-01
FRIGHTFUL SCENES
IN BATTLE OF ALLY
Batteries Fire 10000 Shells in
Ninety Minutes.
SOLDIERS ARE DRIVEN MAD
Every Inch OF Ground Turned Up BY
Explosives and Strewn With
Corpses-Mine Explosion
Slaughter.

Paris.-An official eyewitness de.
scribing the operations by which the
French are menacing the German posi-
tions in the wedge of st. Mihiel says:
"All the ALLY woods, which con.
stituted strong and well-fortified sup
port for the Germans, is now entirely
in French hands, conquered for the
most part by troops from the center OF
France after several days of sys.
tematic preparations by a heavy fire
from three-inch and big guns and by
aerial torpedoes.
"At certain points the Germans had
constructed in front of moats IL yards
wide spiked barriers extending about
six feet above the level of the earth,
surrounded by barbed wire entangle.
ments, which were so intricate as to
make them impervious to any tools.
"A concentration of artillery fire
opened large breaches in this defense
parapets were sent crashing to the
ground and dismembered bodies were
blown into the air above the clouds oil
smoke. The earth was strewn with
overturned trees and branches.
Panic In the Trenches.
After five hours of intense fire, five
mines, laid under a parapet adjacent
to the principal fort holding the posi-
tion, exploded, annihilating the garri
son and spreading panic in the
trenches.
"An attack with fixed bayonets theI
began in three lines, preceded by s
detachment with hand grenades
Engineers followed with little bridges
which had been prepared in advance
to facilitate the passage over the net
work of trenches.
"The order has been given not t
stop in any trench, but to pass ovel
and take the enemy in the rear.
Three lines Of trenches were thu
cleared of the Germans. Those wht
sought refuge in the underground
shelters perished from suffocatiol
through the collapse of the entir,
earthworks.
Toward o'clock on April 5 tn,
enemy attempted to counter-attack
supported by a heavy artillery fire
which was neutralized by our'batteries
Our attack was renewed the following
day and developed in a furious hand
to-hand struggle with grenades ant
cold steel in the narrow lines o
trenches.
"The enemy offered such resistance
that the order was given to evacuat
part of the ground that had beel
gained. This was then bombarde
until the enemy was obliged to retire
We then held the three main lin
trenches of the ALLY woods.
Dead Piled In Rows.
1.-THE enemy's losses were heavy. w
counted 200 dead on the evening of tn
fifth, and on the evening of the sixt
we found the dead piled in three rows
During the seventh and eighth W
repulsed eight counter-attacks. TIL
enemy succeeded in entering on
trench, but was unable to hold it. @
the ALLY woods, there remained noti
ing but few hacked trunks, and nc
an inch Of ground in 1t that had nc
been turned up by explosives.
"In the strange choas, stone,
corpses and a debris of limbs la
mingled.
eat $50 o'clock on April 8 an il
tensive bombardment by the German
was begun. In 80 minutes upon thi
corner of the woods, over a front {
from $50 to 400 yards deep, 2O,OO
shells were fired; they included ID
} calibers, from four to eight inch. TIL
entire hill disappeared in a cloud {
smoke.
"All communications were cut du
ing this time, and when the fire cease
many men were mentally derange
They had to be removed, and require
several days for recovery.
again on April 10 the position 1
ALLY woods was subjected to a Dor
bardment. Six German companie
besides the garrison in the fort, wei
, annihilated in these engagements"