The chronicle=news., 1915-01-05
CAPTURE A[SACE
TOWN GREATEST
FEAT Of WAR
French Wiped Out German
Battery and Scale Heights
TO Victory

lhann. AlsaCe, Jan. "a race OF
| three miles up the steep slope at En-.
gleburg, thru thickets and up rocky
sleeps, between u battalion of Fifth
light infantry with five mountain
guns and German battery, deter
mined the result of the stubborn
fight for the Alsatian town of Stein
bach. The first surprised a move
nent OF Germans ascending toward
the summit of the mountain by the
road, and taking a short cut, Accom-
plishcd what seemed to be the i'm
possible.
The French battalion arrived five
minutes before the Germans appear
ed in an open space and had just time
to put into position their mountain
guns. Five minutes more and all
was over. Too late the Germans at
tempted to retire and the battery was
annihilated
Position of this point permitted
the French to cross the river Thur
above the town of Thann, and to re-
ipforce the troops operating around
Steinbach.
On the morning of December II
the French occupied all the heights
around the town and sent an envoy
to the German commandant demand
ing that he surrender the place. The
German officer replied:
"The German COMMUNICATIVE chief
considers that our forces are in no
'Sennheiln) still is open and retreat
always is possible. In any ease the
emperor's troops are ready to die;
but to surrender. never
AT noon on the same day, the
French commenced an attack which
was coa.inued wirnuut mtermissfon
The French successes began with the
capture at the poynt of the bayonet
of n farm commanding the road en-
tering the town. The French then
progressed. road hy road. until the
village was reached.
Charges and countercharges of in
fantry were made amid the contin-
ual booming of the French three-inch
guns from all the heights. to which
the Germans replied with ever d.
minishing violence. which indicated
a shortage of ammunition.
Inc Germans made stubborn de-
fense with machine guns and cold
steel at the outskirts of Steinbach,
and the chasseurs also were met with
"a murlerous fire from the church
steeple.
One French company asked permis-
before they reached the German
lines. but nothing could stop the rest
and the German force guarding the
road was surrounded and annihil-
atcd
IN possession Of the road and the
firing guns on a line of sheds con-
Meeting with the VILLAGE and sweep
ing along. yard Dy yard, finally cap
tured he first line of houses
The struggle was then continued
from house to house, the French
losing one day the buildings cap
tured on the preceding day, but al
ways returning to the charge with
greater violence and making IA fur
ther advance. Every alley was an
ambush and every house little fort
ress.
The Fifth finally succeeding in
slipping around the enemy's right
along the Steinbach brook and then
commenced fierce combat for the
church and the cemetery were twice
taken and twice lost Since hand to
hand fighting was now going on
night and day. and from to door. the
Germans unable longer to use their
artillery, resorted to incendiary
bombs and set fire to number of
barns and houses occupied by the
Fifth,
A changing wind. however. Obliged
the Germans themselves to quit thA
first line of trenches. being unable to
control the fire, and the flames final
ly reached the ammunition reserves.
The explosion which occurred when
the ammunition caught fire made the
little town tremble as though from an
earthquake.
StiTl the Germans held on till the
morning of January 4. when the
last courageous resistance of the de-
tenders was worn out by the persist
ent and impetuous charges of the
Chesseurs and the whole town was oc-
cupied.
This point, the gateway OF Ger
ney (Sennheiml which commands
important routes to the south, to the
north and to the east, is no longer
tenable for the Germans.