Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-08

HI aLA iNheL Calais. They succeeded in pushing back the allies only little and the invasion of Silesia by the Cossacks finally induced them 10 desist and send re-enforcements to Russia
 The Germans in September had per into the French line south of Verdun, which terminated on the west bank O. the Mouse river al St Mihiel; while the French had taken the offensive with some success in Champagne at about the same time.
 For the most part throughout the winter the fighting consisted of regu- lar siege warfare. with heavy artillery combats and mine and courtermine
 The flooding of the River Aisne from winter snows gave the Germans a chance to entrap the French troops on the north side of that river in the vicinity of Soissons for considerable distance and kill or capture most of them January IA.
 Take Offensive in Spring.
 With the spring, the French and English attempted to take the offensive at several points. Always preparing the way with tens or hundreds of thou shands Of shells, they tried joint after joint of the'German armor.
 h the Vosges the dominating height of Hartmannsweilerkop was taken and retaken several times in sanguin- ary charges and finally remained in the hands of the French.
 The salient of St Mihiel was also subjected to tremendous French pres sure on both legs" The French sue ceeded in gaining a little ground. but the Germans. despite the apparent weakness of the sharp wedge they had driven into the French line. could rot be dislodged and later succeeded in re gaining some of the territory they had lost
 The British also reported victories" at Neuve Chapelle and Hill No. 60. in Flanders. Whether these should be accounted successes for the allies is doubtful The British suffered enor- nous losses and at Neuve Chape!le bungled affairs to the extent Of she'll ing their own men who had taken Ger man trenches. ln other eases they left gallant little parties lodged in enemys trenches without supports 10 be annihilated.
 The next development was the un- expected use of poisonous gas fumes by the Germans in attacks just north of Ypres. With this novel weapon they succeeded in taking several small villages and more than compensating for the British gains south of Ypres The losses of the French, Canadians and British were severe, but they sue. ! ceeded in stemming the German on slaught effectively a few miles back from their former position. Bealn Series of Attacks.
 The German line makes a salient a, Soissons. though Lot such a pro nounced one as at St Mihiel. The | French now began a series of at ] tacks on the upper side of this salient to the north of Arras. Expending hun | dreds of thousands of shells. they time | and again blasted away the barbed wire entanglements and concrete trenches. held by Grown Prince Rup ! precht of Bavaria's men, and then ] charged across the desolate ground for slight gains.
 The fighting centered about the su gar refinery of Boucher ard the great German work called the Labyrinth Fighting went on in cellars and tun nels below the earth and the casual ties were heavy. The French bent the German line and captured the Laby ninth, but whether the gains justified their sacrifice in human life is ques tiopdble.
 In July, Grown Prince Frederick Williams army attacked in the AT
 gonne forest, west of Verdun, ant succeeded fin gaining several hundred yards of shattered woodland and cap turing several thousand Frenchmen
 There were rumors that tie Ger
 mans were re-enforcing for anothsi
 great drive toward Calais or Paris
 but the Teutonic campaign in tL,
 West continued to wait upon th'
 crushing Of the much weaker enem, in Poland.