The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-04-23
FIR ENCHC CAPTURE
ST. WOODS
HEAVY ARTILLERY SLOWS UP
BARRIERS ERECTED ev
THE GERMANS.
And Advance That Foils~s Results
IN Compiete Rout Of Enemy.
Counter Attack Repuised.

PARIS. April -. s:4s %. m--An
Official eyewitness. describing the op-
erations by which the French are
menacing the German positions In
the wedge Of ST. Mihiei. says:
"AIl the ALLY woods. which con
stituted a strong and well fortified
support for tho Germans. II now en-
tirely In French hands. conquered for
the most part by troops from the cen
ter OF France. after several days OF
systematic preparations by a heavy
hre from three-inch and big guns and
by aerial ~torpedoes-
AT certain points the Germans had
constructed. In front OF meats IL
yards wide. spiked barriers extending
about six feet above the level of the
earth. surrounded by barbed wire en-
Engagements which were so intricate
as to mack them impervtous to any
tools.
"A concentration OF artillery fire
opened large breaches In this de.
Tense; parapets were sent crashing
TO the ground and dismembered bod
les were blown into the air above the
clouds OF smoke. The earth was
strewn with overturned trees and
branches.
After i've hours OF intense nre.
Ave mines. laid under q parapet ad-
jacent TO the principal fort holding
the position. exploded. an~nihilaung
the garrison and spreading panic In
the trenches.
An attack with fixed bayonets then
began in three lines. preceded by a
detachment with hand grenades. En-
gineers followed with little Nidges
which had been prepared In advance
TO facilitate the passage over the net
work OF trenches. The order had been
given not to stop in any trench, but
TO pass over and take the enemy In
the rear.
Trenches Cleared.
Three lines OF trenches were thus
cleared OF the Germans. Those who
sought refuge in the underground
shelters persisted from s~ufocation,
through the collapse OF the entire
e~arthworks.
Toward 3 o'clock on April s. the
enemy attempted to counter attack,
supported by a heavy artillery IRE.
which was ne~utralized by our batter
les. Our attack was renewed the fol-
lowing day and developed into a
furious hand to hand struggle with
grenades and cold steel in the narrow
lines OF trenches. The enemy offered
such resistance that the order was
given to evacuate part of the ground
that had been gained. This was then
bombarded until the enemy was
Obliged to retire. We then held the
three main line trenches OF the Ally
woods.
The enemy's losses were heavy.
We counted two hundred dead on the
evening OF the fifth and on the eve
ming OF the sixth we found the dead
piled in three rows.
Counter Attacks RepuIsed.
During the seventh and eighth. we
repulsed eight counter attacks. The
enemy succeeded In entering one
trench. but was unable to hold il. OF
the ALLY woods. there remained moth
ing but a few hacked trunks, and not
an inch OF ground in II that had not
been turned by up explosives. In The
strange chaos stones. corpses and a
debris Of limbs lay mingled.
AT $3.50 o'clock on April 8. an in
tensive bombardment by the enemy
was begun. In ninety minutes upon
this corner OF the woods over a front
of from $50 to 400 yards deep. 20, 900
shells were fired: they included all
calibres. from four to eight inch. The
entire hill disappeared In a cloud OF
smoke. All communications were cut
during this time and when the fire
ceased many men we're mentally de-
ranged. They had to be removed and
required several days for recovery.
Again, on April 10, and April 10
our attacks were renewed. resulting
In the gain Of the balance OF the posi-.
ton in ALLY woods. Six German COM
panies besides the garrison in the fort
were annihilated In these engage
ments."