Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-05
CAPTURE of sTENnACII
Is IMPORTANT SIrrESc

Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch
PARIS, January 4.-Steinbach has
fallen. The Alsatian town to which the
French laid violent siege n week ago.
and which they later invested and
forced their way into, lighting from
house TO house and gaining ground only
root by foot, was carried to-day by tho
French, according to the official state
ment Issued at midnight
Cernay (called Senniheim by the Ger
mans) Is being violently attacked by
the French. This town Is but three
miles from Steinbach, and the general
French offensive is directed against
these two points in the advance on
Muelhausen. which is only eight miles
away. The fall OF Ccrnay is expected
to follow shortly.
French guns massed before AltFircb
continue their bombardment OF that i'm
portant railway centre which also is
but about eight miles from AIuelhausen.
but slightly west of south. Steinbach.
Cernay Thanh and Aspach are grouped
Just north of west of NIuelhauson Thus
Muelhausen is threatened from two
quarters. its front on the west and It's
left flank on the south
80 important is the success of the
french In these operations that staff
officers of the French army have an
plied 10 their attainment that word
which has been treasured by even rho
decided trium phs-"victory"
But defeat did not oome to the Ger
man defenders of the town without
the most desperately gallant defense.
Steinbich Is situated on low plateau.
about which there reach to pra,t
heights rugged cliffs, traversed by mar
row mountain paths and cut by passes
OF great natural defensive value Orie
inaily the Germans held all the i'm
portant passes and heights OF strateri-
cal Importance. but by persistent bat
tering with mountain guns and q f,w
pieces OF heavy artillery, which the
French were able TO place to ADVANTAGE
Tue German batteries were silenced
wiped out. or forced to withdraw.
GERMANS RETIRE TO LAST
DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
advancing around n hill 10 the north
east of the town. the French wer. Ali.
s.Verai Gays ago to occupy and In
s.aii M battery In the ruins OF a cha
tehu, from which they poured q
Ranking fire into the remaining Cor
man works before the town Forced
hnaiiy 10 withdraw from these posi-
t'ohs' the Germans retired to their last
defensive positions on the edge OF tn.
Town itself Here they were reinforced
oy considerable bodies OF troops
Drought up from Uffhola 20 the east
The French, undaunted by the new
snow or force, carried the lighting up
10 the GcrmanS last trenches, and the
hgnting in the streets began.
First the official account related the
taking OF ~ few houses" by the French
troops. This later was denied by the
Gcrmans. But the furious house-to-
mouse hghtins continued. and the
FRENCH gradually pressed the invader
back A day later the French Official
statement recorded the capture OF an
other row of houses" To-day the af-
ternoon statement told of the taking
or the cnvirons of the church ana the
cemetery. The night official made this
announcements:
AT Steinbach this morning we car
ried the whole village"
Nothing could be more graphically
descriptive of the battle than the
chronology OF these official statements
The Cernay battle is productive of
more details of the actual progress OF
the attack and counterattack.e Official
reports received to-day state that in
the region of Ccrnay. during the day
OF yesterday. the French carried the
German works on the height to tho
west OF the town. The Germans re-
turned to the attack, but were re-
pulsed. Later. during the night, with