Ripley County democrat., 1916-06-23
Germans Come Out of Shelters
After French Pass and
Attack Rear.
FIND THEMSELVES m A TRAP
Search Of Captured Wood Rsvsais NJ.
merous Hiding Places Where Ger
mans Sun Held out--Marvsls
of Field FortlfiestIens.

, Behind the French Front in Cham
pagne.-The French troops that mad,
Dig dent in the German line jus
west OF Berryau-Bac and not far from
Rheims more than q year ago. an(
who had chafed under the necesaIt,
OF marking time there ever since esne
ciaily since tho battle OF 'yerdun be-
gan, were allowed the satisfaction re.
Gently Of attacking q little wood the
termans still held there between the
Msne and the little town of ville.au.
bois. This diversion developed an 40.
lon OF considerable Importance that
oid not get into official communioua
II mas been described In the press BY
o star officer.
Wood Strongly Fortified.
The wood, strongly fortified BY the
Germans, made It impossible, 80 long
as the Teutons held It, for the French
70 rectify and properly to consolidate
tneir front at that point. When the
attack upon Verdun developed great
proportions It was decided 10 prenara
this operation. both as q desirable i'm.
provement of the French position and
as diversion. What would have been
considered an Unprecedented concen.
tration Of artillery. both heavy suna
ana field pieces, before the verdun on.
erations was effected Immediately be.
mind the front. while the infantry bur.
rowed deeper and deeper into tbe,y
underground shelters. Orders wera
given FOR the opening Of fire at seven
O'Clock ON the morning Of April Ok
ana the fire increased in rapidity and
intensity until four O'Clock in tho aft.
ernoon. the Germans replying feebly
until the entire wood was being swept
and symptoms Of an approaching Al, /
Tack became apparent. Then their
neaVy pieces from the heights OF Cra.
,nne began a heavy she!ling Of
me trenches from which an attack
night have been supposed to ORIG.
nate. ~'e
Ine French infantry, well protected
rom this shelter In their deenanad
lugouts, waited until the French ar.
iiiery heightened the ranges and
wept the approach trenches and sol,
iers' quarters In the rear OF the Ger.
nan position. At 4:30 the first wave
assailants climbed out of their un.
eFsround shelters and threw them.
ewes into the wood. All the Germans
In the flrst-line trenches
ere Killed or made prisoner. and the
rench line proceeded on to the east.
ri edge OF the woods, where they
'pidiy organised their defense 1
sainst the counter.sttack.
Find Hiding Places,
At the same time special. detach. j.
ents explored the interior Of the !.
ooo. searching subterraneaa shelters
which German infantry had sought I,
fuge during the bombardment That {
'erstion was soon interrupted: moro :.
an two companies Of German infan, :, :
? that the French had passed = =
or In their rush. seeing thas :,
cir adversaries had reached the :, :,
stern edge OF the wood. came out of -
eir blockhouses and dugouts and :,
'k the French infantry In the rear. p"
10 attacking party was for q mo ),
mt menaced with envelopmsnt. but y =
covering from their surprise. they y
NED their machine guns upon the !,
'ailants. taking them In the rear. -
Fne search OF the woods, then re. ",
ned, uncovered little companies of ca
Fmans hidden underground In an nm
ners. Their resistance was prompt. Il
overcome BY the use OF hand
nades. and 90 more prisoners vera
On from the underground sAslters, ,,u
'cn on inspection were found 10 be- :, !"
rvels Of field fortiflcations; v They =. ~
nom six to eight yards i'd depth. ~ Y.
. OF them. and some of them vera ~ ~
TO depth Of ten yards, with such ~
ports that they were able to resist -,
largest and most powerful pro. ~, ~,
lies. poi
tnt,