The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-02-24
HARTstsANNswILLERkoFF is OF
NO GREAT IMPORTANCE, BUT
AFEUD EXISTS OVER CONTROL
OF MOUNTAIN TOP.
NEITHER SIDE HOLDS IT LONG
81 WILLIAM pAlLIP slMMs

posiuoh Oh nartsmannswillerkopf is:
fend just like they have down in
Breathit county, Kentucky. For
French officers will admit and so
will German officers, that this posi-
ton on the western battlefront has
no more and no less Importance than
scores OF other points elsewhere be-
tween the sea and Switzerland.
Every few days the French and Ger
man communicates mention scrapping
on the knob in the Vosges mountains
known as "old Armand" or Harts.
mannswillerkopf. Cne might imagine
that the side holding this crest hell
the key to Paris or to Berlin. 1t is
not so. It's simply the feud going on.
each side determined to have the
honor OF holding the top of the noun
tain II is like the struggle about a
flag; the matter of pride in taking
and holding
The quarrel began exactly a year
ago. A small detachment OF French
chasseurs established an advance
post on the summit OF Hartsmann swill
erkopf- They were surprised by
larger force, surrounded and beaten.
This was on Jan. Is. 1915.
Fortifying the position strongly as
an observation point. the Germans
held the crest until March 90, whe.
the French stormed the hill. took the
trenches at the top. captured 10 off.
GERS. "a noncoms and i3Is men. all
wounded.
Early in April the Germans recap
tured part of the lost trenches. but
the French. on April 6, charged a.a,n
took all they had lost, together with
the big iock On the far side of the
summit.
Humiliated, the Germans prepared
a counter-attack which they launched
April 2e. taking everything back to
and including the summit where they
feverishly set TO work oreanizing the
position so IL would be stronger than
ever. All night they worked, but with
dawn came the Blue Devils. as they
Alpine Chasseurs are called. swarm
ing up the precipitous slopes Of "oli
Armand and despite machine guns.
rife fire and hayonets. they reached
the top and put the Germans to rout
once more. Immediately the Germans
uIed to rally but failed. though they
established trenches within seven
yards OF those of the French at the
top.
Thruushout the summer the little
war in the middle of the big war kept
going. first the Germans gaining a
section of trench at this point or that.
then the French driving them out and
taking a corresponding slice OF the
German trenches bit lower down the
SLOPE.
On Sept 2. the GERMANS. after
period OF comparative calm. slammed
home surprise attack and retook the
summit. The French. undismayed.
came back at the Germans the same
night and in the dark fought like the
blue demons the people call them.
They tetook their trenches and many
German dead were left behind.
The same thing happened all over
arsin Oct. Ia. when the Kaiser,s men
sent wave after wave against the bit
teriy contested mountain top. finally
taking the whole works driving the
French back down the hill in the di.
rection OF France. Eut on Oct. l6.
the French came tearing up the hill
again and drove the Germans out.
The Germans came back in Decem.
for several times. gaining foothold,
but Just before Christmas tho French
drove them back with heavy losses
including nearly 400 prisoners. Two
days alter the Germans retook part
of the lost ground and some French
prisoners. Then French surged for
ward, making new gains and taking
about 500 more prisoners.
SO the struggle for the top OF the
mountain goes on. To hold I. I. Is an
honor. To win this honor many soldi-
ers have died. To the layman their
death may seem vain. foolish. use
less. but to the soldier not q drop OF
blood has been wasted. For in war.
victory or defeat depends largely ON
What the French call moral" and To-
hold the top Of observation-disclosures
helps tho moral Of the whole army OF
the vosges.