The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-09

mont wood ground was yielded only
foot by foot In the Caures wood Lieut.
Col. Driant's chasseurs recaptured the
entire southern part Of the wood and
established themselves In the position.
In the region OF ~Soumazannes. the Vile
wood and Herbebois we held out along
the supporting line. On the Woevre
side the enemy had not budged. being
satisfied with bombard!ng Hautes-
Charrieres. Braux. Grand Cinema and
Fromexey n firing In several places
lachrymosal n sufocating shells.
To sum up. this first day did not net
the enemy any considerable gains. He
had only sec,ned a foothold in the first
line trenches and in some cases in the
supporting trenches. He had paid quite
dearly for this advance
Fought to Last Man.
Bu, tina, was only a debut. The pres
sure was to be accentuated In a more
imperative manner and with an artillery
preparation still more formidable. The
German tactics consisted in crushing
each Of our centres of resistance with
heavy artillery fire and creating a zone
OF death around them with their barrage
fire. Then as soon as the destruction
aimed at seemed to have been erected. a
party of troops advanced TO ~reconnoitre
the effects OF the firing. Each group OF
scouts was composed Of some fifteen
men. Behind them marched the grena-
diers and the pioneers, and then the first
wave OF infantry. The artillery was
TO win the position. the infantry a only
TO occupy il. such was the system which
the enemy sought to put In practice.
On our side the artillery directed its
efforts to !solating the enemy groups
which crept in everywhere. Our defence
garr!sons fought to the last man and
our counter attacks at each opportunity
that presented itself checked the enemy's
march.
On the 22d unfortunately our counter
offensive on Haumont "-Jod failed. The
struggle In the Caures wood Was re-
sumed. In the west OF the sector the
Germans attacked the C~onseDvoye woods
! toward 80 a. NJ. with Jets OF flaming
liquid. and thanks 10 the services rem
dered by these "hammen-werfer' they
, succeeded In pushing into the ravine.
on the Herbebois side they held the
northeas, corner without being able to
penetrate further. There our troops. as
in the Vile woods, performed wonders in
successfully damming up the flood of as
sailants. The German artillery fire re-
doubled. Haumont. Anglemont. Nor
mont farm and Wavrille underwent ter
r!ble tempests Of fire. Haumont village
suffered particularly. Nevertheless its
defenders, grouped around their Colonel,
fought Until the last minute. and It was
only toward s L. NJ. that the enemy was
able to advance among its ruins. The
defence Of Haumont will remain one OF
the most moving pages OF military hero
ism.
At the end Of the day We had lost
Vile wood but still held the greater part
of Herbebois and Wavriile. Our line
now passed by Hill e+O. Mormont farm,
the intermediate position OF the samog-
neuX-Brabant counter slope.
We we're working Utmost everywhere
in the open. projections of any resistance
having been smashed by shells. com
munication trenches destroyed. trenches
protected by the lay of the land whe, {
they existed, overthrown. 1t was open
country fighting. The artillery lred al
times at a maximum sight OF 700 yards
sowing death in the enemy's ranks and
breaking the dash Of the infantry.
Every sacrifice was made In order tina
fresh lines Of resistance might be or
Eanized to the rear.
In the night Of February 1928 We
evacuated Brabant. SamOgneux. on ths
morning of the 2Gd, was SO heavily bom
bardcd that the counter attacks which
we had prepared from this side were no
carried out. We remained on the de
~fensive.
Line Of Resistance Improved.
Further TO the east. on the other hand
our line of resistance was improved b!
our counter attacks The Germans ha'
%deployed in the ravine OF the Harmon
: wood to a point 500 yards from III
ADglemont farm. and they were bonn
harding the Anglemont and Mormon
E farms with ~ and Is inch shells.
needed all the energy OF the leaders. tn
D sh,apnel fire and the unanimous determi
nation OF all to hold out there. Yet n
g one wavered.
8 In the wavrille sector the comba
= was resumed with desperation whe
morning came. During the night ou
: men had endeavored to Join up tn
: lines to Herbebois. despite an incessan
: rain of shells from the German artiller,
II was Of Importance not to allow tn
= Germans to get possession OF Wavrili
o wood and Hin ISL. positions which woul
y have Allowed them to enflade the lin
8 OF defence extending from Hill 3i4 I
Beaumont,
a German attack on Wavrille at
I A. NJ. was repealed. Another offensiv
y movement on Herbebois, ~ II 80. led |
Q a combat which lasted until $3.50 p. y
. During this time the enemy renewe
his effort against Wavrille. and hllln
e up his ranks constantly by fresh RI
n serves ended by overwhelming the pos
d ton. This forced the Frenc
rooms which had not given way
Iierbebois 10 retire during the eveninI
p However, the enemy could not a
70 bouch from Wavrille. Our harrage nj
prevented any further progress.
h We then occupied the line Reaumon
the northern border Of the Posses WOO
d and Chaume. A for the Woevre IRON
10 II remained intact. The Germans wei
h stilI satisfied with bombarding Diepp
j. Braux and Fromezsy. But the reply