Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-26
ARMIES ENGAGE
IN ROCK FIGHT ON
VOSGES SUMMIT
French and German Listening
Posts on HartmannSWeiIer-
kopf Only Few Yards Apart
QuieteSt Part of Battle Line

ON THE SUMMIT OF HARTMANNS-
WEILERKOPF, Alsace. Dec. 2S.-Deep
in snow the listening posts OF the French
and Germans are within a few yards
of each other on the slopes of the
Hartmannsweilerkopf, with the French
in possession OF the dominating posi-
ton. For many months this part of the
front has been the quietest portion OF
the line, although the opposing troops
are in such close touch.
Sometimes days pass without a shot
being fired, but just on the day when
the Associated Press correspondent visit
ed the most advanced line a daring raid
was carried out by a French detachment.
The object was to capture a German
prisoner in order to discover the COM
position of the forces in front Of the
French positions. The exploit was ac-
complished so well that party of fifteen
prisoners was brought back and not a
man Of the French detachment was in
jured.
The lines Of the French and Germans
on this height are so near together that
the troops occasionally engage in a sharp
battle with stones intermingled Often
with hand grenades, and these encounters
are interspersed by short artillery duels
silencing of the German guns.
The summit of the mountain, in the
hands Of the French since last January,
has been mentioned probably as often
as any part of the line owing to the
fierceness of the fighting for it's posses
sion. 1t is not, however, considered of
prime Importance from a strategic point
of view, although its ownership permits
the troops in occupation to see all the
surrounding country. The effect of hold
ing it is greater for the moral value than
from any other consideration.
CAN HAVE NO FIRES.
The men in the front line, like them
comrades at other parts OF the front
stretching from Switzerland to the North
sea, have to content themselves with
the shelter afforded by dugouts. There
they keep warm by means Of heavy
clothing. as there is peril in lighting
fires even under cover.
The conformation of the ground, how
ever. permits the approach of supply
details and under most Circumstances
at least one hot meal daily is provided.
The cold is so piercing that it has been
found necessary to shorten the period
of duty in the open. Even the hard
mountaineers composing the troops en-
ployed here cannot resist the sharp frosts
while standing -rigidly on guard for
many hours at time. The new system
of quick reliefs has been found to work
evry well, and there is astonishingly lit
tie suffering and no complaint on the
part of the men.
Further down the hill slopes, in the
second and third lines the men are welE
housed in comfortable shacks, which
they find a way of heating. Here the men
gather when their daily duty of building
roads, digging trenches and transporting
supplies is finished, and they contrive
to make themselves quite at home.
The chaplain with the regiment now
onduty in the front line has been on
the mountain side and summit four
months without once descending to the
valley. He has started for the benefit
of the men q cooperative store which he
has established in a hole in the rock
Here the men are able to purchase al
cost price almost anything In the way