Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-20
HOW GERMANS ARE HELD
IN ST.-M|H|EL SALIENT
Unable TO Advance, They Have Empty
Satisfaction OF Retaining Seem
ingly Impossible Position.
SQUEEZED TIGHT NJ ENEMY
Their Narrow Wedge Is Bordercd by
Solid Lines of French Trenches.
Triangle of Territory Was Gained
in Early Days of War.

Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch /
LONDON. February lo.-In u dis
patch from the front. II. Warner Allen.
papers with the French armies. de-
ScribcS the famous wedge across tho
M.use. which the Germans drove In
The early days Of the war and still hold,
ass follows:
y white line III the hillside below
ones feet = tho advanced French
trenches on the heights OF tho Mouse;
in tho valley below u gray. ruined vii
laSe, Chauvoncourt, in German hands:
then the gray stream Of the Mouse.
tho house of Saint Mihicl half-hiddcn in
til. mist, and beyond another white
line OF French trenches cutting through
tho plain: Il narrow wedge of Germans
squeezed tight between two solid lines
OF French trenches. 1t is tho apex of
the sharply pointed triangle driven by
tn" Germans into the French limo he
tween Ncrdun and Nancy-,hc famous
salient OF Saint -AIihicl
From tho spectators point OF view
the position has the great advantage
of being entirely overlooked hv the
heights OH the west. bank OF the Mouse.
and II casual -lHuc" is enough to con-
vino" the mcrcSt -iovicc of the extra
ordinary defensive power or a salient.
even under the most observation-disclosures
conditions in the circumstances OF mod
'rn warfare
.trEN OF TRIANGLE
Is LARGE. RUINED FARM
The apex of the Saint Mihicl triangle
is a large. ruined farm. called Mont
Mcusc. on tho right bank Of the river.
At this point the opposing lines are
only about 100 yards apart. The whole
of the !owCround near the river is
commanded by tho nci,ht OF Les Pa
rochcs. on which there is a fort which
tho Germans had been bombardin;,
vigorously on tho day OF our visit.
Chavoncourt. on ync left bank of the
river opposite Saint -i:ihicl. is merely
"a bridge head. and the whole Of its
dcfcnscS arc exposed 10 the fire of til"
French guns posted on tho heights Of
the Mouse anu also To tho crosS-iirc
from the lines which run. northeast on
tho other side Of the river. Yet the
Germans have shown that determined
men, we'll dug in. can hold almost any
position, provided that the enemy does
not consider i, II such vital imuort
ancc as to Justify him in sweeping its
dcfenscs away with such "a tremendous
artillery prepa -ation as was the pre-
l'de to the battle of Champagne.
II was during the famous race to-
wards the sea- In September. 1914. that
the Germans succeeded i'm establishing
themselves at Saint-Mihiel. The French
right had been weakened by the de-
parturc OF the Twentieth Army Corps.
under General de Castclnau, to take
up its position on the extreme left. and
the Germans seized tho opportunity to
Strike a blow which was aimed. not
only at cutting the railway between
Nerdun and Nancy. but also at tho in
Vestment OF the fortress itself Their
initial success In reaching Saint-Mihicl
filled them with triumph, and their
strategists counted Mt once on the
TContinued on Tenth PageD