Tombstone epitaph., 1916-02-20

taking Of Sudei farm. which opened up the road to the Reinbacb valley. After some skirmishing between outposts the French established themselves on the River Sutz. The snow was fail their advance in the teeth of a hurri cane Of shells that caIne from the German batteries on the hills behind Cernay. bur nothing dauntei the devils" although they were two daTs on the way. sleeping in the snow
 At dawn on the third day the French outposts heard the sound of firing. It was caused by the skiers. who had been out all night looking for the enemy. They returned. bringing back with them two wounded German off cers and six men.
 The ruins of the Chateau Freud stein concealed the guns. and masset in neighboring valleys were the Ger mans. Enemy airrnen had been hover ing over the column since it set out. and undoubtedly the enemy was trying to draw the French into a trap. but Teuton slyness went astray. Soon the enemy found he had no chance of ambushing the French. and he changed his tactics and sent cut one company from Bavarian regiment to wipe out men on skis was too great. however for the heavy-footed Boches and they were soon outdistanced. A French battery of heavy artillery received a telephone message giving them the aD- Lroximate range. and after a period oi bornbardment the guns in the ruins or the chateau were silenced
 StorminQ Sudei Farm.
 Then came the opportunity sought by the devils: they began their attack against the center of the German posi- fion, which was Sudel farm. They aa- vsnced under cover to within about three hundred ysrus oi the position they had to storm, but the last stretch vas across open ground.
 After brief but sanguinary action ne position vas carried, enabling Iae chasseurs to open murderous fire on their front and right
 Without the expected support of their artillery in the chateau. the Ger mans were powerless against the hu- man waves that swept over them. and hey withdrew. but in good order. fight ing a rear-guard action until the blue devils charged with the bayonet. The action terminated in a complete rout of the enemy and about 300 unwound- ed prisoners remained in the hands of the French.
 A recent German communique spoke of a repulse Of a French attack near Metzeral,' but omitted to mention that Metzeral is in the hands of the French. and has been so ever since our gallant allies won one or the most brilliant battles of this war. When the French advance approached Metz eral the Germans began to make a fortress of this little Aisatian town. and the streets were barricaded with barbed wire. and overturned carts masked machine guns The battle be- gan by an attack launched against the forest. Trees were uprooted in hun dreds by the French guns. and gradu- ally the enemy was pushed out of the forest. but 1t was only then that a fresh surprise was sprung on the French
 The enemy had dug trenches in the forest, which he filled with barrels of tar: these were connected by cleo tricity with a point behind the Ger ran lines. and as the French rushed through the forest the barrels were ignited. Nevertheless. this did not stop the advance They reached the outskirts of Metzeral, and here the fighting became furious. A number Of factories were defended by the en- emy, and each had to be carried sepa- rately by the attacking party.
 From windows machine guns poured hail of lead on the heads of the French. The men had to break down the doors and fight their way up. story by story. South of the town the enemy defended the cemetery. which held up the attack for a whole night. The tombs were already torn away by the French shells. but the vaults were the scene of fighting of the grimmest description. The handles of cofiins were wrenched on and used as knuckle-dusters by the enemy. who made a most stubborn defense; every vault sheltered a small battle. and the vaults themselves had previously been mined by the enemy; when they be. came no longer tensbie they were blown up.
 Capture MstzeraI Cemetery.
 "The cemetery was carried in the early hours of the morning. but not before 1t held more dead than ever were buried in it.
 The taking of this salient did not complete the task set to the French. Practically every house in the town was defended, and from cellar to the top story the French had to fight their way before Metzeral was finally in their hands. Truly. the enemy has not cause to make much mention of Metz erai in his ofYicial communications.
 At the same time that the French were attacking in this sector. . sec ond successful offensive movement was being carried out along both A Al