Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-08-09
BASQvE: PITCHING
RE1IRES GERMANS
Expert "Pelota" Players Strike
Out 1euton Regiments With
Hand Grenades.
ENEMY GvIllNERS ARE BAFFLED
Pyrenees Troops Hold craonne Key
Position Despite Desperate A.
tacks-German Artillery Fires
Almost at Random.

French Front.-Grenades thrown
with wonderful precision by devotees
Of "pelotu," the national game of Cuba,
of Spain and of the Basque country in
the southwest of France, have done
much toward defeating the almost in
cessant counter-attacks by the Ger
mans on the plateau OF California,
overshadowing Cruonne, and on the
Classmates plateau, further west along
the Chcmin DIES Danes, which are
Joined by narrow crest.
These men, whose homes are In the
Pyrcnees, have fought gallantly since
the outbreak of hostiities. 1t was they
who took Craonnc, the key position of
the eastern end Of the Chemin des
Dames;- and it was they who were in
possession of the town and its vicinity
when the Germans made their repeat
ed efforts to rcconquer the ground, to
which their commanders attach so
much Importance.
The latest vain German effort was
made on June 5, when General Won
Bo,m with two fresh divisions of
Rhenish troops. the Fifteenth and the
Forty-first, who had just been hurried
back from The Roumanian front, as
saulted the California and the Case
mates plateau with suddenness and
fury such as has rarely been noted on
the part of the Germans.
Snug in Their Shell Holes.
The attack opened with q most in.
tense artillery bombardment, under
which, however, the Basques sat tight
in their trenches improvised out OF
shell holes. When the awful hurricane
of shells ceased the occupants of the
trenches saw advancing toward them
wave after wave of German infantry,
who crossed the torn up ground elbow
to elbow, their numbers far in excess
of those of the French defenders.
Not sign. however, was given by
the Basques of yielding ground until
the German ranks opened and brought
to view men equipped with implements
throwing liquid flames. Then and only
then the Busques fell back at those
portions of their lines which were
sprinklcd with blazing spirit. This
2 retirement was but Il temporary one
The French soon organized n counter
attack with grenades and bayonets
The hand grcnades We're thrown b,
S them with such precision owing tt
!, their lifelong practice at their favoritt
! game that they forced the Germans
: out again rapidly and in the fury o.
their onrush even advanced beyont
p their original lines.
] On the right of this Basque line thu
: famous classcurs had an equally sc
:. we're fight with the attacking Germans
. who were eventually thrown back. aft
! er suffering great losses.
German Gunners BaffIed.
Not an inch Of the ground gained b.
@ the French i'll the first movement o
the offensive has been lost. The Ser
man artillery is compelled to fire al
4 most at random, since the French pos
i sess all the most valuable Observa
:, tories. whence they can watch tn
movements Of their enemies III tn
i valley of the Ailette down below ant
G on the crest ut the other side, whic
n DelOft9 Tile EieHcH olleuslsc was Ia
third German position.
Information gathered from the pris
e oneri shows that the German hig
:, command cannot reconcile itself to tn
loss Of Craonne and the Chemin de
Z DANES, and the officers of the fightin
n units have been ordered repeatedly t
n rctake them ut any cost.