Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-11
GERMANS THROWN BACK
WITH FR|GHTFUL LOSSES
Their Famous "Shockcrs" Fail to
Bulge French From Chemin-
des-Dames.
DEAD ENCUAIBER TRENCHES
Forces Of Crown Prince Gain Initial
Success After Hurricane of Shells.
but Fail to Take Spirit Of Enemy
Into Consideration.
DEAD ENCUN1BER
rHv A,socIatcd I,,,,,1

FRENCH FRONT IN FRANCE, July
s.-The French troops holding the
sector of the Chemin- de Danes. to tho
south of Filain, although drenched to
the skin and undiscovered from head
to foot. were full OF confidence and
cheerfulness to-day when the corre-
spondent went among them. They
had just repulsed an attack OF the
most formidable nature. in which the
Germans sustained shocking losses.
without obtaining more than a tenn
porary foothold in these constantly
contested positions.
The sector in question comprises the
Pantheon farm. astride the Chemin-
des-Dames. and is menaced at all
times because OF the domination Of 1t
by the ancient Fort de Malmaison
which Is in the hands OF the Germans.
Early this morning the Germans opened
most intense bombardment OF the
French lines, and while the hurricane
OF shells was still falling. a German
force. comprising from ten to twelve
infantry battalions. made a sudden
rush into the French positions.
FORCED TO FALL BACK
By OVERWHELMING NUMBERS
brigade of the famous Chasseurs-
a-Ped had occupied the sector. and
was holding the line firmly. The
Frenchmen, however. were forced to
fall back before the overwhelming
numbers which followed on the heels
OF the German shock units. brought
especially from other points of the line
to lead the attack.
The Germans apparently considered
their success certain, as they brought
with them quantities of barbed wire,
trench mortars. boxes of grenades and
flame -throwers and everything neces-
sary to the rapid organization OF the
captured position, which. IL held,
would give them command OF large
section OF the Chemin- -des-Dames.
They failed. however. to take the
French spirit into their reckoning.
Immediately after a slight recoil, tho
French chasseurs. aided by engineers
and reservists employed in road
making In the rear. organized coun-
terattacks and. despite the most des-
perate resistance. elected or killed
most Of the German Anterlopers, cap
turing large quantities of their ma
terial and re-establishing the line al
most entirely.
TRENCHES ENGINEERED
WITH GERMAN DEAD
Hand to-hand fighting with grenades
and bayonets was still proceeding
when the correspondents left this
evening, while the shell craters and
communication trenches were encum-
bered with many German dead. Many
OF their wounded were engulfed in
the waist-deep mud, caused by the
recent extremely heavy rains. The
French losses were severe, but nothing
to those sustained by the Germans.
Six Frenchmen who were captured
and taken to the second German line,
attacked the sentry who was guarding
them. escaped and returned to the
French lines. In the course OF the
fighting, young German, who had
raised his arms In token OF surrender,
threw two grenades, which he had
hidden in the palms OF his hands.
among his would-be captors as they
approached him.
In general. the lighting was so des-
perate throughout the action that few
prisoners were taken by either side.