Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-11
FRENCH WIPE OUT
GERMAN GAINS OF
A LONG CAMPAIGN.
At One Brilliant Stroke the
Armies of France Hurl
Back the Teutons From
Dead Mans Land.

with the French Armies III Cnam-
pagne, March 10.-Battling in a freez-
ing, binding gale of snow as much as
against the enemy. French forces in
one half hour wiped out the principal
gains of the most pretentious German
military operation that has taken
place on the western front during the
entire winter campaign.
The French artillery preparation be-
gan early on Wednesday, in favorable
weather. Before night, snow began to
fall. BY Thursday morning all Of
Champagne was completely snow-bur-
led. A frightful blizzard began blow
ing from the north, directly into the
face of the French troops awaiting the
attack.
Despite the freezing temperature,
the bowling wind and the binding,
biting snow, the staff decided to con-
tinue the operation.
SNOW cHuRNED UNDER.
In the pure white snow covered Dead
Mans Land on a -kilometer front
the French deluged their explosive
shells. They kept it up until the snow
was completely churned under and the
dirt thrown up. 1t transformed the
strip into an ugly black cash, stand
ing out ominously in the center of an
endless vista Of surrounding white
snow covered plains.
With the approach of the hour of
attack. the blizzard's fury increased
until the United Press staff correspon-
dent, stationed in a trench on the sum-
init of a high ridge, was completely
blinded by the swirling, racing, wind
driven snow. The tempest's fury rem
dered aviation practically impossible,
depriving the artillery of the advantage
of aerial observation and control.
PLANES TAKE 70 THE AIR.
And yet, five minutes before the at
tack. five huge observation planes
courageously, took to the air.
Forced repeatedly to turn backward
by the tempest's fury, disappearing
continually into clouds of snow and
gas and shell smoke, which the gale
sent racing across the French lines.
these planes fought their way forward.
They kept it up until the minute ar
rived when both the, artillery and
blizzard having increased in fury un-
til 1t seemed they were engaged in
a titanic struggle between themselves
for mastery OF the battlefield, the in
fantry leaped out Of the trenches in
successive waves.
The men were distinctly silhouetted
against the snow on the sides of the
trenches-and then they disappeared
Immediately into the black earth in
the churned Dead Mans Land be-
tween the French trenches and the
enemy.
ADVANCED AT SLOW PACE.
|. Between bursting shells, clouds of
gas and smoke and whirling snow, they
were occasionally visible as they went
forward. They advanced at slow,
uniform pace. reserving their strength
for the final hand-to-hand conflict
when the German positions should be
attained and the final conflict with the
German forces should come.
There was a hand grenade fight.
But within five minutes after the
French had leaped from out of their
trenches, German prisoners, their
hands pointing toward the sky, were
visible. scurrying down the slopes
racing for the French lines.
SWEPT ALL BEFORE THEM.
With the. point which comprised the
principal OBJECT OF the attack within
French hands. the Germans attempted
counter action. The attack called
out from the French a roar Of machine
gun fire which increased in intensity
until 1t rivaled the heavy artillery in
the tumult Of noise. The French at
tanned their mastery of the elements.
too. AS the fury of the blizzard in
creased untn the moment OF attack,
Il began abating as the French swept
all before them. The German posi-
tions gained. the snow stopped. The
sun shone. 1t was bitter cold. A howl
ing wind continued throughout the rest
of the day and night
Behind the lines. American. English
and French ambulances waited to
carry off the wounded.
And yet they waited to see convoy