The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-11
FIRST TRIAL WINS VICTORY
But French Recover Trenches
After 1S-HOur Battle.
StOrmers Are Followed by In
fantry With Machine Guns.
BY HENRY WOOD.

With the French Armies in the
Field, July 11.-Germany has organ
lied new branch of fighting forces
- "Stosstruppen,' literally storm
{ troops"
The enemy tried out their new war
idea first along the Chemin des Danes.
1t gained them ground, temporarily,
today, however, the French had COM
pletely elected all Germans from the
positions they took and once again
held complete domination along this
front
fresh battalions (from 10000 to H.
geo mem in the new tactics. These
are specially picked troops. They Of
ten attack in their shirt sleeves and
are armed principally with grenades.
The moment they capture a position
the "stosstruppen" are relieved by reg
+ ular, but less combative troops, who
bring with them trench mortars.
munitions, machine guns, barbed wire
and everything necessary inm ediately
to hold and organize the captured
, positions.
Just as soon as these troops arrive,
the "stosstruppen" return to the rear.
There they are rewarded by long va
cations and other special concessions.
No Artillery Preparation.
The "stosstruppen'' generally attack
without artillery preparation, giving
them the advantage of surprise. Sun
day mornings attack when the Ger
mans retook the Pantheon-F
portion of the Chemin des Danes
was typical of this sort of attack. The
Germans launched at $3.50 a. m with
out the slightest artillery preparation.
The 'stosstruppen'' leaped from their
trenches with the first cannon shot.
Meantime German airplanes, flying
low, ratified machine gun fire on the
French lines.
Right behind the 'tstosstruppen"
came the German Occupation" troops
laden heavily with material necessary
to establish and maintain the foot
hold on the French position.
Altho the French succeeded i'm
medlately in hot hand to hand fight
ing in ejecting most of the Germans,
was not retaken until Sunday nights
attack. Then the French took 1900
yards of trenches, freeing the whole
of the Chemin des Danes from the
Germans. Turnout these positions the
Germans were forced to abandon ma
brought up.
Youths Treacherous.
At headquarters today the greatest
anger was apparent at the tactics
adopted by many of Germany's 19-
year-old soldiers in the fighting early
this week Widespread reports were
received of these youths who would
yell "kamerad!" in token of surren-
. der, then when French troops ap-
preached close, the youth would begin
throwing grenades which he had con-
cealed in his hands.
Three weeks of incessant and costly
attacks all the way from Craonne to
Luffaux, constituting the crown
princes supreme effort to take the
Chemin des Danes have come to
naught. Sunday nights terrific
French counter-attack recaptured be-
tween Pantheon and F'roidmont farms
+ the only portion of the Chemin des
Danes which the Germans had sue
fceeded in retaking. The enemy only
held this ground eighteen hours.
Germans Unable to Get Footing.
Today, the French retain integrally
all portions of the Chemin des Danes
captured both during and since the
I battle of the Aisne.
! A continuous battle is still raging
in this whole sector, day and night.
( The Germans necessarily renew their
/ attacks-nearly always sticking to the
''stosstruppen' scheme In a great
many instances the French repel these
4 with hand grenades alone. Mud is
| everywhere, often waist deep.
/ During their three weeks of attack
on the Chemin des Danes, the Ger
mans have not succeeded in planting
| a single machine gun on the high
way.