The Mena weekly star., 1917-08-09
GERMAN BATTALION
 MADE BAD ERROR.
Launched an Attack on t.raduat- ina Class From n French Gren- ade school, and Many We're
 Buried.

With the French Armies in Cham pagne, July i5 by mail.-Ih Is the sorry story of a German battal- ion that made the regrettable error on June 2i of attacking a graduating class of the French Grenade School just at the moment when the gradu- ates were all lined up for their final graduating exercises.
 When the French grenade grad uates had succeeded in imposing tranquility on the Germans until their graduating exercises could be completed. 200 German dead could be counted on the field of opera tions, whilst the French lines on the 600 meter front had been ad vaneed 300 meters. The graduates had three killed and r wounded in their total losses.
 The custom of the French to hold graduating exercises in their front line trenches has arisen from the necessity of changing their whole system of infantry tactics as re- suit of the exigencies of the pres ent war.
 Instruction camps were estab- Iished back from the front lines, and as fast as possible troops were withdrawn from the fighting ranks and given a month or two in schooling From an old time in fantryman who knew nothing but the use of the rifle and bayonet, the men come out of these schools high ly developed specialists either as hand or rifle grenade throwers; ; portable machine gun experts; baby cannon sharpshOoters or bayonet sharks. When a class has com pleted it's full course of instruction in one of these schools, it is taken to the front line trenches and for it's final graduating exercises makes an attack on the Germans, usually for the purpose of capturing a trench. observatory of some small fortified
 
 position
 It was one of these graduating classes that was in the act of un- dergoing it final graduating exer- eises that the Germans suddenly at tackled. The class consisted of gren- ade throwers, portable machine gun marksmen, together with few rifle grenadiers, baby cannon sharpshooters and bayonet experts. In all the class numbered less tran 100.
 They had just taken their posi- i tions in the front line trenches on | the northeastern slope of Mount Cornillet where their final graduat- ing exercises were to he performed. The Germans still held one observ- atory on this side of the ridge and the graduates were to demonstrate their fitness to pass from the school period of new infantry tactics into actual war, by storming and cap- turing the observatory.
 Sudden Attack Launched.
 The last preparations for the as sault were being made when just a half hour before the attack was scheduled, the Germans suddenly launched an attack of their own against the trench being held by the grenade graduates. It is doubtful if bigger piece of pie" was ever offered to Frapce's new infantry specialists.
 Loaded to the teeth as they were with grenades and munitions for their own attack, they merely laid back in their trench until the Ger man assaulting column was within Ia stones throw and then opened up with all the perfected weapons of modern infantry tactics. In less than two minutes there was not a Ger man left standing. Altho il was still all of fifteen minutes before the grenade graduates were scheduled to launch their own attack. the mo- ment was too propilious and they went over the French ramparf. across the dead bodies of the as saulting troops and captured the last remaining observatory on Mount Cornillet in precisely the manner they had been taught to do at the school of new infantry tac- ties.
 Only four prisoner were taken by the graduates-and all four of these wounded-but when the attack was finished there were more than 200 German dead on the ground to be buried.
 All in all, it was about the most successful graduating class in the new infantry tactics yet enjoyed.
 It IS in these new infantry tac- ties that the American troops are fo be drilled upon their arrival in France. We'll trained American from the regular army and militia are expected to master one of these