New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-20
Took and Held Key to Che
min.des-Dames in Face
of Machine Guns
Zouaves Aided Attack
One. a Confectioner in Peace
Times, Captured His
Captors

French Front, June 10.--Some OF the
most dashing acts Of heroism OF lhe
Great war are related in connection
with the capture and holding, IN spite
&c desoerate German resistance, by the
French colonial troops of the farm u
Uurtebise. This place has been often
mentioned in the official communic"-
,ions Of the War Office in the course Oh
the recent battle for the possession Oh
Tho Cbemin des Danes, or Road OF tne
Uor,en. 20 the west Of Craonne. Inc
Associated Press correspondent VINO
watched the whole Of the fighting IN
this vicinity. later came into touen WIN ,.
,,a,v oficcrs and men who had ais,
.;uo,,isbod themselves there, and heard
from them stories Of the series OF &c
lions. details of which were not CD
tainable in the thick OF the engage
ments. 1ot1 ,,,bo,
Hurtebise farm, now, as IN lei4, % Si
Rlucher was turned out oil IL Dy haI
shals Ney and Drouot under inc eye 81
of Napoleon, IS IN really 'il'e.-,oSss -
tho nosition. since those who possess u
noints dominating the valleys.
The Germans had decided TO hold IL
at any cost. and they had constructed
most skilful system of defensive WORKS.
consisting of deep fields of barbed WIRE
ontanqlements, trenches and shelters, III
which we're disposed dozens OF machlhe
cuns. Notwithstanding all the dliheul-
itse of the task the colonial infantry
which formerly was the French Marine
Infantry Corps. stormed the posiiusoIn
and took il on the morning of April To-
Zouaves Sent to Hold Position
II was foreseen that the Germans
would make an attempt TO regain the
nosition so valuable to them, and dur
ING the night of April Il, regiment
of Zouaves was sent up to relieve tne
colonials. who were exhausted and had
suffered much from exposure after the
fight to cold winds and heavy snow and
rain.
Two battalions Of the Zouaves were
denloved TO the right and left of where
the farm had once stood, and on each
side of the ruins of the monument
concentrating the NapOleonic battle.
They Law in the demolished German
trenches and in shell holes, with dead
soldiers all about them, and as they
Law thew scraped up the earth with
their intrenching implements, so as 10
form some sort of defence. A third
battalion was held in reserve.
In front of the Zouayes was stretch
of ground interspersed with deep cav
ems and wooded ravines, which de-
seconded down 10 the valley Of Nau-
clerc and the banks of the River
Here for seven days the Zouaves
fought their way inch by inch with
hand grenades under a constant bar
rage fire from the German big guns,
and all the time exposed to the sweep
ing showers Of machine gun bullets.
The Germans fought with determined
vigor. sticking to every point until ac-
tually forced out
The line was very uneven, some OF
the sections of Zouaves having ad-
yanced further than their comrades,
and often islets Of Germans held out
and pestered the French troops from
the TANKS. Progress had to be made
from shell hole 20 shell hole until,
eventually, the Zouaves. by capturing
the German Dusseldorf trench, were
able to command an advantageous posi-
ton and straighten and solidify their
line.
Strong Counter Attack Made
Even then the Germans did not give
up hope, and on April 25 opened q
strong counter attack, for which the
1st Regiment of the Prussian Guarc
was brought specially into line. The
left Of the French line held firm, but
the right gave way slightly, and q
French counter attack had later TO bC
carried out 70 regain the ground lost.
Some Of the men of an Algerian
tirailleur battalion had been almost cut
of. but they were relieved by the
Zouaves and other battalions, and some
Of the Prussian Guard were taken prls'
oners.
One Zouave, who I'm peace times is
a Partisan confectioner, while making
his way across the sievelke ground,
fell among a patrol Of Prussian Guards
men and was captured He did not lose
his wits, although some of his captors
treated him with the greatest brutality
He was ordered 10 the rear through q
communication trench and was accom-
panied in that direction by number
OF guardsmen. His captors. who had
come on the scene only that morning
soon lost their way in the maze OF
twisting trenches and virtually left /
10 their prisoner TO show them the way
Suddenly an idea Of tricking then
struck him, and instead Of turning I,
the right ne turned 10 the left, and soor
he and his captors found themselve
looking into the muzzles Of Zouav,
rifles The prisoner shouted, "Fire, m,
lads!" He threw himself on the groun,
and seized an abandoned rifle, will
which he killed one Of his captors Mos
~ the others surrende~ad