Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-05-11
French CAPTURE
61OO GERMANS
Cut Down Foe in DrOVeS on
Drive Toward laOn.
GAIN DOMINANT POIHlS

Gains Are Consolidated on 181Ml'e
Front Despite Ferocious Attacks by
Picked Troops.
More than 6100 German prisoners
have been taken by the French III
their drive across the Vauclerc Plea
tau toward Laon.
: Nivelles troops consolidated their
gains and occupied several additional
points of support.
Numerous counter attacks by the
Teutons to oust the victorious french
failed with great losses, the official re-
port says.
The British are successfully main
tanning themselves in the breach they
have made in the Hindenburg line
near Bullecourt. The Germans dellV-
cred a determined attack at this point
which entirely failed, and were balked
again Sunday in a similar enoEt'
the British war Office announced, the
British fire breaking up the attempt.
Not only have the last two days OF
fighting along the Chemin-des-Dames
delivered more than 6100 prisoners to
the French, but have given them po-
sitions whence they can operate on the
principal German defensive line occu'
pving the crest on the northern side
CT the Ailette valley.
From Laffaux Mil to Craonne, the
entire emin-des-Dames, with the eX'
ception of a very small section, is
held firmly by the French, who have
thoroughly organized their gains in
defiance of all the efforts to oust them.
Counter attacks were tried by the
Germans at many points with great
masses of men, who displayed the fe-
rocity of despair. but they were beaten
back again and again. The nerve of
the French troops of all regiments,
each one of which emulates its neigh.
bcr in bravery, was too much for the
Germans, who surrendered In large
bodies, unable to withstand the French
impetuosity.
The French troops advanced so
RAPIDLY that some of the German
heavy artillery could not be removed,
and was captured, together with some
Of their field artillery. Even the Sc
lected soldiers of the Prussian guard
were unable to stem the advance. They
were brought up in motor lorries when
the other Germans had wavered and
faHen back, but all they accomplished
was to increase the bag Of prisoners,
which is continually growing in size.
While the guards were alighting from
the lorries they were caught under
heavy fire of the French artillery and
suffered terribly. Men returning from
the lines assert the German dead ly-
ing on the battlefield is greater than
ever seen on one spot during the fight
ing in France.
The correspondent watched the bat.
tie from the position whence the
French went over to attack north OF
Nanteuil-la-Fosse and Sancy. To the
northwest was LaffauX Mill, while to
the northeast Fort Malmaison, dis
mantled before the war, stood out
like a square block on the horizon.
In she center was PAnge Garden,
where the Chemin-des-Dsmes breaks
off from thoe Soissons-Brussels road.
The battle hereabouts was most in
teresting, as the possession o. Laff7ux
Mill gives the occupants an enfilading
position along the Chemin.
and the Ailette The German resist
ance here reached its highest point.
but could not prevail agains: the pow
erful blows of the French attack. The
Germans countered after tie Fre@ch
had taken their front line, bit were
given blow for blow, the French even
tually wearing down their opponen S
Several were scenes cf fierce engage
ments with hand grenade5 and bayo-
nets. In these the French came cut
victors.