The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-01-10
War News
Mailed By u. p.
Men To The
United States
- " $. FQRllE,ST

81 W. $, FORREST
United Press Staff orTespondenD
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD. Dec. S. tBy Mai).-
French troops are methodically taking
away the. German spyglasses.
One BY one the enemy observation
points or advantageous positions have
been carefully spotted by the French
,ommand and effectively eliminated.
Though French official communiaues
issued have registered merely local
actions these have had Dor the main
objective that o. snatching the bi
nooulars from the Teuton eyes.
A brief artillery preparation, a shriH
whistle In tbs hrst line trenches and
tbs poiIus have bounded over the top"
n actions Or signal Importance in Al
SAGE. North 81 the Chemin des Danes
and North az ysrdun at Hill $50 Near
~ I4oo prisoners and valuable y ar ma
terisl IS tho "by-product" or these local
stratsgIoal drives.
The drst "spy-slass seizure was
that q "Schonholz, powerfully torti-
fed German salient juttlng into the
French lines IA Alsace, serving the
double purpose OF German observation
~ the French organizations and pre-
venting the French seeing in the direc-
ton q AItkirch. On the afternoon OF
November 7th. after brief but violent
artillery preparation, three companies
ot French ChaSseurs-Blue Devtls-at-
lacked the sehonholz completely wip-
iuk out the salient in a fierce tight last
jng into the night. The enemy aercely
counter attacked bat failed. leaving in
all 100 prisoners, including SIX officers
IN the hands OF the Blue Devils. Com
pleta German losses. high because OF
their lsrca effort to retain 8 position
which they knew to be OF extreme
vAue. were estimated at at least 500
men.
The following day g. French general
pinned military medals on the blue
t1n3cs o. two ad3utants sud a corporal
Tor exceptional Valor. Though there
were 10 such medals in the district
tbs General sent a trst automobile To
nnd them, wherever possible. spd the
littis' presentation ceremony IN an Al
saciau village was a happy aftermath
% victory that took from the Ger
mans priceless observations which had
bothered tbs French for two years.
The French Command next decided
ths Germans we're seeing too much
North of the Chenin des Danes. Con-
d4luge, four companies Of poilus passed
70 the attack against the enemy lines
forming a salient between tbs small
river AIlette and the routs TO the Ger
man held village OF JuvincoErt as far
IS the village OF NiIle-au-B Bots. Here
lie enemy held valuable observation
posts overlooking JuvincoNrt and
ground east Of the Miette.
Under the low lying clouds and ia
pea soup" fog, tho former preventing
all aerial work and the latter prevent
ing enemy observation Of the advance,
the French infantrymen. in less than
an hour. swept over positions on e
rort Of 1.5oo Yards and penetrated to
depth OF over half n mile. They
wiped out a salient. took the observa-
tons and captured 475 prisoners. a
Number almost equal 70 half OF the en-
TIRE attacking force, Six German Off
te-s and IS under-officers fell into the
net.
The third and most important French
action OF November was IN s. region
where constant hellish fighting has
peen the daily routine-HnI 3o4-on
he right hank Of the Mouse. north OF
Eerdun. Here a drum-like artillery
oar has never ceased day and night
FOR nearly three months German at
lacks and French oounter-attacks. al
most daily. since the latter part Of Aug
st. have had small place in the COM
nunlques because OF their routine ma
ture. The enemy's positions permitted
ham to make constant infantry 'nibbIes
iutos the French lines Of the Northern !
Flank 81 Fill S44 and 70 disturb French |
examinations which could be seen in
the rear.
French strategy in eliminating the /
~nerny's advantageous positions in tn. /
region of Hill 344 has probably never |
been employed before IN this war. TAX /
ing advantage Qf the conditions pecul- /
ar to tbs region. French guns Of many !
cslJbers at $50 Sunday morning. Nov.
IS. concentrated their deiuge OF steel |
On a. three and one-helf mile front op- /
posite S44- The thunder or this artif- /
lery preparation though violent was
unnottced amid the constant medley /
OF air vibrations which had become a /
habit to the German ear for almost /
three months. Just four hours after I
the beginning Of the concentration Of /
fire, screened byits own habitual noise /
as 1880 a. M, the French guns length /
ensd their range and barraged the Ger /
man rear while the poilus went over !
ths top. The surprise was complete /
victory was won in several minutes. /
The French tnfantrymen in the first /
waves left the taking or prisoners 10 /
hopping up units who followed be- |
hind them. The latter boarded 500 daz-
ed Germans to the rear. Enemy losses /
IN dead and wounded were heaviest I
French losses. on account OF the sur /
prise nature OF the attack were ex-
tremely light. The advsntaseous po- 7
sttions which It had taken the enemy
over eight weeks to gain We're wiped I
ont In not much more than eight min +
utes