El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-03
TOO R0UGHF0R
ALLIED ARMIES
Saloniki Country Is Favor
able to the Bulgarians
in the FIGHTING.
Confined From Page -

being stationed several hundred feet
lower than the infantry lines.
Two days after the British and
French had taken fOOthold on the
edge of the plateau, the Bulgars had
enough artillery in place to under
take the reduction Of the allied posi-
lions, which so far consisted OF
trenches hewn into the rock to the
depth Of about two feet on an aver
age. That was especially the. case
on the Golash mountain held by the
British, as I was able to observe by
Gie &c. over the ground after the Dat
Bulgur Artillery Fire Hot.
The artillery fire OF the BulEars
was severe. The losses Of the Brit
ish infantry, due to shells and splin-
tered rock, were appalling. But
Tommy Atkins held on for dear life
Meanwhile, the French regiments
on the hills south Of Kosturino were
getting similar treatment. on these
hills the chances for digging i'm were
a little better. but nothing to boast
Of I found that the French had been
slopes, but on the crests the men had
been exposed 20 the full fury of the
Bulgarian artillery fire.
For two days the bombardment
went on, During the night Of the
second dav the BulEars brought a
regiment from Philippople TO a brlsh-
covered elevation under the Golash
mountain, and at about o'clock in
the morning the attack on the British
position began.
British Make stiff Fight.
It must have been clear to the
British by now that they could not
hold their position But they de-
"ided TO put up a stiff fight for IT,.
The machine gun fire that greeted the
advancing Bulgars was one of the
worst rannwdna TlnnNr Of time and #n O
rocky ground had prevented the Brit
ish from laying out barbed wire en-
ranElements on the steep slopes OF
the position. The wire, however. had
and proved a terrible obstacle 10 the
Rulgars- One attacking line after an
other was cut down by the British.
and when DAYLIGHT came the frontal
attack Of the Bulgars had been
brought 70 a standstill-
All would have been wen had not a
part OF the Philippoplc regiment and
some Macedonians succeeded in seal
ing a precipice 70 the left OF the Brit
ish position The British commander
must have thought Il impossible for
the Bulgars TO get up that steep
that his enemy was mountain-bOrn-
BuIEnrs Good Fighters.
Before the British knew what had
happened the Bulgars we're on the
western crest Of the Golash mountain.
and a few minutes later they had a
number Of machine guns in action.
Now. also. the Bulgarian artillery
had taken the British position again
under fire. The air was thick with
shell fragments and flying rock. and
TO make things worse the Bulgarian
machine guns had been jockeyed into
position TO enfilade the British
trenches For another hour the Brit
ish held on. and then u became clear
that the Golash mountain would have
TO he abandoned.
The French had not Jared better.
meanwhile. Their trenches had been
badly damaged by the Bulgarian ar
-illery. and a sham frontal attack
ave the Bulgarian infantry and ma
chine gunners the advantages they
sought in the flank OF the French.
First one hill was lost Bv daybreak
he second had TO be abandoned. and
-he third was finally surrendered
when It was seen that further resist
7nee was useless