Newport daily independent., 1918-03-20
German Observation Points Are MethodicaIIy Taken in Dar-
 ing Attacks.
HEROIC WORK OF BLUE DEVILS
First Spygiass Seizure Is Credited to Chasseurs Who, in Sensational At-
 tack, Wipe Out Powerfully 1 Fortified Salient by Surprise.


 ing away the German eyeglasses.
 One by one, enemy observation points or advantageous positions have been carefully spotted by the French command and effectively eliminated Though French official communiques issued have registered merely local ac- tions, these have had for the main ob- jective that of snatching the binocu- lars from the Teuton eyes.
 A brief artillery preparation, shrill whistle in the first-line trench, and the Poilus have bounded lover the top" in actions of signal impor- tance in Alsace, north of the Chemin Des Danes and north of Verdun at Hill 344. Nearly 1,400 prisoners and valuable war material is the ''by-prod- uct" of these local, strategical drives.
 Won by Blue Devils.
 The first "spyglass" seizure was that of the "Schonholz," powerful fortified German salient jutting into the French lines in Alsace, serving the double purpose of German observation of the French organizations and pre- venting the French seeing in the direc- ton of Altkirch. On the afternoon of November 7, after brief but violent artillery preparation, three companies of the French Chasseurs-Blue Devils attacked the SchOnholz, completely wiping out the salient in fierce fight lasting into the night.
 The enemy desperately counter-at- tackled, but failed, leaving in all 12O prisoners, including six officers, in the hands of the Blue Devils. Complete German losses, high because of their fierce effort to retain position which they knew to be of extreme value, were estimated at at least 600 men.
 The following day a French general pinned military medals on the blue tunics of two adjutants and cor poral for exceptional valor. Though there were no such medals in the dis trict the general sent a fast automo- bile to find them, wherever possible, and the little presentation ceremony in an Alsacian village was happy aftermath of victory that took from the Germans priceless observations which had bothered the French for two years
 The French command next decided that the Germans were seeing too much north of the Chemin Des Danes. Consequently following brief artil- lery deluge, four companies of Poilus passed to the attack against the enemy lines forming a salient between the small River Misotte and the route of the German-held village of Jouvin- court as far as the village of Ville-au- Bois. Here the enemy held valuable observation posts overlooking Jouvin- court and ground each of the Mi cite.
 Under low-lying clouds and in -soup' fog, the former prevent ing all aerial work and the latter pre- venting enemy observation of the ad- vance. the French infantrymen, in less than an hour swept over positions on a front of 1,500 yards and penetrated to a depth of over half mile. They wiped out the salient, took all the ob- servatories and captured 475 prison ers-a number almost equal to half of the entire attacking force. Six Ger man officers and 45 under officers fell into the net.
 The third and most important French action of November was in region where constant hellish fighting has been the daily routine-Hin 344, on the right bank of the Mouse, north of yerdun. Here drumlike artillery roar has never ceased. night and day, for nearly three months. German at Jacks and French counter-attacks, all most daily since the latter part or August. have had small place in the communiuue because of their routine nature. The enemy's positions permit ted him to make constant infantry ssnibbles'' into tho French lines on the northern flank of Hill 344, and to dis turb French organization which he could see in the rear.
 Surprise Attack Successful.
 French strategy in eliminating the enemy's advantageous positions in the region of Hill 344 has probably never been employed before in This war. Tax ing advantage of the conditions pecu- liar to the region, French guns of many calibers at 6 80 Sunday, morning, Mo- yember 25, concentrated their deluge of steel on a three and one-half kilo- meter front opposite Hill S4A The thunder of this artillery preparation, though violent, was unnoticed amid the constant medley of air vibrations which had become habit to German ears for almost three menthA
 Just four hours after the begin hing of the concentration or nre, screened by its own habftual noise' at 10 80 a. m. the French guns lengthened their range, and barraged the German rear while the Poilus went over tne top. The surprise was complete The