The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-20

On the French Front in France.
Monday, Mar lS-(By the Associated
Press)-The center of military inter
est during the last few days has pass
ed from the Champagne to the vicin-
ity Of Verdun, where both the French
and the Germans have broken into
marked activity.
In the Verdun region the cores
pondents watched the execution OF
two trench raids on a scale carried
out by the French on Saturday even
ing, and at dawn on Sunday, the re-
suits of which exceeded all eXpecta
tons. Within twelve hours the
French had penetrated the remark
ably strong systems of German trench
es in both Cheppy wood and Malan-
court wood to depth at some points
Of more than a quarter of a mile. They
destroyed all the enemy works, his
blockhouses and shelters, which had
taken the Germans three years to con
struct, and brought back two groups
of prisoners, each comprising eighty
men. while the French themselves suf
fered only the slightest losses.
Hastily Call Reserves
General Won Gallwitz's army, acting
under the direct orders of the Ger
man crown prince, displayed evidence
of nervousness under this pressure, as
was shown by the hurried arrival of
large reserves in motor lorries. They
were too late, however, to hinder the
French.
The ground was very unfavorable
to the French attack. owing to the
clayey soil, in which immense shell
holes from former battles had become
filed with water to depth of some
six feet. Among these the raiders
were forced to pick their way under
the constant peril of slipping in and
drowning. The artillery preparations
however, was SO overwhelming that
the French met with only slight op-
position to their progress.
Cheppy Wood Raid.
The Cheppy wood operation was
the easiest OF the two. owing to the
fact that it was daylight, and, within
five minutes after the assault began
groups OF prisoners could be seen
running toward the French lines
Everything was carried out on time
schedule When the French return
ed to their own lines they had secur-
ed about eighty prisoners.
The second raid, that upon Malan
yjye spectacle. in the darkness just
before dawn TIE correspondent
passed the night on knoll opposite
the objective, from which nothing but
the occasional rattle Of machine gun
could be heard and only fash Of
light seen now and then until half
hour before the time il had been ar
ranged for the attack TO begin. Then
the German gunners evidently SUE
pecting that something Was UP, let fly
salyos all along the line, after which
quiet reigned again until with Z thun-
deroug crash, ali the French batteries
opened fire simultaneously, the sig
nails flashed, and the infantry went
over.
Flash Of Light, Then Calm.
Colored lights showed that thu
troops reached their objective al var
ious times previously arranged. Then
groups OF prisoners began coming
back and eventually the Trenchmsn,
after completing their work Of des-
truction, returned TO their own line.
bringing further squads Of capures.
the total OF which reaching eighty.
Meanwhile the German artillery,
which is very strong here, had open
ed up with a heavy tarrage and coun-
ter battery fire, but without effect
Soon after daylight, the front was
again calm.