The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1918-02-16
french CAPTURE
FOE EYEGLASSES
German Observation Points Are
Methodica|ly Taken in Dar-
ing Attacks.
HEROIC WORK OF blue Devils
First SpygIass Seizure Is Credited to
Chasseurs Who, in Sensational A.
tack, Wipe Out Powerfully
Fortified Salient by Surprise.


With the French Armies in the Field,
French troops are methodically TAX
ing away the German spyglasses.
One by one, enemy observation
points or advantageous positions have
been carefully spotted by the French
command and effectively eliminated.
Though French official communicates
issued have registered merely local &C.
lions, these have had for the main OBJ
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 "over
the top" in actions of signal impor-
lance in Alsace, north of the Chemin
Des Danes and north of Verdun at
Hill 344. Nearly 1,4OO prisoners and
valuable war material is the 'tby-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 a brief but violent
artillery preparation, three companies
Of the French Chasseurs-Blue Devils
attacked the Schonholz, completely
wiping out the salient in a fierce fight
lasting into the night.
The enemy desperately eounter-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 a 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 a 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 a brief artil-
lery deluge, four companies Of Poilus
passed to the attack against the enemy
lines forming 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-
Rois.' Here the enemy held valuable
observation posts overlooking Jouvin.
court and ground each of the Mi
cite.
Under low-lying clouds and in q
"pea-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 1900 yards and penetrated
to depth Of over half a mile. They
wiped out the salient, took all the OBJ
servatories and captured ATS prison
ers-a number almost equal to half of
the entire attacking force. Six Ger.
man officers and As under officers fell
into the net.
The third and most important
French action Of November was in a
region where constant hellish fighting
has been the daily routine-Hill 944,
on the right bank Of the Mouse, north
of Verdun. Here a drumlike artillery
roar has never ceased, night and day,
for nearly three months. German at
tacks and French counter-attacks, al
most daily since the latter part OF
August, have had small place in the
communique because of their routine
nature. The eEemy's positions permit.
ted him to make constant infantry
"nibbles" into the 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 $50 Sunday, morning, No