Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-21
FRENCH HOLD FORT
UNDER TERRIFIC FIRE
Only Heroic Defense of Small
Body of Troops Saves Old
Works From Capture.
GERMANS REACH WALLS
of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associa ted Press
FRENCH FRONT, March 15-Only
the heroic tenacity of a small body of
French troops. in holding the fort of
La Pompelle southeast of Rheims pre-
vented a strong force of Germans from
capturing that old and long -dsmantled
$4,000 shells of all calibers on the po-
sltion and pumping over all the sur
roundings thick clouds of the most
deadly. poisonous gases, two battalions
of Crown Prince Frederick's selected
troops advanced to the attack. All the
barbed wire entanglements had been
uprooted during the bombardment and
the centers of resistance in front of and
around the fort had been demolished
when the assaulting infantry waves
came forward.
The ground and the trenches form
ing the only obstacles between the Ger
man lines and the French positions had
been leveled and the few French ad-
vanced posts had retired first to their
supports and then into the classmates
of the fort itself. where, with the rest
of the small garrison. they prepared to
fight to the last.
AS the churning up of the ground
about the fort had obstructed the field
of fire of the machine guns, the Ger
mans met with only slight resistance
until they had reached the moat. This
was more than half filled with debris re-
sulting from the heavy bombardment
and the attacking troops were able to
advance to the stone walls. There. how
ever. they stopped in spite of their
liquid fire machines.
One of these implements was tried on
a heavy timber door leading into the
southern side of the fort, but the door
held firm. Meanwhile, from behind a
shelter of sandbags at one end of the
moat. a group of hardy spirits Of the
garrison opened fire on the Germans
with machine gun and killed or put
out of action all who were attempting
to place cans of high explosives against
the walls of the fort.
Germans Flee in Disorder.
The garrison consisted of colonial
troops Of tried courage, and they
fought up to the traditions of the
corps. Soon the enemy found their eff
forts were doomed to failure and re-
tired to the advanced work, which, to-
gether with several bastions, they re-
tanned for some hours.
The defenders communicated with
their comrades in the rear. a counter
attack was organized and. although
the WHICH eHSueQ was OF the
fercest kind, the Germans were driven
out of every inch of trench they had
occupied and forced to flee in disor-
der to their own lines.
Evidences of the nature of the strug-
gle were still to be found when the
correspondent of the Associated Press
arrived at the fort soon after the ces-
barbed wire fronting the enemy
trenches were the bodies of dozens of
Germans shot down as they fed. The
systems of barbed wire entanglements,
which had formerly prevented ap-
proach to the fort, were almost non
existent. most of them having been
burned under heaps of earth. All about
were read rats killed by the fumes of
the German gas.
Hail of Shells Crumble Trenches.
The communication trenches had
crumbled under the hail of projectiles.
and to go from one spot to another it
was necessary to cross the open under
immediate observation from the domi-
mating heights of Nogent-rAbesse and
Berru. where the Germans have been
installed since 1914.
The Germans were evidently still
chagrined at the defeat of their. care
fully planned attack, and, as the
correspondent with some colleagues,
was examining their lines, only a hun
dred yards or SO away, they opened
fire and swept the fort with several
salvos of big shells. The only method
of escaping further bombardment was
to feign death. and when the guns had
quoted little to creep away in
groups of two.
On the way the party was observed
again by a squadron of German avia-
tors. who signaled to their batteries,
and once more the correspondents were
bombarded, until finally they reached
the marshes behind the fort and COM
paratiye security