A MOUNTAIN FIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 60, 11 March 1915, Page 11

A MOUNTAIN FIGHT.

Ip .RACE FOR THE HEIGHTS . '"'- -©uriiig the fighting in Upper Alsace, T^jiich-resulted in the French-capturing Jthe' last slopes of the Vosges, after a struggle of a fortnight's dura- ' .tion," some extraordinary incidents took =-jlace, affording a remarkahle contrast 7tp fljhe- stubborn trench warfare along : the; test °? tn e western line. The portion" ii Alsace- along "which 'the fighting \v4s -:wagei is of a mountainous character, -/where the question of getting the guns cftom one ridge to another was of prime jjnpprtanee, for the side which succeeded 'fa accomplishing this feat first would be •"iaoje-to dominate-the position in .'that particular phase of the fighting.- ---| -'In the fight for-the heights -dominating '75teinhach there was a thrilling episode Tei this kind. The French had reached r a ;: tnieidy-"tvopded spur of mountain r4nge, iand opened their batteries on a spot 7-a-hefe the Germans had previously been -Ua pgsiiien.. .There.was.no.response, but Z the French gunners still kept at it. SudJ.dealy the French outpost guarding the J river bridj-e was decimated, and the "bridge itself destroyed by a hail of shells, ,; the French forces thus being cut off '.from the right bank. The German bat:;,'tapes had reached a poinTof 2J0OO" yards" ..from the spot where, the French* had., missed the.-river, had belched forth their" ' 'sfells.-juid had immediately afterwards 7 galloped-off. The French guns returned 'the fire, but too late, the German guns "ffaving-'already -disappeared in the "fir--forest, which -was traversed hy a -wind-

"ing. road. - p --ijhere wa£ ao doubt that the enemy .wasxtiying to reach the heights iacing and -dominating the Freneh-r/osition, and • j!»Eib}y:.t]ie. sfert-wojild iave '.been successful had the batteries not stopped on tie ascent to destroy -the "bridge. The .JErench troops -immediately dashed after 'the Germans in pursuit. Th e French commander, and his men knew that if the German guns were not overtaken the | FreicS force would be -entrapped. The I way was eteep and the mountain high, hut the French soldiers climbed rapidly. ;-Balf way up the' mountain side they ibund the way barred by a detached party of Germans behind a barricade of tree trunks, mere fpllowed.a fierce and .. hot- encounter. Ordinarily such a barri- ~ cade, strongly-held, taken i some time to win, but on this occasion the barricade was taken in a rush, and ~ the. Germans who defended it were bay- • oiieted or put to flight. Then the mounTtain climb continued. - The -men needed no urging in that mad race up the moun- " tain side, for they knew as well as their ankers what was_at stake:- The French" 1 gunners urged on their horses mercilessly; higher and still higher they ■"-tressed—guns, horses and men. At the /end of an-honr-the French; reached the ./Ltbpmost heights first and unlimbered thili" guns. The German /batteries were dominated, and dominated thoroughly; The French guns were put in position, and directed upon the enemy's flank at la, range of 1.000 yards. The target was an excellent one. Four 'hy "four -the -French shells dropped upon the enemy, £ iflling horses, drivers and gunners, and I causing the ammunition carts to explode.

j Tiree-fourths of tie German guns were j '- £c*afi-put out of action; and-the German i 1 position "was so precarious that a French; r ±. emissary -was sent to summon. *hs-Ge?'- ( J mans to surrender. He returned with a j It haughty relusal.vfrpm -the. German com- j . nander, so the Trench resumed firing. - "The Kaiser's troops die, but. they do -' not surrender," the German, commander ! is "reported to have said, in grandtloqent ! I imitation of 'Napoleon. Both some of 3 the stout And elderly Landsturm soldiers j who were taking part in the battle were j ..not so proud, and they showed such a . marked disinclination to continue the • I hattle, that soon the German-.eomniait . 7-der, with the 25 per cent remnant of "the German: batteries which" ha 4 escaped destruction had fallen back on the village -of Steinbach itself, and there awaited the coming of the French. The pine . woodsy- which had before afforded such excellent cover to the German bat- - teriee, now sheltered the advancing infantry, .-who from all sides crept closer • and closer to the desire_d centre of Steinhach. _ The German guns opened fire, but their "fire wa s -of little effect by reason "of the splendid cover of the pine stems . afftfT-ranches. The French sharpshooters, - with very slight loss, stole up to within 200-yards of the Germ-up putposts,. stationed at a solitary farmhouse, where ■ the hillside eloped down by the edge of the ■wood to a sunken" road. In front of ~t^7^ann : ;-EEe Germans liad" estib'SKed - as a .screen a.-tow of civilians, including * -woman, who stood there with her' ': hands.'|ied and dishevelled hair. Furi-. .Jttedat this fresh sign of German brutalIfljjr.a company of French soldiers charge^ -srith, the bayonet. The enemy'e fire -swept the road to the farm, but no.th'ng 'epald-stop the French, and,-despite their liJssseSi the door of' the 'farm wag soon j'hroken in. By 1 o'clock- the farm was . •'•c-fon. By a piece of good fortune a set .of'shede adjoined the farm; and on one 'of.these the French mounted a guick,*Srer: and alsp v .iy good fortuhe it. was- . fotmd that the ventilation holes of-these hmldings commanded the principal itteet, and made perfect loopholes. Then j followed "some desperate fighting.;' street :;to\street and house to house, but uJtithe French took the village, and I ',-thpe made one more step to the recovery of their lost province*. I