SIEGE WAR FROM THE LYS TO THE VOSGES.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2601, 9 April 1915, Page 2

SIEGE WAR FROM THE LYS TO THE VOSGES.

AYiiILK the great battle was being delivered in Belgium, the war continued along the rest of the line, assuming the character of .siege warfare from trench lo trench, and opposing to each other defensive organisations equally formidable. 'Tf is uunccessury lo lay stress on the merit of our troops in sustaining this war foot by foot, in never yielding, and in always progressing in spite of the burden imposed on them by tho moving to the north of important English and French units." In direct line with tho northern armies, tho armies of Castlenau and. Moudliuy lieldr'with--011(4a, single retreat, the line from the Lyg to ISoyoii from the middle of October to the end of November. Aud from the cud of October their progross was steady, consolidating our position at Arras and La B-assee, taking Quesiioy, and constantly showing to advantage in artillery and infantry duels at every meeting with tho enemy. Between, tlie Ois-e and the Argouiio'the armies of Maunoiiry, Esperay, and Gary were faced with very strong positions, the heights of (ho Aisne, Berrn, Nogeut, Moronvilliers, and the wooded elevations of tho western Argonnc. Tv September (hey had to bear the weight of a general attack, very fiercely delivered, which was repulsed, notably east of Rheims, on September 20. The | Kaiser was present at this defeat of | Jus troops, as he was also a-, iveek later, at the battle of Yprcs. "On our side, violent attacks, which were more costly than productive, were abandoned in favour of operations of smaller extent which allowed us to gain ground all tho time; and it was the same in Hie Argonne and the Yosges, Our armies, under Sarrail and . Dubail, .accomplished methodically and successfully (heir allotted task, protecting our right Hank from all attacks from .Met/, and Theouvillo, and kepi, opposing iheni, by continual, attacks, the greatesL possible number of Genua 11 corps, freeing as far as possible the national soil iv (ho occupation of tho enemy, especially in Woeuvrc- and around Verdun." AI first the enemy, from September 13 to 20, took (he. upper baud, establishing themselves at St. Mehiel, penetrated tlie heights of . ]\leu.se, and closed in ou Verdun. But from October 1 to November :J0 the French retook the advantage, cleared Verdun, closed tho road from St. Mehiel, made progress to' tho cast of Nancy, which was now definitely beyond range of the Gorman artillery, also to the north of Luneville and to the north-east and oast of -St. Hie. "In November we, had retaken between Bel fort and the Moselle almost the whole of the- invadw! territory."