Marking Time in the West.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 428, 6 August 1915, Page 5

Marking Time in the West.

A Little Activity in the Vosges. Grenades and Petards Exchanged Elsewhere. ; ■ Received 0, 'j-5 a.m.) Paris, Aug. 5. - '' A communique say- :-In the Vosges the enemy continuously r . and violently bombarded our trenches at Lingekopf on Wednesday evening, with violent German infantry attacks. We liave retained all the positions except a portion of a trench on the crest <rf Linge. t.icnadc and petard lighting > going on cl icwhcre

FRENCH VICTORIES AT BANDESAPT.

BATTLE DESCRIBED BY EYE-WITNESS. Paris, Aug. 5. A French official eyc-wiine.,s, describing French victories on Julv 24th at in the Vosges, 35 miles south-east of Naticv, states that the Germans at dawn on the 16th bombarded with hcavv calibre shells the positions on Hill 627 at Fontenelle. A violent cannonade lasted the whole day, and at dusk the enemy’s infantry were hurled on us at four different points. Two attacks debouched from the direction of Launvis, and one tried to pass unseen through a little wood which had been considerably opened to daylight by bombardment. The wood covered the western slope;; of Hill 627. Our fire prevented the Germans from emerging beyond the margin. Other attacks had as their objective our barricade on the Laimois-Moven-Moutter road. Our infantry fire swept the enemy, who was unable t<> proceed. Enemy columns from Zaitre hurled themselves at our salients on the east of the road. Our machine guns offered an impassable barrier, and our artillcrv simultaneously covered the attacking columns with fire. lhe cohmms eddied, swarmed, and then disappeared. lhe enemy’s lines were dislocated. Midst the noise of bursting shells and lhe crackle of machine guns could be beard the cries of the wounded as they crawled away in lhe darkness. I lie enemy re-formed again and attacked, but their ranks were once more thinned, and they quickly fell back in disorder.

Two cneinv battalions were engaged, and their defeat was complete

On the 24th July we attack and carried all die enemy’s works west of Launois, gaining possession of the first house in the village. We took prisoner its garrison, and we now hold half the village.

We capture I 11 officers, 825 men eight machine guns, and a large quantity of ammunition-