A MOUNTAIN FIGHT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 17 March 1915, Page 8

A MOUNTAIN FIGHT.

RACE FOR THE HEIGHTS

During the fighting in Upper Alsace, which resulted in the Jrrencn capturing the last slopes of the Yosges, alter a desperate struggle of a fortnight's duration, some -extraordinary incidents took place, affording a remarkable contrast to the stubborn trench" warfare along the rest of the western line. The portion of Alsace along, which the fighting was waged is of a mountainous character, where the question of getting the guns from one ridge to another was of prime importance, for the; side which succeeded in accomplishing this feat first would be able to dominate the enemy's position in that particular phase of. the fighting.; In the fight for the heights dominating Steinbach there was .a" thrilling episodetoif; this kind. The French had i-eached a thickly wooded snur of mountain range, and opened their batteries on; a spot where the Germans had previously been in position. There 1 was no response, but the French gunners still kept at it. Suddenly the French; outpost guarding the river bridge 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 batteries had reached a point of 2000 yards from the spot where the French had crossed the river, had belched forth their shells, and had immediately afterwards galloped off. The French guns returned the fire, but too late, the German guns having already disappeared in the fir forest, which "\va& traversed by a winding road. There was' no doubt that the enemy was trying to reach the heights facing and dominating the French position, and possibly the effort would have been successful had the batteries not stopped on the ascent to destroy the bridge. "The French -troops, immediately dashed after the Germans in pursuit. The French' commander and his men knew that if the German guns were not overtaken the French force would; be entrapped. The way was steep and the mountain high, but the jFrench soldiers climbed rapidly. Half 'way up the mountaia side they found the way barred by a detached party of Germans behind a barricade of tree trunks. There followed a fierce and hot encounter. Ordinarily such a barricade, strongly held, would have taken some time to win, but on this occasion the barricade was taken in a rush, and the Germans who defended -it were bayonetted dr put to flight. Then the. mountain climb continued. The men needed no urging in that mad race up the mountain side, for they knew as well as their officers what was at stake. The French gunners urged on their horses mercilessly; higher and still higher they pressed-nguns, horses and men. At the end of an hour the French reached' tne topmost heights j first and unlimbered their guns. The German hatteries were dominated, and dominated thoroughly.; The French guns were put in position, and directed upon the enemy's flank at a/range ■of 1000 yards. The target was an..ex-, cellent one. Four by four the French shells dropped upon the enemy;, killing horses, di'ivers and gunners, and causing the ammunition carts to explode. Three-fourths of the -^German 'guns were soon put out of action, arid the German position was so precarious that iv French v emissary was sent to summon the Germans to surrender. He returned with; a haughty refusal from the German, commander, so the French resumed firing; ■ ''The .Kaiser's "troops diey';. but they do not surrender," the German commander is re ported, to have, said, in grandiloquent imitation of Napoleon. .But some of the stout and elderly Landsturm:'soldiers who were taking part in the battle were not so proud ? . and they showed such a marked, disinclination to continue the battle, that, soon the German commander, with the 25 per cent remnant of the German batteries which had escaped destruction , had fallen back on the village of, Steinbach itself, and there_ awaited the coming of the French. The pine woods, which had' before afforded su,cli excellent cover to the German batteries, now sheltered the advancing infantry, who from all sides crept closer .and closer to the desired centre of>' Steinbach. The German guns opened fire, but their fire was of little effect by reason of the splendid cover of the pine steins ; and branches. .The French sharpshooters, "with very slight loss, stole up to within 200 yards of the German outposts,' stationed at, a soli-tary-farmhouse, where the hillside sloped down • by'the.edge of the wood to a sunken road: In front of this .farm the Germans had established as a screen a row of civilians, including a woman, who stood there" with her hands tied* and dishevelled hair. Furiatedat this fresh'sign of German brutality, a company of French soldiers charged* with the bayonet. The enemy's fire swept the road to the farm, but nothing "could stop the French, and, despite their losses, the door of the farm was soon broken in. By 1 o'clock the farm was won. By a piece of good fortune a set of sheds • adjoined the farm; and on one of these the French mounted a quick-firer; and also by good,'fortune it was found that the ventilation holes of these buildings commanded the principal street, and made perfect loopholes. Then followed some desperate fighting; street to street*and house to house, but ultimately the French took the village, and thus" made one more step to the recovery of their lost provinces.