THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SEAT OF WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 749, 17 October 1870, Page 2

THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SEAT OF WAR.

Mayence or Mentz is a city of Prussia, on ' the left bank of the Rhine, 36 miles from Coblentz. It is built nearly in the form of a semicircle, of which the Rhine is the basis, and is one of the strongest fortresses of North ' Germany. Towards the river defence is less necessary, and the works are simple, but on the land Bide they are extensive and complicated. There is a bridge across the Rhine to Cassel, which is also fortified and traversed ' by the railway from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden. . In 1792 it surrendered to the French, but c was the following year taken by the Austrians. Mayence would appear to be the ' head-quarters of the Prussian forces. Mayence is in a state of siege, and is ' occupied by 25,000 soldiers. Trenches have been opened in front of the city, and persons ' unable to provide themselves with six weeks' provisions have been notified to depart. A ' large force is encamped on the heights of St Hubert, overlooking the valley of the Nahe. which will protect the important group of coal mines at that place, and command the junction of the railroads from Bingerbruck to Landau. Large rafts are descending the ' Rbine at all hours with provisions and military munitions, between Mayence and Coblentz, and a formidable amount of war material and an immense body of troops have been collected. The Prussian corps has been stationed as a curtain to the Black Forest. The principal forces are concentrated in the triangular section of the country formed by the rivers Rhine, Moselle, and Saar. The last two rivers form the line of defence. The left of the army rests on the Rhine near Landau, and the right stretches out to the Moselle near Treves. Treves, an old decayed city on the Moselle, is about fifty miles north-west of Saarbruck. It was from this place that the right wing of the Prussian forces advanced upon the French frontier. It is about sixty-five miles south-west of Coblentz, and eighty-five south of Cologne. Cologne is a fortress of the first rank, forming a semicircle with the Rhine as its chord, and the town of Bentz as a tete-du-pont. Trenches have been opened two leagues from Cologne. An intrenched camp has been established in the triangle formed by Cologne, Coblentz, and Treves. The fine park in Cologne and the magnificent chateau of the banker Oppenheim have been razed. Saarbruck, on the Saar, 40 miles, S.S.E. of Treves, having a population of 12,000. This place was taken by the French under Frossard, on the 2nd August, and was half destroyed by fire. It was retaken by the Prus sians on the 6th under General Steinmetz. The heights of Saarbruck form a key to the railway approaches to Treves, hence the importance of the conquest. Weissenbourg is a small fortified frontier town of France on tbe Laeter River, 42 miles N.N.E. of Strasbourg by railway. Besides its fortress, works called the Line 3of Weissenbourg extend south-east to Lauterbourg, a distance of 9 miles. It has a population of 5121. The fortress of Weissenbourg and Grisbourg was taken by assault on the Sth August by Prussians and Bavarians under the Prince Royal, defeating General Douay. Sierck, on the French frontier, is twentyfive miles north of Metz, and was captured on the 6th of August by the Prussians, on the right of the line, who afterwards took Thionville. Thionville is a French fortified town on the Moselle, seventeen miles north of Metz. It was repeatedly besieged during the wars of Austria and France. It was the residence of the Merovingian and Carlovingian kings. Hagenau is a pleasant French town, 18 miles NN.E, of Strasbourg and a strong fortress. It successfully withstood many sieges during the Thirty Years' War. In October and December, 1793, bloody battles here took place between the French and Austrians, in which the former were victors. It has a population of 7123. Woerth is a neighbour-j ing village, and here, in the engagement of the 6th August (called by the French the battle ef Bishwiller), General M'Mahon was defeated by the Crown Prince of Prussia with a loss of 5000 dead, wounded, and missing, and 6000 prisoners. M'Mahon retired to Bitsche. Niederbronn !s 25 miles north of Stras--1 bourg, and 2© miles south of Bitsche. On the 9th August- the French Artillery, under General M'Mahon, made a stand at Niederbronn, but the place wa» taken by the Bavarian Contingent, and the French retired >' to Bitsche. Bitsche is a small town in a wild and , wooded paes of the Vosgcs mountains, about ; thirty milea from Hagenau, and forty-five ■ N.N.E. from Strasbourg. Its citadel, which ; is built on a precipitous and isolated rock in : the middle of the town, is defended by about 100 guns, is ordinarily garrisoned by 100 men, and is deemed all but impregnable. In 1703 : the Prussians, under the Duke of Brunswick, * tried to surprise it but failed. General M'Mahon, after: his defeat at Hagenau, fell , back on this point, and is supposed to have ': retreated towards Nancy. ! Longwy is a French fortified town, tbirtytwo miles N.W. of Metz. It is called the ■ iron gate of France. In 1792 it was taken by ■ the Prussians, and again by the A Hies in 1815. Metz is a French fortress of the first rank, on the Moselle River, at its confluence with the Seille. It is surrounded by a system of fortifications. Population is 57,000. It is l connected with Paris and Strasbourg by rail-' ; way; distant from Paris, 170 miles east; i from Strasbourg, ninety miles north-west. i This forms the present bead-quarters of the ; French Emperor, with an army said to num- | ber 300,000 troops. The latest intelligence •tates that it is invested on the north and east I

by the Prussians. It will probably be the scene of the next great conflict, of which we shall hear by the incoming mail. Verdun is a fortified town on the right bank of tbe Meuse, about forty miles west of Metz, fifty miles north-east of Chalons, forty miles south-west of Thionville, and 150 miles from Paris. It was fortified by Vauban, its defences consisting of a wall, with bastions, and a citadel. Phalsbourg is a third-class fortification, distant about fifty miles from Strasbourg. It was built by Vauban, and in the tremendous struggles against the allies in 1814 and 1815 successfully defied ail the assaults made on it. It was called by Napoleon I. the " nursery of heroes," as the birthplace of a number of the bravest officers of his army, and among them of two Marshals of France, Gerard and Loban. Schlettstadt is a small town, on the road between Basla and Strasbourg, from which the railway passes on inte the Department of the Lower Rhine. It has but 9000 inhabitants, and not much animation. It was once a free city of the Holy Roman Empire, and after its annexation to France it was fortified by Vauban, New Brisach.— This town with Fort Mortier forms another French fortification on the left bank of the Rhine, between Basle and Strasbourg. It is distant about two hours from Colmar by the post road, and stands over against Alt-Breisach at the foot of the Kaisertahl, which used in ths dark ages to be considered the key of Germany. Strasbourg is the capital of the department of the Bas Rhin, and formerly of the province of Alsace. It is a fortress of the first-class, standing at the confluence of the IH and the Brusohe, close to the left bank of the Rhine. It is 312 miles east of Paris by railway. The citadel, built by Vauban, 1684, is a pentagon, and the fortifications, which are very strong, extend almost to the Rhine. The bridge, which afforded communication with the German side of the river, was blown up at the commencement of the war. Th ; s fortress is surrounded by a Prussian force of 60,000 men. Kehl, a German fortress on the Rhine, opposite to Strasbourg, is of great importance in a military sense, and was also fortified by tbe French engineer Vauban in 16S8. It has often been besieged and taken. The Auctrians took it in 1797, and it was taken by the French in the following year, and they retained it till 1814. It communicates with tbe Baden and Basle railway. Beltort is Bituated at the southern base of the Vosges on the left bank of the river Sa^ voureuse, and Ib a fortress of the second class, having been constructed by the celebrated Vauban. It is 85 miles south of Strasbourg, and is on the direct line of road from Paris by Troyes to Basle. Saverne is a small town 22 miles north-east from Strasbourg. Petite Pierre 32 miles iv the same direction. Marsal is a small fortified town on the road from Nancy to Strasbourg, about 20 miles from the former. PRUSSIAN TERRITORY ON THE BALTIC AND NORTH SEA. So much has been said in relation to military operations on the frontier and through Prussia and France generally, that the coast of the Baltic and the German Ocean have been lost sight of almost altogether. Owing to the comparative weakness of the Prussian navy, France has a powerful advantage over her adversary at sea, and is evidently prepcr.ng to avail herself of' it, if we may judge by the number of iron-clads and transports that have left Cherbourg and Toulon within the past week, bound north. The Empress Eugenic has been to the former port' to review in person the sailors and marines, whom she is reported to have saluted with an address that produced the greatest enthusiasm. All this preparation at Cherbourg, of which we have heard, is with a view to extensive maritime operations on the Baltic. That portion of the coast extending from the mouth of the Ems to the north-eastern point of Schleswig is protected by a . breastwork of rugged rocky islands, which form a most effectual barrier against encroachments for the greater portion of that distance. Navigation is extremely difficult and dangerous, and the only pilots to be had, who have any real knowledge of the coast and its navigable channels, are the inhabitants of tbese islands. A recent order of the Prussian Government has caused them all to remove from their island homes to the main land, in order tbat the French fleet might be deprived of th*2ir assistance. About 100 miles in a northwesterly direction from Alton a and Hamburg, and opposite the mouth of the Elbe, lies the little island of Heligoland, about a mile long and one eighth of a mile wide, and owned by England. There is an English garrison there, and the few inhabitants are skilful pilots, and will probably be much sought after in the present need of ocean guides la the North Sea. Gluckstadt, near the mouth of the Elbe, and Altona further up the rivet, are both fortified. Further north, on the Baltio shore, from Christianfeldt, in Schleswig, to Konigsberg and Polanger on the east, fortifications have been in process of erection for some time. The strongest position next to the fortified ports of Kiel, Wilhelmswafen, Dantzic, Sundevitt, and Alsen, is at Hoerup Hauf, commanding the passage of the Little Belt. Three strongly-built, iron-faced, and star-shaped forts have been erected there, with double tiers of the heaviest ordnance. Further up the coast five batteries have been placed, so that this stronghold on thelslandof Alsen will command not only the Straits but the Alsenund Cans 1 , and port. Hoerup Hauf is connected with Sonderberg, which is the principal military depot of the north. These works are 80 far completed as to be serviceable, and wi! ? . no doubt, be heard from before long. Kiel, which has already figured once or twice in speculative items of news as about to be attacked, is situated in the north-east corner of Holstein, on the Kiel Fiord. It haa ft

powerful fortress and surrounding forts and ' batteries. It communicates by rail with Gluckstadt and Hamburg. Duppel is also a splendidly fortified position, and adds materially to the strength of the coast line. Dantzic, situated at the mouth of the Vistula, is one of the most important cities on the Baltic, and contains a population of about 70,000. Its fortifications are very strong, and contain in time of peace a garrison of between eight and nine thousand soldiers. It is a wealthy city, and an important strategic point. Napoleon will find its fortifications much improved since it fell into his uncle's hands in 1808. Even then it waß a troublesome place to take, and only yielded after a persistent siege of twelve months, defended by General Rapp against the Prussians and Russians combined. It is tbe rendezvous of the Prussian fleet of the Baltic, and communicates by rail with Berlin and Konigs- ' berg.