THE ALLIES CAMPAIGN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4002, 7 August 1915, Page 5

THE ALLIES CAMPAIGN.

FRENCH SUCCESS AT BAN DE SAPT. EYE-WITNESS’S GLOWING REPORT. ENEMY BATTALIONS MELTED AWAY. PARIS, Aug. 5. A communique states: Tho enemy continuously and violently bombarded our trenches at Liugekopf. We retained all the positions except a portion of a trench on the crest of Lingo. Grenade and petard lighting occurred elsewhere. The French official eye-witness, describing the French victories at Ban do Sapt, states :

The Germans at dawn on tho Kith bombarded with heavy calibre shells tho positions on .Hill (Vi7' at Fontelle. The violent cannonade lasted the whole day. At dusk the enemy’s infantry were hurled back at four different points. v Two attacks debouched froin the direction of Launois. One tried to pass unseen through a little wood which had been considerably opened to daylight by the bombardment. The wood covered the western slopes of Hill 627. Our lire prevented the Germans emerging beyond the margin. Other attacks had as tlieir objective our barricade on the Launois-Moyeu-moutter road. Our infantry fire swept the enemy, who were unable to proceed. Our machine guns offered an impassable barrier. Our artillery simultaneously covered the attacking columns with lire. The columns eddied, swarmed, and then disappeared. The enemy’s lines were dislocated.

In the midst of the noise of bursting shells and the crackle of machine guns one could hear the cries of the wounded as they crawled away in the darkness.

'Pile enemy re-formed, and again attacked, hut their ranks were onee more thinned, and quickly fell hack in disorder. The enemy battalions were engaged. Tlieir defeat was complete. On the 24th we attacked and carried all the enemy works west of Launois, gaining possession of the first house in the village, and took the garrison prisoners. Wo now hold halt the village. We captured eleven officers. 825 men, eight machine guns, and a large quantity of ammunition. Official : Thercf were desperate actions on the Vosges heights dominating the Fechf, especially at the iOclirat/.mannele Pass, where the enemy captured a block house, but were driven out bv an immediate counter-attack. Our curtain of shrapnel indicted very heavy losses.