_The following details published in Paris on July 11 by an official
"Eyewitness" with the French army of the desperate fighting which
resulted in the capture of the summit of Hilgenfirst, more than 3,000
feet high, in the Langenfeldkopf region, in the Vosges Mountains, are
given in an account of the struggle written by an official eyewitness
with the French army._
In the fight for the capture of the eminence of Hilgenfirst, one
company of our advance guard which forced a breach in the German lines
was cut off from its battalion as the result of a German
counter-attack. This company, nevertheless, succeeded in maintaining
the conquered position four days until finally relieved.
On June 14 the Sixth Company of the Seventh Battalion crawled from its
trenches and deployed toward a clearing in the woods opposite. It then
charged, taking the German trenches. The Germans fled to the woods,
leaving a quick-firer. Our men immediately began fortifying the
position, but our sentries reported that German patrols had been seen
encircling the French. Other companies were ordered forward
immediately to support the one in the trench.
Meanwhile large German reinforcements had been brought up, making it
impossible to reach our men. The captain in the trench, realizing that
he was surrounded, ordered some of his men to form a hollow square and
defend the position while others dug trenches on four sides. The
Germans attacked in great force with quick firers and rifles, but
withdrew at nightfall after a battle lasting two hours. Our men
defending the position numbered 137, including five officers. One
officer and twenty-seven men were wounded.
The following day, despite a well-directed fire from our main
positions, the Germans again attacked in large numbers, advancing in
columns of four. The situation now began to look critical, but at the
crucial moment a hail of shrapnel from our 75.8 completely decimated
one advancing column. The edge of the wood out of which the column
advanced was piled high with German bodies and the remainder of the
force scattered in flight.
In the afternoon the Germans again prepared for an attack, but the
attempt was frustrated by our infantry fire. During the night the
captain told off men to rest in squads, the others being constantly on
the alert. At dawn a second lieutenant and a few men surprised a small
German scouting detachment of twenty men commanded by a
non-commissioned officer. Our men threw themselves upon the Germans,
killing the officer and two men, the others taking to their heels at
top speed.
At 10 o'clock the main body of our troops succeeded in establishing
communications with the isolated company which called for help in the
provincial dialect. We answered that we would attack at nightfall, but
that the attack would be preceded by a heavy bombardment.
Accordingly, they constructed heavy bomb-proof shelters on the four
sides of the square and anxiously waited. At 9 o'clock the attack was
begun with artillery, quick firers and rifles, but it was insufficient
to drive out the Germans, who had in the meanwhile established
well-protected trenches and, with an excellent telephone system, made
any surprise movement impossible.
The company's rations were now becoming very low. Delirious cries of
the wounded added to the discomfiture of the men. The following
morning a German patrol tried to take the position by storm, and some
of the men succeeded even in mounting the parapet. These were driven
off by a quick firer which had been captured from the Germans. On
other advancing troops of the enemy huge boulders, dug from the
hillside, were rolled down and we succeeded in dispersing the attack.
Another attack was prepared by us for that night, but the danger was
great on account of the narrowness of the position occupied by the
company. The captain of the company was ordered to light fires at the
opposite ends of his position, so that our artillery could better
regulate its fire, as there was great danger of killing our own men.
The artillery opened a crushing fire, and the Germans began to
retreat. As they passed the company's position their men were mowed
down by the exactness of the fire of our troops, and finally the brave
company was delivered.
The general in command of the army in the Vosges said, in
complimenting the men for their bravery, the company henceforth should
be called "Company Sid Ibrahim."
[Illustration: Battle line in the Vosges, July 20]