Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1915 — NEW DRIVE ON COLMAR [ARTICLE]

NEW DRIVE ON COLMAR

FRENCH TROOPS OCCUPY IMPORTANT HEIGHT OF LA LINGE. Also Gain Foothold in Stone Quarries of Schratzmannele and Woods of Barren Kopf. London, July 23.— A new drive on Colmar, the great German supply base for operations, is heralded by French official reports. Already the French troops, striking the German line suddenly while the Teuton strength is concentrated in the east, have occupied the important height of La Linge, to the north of Munster, and have gained a foothold in the stone quarries of Schratzmannele and the woods of Barren Kopf. Fierce fighting also is proceeding west of Munster on the heights of Uttie Reichacker Kopf, where the French have gained a trench of 150 meters and held it against nine German counterattacks. This fighting is faking place less than ten miles from Colmar, at which the French are striking from the north and northwest This great fortified camp has been under French fire intermittently for months. It Is one of their principal objectives in the drive on the Rhine. On the remainder of the western front the fighting has been confined to artillery duels except to the west of the Argonne, where the Germans claim progress by infantry attacks. There has been some activity among the rival air corps, the Germans bombarding Chalons, in Champagne, with incendiary bombs, without, however, doing any damage. The French flyers dropped 12 bombs on the railway station at Autry, northwest of Binarville. In a duel over the valley of the Thann three German aviators forced an equal number of French to the ground.