Chasseurs Alpins attacking a Custom House in the High Vosges.
(From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere.)
This incident took place in the district south of the Schlucht Pass. The blockhouse was defended by Germans. A French lieutenant rushed forward and attempted to batter down the door with his rifle, but was immediately shot. A second officer fell, and then the men rushed the house and captured it. The French soldiers shown in the picture are Chasseurs Alpins. Notice that some of them are on skis.
For the rest of the year the battle-front in Alsace showed but little change. The French held every gun position on the eastern slopes of the Vosges, and were in command of all the roads leading down to the plains. The Germans held the plain and its railways, and were able to oppose any movement from the mouths of the valleys towards the Rhine. The French had secured one great advantage. Should they wish to push towards the Rhine through the Gap of Belfort, their left flank was secure.