_Captain Mazarde_--11th Chasseurs. “A splendid officer already cited at the order of the Division, of the Army Corps, and of the Army. From June 29th to July 14, 1915, he exhibited the bravery of a hero. While leading his Chasseurs to the air of _Sidi Brahim_ in an attack upon a wood, he was stopped by wire entanglements at 50 metres from its edge. He maintained the line of attack for 36 hours, face to face with the enemy, repulsed a counter-attack, and riddled the line of the enemy with bullets and grenades. He withdrew only when ordered to do so, taking all his wounded and the bodies of the officers killed. He was shot, and died from his wounds.” [Illustration: West of Ailles April 24, 1917--10.00 A.M.] _Captain Pierre Mercier_--67th Battalion of Chasseurs. “Entrusted with the mission of defending the passage of a bridge, he maintained his company under an intense fire. Outflanked on both right and left, he did not hesitate to charge an enemy very superior in numbers, and fell mortally wounded, saying to his men, “We have done our duty.” Space does not allow us to give more numerous citations, but we think that it would benefit the American army to get the minutes of the war, to select therefrom the most brilliant citations of the French and English armies, to have them translated and widely distributed among the American troops. Nothing would be more instructive for the officers, nothing could better rouse their fire, nothing would inspire them with a greater desire to emulate their comrades in the Allied armies. The example of heroism is contagious for young men. SHOCK-TROOPS (STOSSTRUPPEN). The continual failure of the German attacks or counter-attacks for more than a year led them to the creation of what they call _Stosstruppen_. The new recruits of the German army were lacking greatly in quality--the German soldier at best is wanting in initiative. The High Command therefore resorted to a selection of the best elements to be found in some of their divisions, with which to form battalions or companies for assault. The promise of receiving better and more abundant food than that given to the other troops (so important is the question of food to the German soldier, who has been on somewhat short rations since 1916) has been sufficient to bring forward volunteers for these companies. These special troops are exempted from work in the trenches, and are brought up to the lines only when needed. On such occasions they are scattered all over the attacking front for the purpose of encouraging by their example the elements which are not so well organized. The Germans, who, after the Russian revolution, were enabled to withdraw the best elements from their divisions on their Eastern Front, made, in June and July, 1917, a frequent use of their _Stosstruppen_ in counter-attacks in Artois, and in desperate and daily attacks on the Chemin des Dames, but the result was far from expectation.