Burial of three fallen French Chasseurs Alpin, ca. 1915. Today 108 years ago, on July 20, 1915, the Battle of Le Linge began in the Vosges mountains on the Western Front. Le Linge (Lignekopf in German) and its neighboring Collet du Linge, Shratzmännelé, Barrenkopf and Kleinkopf were all ridges in the Vosges mountains in Alsace on the French-German border, held by the French by the end of 1914. In February 1915 the Germans launched an offensive for the ridges and captured them, including Le Linge. Afterwards they consolidated and fortified their defenses. French Commander-in-Chief Joffre sought to launch an invasion of Germany in Alsace, and on June 15, 1915, the French attacked further south at Münster, advancing 5 km by June 19 before being halted at Le Linge. Joffre decided to call off this offensive and prepare for a major one targeting Le Linge instead. On July 20, 1915, the French Chasseurs Alpins (Mountain Hunters) attacked the German positions at Le Linge and the neighboring Shr...