Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-14
FRANCE! HER WAR STRENGTH

tenn OF frontier defense was revised.
and all the new fortresses of the
Meuse and Moselle Toul is perhaps
the most formidable. The works were
begun I'm 1874 by the construction %
j four outlying forts north, northeast
and south CT the town, but these soon
became merely an inner line Of de-
tense. The principal defenses now
| lie much farther out on all sides. The
west front Of the new line Of forts
occupies a long line or high ground
1.-THE watershed of the Meuse and Mo
selle), the north front, about four
Hx,es from Tout, is n undulating
country, while facing toward Nancy
and forming the chord of the arc
which the Moselle describes from
Fontenay below to VilleIe-Sac above
is the strong east fort, the outlying
works of which extend far to the
east fort Frouard and other works
about Nancy) and to the southeast
(Pont st Vincent. The south front
extends from the Mcselle at Villele.
Sec scuthwestward till it meets the
southern end Of the west front on the
high ground overlooking the Meuse
valley. The fort at Pagny on the
Meause to the southwest may be con-
sidered an outwork CT this defense.
The perimeter of the Toul defenses
proper is nearly 80 miles, and their
mean distance from the town about
six miles. Northward, along the
Meuse, TCul is connected with the
fortress Of Verdun by the Meuse line
CT barrier forts, the best known of
which are Gironville, Liouville and
Troyon. South of Toul the country
was purposely left unfortified as far
as Epinal "a. VI. and this region is
known as the Trouee d. Epinal
The town itself forms an oval within
FASTENED enciente pierced by three
gateways. s- ..s..
Verdon. garrison town of north
eastern France, capital of an arron-
basement in the department Of Meuse.
on the main line of the Eastern rail-
way between Paris and Metz, AZ miles
northeast of Bar de Duo. Population
(1906), 1887 In addition the popula-
ton comptee a part tsoldiers, etc.
numbers 1898.
Verdun as fortress Is of first rate
Importance. It lies directly opposite
TO the frontier of German Lorraine
and the great entrenched camp of
Metz. At the time of the war of 1870
when it was defended for long with
out hope Of success by General Guerin
de Waldersbach) 1t was still a small
antiquated fortress of the Vauban
epoch, but On the long line of forti-
ncations en- the Meuse created by
Serre de Riviere in 1875 Verdum,
forming the left Of the "Meuse Line"
barrier, was made the center of an
entrenched camp. The first lesson of
1870 being taken to heart. forts were
placed (Belrupt southeast, ST. Michael
northeast, Beilville north, and La
Chaume and Regert west) on all the
surrounding heights that the besiegers
had used for batteries,,abut the de.
slgners socn extended the line of the
eastern defenses as. faxunut. as the
tsharpiy defined cliffs that rising gent.
ly for some miles from the Meuse.
came to an abrupt edge and overlook
the Dlain Of Woevre. On the front
which is about 5 y miles long. the
most important works are {from right
TO lett Chatillon, Manezel, Moulain-
/ vile, Elk. Mardi Gras, Eanfee. Vaux
and Hardimont. At right angles to
this line. on the south front the works
OF which are placed along one of the
lcng western spurs CT the line of
heights, are forts Rozellier, st. SYM
phorien and Haudainville, the last
/ overlooking the Meuse. The north
front. also on spur OF the ridge, is
thickly studded with forts, these In
some cases being about 200 yards
apart and the left fort overlooking, the
Mouse. Behind the east front. chief.
Nv designed to close the valley by
which the Metz-Verdun railway pene.
trates the line of heights, are fort
Travannes with its outworks and
series Of batteries on the adjacent
snurs. On the left bank OF the Meuse
there is complete semicircle of forts.
AT the northern end OF this semicir.
Gle (besides some work In the valley
itself. and crossing its IRE with the
left OF the north front, is fort Belle.
Epine, then comes Marre. Bourrus and
Bruyeres, all four being on a single
ridge facing northwest. The west
front Is composed of Fort Germonville.
I Fort Bots de Sartelles. Fort Bots du
Chapitre. Fort Landrecourt and Fort
Dugny. which last Is within sight of
Fort Haudainyille over the Meuse. In
the second line behind these works
are Fort Choisel, Chana redoubt and
Fort Sartelles. in all there are is
large forts and about 20 smaller
works. the perimeter Of the whole be-.
ing about 80 miles and the greatest
diameter OF the fort ring nine.