Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-04
CANNON IN ROLE OF
"CHOTR INVISIBLE"
Great Siege Guns of TeutOns in Oper-
alton Against French Positions
Cannot Be Seen.
BATTLEFIELD LIKE IRON PLANT
one Artillery Piece Pounds Away
-Four Days ut Les Paroches
without Location being
Discovered.

BERLIN Cvia The Hague and Iopdon)
Oct. 3.-An opportunity to watch closely
the German-Austrian artillery attack on
the line of French forts south Of Verdun
last Saturday was given an Associated
Press correspondent, who had been with
the Germans at Metz.
An attack. which Friday led to the TAX
ing Of Fort Camp Des Romans, as the
first step in the breaking Of the defense
OF the fort lines, resulted Saturday In
tho silencing of Fort Les Paroches, the
correspondent says
Towards evening It was reported that
was replying to the Austrian fire. all
the other forts being silent. After that
the Austrians concentrated their fire with
precision on this single turret from a
distance of six miles, indicating that IL
was but matter of time when the de-
tense line would be ready for an in.
fantry attack.
VaIiantIy Defended.
Fort Camp Des Romans was valantly
defended by the French. The attacking
forces came within five yards OF the
only one armed turret at Fort Lyonville
trench in front Of the fort before the
garrison surrendered. The French ar
tillerymen in the classmates of the forts
had to be dislodged with hand grenades
smoke bombs and fire tubes, which Ger
man volunteers placed against the OPEN
ing of the classmates. filling the interiors
with fragments of bombs and sense-rob-
bling gases.
Even then the defenders refused to
capitulate. Finally they were given most
honorable conditions of surrender, owing
to the valor they had displayed.
The correspondent trip over the bat
tefield showed nothing OF the tradi-
tional battle tumult, such as attacking
infantry. racing cavalry and galloping
artillery.
Artillery Invisible.
The heavy artillery could not be seen.
= There was the tremendous defamation OF
siege pieces and large columns OF smoke
areas from burning villages. The black
surface thus created was studded every
where with the white clouds from explod-
ing projectiles.
On the road few wounded were max
ing their way TO the base hospitals. Be-
yond that the battlefield gave the i'm
preston of a tremendous iron plant
with its masses of artillery machinery
and the attending noises, a feature which
seems TO mark this war more and more
as the preconceived plans are applied
The German and Austrian heavy siege
pieces We're marvelously concealed and
placed and the working of them was like
clockwork. Men brought ammunition and
placed it with astounding regularity, as
il they had done nothing else all their
lives, though now and then the wholly
mechanical process was interrupted for
few minutes by new instructions which
were received over the telephone, OBJ
servations having necessltated slight
change in the direction of the fire. There
was a pause for the noon meal
Location Never Discovered.
One artillery piece pounded away for
four days with Les Paroches as its OBJ
jective, and the location of the gun never
was discovered. During that time the
men handling this cannon had gone to
Housekeeping most comfortably.
st. Mihiel had been evacuated shortly
before the arrival of the correspondent
From hills near the battle ground it
could be seen that the artillery on both
sides was hammering necessarily. To
wards evening smoke columns rose south
Of Toul, indicating that fight was going
on there.