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

and all the new fortresses of the
i Meuse and Moselle Toul is perhaps
THE most formidable. The works we're
begun in 1874 by the construction OF
| four outlying forts north. northeast
end south of the town. but these soon
became merely an inner line Of de-
Ifense. The principal defenses now
| lie much farther out on all sides The
west front of the newsline Of forts
occupies long line or high ground
1.-THE watershed Of the Meuse and Mo
selle), the north front, about four
| nxes from Toul. Is N undulattng
J country, while facing toward Nancy
and forming the chord of the arc
which the Moselle describes from
Fcntenay below To ville-le-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 tae southeast
! fPont st vincentl The south front
extends from the Moselie at vilie-le.
Sec scuthwestward till 1t 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 cutwork of this defense.
The perimeter OF theaT oul 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 Gironyille. Liouville and
Trcyon. South of Toul the country
was purposely left unfortitied as far
as Epinal 10. W, and this region is
known as the Trouee d Epfnal.
The town itself forms an oval within
FASTENED enciente pierced by three
gateways.
! 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 Due. Population
1906, 1887. In addition the popuIa-
tion comptee part fsoldiers, etc.),
numbers S19S.
Verdun as a fortress Is of first rate
Importance. 1t lies directly opposite
to the frontier Of German Lorraine
and the great entrenched camp of
Metz. At the time of the war of 1870
(wben it was defended for long with
out hope of success by General Guerin
de Waldersbach) 1t was still small
ANTICIPATED fortress of the Vaubarl
epoch, but On the long line of forti-
fications en- the Meuse created by
Serre de Riyiere in 1875 Verdum.
forming the left CT 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. Bellville north, and La
Chaume and Regert vest on all the
surrounding heights that the besiegers
had used for batteries, but the de-
signers socn extended the. line of the
eastern defenses as far out as the,
sharply defined cliffs that, rising gent
~ for some miles from the Mouse.
came to an abrupt edge and overlook
the Dla,n Of Woevre. On the front
which is about 51a miles long, the
most important works are (from right
to left Chatillon, Manezel, Moulain-
/ Vile, Elk. Mardi Gras, Lanfee, Vaux
and Hardimont At right angles to
, this line. on the south front the works
CT which are placed, along one OF. the
icng western spurs of 1.-THE line ,of
heights, are forts Rozellier, st. Sym
phorien and Haudainyille. the last
overlooking the Meuse. The north
frcnt. 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
ly 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
spurs, On the left bank of the Meuse
there is complete semicircIe of forts
At the northern end OF this semicir.
Gle fbessdes some work In the valley
itself. and crossing its fire with the
left OF the north front, is fort Belle.
Epine, then comes Marie. Bourrus ana
BTuyeres. all four being on a single
ridge facing northwest. The west
front is composed OF Fort GermonvilIe.
Fort Bots de Sartelles. Fort Bcis du
Chapitre, Fort Landrecourt and Fort
! Dugny, which last is within. sight of
Fort Haudainville 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 nfnh