The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-25
In Few Hours Fierce Fighting
Soldiers of Republic Sweep
Ieutons Back
ARMY OF CROWN
PRINCE GIVEN DRUBBINC .
Prisoners Taken Number 3, 500.
With Large Loot Strategic
Points Which Cost Germany
Thousands of Lives RetakenI

! Paris. Oct. 24.--In the greatest sur.
prise blow struck on the western front
since GailIieni's 'taxicab army
/ smashed the Germans on the Marine,
the French today launched a terrific (
drive against the armies of the Gers
man Crown Prince northeast of Ver-
| dun. kS
! In one impetuous headlong assault
the defenders of the most precious
| plot in France crashed through the
Teuton defense on front of four and as
A half miles from the Meuse to the Il
! Woevre hills. The fury of their as
sault carried them at points almost
| two miles into the German lines. They
, won back in their furious concerted
rush trenches, forts. villages and
forests which the Germans had bought
at the cost of thousands upon thous-
ands of lives
| Tonight Fort Douaumont and the
village of Douaumont, names written
with blood upon the pages OF history,
once more are in French hands. Tho
! Thiaumont works, scene of scores of
desperate battles, also Is held by the
French. The Haudromont quarry, tho
Caillette wood, the Chenois wood and
the Damloup battery all have been
won back
! Paris Is Joyous.
+, News of the tremendous victory
! reached Paris while the soldiers were
still smashing their way through tho
German lines
! Early in the afternoon the pregnant
rumor of startling developments ak
| Verdun spread about the city. The
tension was tremendous, but dissolved
into unbounded JOY when. in an early
communique. the war Office toniEhts
more than confirmed the city's fonde1f
! hopes.
| Utter secrecy had marked tina
| French preparations for the bfoW.s
The Germans were caught completes.
| ly by surprise and. off their guard and
with their ranks drained to supply
the demands Of the armies OF the
Somme, fell easy victims to Jofres8s
4 great thrust. which was carried oHfa
| with f1owless strategy by General Nj
velie. Since early yesterday there has
been tremendous bombardment. but
heavy bombardments have been CONF
mon on the Meuse front. But when
the unprecedented intensity Of tho
| shell fire warned the Germans that
a great general attack was near u
was then too late for them to concerns
trate their forces to meet the blow.
The mastery of the air by the
French had prevented German avia-S
tors from spying behind the Nerduu
lines during the concentration of hngA4
first line forces and reserves for tho
smash, And France had time to
make ready. and when the noment'
I came she struck with full force.
The drum fire of thousands OF guns.
kept up without intermission through
out the night, wiped out the foremOsts
! Teuton defenses.
At dawn the fire increased to an
inferno of violence. Then. promptly
at the moment set-11;40 O'clock
the fire curtains moved back and the
French troops leaped from their
trenches for the grand assault.
The poilus were at last hitting after
months of buffeting.
They went through the first German
lines as though they were made OF
cardboard. And as they advanced tnNs
shell fire kept moving before them
cutting off the German reserves ami
wiping out trench lines and entanglea
ments. ssS
Hundreds OF Germans. stunned aUAs
F6azed, were found in dugouts atA6
underground chambers. They ofkorod
little resistance. Their comrades H.,
the trenches had been blown to death.
by the fury Of the hre.
How rapid was the French rush ID.
indicated by the number Of pris0nAGas
counted tonight-3.500. All the huo
munitions and food stores hidden ~
the underground vaults ana sub&
ranean fortresses were captured III
1.-THE French. 1t will take day. 70 evo4
count the amount Of booty taken.
r.. According \. riding, to ~, accounts rsacnias
swept from their grip on the icfl1
F'riod Terre slopes in the first feW
hours Of fighting. This hill marke4
their point OF closest approach ~
Nerdun. From its crest they hal
ARTILLERY command OF the forts anxE
city to the southwark. It's capture ha1s
been hailed by them ~ the final 60
toward the capture Of Vordun.
Back beyond Fort Douaumont thGU
were forced and that stronghold 49,
CO ptured with its entire gArrinOG
Douaumont village came next ana tl11s
French soldiers. raised to aupfoafx
heights Of victory by their succeasfe
rush. swept the nearby woods XII
Chapitre and Chenois. where. NJ
winter. thousands of men grappled RI
death for foot by foot Of ground. ~
Haudrom0nt Sei1od.
The powerfully fortified quarrioe ~
Haudromont were seized In tho IAGl7
onslaught, while on the extromo rt6 Y
other French soldiers were chaxG1
i UP the slopes OF Damioup to aai1o 81
ruins Of the battery. 5
As the infantry. wearied. hlai
/ thirsty. painting from thelr treEnon 1S
exertions. but supreme In th1 ~
awaited moment OF victety, $500 r.
/ ward to new triumphA. tn uoIl1 n
i moved forward paAt tn o1GS
redeemed acres. THAR ~ ~ n1N r.
upon the German po1keIene
Il thAr to the rear. ss ssissS
The French lise tsatsAt u
dsi1nsA ~ ~ uAr a. ~ III
Tftha reaa txe1n Il Z