Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-29
CAPTURED FORTRESS
CLOSELY ENC|RCLED
BY JOFFRE'S ARMY
French Claim Check to Ger
man Advance, but Berlin
Records New ConqueSts
Around Verdun Forts
by Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-The great.
battle of Verdun. now entering its sec
ond week, is continuing with undated
fury. with the German armies driving
hard at the French defenses along.
lengthening line which now runs far be
yond the salient in which lies the
fortress. s--.- 49,
Paris asserts that with the pouring in
OF heavy achievements for General
Joffre's armies, the German advance has
been checked, but Berlin claims a con-
tinuation of the forward march on the
French stronghold.
The Germans continue to hold Fort
Douaumont. despite French attacks, ac-
Cording to Berlin.
According to unofficial advices re-
ceived from the front and sent out from
Berlin, attempts of the French to re-
take the Fortress of Douaumont have
not only failed, but the German adj
vance on Verdun, continues steadily
In rapid succession, say these dis
patches, Louvemont, Champneuville, Cote
de Talou and Hardaumont have beeI-
stormed, and the Germans, with 1o,0oo
French prisoners in their hands, now
stand less than five miles from the CEN
ter of Verdun. x,
ON THE WOEVRE.
\
dun, the Germans have been unable TO
make as rapid progress as at first. al
though the battle has continued With
intensity
On the Woevre front, where the
French at first fel: back, they now apr
pear to be offering effective resistance
Pressure here is particularly menaclng
to the fortress, as the crushing IN OF
this eastern line of the Nerdun salient
60. opx- great distance would spell dis
aster for the stronghold.
The French defensive operations at
places are taking on the nature OF
counter offensive, as in the attacks on
Fort Douaumont four miles northeast
of Verdun.
This development has been forecast
i'm dispatches which told of the expecta-
ton in Paris that the French, when they
had fallen back to positions they be-
Neved they could hold indefinitely would
! drive back over the ground that had
been Welded in the face of the terrible
German artillery and infantry attacks.
FRENCH REINFORCEMENT.
According to statement by Aristide
BRAND the French. premier, this hap
pened after the fourth day of the battle.
The French brought up strong rein
forcements at an unexpected moment,
and the infantry, sweeping down upon
the Germans, who already were suffer-
ing heavily from the effects of the
French artillery fire, stopped them short
and even drove them back.
The premier declares the French have
now regained the advantage, the Begin
ming of their counter attacks marking
the turning point of the battle, which is
now in it's second phase.
The German accounts fail. to agree
with this French version of the fighting,
Berlin having announced further ad-
vances for the crown princes troops, in
Guiding the taking of Hardaumont, east
OF Fort Douaumont, and the village OF
Champneuville, on the German right
flank, while the French attacks on Fort
Douaumont were repulsed.
The French themselves do not claim
the recapture of this outlying defense
of the main fortress, but declare that
the Germans who had gained a foothold
to the east and west Of the position were
being hard pressed, maintaining them
selves with difficulty. They say the fort
is closely encircled."
IN THE CHAMPAGNE.
A German attack against the French
positions at Manheulles resulted in COM
plete failure, the French war office says
Certain advanced trenches near the
Navarin farm in the Champagne were
taken by the Germans by surprise at
tack, the French admit
Berlin claims the capture OF NdVarln
farm and French positions on both sides
about 800 meters long, took prisoner 26'
officers and 1908 men and captured 9,
machine guns.
The total of lives lost in the sinking
of the Peninsular and Oriental steamer
Maloja by striking a mine off Dover
may reach Isl, dispatches today repoIts.
ing that only $50 of the All passengers
and crew on board are known to have
been saved. Of the 119 passengers So
have not been definitely accounted for.
A London dispatch indicates a belief
there that the Maloja and the other YES
sells just sunk in or near British waters
were the victims of German mines
sown recently. The sinking of the Rus-
sian steamer Petshanga, of 1,647 tons,
is announced today, fifteen persons on
board being saved.
Now that the Italians have evacuated
Durazzo their military efforts so far az
Albania is concerned will be confined tc
the vicinity of Avlona, eighty miles to
the south, according to Italian newspa
pers.
DuraZzo is declared to have been held
merely as a base for the rescue of the
remainder of the Serbian army and was
relinquished when that purpose was eff
fected, but rAvlona, near the entrance
the Adriatic, is regarded as of the great