South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-07
DESCRIPTION Of
FORTS CAPTURE
German Reports Declare Few
Losses in Taking of
DOuaum0nt.
Internntional 80 -:

international News Service:
BERLIN. April IA eorrespon-
dent sends the following descrip-
ton OF the capture Of Fort Douau-
mont. the first important success Of
The Germans in their gigantic often
sive against Verdun:
threatening the long bare ridge
of Douaumont rises above the sur
rounding wooded heights. The
ridge is two and one-half miles long
and covered with no less than IA
separate forts which command the
heights and valleys in all directions.
The steep approaches OF the hill are
guarded By small but very strong
fortihcaticns and on the summit.
1850 feet above the plain, an enor-
nous modern armOred fort. the
strongest OF the eastern defenses OF
Verdun, dominates the district.
ETC take this fortress was no easy
matter. but our gent guns which on
the day before had cleared the
woods east OF the ridge Of the enemy
smashed the Notifications in the
same way as those OF Liege and
NGmur were smashed in the first
weeks Of the war For Il hours an
understandable hail Of shells OF all
sizes was shOwered upon the forts
and when most of the French guns
had been silenced the "a Brandon
burg infantry regiment received or
ters 70 storm the heights.
The resistance Of the defenders
was but feeble. although their
bravery is praised by every German
officer and soldier They were too
1azed by the terrible bonn bardment
% fight effectively. In a remark
ably short time the attacking regi-
ment reached 10 main fort on the
summit with very small losses. Only
Is Of the heroic Brandenburgers
were killed and about so wounded
After their retreat from the ridge
he French quickly regained their
,Omposure. They cOunter-attacked
with the greatest daring. but were
repulsed again and again with heavy
losses The Brandenburgers found
harder to hold the fortress than to
capture it.
Three days and nights they were
ander an awful fire of the French
guns on the heights further west and
iouth. Their situation had become
desperate when the big German
iowitzers finally succeed In silencing
he batteries OF the enemy and "A
strong new attack pushed the lines
If the French infantry further back.
Sd as TO end the unceasing counter
lttacks.
After four days Of terrific fight
ng the height with its entire chain
IF Notifications was firmly in Ger
nan hands.
The capture OF the fort was one
,f the most glorious achievements
of the war. but the methods en-
Dloyed differed vastly from those
lsed in the early stages of the war.
No large bodies OF troops were
thrown AGAINST the stronghold In
close formation 10 be moved down
~ the fire OF the enemy. The artil-
cry did practically all the work and
he infantry only scaled the height
after thousands OF shells had de-
nolished the fortihcations and de-
ncralized the defenders.
This explains the small German
osses. All preparations had been
made so carefully and the operations
we're carried out so methodically
hat II was not necessary to sacrifice
my large number OF men The hys-
.erical French reports about the al |
eyed terrible havoc caused by their
;uns and the mountains OF German
,Odies' are pure inventions"