Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-05-01
FRENCH OFFICER
TELLS HOW FORT
WAS OCCUPIED
Graphic Description Of Eady
German Success in Cam
paign at Verdun Is Given 10
Correspondent,

Paris. April 1.-THE occupation OF
( Fort pouaumont by the Germans in
March, which has been one of the
most important successes OF the enc
my during the long battle OF Nerdun.
is described to the Associated Press
reporter by French infantry officer
in the following words
I'VE had to combat detachments of
the enemy that had slipped inside the
fort with machine guns and a revolv-
! ing cannon. AT the same time we had
TO watch over winding ravine open
! ing near the church of Douaumont
through which the Germans might get
through. We thus had TO look TWO
ways while we We're nearly blinded
with smoke and with dust raised by
shells that furrowed the ground all
about. orders could be heard only
step away in the deafening crashes
that were almost continuous. The
ground puaked under the conclusions.
All our defense works We're obliterat-
ed between O'Clock in the morning
and 1 o'clock in the afternoon, when
the Germans increased the range of
their artillery fire and their infantry
attacked the village. We were cut off
from all conlmunication front and
rear for every man sent out with in
formation was dead man.
French OFFICER Killed.
The Germans came out of the fort
and from concealed positions We had
not been anle to reconnoiter, and adj
yanced through the ravine simultan-
eously. The men debouching from
the fort were seen first. We hesitat-
ed because they wore the new helmets
of our infantry our commandment or
dered, Don't fire! They are French!
Then he fell with a bullet in his
throat fired by the men wearing the
French helmets. FIRE. FIRE. ordered
the lieutenant of the battalion. They
are Germans.
THE battalion had had the mission
of defending the village at no matter
what cost. They were doubiy bent
upon it now, as the Germans learned
| when with several Of It's machine guns
out OF action, the eth company fell
upon masses which We're menacing
the left side Of Douaumont. With
bayonet and rifle butt our boys opened
breaches in the thick ranks before
them ana strewed the ground with
German dead Resisting 20 the last
man. the French stabbed and dubbed
until overwhelmed BY thu weight of
I numbers.
Advance OF Germans.
"a hundred Germans advanced III
the direction of farm ON the sum
NIT of hin 500 yards south Of the
village Eighty of them fen on the
/ field under the fire Of single ma
chine gun. The rest fled The gun
continued firing until dark, at the
western skirts of the village decimat-
/ ing numerous groups.
During the night We re-established
out position facing~ east. and the
Germans fortified themselves in the
/ village. Every attempt they made to
debouch during the morning Of March
ended in more slaughter AT
o'clock in the afternoon our heavy
artillery took Douaumont for target,
and the execution ii worked there,
| plainly visible 10 our men, compen-
stated for our reverse of the preced-
! ing day AT nightfall two battalions
of neiehboring regiments lined up for
/ the counter-attack and opened VIC
lent fusillade Cheers rang through
the air from all sides In answer to the
order. Forward with fixed bayonetsl'
More cheers and ehoruses Of the Mar
selaise greeted the news that soon
came back that the two battalions had
thrown the Germans ont Of the village
and carried our line somewhat be- |
You'd the town.
! Again and again the Germans
came back in dense masses, but the
line held good beyond the town, In
the morning 500 German dead lay in !
| front of our trench.
itiack on Village.
THE next morning. after the usual |
artillery preparation, accompanied by |
powerful aerial torpedoes. the Ger I
mans attacked the village again. |
There was Il heroic house-to- house |
struggle OF two hours before our
thinned ranks were ordered to retire |
zoo yards in the rear
The French officer who gave this
description narrated also some of the
| incidents of heroism which he had
observed at follows.
quoting unconsciously the historic
words Of the commander of the guard.
Sergeant H. walked up and down |
the lines of his company during the
most critical moments, crying Men of
the --th company are ready to die but
never 10 surrender His men fought
TO the last man.
Private S----. fact to face with
five adversaries in trench. killed
two with his bayonet and brought
down the three remaining with bullets
rs they fleu
Lieutenant L. unable To make
himself heard above the din OF the
battle. circulated among his men
smoking q cigarette and with smile {
on his lips, 10 encourage them I,
THESE" concluded the officer. ARE
only examples of thousand cases Of
the heroism that characterized the de-
Tense Of our lines around Douan-
mont