The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-04-19
.sIH week OF. VERDUN FIGHT
BATTLE REGARDED AS MOST GI-
GANTIC IN HISTORY OF
WORLD.

Continues After Eight Weeks With
Unabated Intensity and End is Not
in Sight-Losses Around Great
Fortress are Estimated at 100000
Men ON Both Sides.
The most gigantic conflict in the
history Of the world, the battle Of
Verdun. has entered upon it's ninth
week. 1t Is in many respects with
out precedent. The enormous scale
Of the German preparations and ex-
ecution Of the attack, the unparalleled
concentration of artillery and the sus-
tained ferocity tf the fighting mark
the battle as one of the greatest ef-
forts Of the war.
Verdun has been rated as one Of the
strongest fortresscs of Europe a cor
nerstone of the French defen3cs
against Germany. The evolution OF
military tactics during the war, how
ever. and particularly the employment
by the Germans Of long range
howitzers capable of reducing the
greatest forts have done much to
change the character of the Verdun
campaign as compared with the
earlier conceptions Of what such a
struggle might be. Before the bat
tie opened the French partly disman-
tied their forts around Verdun and
here as elsewhere on the various
fronts chief reliance for resistance
was placed on an elaborate system Of
trenches.
In no previous battle were the losses
so high as those which have been
estimated in the fighting around ver-
dun. These estimates. however, can
not be regarded as conclusive evi-
dence, for neither Germany nor
France has announced it's own casual
ties. The French war office has de-
clared the Germans have lost 200, 900
IN killed. wounded and captured. The
Germans state mi-ofiicially that the
French casualties number 10000
killed and wounded and that $4,000
unwounded French prisoners have
been taken. II these estimates are
approximately correct nearly 400,0
men have been eliminated as fight
/ ing units.
i The ground occupied by the Ger
mans after Sc days Of offensive opera
tions may be roughly calculated as
4 100 square miles. They have forced
4 hack tho French from their outlying
(, positions to the definite !, line of re-
sistance along the semi-circlar front
from the edge Of the Argonne east
4 ward across the Meuse and southwark
into tho Woeyre. For the most part
this main line bas withstood the shock
OF successive attacks. The Germans
captured Fort Douaumont early in the
campaign and have bitten into French
dcfenses at Dead Mans hill and else
where. but at no point have they
succeeded in breaking through.
The drive was begun on February
II by the German army under Crown
Prince Frederick William. The Ger
mans are reported to have brought
up seven army corps or about 0,O00
men to reinforce the troops which had
been in service there, and subsequent
~, according to French accounts,
other large bodies Of reserves were
called. After an unparalleled artil-
lery bombardment. the infantry at
tack was launched. An unofficial
French estimate placed the number
OF attacking Germans in some sectors
at 1850 men to the linear mile.
With the first ten days of battle
the French lost Huamont, Samogneux,
brabant, Ornes, Beaumont, Cham
brettes. Marmont. Cotellate Champ
"euiiie ana numerous outer positions
included village, woods, heights and
fortified farms. together with the
fortified works of Hardaumont,
Dieppe. Fromezeye, Haucourt, and
most important of all, Fort Douau-
mont. These positions lie east of the
Meuse and north and northeast of
! Verdun.
Fighting continued intermittently
week, centering the struggle ,r
northeast OF Verdun during the I'd
the possession of Fort vaux. In this
week the Germans captured Fresnes.
IL miles southeast of Verdun, MAX
Ing three mile advance in this Sec
ton.
1