Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-26
GREAT VERDUN FORT or
DOUAUHONT CAPTURED
Continued from Page ons

| THE armored fortress Of Douaumont
the northeastern pillar of the permanent
main line fortlfcations of Verdun was
captured by storm yesterday by the oath
Regiment. of Brandenburgers It is now
firmly in German hands"
ITO the east Of the Mas (Meuse River)
considerable advances were made on our
battle front in the presence Of the King
and Emperor (Eaiser Wilhelm). We
gained possession Of hills southwest Of the
village Of Louvemont (north OF Verdun),
as well as n group of fortified positions
situated further east, in n fierce rush for
ward The Brandenburger regiments
pushed on as far as the village and ar
mored fort of Douaumont which was car
ried by storm.
"In the Woevre plain the resistance of
the enemy was broken down along the en-
tire front as far as the neighborhood OF
Marphevlle.
South Of the high road from Paris TO
Metz our troops are closely pursuing the
retreating enemy.
THE announcement of the capture of
the village Of Champareuville yesterday
was based on report which has turned
! out 30 be erroneous.
"On the night Of February 25 the Eng
! lish attempted to carry out an advance
! east OF Armentieres, but were repused.
! I'm Champagne the French attacked
! in the south of Sainte Ply the positions
! we captured on February i2 and succeed
! ed in penetrating the frst-lne trenches
over width of $50 yards"
! This announcement was followed by dem.
onstratons Of JOY. Flags were raised over
! public and private buildings and the praise
| of the gallant Brandenburgers were on all
| lips There was a procession through I'm
ter den Linden and the national anthem
was sung before the palace.
The capture of Fort Douaumont means
a gain of approximately two more miles
of ground for the Germans More i'm.
portant still, 1t removes the chief menace
to an advance south OF Ornes, for the
sweeping plain south of that town was
under the guns of the fort.
Under cover of darkness following the
victory. the Germans worked feverlshly
bringing UP fresh guns and ammunition
and now the big mortars in the fort are
smashing the city of verdun itself. Fires
have broken out and many of the French
reserves, which were held there by Cen
eral Humbert, have been forced to retire
to escape annihillation by the German
shells. The sixth day OF the battle of
Verdun finds the German lines only four
miles from Verdun, meaning siX-mle |
advance since last Sunday when the drive
against the French fortress was opened
II is believed that the capture of Ver- |
dun is now only a matter of a few days |
PARIS. Feb. 26.
Further Withdrawals by the French |
north of Nerdun are admitted by the |
French War Office in an official communi- |
que given out today.
The French outposts at Ornes and |
Hennemont were withdrawn, although It |
was stated that they had not been at |
tackled by the Germans.
An artillery duel of extreme violence is |
raging along the front with the French |
ON cI oil fpr CHI with ha
guns of the Germans.
The Germans are making enormous sac
rifices of life
The communique states that the French
are meeting these terrific attacks in most
of the positions that they have held since
their new line was established.
In the region of Beaumont the assaults
of the Germans were particularly severe,
being preceded by furious drum fire.
The text OF the official communique fol-
lows:
THE battle is continuous in the region
to the north OF Verdun where the enemy
continues to direct his efforts against the
front to the east of the Meuse. According
to the latest reports our troops are re-
sistlng in their same positions the repeat.
ed assaults Of the enemy, who no longer
counts his sacrifices.
"In the region of Beaumont the combat
has assumed a character particularly
"On the Woevre front the advance
forces which we had held as the line of
observation from Ornes to Hennemont
since the fighting of last year have been
withdrawn from the base of the NGeuse
heights, on the order of their commander
and without any attacks from the enemy.
Our artillery on the right bank and
left bank Of the Meuse is responding with
out cessation to the enemys lombard
ment"
Using fresh soldiers that were brought
up TO replace the German troops who had
been wearied by constant day and night
fighting, the Crown Prince began series
of fresh assaults after a cannonade OF
the greatest fury.
FRENCH WITHDRAW.
The attack centered against Fort Beau.
mont, the way being opened by the volun-
tary abandonment of earthworks IL front
Of the fort by the French TO avoid useless
bloodshed.
The Teutons fought with the greatest
bravery and never faltered as the storm of
French shells tore through their ranks.
But flesh and blood, no matter how great
the gallGntrY, could not stand before the
death scytheSof the French fire. Shells
from hundreds of guns and bullets from
machine guns and thousands of
rifles decimated the German ranks.
Battalion after battalion was hurled
forward by the German commander in
utter disregard of the enormous loss OF
human life. Soon the field was piled high
with the corpses. and the charging SOL
diers stumbled over the bodies and fell
amid their own slain, II was carnage
such as had not been seen before in the
war. Even the German rushes at Ypres,
when their charges were described as
gigantic. assaults in which the soldiers
rolled forward like endless waves of the
sea. were as nothing compared with the
onslaughts Of the massed phalanxes north
Of Verdun.
TWO CORPS WIPED OUT.
1t appears probable that nearly two Ger
nan army corps have been completely
nyIn ont In aft |