New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-01
Germans Number 10000.

Germans Number 100000.
French military critics express the
opinion that the German forces, which
al the beginning of the battle around
Nerdun numbered probably 100000. now
exceed 100000.
The situation is now decidedly bet
ter" is the phrase commonly used re-
earding the struggle for the great
French stronghold. The French are be-
b ginning 10 react vigorously against the
q German "bludgeon strokes" which are
having less and less effect.
The fact that the battle is now shift
ing is taken as sign that the German
/ General staff has begun 10 despair OF
making real impression on inc
French defence.
81 fought since tho beginning Of the
war" says soldier who has returned
20 Paris. and who was present at the
lighting at Ornes. II saw the shambles
AZ Suippes and Souain. They were moth
ing 20 what | saw last week. The
enemy advanced and We retired under
. orders. but We killed them by the dozen.
/ IL was 50 terrible that !, who nave
watched my comrades fall around nc
almost with indifference. shudder as my
memory recalls those scenes.
As their battalions advanced upon
Us they were in serried masses, by niles
Of twenty. The shrapnel from our 10
millmetre guns and the proJectlles
from our heavy artillery fell among
them. and you could see the great gaps,
a. if a mower had passed with scythe.
Then high explosive shells which burst
on contact fell, and limbs shot into the
air We were so close that pieces OF
their torn flesh fell among us. Event
uslly we reached Moncourt and took
shelter for time in wood Although
IL was 3 o'clock in the morning, the
bursting shells made IL as clear a. day,
giving the battlefield the aspect Of a
fairy scene
Prom behind us the French artillery
fred into thc German masses. the Ger
man shells flying over our heads tow
ard the DOuaumont section. Then our
machine guns. placed in batteries every
five yards. began 90 play, and we saw
the dead in groups, upright whore there
was not room 20 fall From MOncourt
followed the supply road to Fleury,
where I took the light railway toward
Nerdun. The heavy guns near DOuau-
as they could be loaded. When We
passed between the two points the air
pressure, produced by the continuous
discharges, was so terrific that blood
rushed from our cars and our lungs al
most ceased working
Poilus Felt Like Singing.
Another soldier. who was in one Of
the most advanced trenches early in
the battle OF Ncrdun and who has re-
turned 70 Paris wounded, gives Ms cX-
AT dawn We received orders 10 leave
.ho trench and 20 retire 20 strong
l. s~ff .
OF Douaumont. Bending low. VIC re-
tired the four or five kilomctres
through the snow without '1ucn loss
Once in the new trenches VIC could not
lear orc another speak, 50 great wa
the noise Of the cannonading, and
when We looked through the peri"copes
We could sec only heavy clouds OF
smoke shutting out the sky. with jets
Of fire flashing through the sno~hakes
There were about dozen OF US IN the
trench. and We felt the suppressed
emctign 30 much that at lest We all
burst out singing, and yet none Of ms
could hear q word spoken, even b. HIM
SELF
"Then We saw the Germans coming
on They were IN such masses that
they looked like flock Of sheep.
When our guns began 20 speak, whit"
empty spaces showed among the gray
Of the advancing masses. but they were
foOn filled up By fresh patches Of gray.
A. they ueared our barbcd wire, our
D. machine guns opened fire and We had
D. - cover our ears with anything tina.
/ came handy, The uoisc was now 80 ire
F nendous / felt no fear but ! had No
feelings or thoughts. only sort O.
buzzing and vertigo.
"Whcn night came on and the farce
& lighted up the field. the German
J seemed 20 De quite close. but it was an
/ optical illusion. They advanced very
/ brsvcly. waving their rifles or lcaping
a. they passed over the heaps Of dcnd.
| was Knocked over by shell and had
! my arm broken, and a. the trench was
/ completely destroyed ! crhwlcd away
and fortunately met an srnored auto
mobile, which took me 20 Ncrdun"