The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-13
V.RDUN IS lkWOLATE
SAYS FRENCH OFFICER
Description OF Great Battle Told From
Both Standpoints by
Participants.
STEEL AND IRON DELUGE
Men Literally Crawicd Through Blood
at Dead of Night--Ffght Now Pro-
crossing MethodicaHy--Vivid War
Picture.
(By a Stan Correspondent of the
International News Seryfce.)


sacrifice 100000 men. but I will get
verdun," said the Kaiser on February
90.
Every French expert today points
out that the Kaiser has lost fully this
number of troops in the three weeks
of fighdng.
Nobody believes that the battle is
yet ended.
THE fighting will continue as bloody
as ever during the coming week.
says Lieutenant Colonel Rousset. the
foremost French critic.
The Kaiser will continue to hurl
his best troops against our iron wall.
but unless an entirely unexpected
change occurs, Verdun will remain in
violate" says Major Civrieux.
1.-THE battle is bound to continue
for many long days" says Marcel
Hutin.
Germany must fight on to avoid a
CHASTITY defeat" says the Journal
critic.
All nervousness has disappeared in
Paris. The prospect of continuation
of the battle is accepted with greater
confidence than at any time during
the past three weeks.
lie Matin and Echo de Paris point
out that in order to pursue their titanic
effort the German staff must weaken
other points of their front by with
drawing men and also deplete their
reserves still in Germany.
Now look at our own situation, -
adds lie Matin. Nowhere havs we
given ground in such a way as to COM
promise our defensive line. We have
VIGOROUSLY resisted attacks every
where with minimum losses. When
he number of wounded In the evacu-
ated Verdun region becomes known,
the people will be staggered by the
relative unimportance of our losses.
Losses Less Than Champagne.
I'VE can reveal that these losses are
considerably lower than our casualties
during the Champagne offensive
Describing Fridays futile assault on
Fort Vaux, an off1cer says in the Echo
de Paris:
I'VE are bound to acknowledge the
bravery of the Germans In this ac-
ton. In the fact of most murder
Gus fusillade they attempted their
escapade on the steep slopes leading
to the fort. literally holding one an
ether up as they dashed forward, in
manly despair. Column after columns
sank to rise no more.
Our men displayed the steadiness
and grim determination of Napoleon'a
guards, beating off the onsla lights
with whitening fire.
1T Is positively awful the carnage
through which the Teutons are pass
ing day after day. carnage which
must finally demoralize the most
/ valiant troops"
Vivid Battle Picture.
A vivid battle picture Is supplied by
! s. famous officer who writes to Senator
Humbert as follows:
"As an actor In the heroic drama
being played at Verdun, I want to
assure you that the Meuse fortress will
remain inviolate My certainty in this
respect Is not merely due to the fact
that one of our most illustrious gem
erls Confided to me his complete con-
iidence In the outcome of this gigantic
struggle. but 1t is inspired by the at
titude of the troops whose renow sur
passes that of all the heroes OF ancient
! and modern times.
History will tell how these men
disputed every inch of the ground in
the face of an inexhaustible barbarian
food.
II have fought with my battalion
at every point made famous during
the past three weeks Northeast or
| Verdun.
mo one has actually participated In
more fighting in the western front
/ than myself. went through the
Dolorous retreat from Belgium, tasted
/ the joys Of the Marine victory and bat
/ tied at Dinant and Vervines on the
| Marine and at Montmirail and Rheims.
/ My division was in the offensive at
! Arras last June, and also was in
Champagne last September.
Never Saw Such Deluge.
oil 1at mo cav thai I have
before witnessed such a frightful
deluge OF iron and steel as that at
Verdun.
Enemy aviators. proudly presump-
tuous, dropped ironical leaflets among
us promising us bombardment be-
sides which our Champagne cannonade
viii appear childish. The leaflets said
that we must expect 120 hours Of CO.
lossal bombardment. In reality that
time was far exceeded.
but our commander-in-ch issued
the order: We must hold to these posi-
tions at all costs and die rather than
| yield.
THAT order we fulfilled.
Though I have seen entire bat
talions melt away in the Internal fur
| mace, the enemy could not submerge
| the gallant remainder or break our
| line
Seven German officers who were cap
tured while accommodating made state
ments independent Of one another
which concur at all points. Their COM
posite story follows:
German Statements.
Most of our reirforcements came
from Serbia. To these were added re-
serves from Germany.
ain order to arrive at our post, we
crossed lines of guns stretching kilo-
meter behind kilometer. The French
artillery only replied feebly at the be-
ginning OF the cannonade. which Allied
us with hope. We were convinced that
nothing could prevent US from captur-
ing Verdun.
when our infantry began to attack
we were Immensely surprised at the
murderous machine gun fire with
which they were greeted. We Germans
have never concentrated such numbers
of these death dealers at given
point.
Company after company was with
drawn in order to reform.
Then, when we came to storm
Douaumont. your artillery was as
fierce as ours.
"Our electives were reinforced by
young troops. With heads bent we
dashed into the fray and until we were
half way up Douaumont Hill We firm
~ believed we would be victorious.
ha cha rRaA and