Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-25
At VERDUN
DELIVER SMASHING
BLOW TO GERMANS
Recapture in One Day Ground
Enemy Fought Months
to Gain.
REPULSE COUNTER ATTACK

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, October 25.-In a pow
erful series of attacks on the Ver-
dun front the French yesterday
captured the village and fort OF
Douaumont, advanced beyond the
Ihiaumont work and farm and
occupied also the Haudromont
quarries, north of Verdun.
Germans made counter attacks
last night in an effort to regain
the ground won by the French in
yesterdays assault. They at
tempted to recapture the Haudro-
mont quarries and the Damloup.
battery. The war Office announces
that in both cases they were re-
pulsed. The French gains were
maintained. The German officer.
in command at Fort Douaumont
is among the prisoners taken.
Took Germans by Surprise.
The French attack at verdun yes,er-
day apparently took the Germans COM
pieteiy by surprise. and not at one point
did th@y succeed in stopning .ne i'm
petuous rush. In three hours the French
recaptured ground to gain wa' m re-
duireG months of patient effort By the
Gerhhens, including srch positions as
Dolaumont fort and raiarmon: work.
which Iii the past wera won AID lost
repeatedly.
Tile French officill account of tho
battle. every word of which YVES
weighed carefully. docs not say the
German line was forced back. but that
II was burst Later details ct the
French victory show tnat It's extent
French as IL must haze been to tie
Germans. Gen. Pota'n regarded the
front east of the aIeuse as too cranp.d
and suggested to Gen Nivelie, the COM
more elbow room. with tina. end IN
view infantry was sent up to reinf ,rce
the French. and artillery was ordered
for the establishment OF new batteries
Preparations Kept Secret.
The aviation department was commis-
stoned to make An exhaustive survey
of the position of .he German batteries
and points of assembly. This work ,yas
carried out, and the secret Gas kept so
well that to all Appearances the Ger
mans never had III inkIin:y os what was
in prospect.
Furthermore. they evidently believed
the energies of the French were bing alb
sorbed by the battle of the Somme and
made no preparations to meet a thrus-
at Verdun. Thus II came about thar
what was intended for small nlaneuver.
became brilliant tactical success.
The attack was planned for ten days
ago. Artillery began preliminary work.
but rainy weather set in and grand head
quarters ordered postponement. When
the time came the attack was delivered
by four columns of z division each, FIRST
on the left. between the southern slopes
OF Pepper Hill and Thiaumont farm.
This met with little difficulty. The at
tackers carried Thiaumont work and farm
and the Haudromont quarries, set as the
objective. and gained the Bras Douaumont
road beyond. There the attackers stopped.
having advanced about mile.
The second column was colonial di-
vision under Gen. Mangin. from the corps
which retook Douaumont fort last May.
The task assigned to it was to take Hill
800 northeast of F1eury and the edge of
Caiilette wood The offensive there was
even more rapid than on the left wing
Clear for Further Advance.
Gen. Mangin Immediately saw he could
advance further, and the commanding
officer was. therefore. informed that prep
arations had been made to continue the
attack. Hill 500 was rushed by troops
from Fleury, which approached Caillette
wood through the celebrated Ravine of
Death. They then crossed the wood and
reached the approaches to Douaumont
fort. Everywhere the Germans gave way
before them. However, the garrison of
he fort hurriedly prepared to defend the
important point coDfided to it French
roops surrounded the fort and extended
heir. gains everywhere without an in
stant's delay. Fatigue parties set to work
urning the defenseS. aS.to be ready to
'esist counter attacks
West of the fort the village of Douau-
mont had been carried at a run and pass
ID beyond. Meanwhile a stiff struggle
vent on between the French and the de-
enders of the fort. The Germans refused
o surrender. and the French killed nearly
LII of them before they forced their way
nto the ruins.
Things went equally well on the right.
rhe third column advanced half a mile,
eaching the edge of Vaux pond and car
till held by the enemy. as well as Fumin
wood The column stopped north of these
woods on the outskirts of the village OF
yarx.
The fourth column, which was or
fered TO operate in the vicinity. OF
faux fort without taking 1t, followed
he Germans from Chenois and Laufee
woods, captured Damloup battery and,
cushing ahead, encircled Vaux fort on
he east, south and west, SO that the