Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-26
FRENCH ASSAULT
AT VERDUN MARKS
NEW WEST DRIVE
Offensive, Together With
Somme Push, Designed to
Crumple Germans
JoFFRE WATCHED FIGHT
By HENRY WOOD


Ratrikg in rain. mists and clouds Of
smoke. the French recapmred Fort Douau-
mont in less than three hours In the brilliant
offensive that swept the crown Prince back
from verdun. g.
The entire operation was witnessed by
General Joffre commander-in-Chief Of
Frances armies
From an observation post in one Of the
verdun forts the correspondent watched
the French infantry launch the attack at
ii.4o Tuesday morning after three days of
unprecedented artillery preparation. The
rain. the fog and the constant explosion of
shells hid men from sight but. IL was pos
sibie TO follow the French advance by the
shifting Of the barrage fircs, especially that
OF the Germans. which first came from
Frois de Terre, and then was forced TO
shorten upon Thiaumont and Douaumont
as the French swept all before them.
Telephone calls from other French forts
kept us informed OF the French advance.
First, at 1890 Hoily ravlne was captured,
the voice over the telephone said. Then
the Haudromont quarries--the village of
Douaumont. the forests of Chapitre. FumIn.
Chenoia, Laufee and caillette in quick sue
cession.
There was a short pause and the tele-
phone brought wbrd Of the capture Of the
vauxpond.
II was o'clock when Fort Souville tele-
p. pnon.u ma sns ,s no a,.It,n,s ahou, tts
entrance. French officers waited with cool
confidence for the next word
DoUAUMoNT SURROUNDED
I'VE have surrounded Fort Douaumont"
same message at o'clock For an hour
we peered out over the distant battlefield,
on the alert at the same time for some
news from the telephone. Suddenly sharp
gusts of wind lifted the mists and the
smoke clouds, revealing tne tricoIor OF
francs nvs.'hs AZ tiie su'n,ii,s " ia,. i1ou
monl- mont ~ .ne sa.ue Ionlei. u'a ro.' sSuNnie ,, ,.
hasnen .ne woru 'nst Dvul.,lo,' ,n,l ''hu 'ee"
cap'ureo. II was 'neh ooioeA
With their Soume offensive permanently
established, the French launched THIS sup
piementary onensVe a. Neruuh on Octooer
-, ebnt mVhths 70 tne nay alter Ohe pc
r,.va.tse rae " ee - eeai 49, =,
w. 'nln SIX nours ,in .nsy nau ~ al
lo n.ipo .. ,an. Postst a. 10, y. -. ~ 49,, 80
encep,hs saun wnlsn 1890 nSa Coz cos a, ene uer,
lives 10 conquer
rha u,r.noh ctoso ,ha ,,or,.r. ,,,har ,ho
rs.rsa, -. ,e- s.so.i,aa. ,h,a,,sh a. - -
S.r ~ ,roons and cannon 10 ,be sornr,a ana
h.aa,,.o =, a.. ,,,,-oInn,I,,, ,,,sr 80 das,r,,.
t,on syro,,ebt hv French g,,ns French a,Is-
tora had astabli.hed tbe fact that rnanv
C.srman hatteries on the verdun front con-
sisted ~ a sIngle g,n ana others of only
two or three
s,noo ~. ,,arr.,,or ., ,ho Au,os,
.~ 1870 So i nc ~, ~ 49, , "a ~ w ~ ]ies
forcements sent to that battlefield were
drawn from verdun This last source of
supply has now been cut off in the opinlon
Of French officers
Th. rr.nch vardnn orransi,,a ia hao,,ad
than nrecedad tha Somna offersive roth
ofYensives nroceedlng sinultaneousIv are
caic,,,atad - cr,,7,n1a tha ontIre Garnan
front.
Approaching Verdun Sunday. on the Sec
ond day of the artillery preparation we
reached Souilly. A moment later a bugIer
sounded the alarm. Two German aero
planes ftinr at invisible attitudes had sue
ceeded In crossing the French lines.
1s ..... -. au.s .., ,,. a..,
inS esu nlSu 49, WI sn.s "' S''s esSeu
ri wee nu t iiDDo"eS ~, Do'a, 20 ,s soiiis
't niss, ~ rnaIS,. ny s.ui "a !,
.o oeais un.a rte'Sn s pianes i.s a a.' Gu
80 ui"Ne ei'e Sef'nahS '"S' 'fei eNei' Wv"
hnes' .,,,.,,,,
WHEAT ASniAh SCiiNiii
En- route from Souiily to Verdun the roar
Of French artillery preparation Increased
steadily. The aerial activity assumed pro-
portions I had not Witnessed before, even
on the Somme front. German anti-aircraft
guns kept the entire sky throughout the