The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-04-20
ENTERS THE NINTH WEEK
GIGANTIC BATTLE OF VERDUN
CONTINUES UNABATED.
Losses Estimated at 35O,OOO Men.
28O,OOO Men Used as Rein
fOrcementS.


history of the world, the battle of
Verdun, has entered upon it's ninth
week. 1t is in many respects without
precedent. The enormous scale of
the German preparations and execu-
ton of the attack, the unparalleled
concentration of artillery and the
sustained ferocity of the fighting
mark the battle as one of the great
est efforts Of the war.
The French Keystone of Defense.
Verdun has been rated as one of
the strongest fortresses of Europe, a
cornerstone of the French defenses
against Germany. The evolution OF
military tactics during the war, how
ever, and particularly the employ
ment by the Germans of long-range
howitzers capable of reducing the
greatest forts, have done much to
change the character of the Verdun
campaign as compared with the
earlier conceptions of what such
struggle might be. Before the battle
opened, the French partly disman-
tied their forts around Verdun and
here, as elsewhere, on the various
fronts chief reliance for resistance
was placed on an elaborate system OF
trenches.
Loss of About $4,000 Men.
limo previous battle were the loss
es so high as those which have been
estimated in the fighting around Ver-
dun. These estimates, however, can
not be regarded as conclusive evil
dence, for neither Germany nor
France has announced it's own cas-
ualties. The French war office has
declared the Germans have lost 200,-
900 in killed, wounded and captured.
The Germans state semi-officially that
the French casualties number 150,-
600 killed and wounded and that 36,-
900 unwounded Franch prisoners
have been taken. If these estimates
are approximately correct, nearly
100000 men have been eliminated
as fighting units.
The ground occupied by the Ger
mans after Sc days of offensive opera
tions may be roughly calculated as
100 square miles. They have forced
back the French from their outlying
positions to their definite line of re-
sistance along the semi-circular front
from the edge of the Argonne east
ward across the Meuse and south
ward into the Woevre. For the most
part this main line has withstood the
shock of successive attacks. The Ger
mans captured Fort Douaumont early
in the campaign and have bitten into
French defenses at Dead Mans Hill
and elsewhere, but at no point have
they succeeded in breaking through.
Used 28O,OOO as Reinforcements.
The Verdun drive was begun on
February 21st by the German army
under Crown Prince Frederick Will
liam. The Germans are reported to
have brought up seven army corps or
about 100000 men, to reinforce the
troops which had been in service
there, and subsequently, according to
French accounts, other large bodies
of reserves were called in. After an
unparalleled artillery bombardment,
the infantry attack was launched. An
unofficial French estimate placed the
number of attacking Germans in
some sectors at 1850 men to the
linear mile
With the first ten days of battle
the French lost Haumont, Samog-
neux, Brabant, Ornes, Beaumont,
Chambrettes, Marmont, Cotellate,
Champneuville and numerous outer
positions, including villages, woods,
heights and fortified farms, together
with the fortified works of Hardau-
mont, Dieppe, Fromezeye, Baucourt,
and most important of all, Fort Dou-
aumont. These positions lie east of
the Meuse and north and northeast
of Verdun.
Fighting continued intermittently
northeast of Verdun during the third
week, centering in the struggle for
the possession of Fort Vaux. In this
week the Germans captured Fresnes,
- miles southeast of Verdun, max
ing a three-mile advance in this Sec
ton.
Meanwhile a new phase of the bat
tie had developed west of the Meuse.
With batteries spaced, according to
German correspondents, scarcely 100
yards apart, the violent artillery at
tacks were made against Dead Mans
Hill, preceding the long-expected Of
fensive from the northwest.
FORCES, near Dead Mans Hill, was