The Washington herald., 1916-10-25
LINES ENTERED 2 MILES
Kaiser Loses Ground Won by
Months of Bitter
Fighting.
JoFFRE DIRECTS GREAT BLOW
Poilus Rush Forward After Fire Cur
tain Reduces Defenses
to Ruins.
By the International New. Service,

CBy the international News Service
Paris, Oct 24-In the greatest sur
prise blow struck on the western
front since Caillieni's "taxicab army"
smashed the Germans on the Marine,
the French today launched a terrific
drive against the armies of the Ger
man Crown Prince northeast of
Verdun.
In one imPetuous headlong assault the
defenders Of the most precious plot in
France crashed through the Teuton de-
fense on front OF four and a half miles
from the Meuse to the Woevre hills.
I The fury OF their assault carried them
at points two miles into the German
lines. They won back in their furious
concerted rush trenches forts. villages
and forests which the Germans had
| bought at the cost Of thousands upoo
thousands OF lives.
Important Points Taken.
! Tonight the fort Of Douaumont and the
village Of DOuaumont. names written with
| blood upon the pages Of history. once
more are in French hands Thiaumont
| works, scene OF scores OF desperate bat
! ties, also is held by the French. The
Houdraumont quarry, the Caillette wood.
the Chenois wood and the DamIoup bat
( tery all have been won back
News OF the tremendous victory reached
( Par1s while the soldiers were still smash
/ ing their way through the German lines
Utter secrecy had masked The French
I preparations for the blow The Germans
were caught completely by surprise and,
! on their guard and with their ranks
! drained 70 supply the demands OF th~
! armies on the Somme. felI easy victims
! 10 Jofre.s great thrust. which vas car
Neville.
! Since early Yesterday there had been a
! tremendous bombardment, but heavy
| oombardments have been common on the
! Neuse front. But when the unpreCedeni-
| ed intensity Of the shell fire warned III.
I Germans that great general attack was
near 1t was then too late for them TO
! concentrate their force TO meet the blow.
| The mastery OF the air BY the French
had prevented German aviators from
. spying behind the Nerdun lines during
1 the concentration Of huge frst-Iine forces
/ ana reserves for the smash. France had
/ time TO make ready. And when tbs
moment came she struck with full force.
Thousands of Guns Roar.
! The drum fire OF thousands Of guns
kept up without intermission through
out the night, wiped out the foremost
TeUtOn defenses.
At dawn the fire increased to an
! inferno OF violence. Then. promptly
at the moment set-l1:40 o,cIockItbs
| hre curtains moved back and the
French troops leaped from their
trenches for the grand assault
/ The poilus at last were hitting back
after months Of buffetinE.
They went through the first German
. NHwnr
card board. And as they advanced the
| shell FIRE kept moving before them
cutting off the German reserves anC
wiping out trench lines and entangle-
ments.
/ Hundreds Of Germans. stunned ano
dazed, were found in dugouts and un-
Z derErOund chambers They offered lit
/ tie resistance. Their comrades in tho
trenches had been blown TO death b
| the fury OF the FIRE
How rapid was the French rush +
! indicated by the number OF prisoner
counted toniEht-35OO. All the hing
munitions and food stores hidden T.
the underground vaults and subter
ranean fortresses were Captured nv IN
| French. It will take days to eve
| reckon the amount OF booty taken
! The French line tonight is roughly dc
| fined by the war office as paralIeling tn
I road from Hras TO DOuaUmont and, pasg-
I ing from the right Of Fort Douaumont
along the northern edge Of Caillette wood
/ the western border OF the village 10 the
eastern edge OF Fumin wood. Thence II
runs to the north OF Chenois wood and
| the Damlop battery.
This front puts the French armies back
almost where they were in March. A
month after the German offensive
! opened.
In less than twelve hours Jorre has
won back most Of those bIood-drenched
| fields and forests which It cost the Ger
man crown prince months Of fighting and
thousands OF lives to attain.