Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-19
nv Associated Press. }

(By Associated Press.)
PEPPER HILL, VERDUN FRONT
Friday, Dec. 15.-(Via Chantilly, Dec
16.)-(From a Staff Correspondent of
the Associated Press.)-A short, sharp
battle brought to the French today their
third smashing victory within a period
of two months in the vicinity of Verdun.
Every objective point of the French COM
manders was obtained with chrometric
accuracy.
Although the Germans offered a des-
perate defense, the attack was so pow
erful there was no withstanding it, with
the result that the Germans were pushed
back along the line by the French.
who only ceased on orders when the
detectives had been gained.
Thousands of German prisoners pour
ed into the French lines during the day,
including 200 officers, and large groups
are still arriving. The total count al
ready is $500. (The latest French Off
cial statement says the number of pris-
oners exceeds 10000 One division
alone captured more than 1900 Germans
within an hour. More than eighty large
and small German cannon were captured
or destroyed and many others are known
to be buried
The villages of Vacherauville, Louve-
mont and BezonvauX and Hardaumont
wood now are in French hands.
The front over which the offensive
was executed was ten kilometers long.
When the fighting ceased, owing to the
darkness. the French advance had ex-
tended an average of three kilometers
along the whole front, at various points
rushing further out and threatening the
German batteries, whose retreat was
hindered by the bad condition of the
ground.
The battle began at 10 o'clock in the
morning with the left flank of the
French opposite Vacherauville and the
right flank on Fort VauX. The CORE
spondent of the Associated Press watch
ed the engagement from dominating
height.
AS ehe church clock struck the hour
every French gun opened a storm of
steel, placing every shot Immediately
behind the German front line. Mean
while the French infantry made one of
! its characteristic dashes and reached
the village of Vacherauville, where, util-
izing the new method of infantry attack,
they drove the Germans from house TO
house until the village was entirely in
| their hands.
| French attacked a German trench known
as "Bethmann's Bowl" which was pierre
| ed after a hard fight and its occupants
made prisoners. Then up the slopes of
Pepper hill the infantrymen could be
| seen making methodical progress until
at exactly an hour from the start the
| twin crests of this height had been
| swept clear of Germans, and the rockets
| announced the French were established
| there.
In the meantime the Germans on the
opposing slope had been taken in the
rear by an extemporized French flank
movement. The surprise was so greaS
! that both the infantrymen and the gum
/ ners attempted to flee, and French avia-
\ tors turned the fight into rout by des-
cending to within n hundred yards of
the earth and emptying band after band
of machine gun cartridges into the disor-
/ derby crowd. of which those remaining
alive surrendered.
Making their way along the valley be-
hind Pepper Hill, the French approached
and took Louvemont with similar untiring
/ brilliance. in which they were supported
/ by another French wave that had fought
/ it's way through the ENGAGEMENTS OF
strongly fortified field works in eau
rieres wood, just about the center Of
/ the line.
! In front of Douaumont the advance
was equally rapid. but on the right flank
/ the forward movement encountered
| strong opposition in Hardaumount wood,
| which was not overcome until late in the
| Afternoon when Bezenvaux redoubt, about
/ five kilometres in advance of the original
French front line, was taken from the
| German garrison.
General Mangin was again the prin-
| cipal organizer of the victory in which
| he followed his own example at Douau-
mont and Fort Vaux by delivering ire
sistible blows at the chief point in the
| German lines and hammering until his
| opponents were forced to give ground.
Generals Nivelle and Petain watched
| the engagement in which only four
French divisions participated although it