Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-28
French Lines in Vicinity
of Verdun Holding Firm;
Tide of Battle Changing
Bv Associated Press

Paris, Feb. $3.50 far as the
French official report of this after
noon shows the French lines in the
immediate vicinity of Verdun are
holding firm. The German attack is
developing along the front to the east
and southeast.
At Fort Douaumont where the fight
ing hassbeen heaviest, the situation is
unchanged. The fortress itself ap-
parently is still held by the Germans.
In the village of Douaumont, few
hundred yards from the fort there
was a furious struggle last night. The
war office announces that German at
tempts to capture the village resulted
in failure.
Southeast of Verdun. over the line
bending south to st. Mihel, the Ger
mans are pressing the attack. The
French statement reports a futile Ger
man attack against Manheulles, ten
miles southeast of Verdun. which may
indicate an advance in that quarter,
although the precise location of the
front in this section has not been
made known.
German troops. by a surprise at
tack, have been successful in entering
certain advanced French trenches
near the Navarin farm, in the Cham
payne district.
In the region to the north of Ver-
dun the bombardment has continued
with intensity, particularly in the CEN
tral sector and on our right.
Fort Closely Evacuated
German forces yesterday evening
made several attempts to capture the
village of Douaumont Their efforts
were broken by the resistance of
French troops who withstood the most
furious assaults.
The situation at the Fort of Douau-
mont is without change. This fort is
closely encircled.
In the Woeve district the Germans
yesterday evening and last night as
sumed an attitude of greater activity.
The railroad station at Elk, after hav-
ing Changed hands several times,
finally remains in possession of the
French.
All the efforts of the Germans
against Hill No. 255, near Elk, were
without result
a German attack against the
French positions at Manheulles re-
suited in complete failure. French
artillery is replying with energy to
the bombardment of the Germans
along this entire front.
Titanic Struggle
Impetuous counter attacks nv
French troops north of Verdun in
which the Germans were thrown back
from many positions conquered by
them during the first four days of the
battle, according to reports from the
front, are considered as inaugurating
a second phase of the great action un-
der conditions most favorable to the
defenders. Premier BRAND told repre-
sentatives of the press to-day how the
tide was turned
Caught between two barring fires"
said NJ. BRAND, covered with shrap-
mel on all sides, attacked by our fresh
divisions surging upon the field of
battle at an unexpected moment, the
Germans saw their efforts stopped
short. The struggle was a titanic one.
Our heroic troops went into the melee
frantically. Our light and heavy ar
tillery dug sanguinary burrows in the
compact ranks of the Germans.
FINALLY exhausted, their ranks
decimated, the German armies retired
under our furious center attacks. We
have regained the advantage. In
stalled upon formidable positions our
heroic soldiers remained masters of
the fields of battle"