El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-30
DOUAUMONT f.
HAMMERED DOWN
German Soldier Tells How
His Troops Captured the
French Fortifications.

Berlin. Germany. March 80 A cor
respondent sends the following de-
scription of the capture of Fort Douau-
mont, the first important success OF
the Germans in their gigantic offensive
against Verdun:
"Threateningly the long bare ridge
OF Douaumont rises above the sur
rounding wooded heights The ridge
is two and one-half miles long and COW
cred with no less than Il separate
forts. which command the heights and
valleys i'm all directions. The steep
approaches of the hill are guarded by
small but very strong Qualifications
and on the summit, 1850 feet above
the plain. an enormous modern
armored fort. the strongest of the
eastern defences of Verdun. dominates
the district.
Fort Hammered TO Pieces.
ITO take this fortress was no easy
matter. but our giant guns which on
the day before had cleared the woods
east Of the ridge. Of the enemy,
smashed the Qualifications in the same
way as those of Liege and Namur
were smashed in the first weeks Of
the war. For u hours an indescrib-
able hail of shells of all sizes was
showered upon the forts, and when
most OF the French guns had been
silenced the oath Brandenburg infan-
try regiment received orders to storm
the heights.
''The resistance Of the defenders was
but feeble although their bravery is
praised by every German officer and
soldier. They were too dazed by the
terrible bombardnent TO fight effec-
lively. In a remarkably short time,
the attacking regiment reached the
main fort on the summit with very
small losses. Only is OF the heroic
Brandenburgers were killed and about
so wounded.
French Return and Attack.
After their retreat from the ridge,
the French quickly regained their
composure. They counter-attacked
with the greatest daring. but were re-
pulsed again and again with heavy
losses The Brandenburgers found it
harder TO hold the fortress than 70
capture it.
under an awful fire OF the French
guns on the heights further west and
south Their situation had become des-
perate when the big German howitzers
finally succeeded in silencing the bat
teries of the enemy and strong new
attack pushed the lines Of the French /
infantry further back, ending the un- |
ceasing attacks.
AFTER four days OF. terrific fighting.
the height with its entire chain OF
Notifications was firmly in German /,
hands
nc SdptA-1 o. eHt ~. -. - -,
the most glorious achievements OF the |
war, but the methods employed diff |
fered vastly from those used in the
early stages of the war. No large I
bodies Of troops were thrown against |
the stronghold in close formation TO I
be moved down by the fire Of the I
enemy The artillery did practically
all the work and the infantry only /
scaled the height after thousands Of 1
shells had demolished the fortified |
tions and demoralized the defenders.
This explains the small German /
losses. All preparations had been /
made so carefully and the operations !
were carried out so methodicaiiy that |
it was not necessary to sacrifice any |
large number Of men. The hysterical |
French reports about the alleged ter 4
rible havoc caused by their guns and !
the mountains of German bodies are I
pure inventions"