The Detroit times., 1916-08-01
BY HERBERT COREY

Vaux. They took only handful or
weakened men among some unin-
fabltable ruins"
There In no more glorious episode
IN the history OF the war than the
defense OF Vaux by Maj. Raynal and
his 400 men. For Ave days before
the work fell IL had been cut on
IRON any communication with the
rear. The men were without food.
Parched by the fever OF combat and
the fumes OF powder. they drank
only the rainwater which collected
I'm holes in the ground which had
been soaked by blood and on which
scores OF corpses lay unburied. They
had been made the target OF the
most intense hammering by heavy
artillery in the history OF war Ac'
cording 10 narrative which mas
been given official sanction, S.Ooo
shells OF los, 100 and. ESQ calioer
fell daily upon the fort and It's out
lying works. II was on June that
Raynal sent his last message TO the
rear:
we have arrived ut our limit. or
duty. Vive le France!"
RGt the fort OF Vaux did not fall
until the morning OF June I. The
French fliers-no other observers
could see this little pile Of battered
masonry which had been fort-saw
n dense cloud OF smoke rise from Il.
Flames shot out. There were explo-
sions Possibly a she'll had landed
In a magazine. but II Is more likely
that Raynal had destroyed his mu-
nitions 10 prevent them falling into
the hands Of the enemy The 0axs
man column at last penetrated the
fastness. The tired and weakened
Frenchmen could tight no more. Ac'
cording 10 the story from German
sources, the oficer commanding the
invaders summoned Raynal 10 sur
render. Raynal offered his sword.
but the German stepped back.
Not 20 me-" he said; II am not
worthy"
Because this story OF the defense
OF Vaux Is essentially the story OF
the defender OF vaux. Il seems best
10 begin with a little about RAynal
himself. He IL a short. gray, quiet
man. OF "a soft and tender dispose.
ton" according 10 his wife. His
fstherin.law Ii q carting contrac'
Montparnasse. There the Raynals
and the Paulmiers live together In
that fashion OF the French In which
each member OF a family contrib
utes OF his best TO the happiness OF
all They were obscure TO the point
OF being unknown. II was days AZ
ter all France was ringing with Ray
nails name that II was discovered
that he is resident Of Paris. All
OF his life he has been a soldier
At the outbreak OF the war he Sc
cured his transfer 10 a Zouave regi'
ment, because the Zouaves always
20 TO the front among the first. he
has been twice wounded since then,
anu wv ltt 1lAth III AhV WI Va ~
day for his bravery. He is 81 years
old
Vaux Is one OF the gates that
barred the German advance toward
verdun Back OF II are other bars,
but the importance OF the position
OF vaux will be freely admitted. Be
cause Raynal had been so imper'
fectly cured OF his last wound that
he was unfit for active field service.
and because his courage was known
TO Gen. Petain, he had been as
signed 30 command Vaux on May
20. The Germans had then been
hammering at II for three months,
He wrote TO his wife. expressing
his happiness at securing this com.
mand. and adding that In order 10
reach the fort he must 70 for more
than a kllometer under the obus.
but that his habitual good lucl;
would protect him. On the thirtieth
he wrote again that the fort con
tinued 10 resist. II Is with certain
naivete that he makes this stat
ment:
THE land has been upset" sal
he. but We are here just so-Ycs
Just So
He should have been relieved will
his men on June 1, but II had bc.
come impossible. The testimony OF
the wounded who escaped from
Vaux-not single man left Vauy
except he were wounded--is that
the communication hoyaus which led
to the rear had by this time been
completely destroyed The stcc'
whip OF shells which fell upon them
had absolutely leveled their ombank
ments. II was possible 10 distinguish
their lines. and here and there 2
hole remained which had not beer
completely filled. but they were
useless. The fire maintained upon
vaux and the region Immediately
n the rear was OF such character
shat no one dared expose himself
IN the daytime. Al night some OF
ihe more lightly wounded crawled
over this narrowed earth. shelterine
themselves In shell holes and be
Bind mutilated corpses when the Are
became too great Not one man in
three managed TO escape.
From June the hghting was al
most continuous. The $50 shells
H.Ir - a