The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-27
FRENCH LINE
SWEPT BACK
BY GERMANS
Greatest Concentration of Ar
tiIlery Fire Blasts Out Way
for the German Troops.
FRENCH ARE RETREATING
French Statement Says Posi-
tion is 2etaken and Germans
Fail to Drive French Back.
tsx AsseelArIp sNEss,

tBV ASSOCIATED PRESN
The French war Office. in its latest
official statement, describes the battle
around Fort Douaumont, one OF the
outlying forts Of Verdun, as despair
ate, but makes no actual admission OF
the capture of the fort by the Germans
as claimed in the official communica-
tion issued at Berlin.
Fort Douaumont. says the French
statement, is an advance element OF
the old defensive organization OF Yer
dun fortress and goes on o,say that
the position captured Saturday MORN
ing by the Germans, after several
fruitless assaults, was reached again
by French troops, who succeeded in
advancing beyond that point, and have
maintained their ground. The position
referred to is not clearly defined.
Vigorous Counter Attacks.
Heavy bombardments by the Ger
mans to the east and west OF the
Meuse we're met by vigorous counter
attacks, and the French have resisted
the attempts of the Germans to cap
tlre Champneuville and La Cote De
Poivre (PepperhilD, two positions OF
strategic importance.
Late dispatches from Paris say that
utmost confidence is felt there in the
ability Of the French troops to with
stand the German assaults, and IN
some quarters, a continuation OF the
battle centering around Verdun for
the next two weeks is looked for.
verdun, greatest offense fortress.
and widely considered virtually i'm
pregnable, is trembling under an at
tack of unprecedented violence which
already is declared by the Germans
to have preached outer defenses and
driven back its French defenders
upon their inner lines In other sec
tors.
Under the eyes OF their emperor.
whose presence at the front Is off,
cially announced. the German infant
ry has advanced to the charge on both
sides of the salient wherein lies YER
dun. and according to Berlin, has
stormed and taken the outlying fort
of Douamont. northeast of the fort
ress. while on the plain of Woevre
to the east and southeast 1t has swept
back the French lines and broken
their resisting power along the front.
forcing them to retreat with the Ger
mans in pursuit.
Way Blasted Out.
The crown princes armies engag-
ed in the terrific battle had their way
blasted out for them. according to
correspondents near the scene, by
what is said 10 he the greatest con-
centratiOn of artillery fire known to
history, in which the monster guns
of the Germans and Austrlans,
brought from the Serbian and Rus
sian fronts, have played an import
ant part.
With this mighty aid. the infantry
has pushed down The valley OF the
Meuse, gained the hills southwest Of
Louvemont. not more than four mleG
from the fortress and carried fortified
positions to the east, Berlin declares.
the Brandenburg regiments play dis
tinguishing themselves in storming
Fort Douaumont.
Assail French Lines.
While this was going on, the Ger
mans in the Woevre we're assaline
.he French lines ON the eastern ct
Of the salient. the corporations ap-
rarently being designed to push in
the sides of the projecting front, a
buckling process. which II kept up,
would soon result In the fall OF the
fortress
The French. however, are defend
ing their stronghold with notable To-
nacity, and to various accounts in
f1lcting terrible losses on the alta
ing forces. Paris has not COPE
the fall of fort Douanmont, although
admitting that the lighting there has
taken on an extremely sangulnary
character, and 1t only mentions the
Woevre region In an announcement
that the advanced post held for or.
seryation purposes along the line
from Ornes to Hennemont has been
attacked by the German infantry. The
German attacks along the front are
declared BY Paris to be made with.
out regard to the losses sustained.
Notwithstanding the concentration
Continued on page 2. first sectlon.)