New Britain herald., 1916-12-16
FRENCH ADVANCE
 AT VERDUN NETS !, 5000 PRISONERS
Gen. Neville Sends 100000 Men Against Germans to Regain
 Lost Territory
TROOPS SING "MARSELLAISE" . AS THEY DASH INTO ACTION

Seventy Hour Artillery Bombardment
 Precedes Assault in Heavy Weather V Germans Surprised and Many Make ' No Resistance-Teutons Driven s Back Almost to Line Previously 3. Held by Crown Prince.
 Paris. Dec. 16-As his last act be- fore assuming the chief command of the French armies on the western front General Neville today smashed the German line east of the Mouse along a front of six miles. The Vlc- tory has advanced the French posi- tions two miles and they are now within a short distance of where the Germans stood at the outset or the great Verdun drive. The military au- thorities describe the victory as com lplete and crushing and carried out without hitch.
 t Since the last great stroke, when f-the blood soaked ruins of Fort Vaux and Douaumont fell once more into @the hands of Verdun's defenders, Gen. eral Neville has been quietly prepar- ing to push his advantage by an at tack on a larger scale. Men and guns had been assembled, shells piled. and Everything was in readiness for the moment when the general should see his opportunity. Then the blow fell like a thunderbolt. A terrific artillery preparation f1attened the German de- lenses. then the guns were elevated and threw a curtain of steel behind (which the infantry from every trench from Pepper Hill to beyond Damloup dashed forward on an enemy still stunned by the bonn mbardment.
 In places the Germans gallantly strove to hold their ground but Gen. eral Neville's dispositions Wereeso we'll made that they were generally power less to stem, even momentarily, the tide One after another Vacherau- vile and Louvemont villages Cham brette farm and the Hardaumont and Resonvaux works fell without the de- sfenders having time to carry away either the guns or material ana prisoners began to stream steadily rearward to pens prepared for their reception.
 Germans Deceived by Weather.
 The weather, according to hitherto accepted notions, was all against the r offensive It was wet and misty and the French officers believe that this fact undoubtedly led the Germans to miscalculate the probabilities Of at tack. The wretched. weather did not prevent the aviators from rendering valuable aid to the attack and their services are believed to have had an important bearing on the fact that the French losses were singularly small. - The large number of prisoners, ac- cording to latest advices nearly 5000, is an indication of the surprise nature of the onslaught.
 The news of the victory was re- ceived in Paris with enthusiasm as a welcome relief to the gloomy tidings from Rumania. General Neville is the man of the hour. His latest achieve- X ment justifies it is felt, his choice as commander in chief and augurs well for the future.
 The number of guns captured from the Germans as counted up to the present, is 80, according to the latest reports reaching Paris.
 Neville Chief Strategist. The French plan of attack was drawn up by General Neville, now the commander in chief, with the concur renee of General Petain, who at the s5 IlHlo was ms Sup0T1Of OI11CoF. The as sault proper was left to General Man gin. It was made by five divisions, or 2 close to 100000 men, under command of such leaders as General deMaud Huy and General duPasSage.
 The front which the French infan- try had held since the recapture o1 Douaumont and Vaux ran thus: The southern slopes of Pepper hill, east ot the Mouse, between Bras and Vacher- auV1lle; Haudremont wood Haudre- mont quarries, the region north o z the village, Fort Douaumont the auarries northeast of Fort Douaum on the small wood southeast of For Douaum ont, Hardaumont wood. tht village of Vaux and the fort of Vaux Behind that line General Neville hat
 distributed groups of powerful bat
 teries which for seventy hours be
 fore the attack hammered the Ger
 man positions, particularly those o1
 Pepper hill and at Hardaumont ana
 Besonvaux.
 From the positions occupied by tn
 French it may be seen that the
 some dominating the German posi-
 tions, but others being under the di
 rect fire of their opponents. To i'm
 prove and strengthen their line it wa
 necessary to wrest from kheir adver
 sary the famous Pepper hill, Louve
 mont, the crest of Hill 372, whic
 commands Posses Wood, LaBauch
 Ia !, ofD