New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-17
FRENCH GAIN MORE
GROUNDAT VERDUN
Continued from page 1

February. Vacherauville was the third
town on the banks Of the Meuse to iall
into German hands.
When the French were driven from
Conecuvoyc and SamogneuN they ilaa a''
q stand on Cote du IalOu, Just norin
or Nachorauville. which lies I'm the bend
Of tho river. Here the first great strug-
Gle Of tho Ncrdun offensive was staged.
Cote lu Talou is again IN french
hands. -.t.
Preparations for the French attack
were begun Tuesday morning, and Nj
vcI1e's promotion to the high command
was announced at midnight Tuesday.
F-om Tuesday. al daybreak, until FRI
dav morning at 10 o'clock the trencn
Guns roarcd over the whole front
north Of Vcrdun. Yet. because the
weather was so incicment as almost TO
probibit au attack. the French dow!
,yhou IL did come, had all the erect OF
SUNRISE on the enemy.
I'm clouds of mist and rain, and oiten
hail and slcet, French aeroplanes CIR
ciod over the German lines, spottlng
batteries and concentrations Of troops
v,hich the French artillery quickly de-
etroved and dispersed with their ac-
curate fire.
A fresh advance was necessary TOT
Nivcllc's troops to protect the exposed
positions OF Douaumont ana NauN am
assure the ravitaillement and relel OF
the men holding the lines OF sneIl era
tcrs manned by mitrailleuse. Yet inc
Germans. resting secure 300 me pIo'ec-
ton of the fearful weather, could ho'
believe that any army would undertake
ll.a on
.oors thew have vet 90 learn the spirit
or tho French troops animated by such
leaders "a. they have IN Nlveilc, Petai"'
veuoiu. Naud'huy and Pas saga.
Niycrc had concentrated on tins line
an incredible quantity OF artillery
which worked havoc no the German
trenches. even exceeding what has been
soon of the effects Of big gun IRE on
The Sonmc. On Che attacking front
Inc had nut four divisions under the
chief command Of .Mangin. f~'merly
commander Of the Foreign Legion, put
now leader or Am army corps. Win
NaUpin were Naud'huy and Passage.
Pefain had charge of details and ar
rangemcuts Niyollc himself, who had
boon 40 Paris for consultation with the
government after his appointment TO
The high command. returned TO YER
dun Thursday night TO take the field
with mis- veterans.
81 90 o'clock Friday morning the
poius lcft the trenches and rushed
forward behind q vcritsble curtain Of
steel at liked pace Of a hundred yards
every four minutes. The Germans
quickly sought shelter in their deepest
ducouts from tho tempest of lead and
steel raining on their positions. They
knew Chat food would be hard TO get
and relief would be long coming, for
the Same torrent Of fire bathed all
their lines of communication.
Find Trenches Deserted
When the French troops. with grcn-
AIDES and rifles with bayoncts fixed,
plunged into he German trenches they
found them almost deserted.
The first attack was on the wings Of
the German front ON the right wing
the poius advanced from Naux on
Hardaumont and from Douaumont on
Bczou-NauN. On the left they started
from Bras and Cote du Poivre for
Nachcrauvillc and Cote du Talou. The
first stage Of the attack successfully ac-
complished. the troops, protected by a
rain of shells. rested.
10 was ucw thing n this war for the
troops to stop and be allowed 20 res,
in the midst of battle-recalling Dewey
At Manila.
Now the centre Of the French line
moved forward. Haudromeut Farm, a
name 20 conjure with in the days Of
early March, was seized. and again the
wings took up the march. Vacherauville
had been strongly fortified b. the Ger
mans and strengthened with a great
number of machine guns.
The fight in the streets OF the viii