Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-07
OCCUPATION BY GERMANs
DESCRIBED BY OFFICER
French Soldier Tells OF Success Of
Enemy At Fort Douaumont
In March.
GIVES REALISTIC ACC
Many Acts Of Heroism in Defense
OF Village-Priyate in Trenches
Stays Five AdvcrSaries-Gr
House-to-House Struggle.

StIukRlSs
PARIS. May 6.-The occupation OF
Fort Douaumont by the Germans in
March, which has been one of the most
important successes OF the onemy dur
ing the Ions battle OF Nerdun, Is de-
scribed TO the Associated Press by a
French infantry officer IN the following
words:
I'VE had to combat detachments of
the enemy that had slipped inside the
fort with machine guns and a revolving
cannon. At the same time we had to
watch over a winding ravire opening
near the church of Douaumont, through
which the Germans might get through
We thus had to look two ways, while
we were nearly blinded with smoke
and with dust raised by shells that
furrowed the ground all about Or
ders could be heard only n step away
in the deafcning crashes that were al
most continuous. The ground quakcd
under the conclusions. All our defense
works were oblteruted between 2
oclS.k in the morning and o'clock
in the afternoon. when the Germans
increased the range OF their artillery
fire and their infantry attacked the
village. We were cut of from all com
munication front and rear, for every
man sent our with Information was a
dead man.
The Germans came out OF tho fort
and from concealed positions we had
not been able TO reconnoiter. and Id
vanccd through the ravine stimuli
tancously. The men debouching from
the fort were seen first. We hesituted
because they wore the new helmets Of
our infantry. Our commandant Or
dercd, Don't fire! They are French :
Then he fell with a bullet in his
throat. fired by the men wearing the
French helmets. Fire. Fire order I'd
the adjutant OF the battalion. They
are Germans
FRENCH OVERWHELMED ny
WEIGHT OF NUMBERS
THE loss of our commandant
through this rusc excited the fury uf
our men. already decided to make the
supreme sacrifice.
The battalion had had the mission
of defending the village at no matter
what cost. They We're duubly bent
upon IL now, as the Germans learned
when. with several Of its machine guns
out of action, the til Company fell
upon masses which were menacing the
left side Of Douaumont. With bayonet
and rife butt our boys opened breaches
In tho thick ranks before them and
strewed the ground with German dead.
Resisting TO the last man. the French
stabbed and dubbed until overwhelmed
by the weight Of numbers
~ hundred Germans advanced in the
direction of Il farm on the summit Of
n hill 500 yards south of the village
Eighty of them fell on the field under
the fire of single machine gun. The
rest fled. That gun continued t'Iiag
until dark at the western skirts OF the
village, decimatinE numerous groups.
During the night we re-cstablishcd
our position facing east, and the Ge.-
mans fortified themselves in the vilia.e
Every attempt they made to debouch
during the morning OF March 3 ended
IN more slaughter. At o'clock in The
afternoon our own heavy artillery tool;
Douaumont for target and the cXecu-
tlon II worked there. plainly visible
10 our men, compensated our reverse
OF the preceding day. AZ nightfall
two battalionS OF neiGhhoring reei-
mentS lined up for the rountcrattack
and opened Il violent fusillade Cheers
rang through the air from all sides in
answer TO the order: Forward, with
fixed bayonets.' More cheers and
choruses Of The ''MarScillaise" greeted
the news that soon came back that the
TWO battalionS had thrown the Ger
mans out Of the village aud carried
our line somewhat beyond the town.
GERMANS ATTACK
-. AGAIN IN MORNING
Again and again the Germans came
back III dense masses. but the line held
good beyond the town. In the morn
inS 500 German dead lay in front of
cur trench
The next morning, after the usual
artillery preparation, accompanied ny
owerful aerial torpcdoes. the Ger
mans attacked the village again.
There was "a heroic house-to-h house
struggle of two hours before our
thinned ranks were ordered to retire
zoo yards III the rear"
The French officer who gave this
description narrated also some Of the
incidents Of hcroism which he had ,b
served as follows:
quoting unconsciuusly the historic
words OF the commander Of the guard
Sergeant Il walked up and down
the lines of his company during the
most critical moments. CRYING. Men
OF the --th Company are ready To die,
but never 10 surrender His men
fought TO the last man.
private S, face 10 face with five
adNersarieS III trench. killed two with
his baynHet and brought dawn IN.