The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-18
TEUTON AND FRENCH
GIVING THEIR LIVES
FIR FIR O0{AOhkAA, 5 5 CREST
Battle At Is Zenith In what May I@
.ftittins Point In EW'Pe'~ t,reat
Struggle.
MORE THAN MILLION MEN
ON TVNO-MILE LINE
Both Atmic~ Concentrating Forces In
Rec @nkCd ~ of Vital Importance.

Luudon, March I7.---ThC battle
"a tc.duu, which, more titaa Two
weeks &gu. developed over semi
circular trout oil atts miles. ita-
narrowed loan to n tieath graphic
of naoss, thaa Gao 200 ..sveR at
little nsorr tbsn two bsoody
miles
ii,s, Furious uantlit-t IL conferred
on the height kntssn rs Deadnsn.
~ VrI7t-u tJy9tT fTUfCS tHy Ct8im.
This crest of fo,'hiJding mans, II
the key to terdun. from the
northwest. Upon it, posse son
depend Tie Whole treul sHdous is
-" If the Western Camlraisn.
I hc German MAR office ant
Dounss-> tltat the French have
t,u.ic1 twenty seven divisions,
10000 men, against the positions
held by the Germans. Division
has succeeded division and corps
has replaced corps in this the
crucial struggle Of the war. Vic
-1aEl-al-n eailnaa-- -aa+.ee-sll. -
recognized here tonight. means
victory nj Acryiuu.
The Germans have fully a. niAny
A4cH ensaeed as the French. II ls be
taYcd The Crown Prince, assist.
cd bY he ablest marshals IN the Ger
ttau army. is directing the fcuton
campaign. From his hcadqust teri.
close to the battle tine the Kaiser 4s
follow az oye.H move oH this colossal
chesseosrd 81 war
Decision Must Come soon
Decision. 81 is felt. muet como ynan
III this transcendart cnori-nf .he
Erft.eto War. Thc ittrs; statement
ISSUED 81 F1ri> at ~ bright, reports a
momcuta. Ijtrl miss ON in the in
taniry dgh, ms, Roth ARMIES appat-
eptly. are gathering and cunccntrat-
ing their stlength for the final. vital
clash.
The crest for which both armies arc
flghting is called Deadman because,
from a distance, tho topography lends
thai impression 10 the eye The hill
is the mans head and the Corbcaux,
or Raven, wood. stretches out like a
black shropd
French Still Hold Crest.
Tha Germans hold the wood and
claim the hiii The French assert
that the crest, which dominates the
volyinG practical possession Of Bethin-
court. To the north. and artillery com
msnd of the field defenseS aud forts
Ia the south, Is In their hands,
The battle. which Is now at its
zenith. has been developing atoun~
neadman FOR more than "a week
According To an otric'al admission
in Paris on Tuesday. the Germans
l-sined foothold at two points OF
the BethincourtDea diaan front Twr
DAYS later Berlin claimed the hHl.
TO-DAY, reporting the tremendous at
taeks ~ the French, the Berlin war
Office statement says:
The enemy repeatedly pushed q
division agaiUSt 10 I.ai,,{a
positions on Deadman height This
since the beginning OF the engage
ments IN this compa ratively small
section OF the front.
The attack was IN The nature OF \
surprise. \ few companies succeed
ed in reaching our lines. where the
few unwounded men remaining Were
taken prisoners The second attack
was stopped by our eur,ain Of ftfT. =
Europe Anxiously Awaits Issue.
The losses on both sides IN THE
frighrful battle now going on can only
he Guessed at London feveris hls
waits word tonight of he progress
of tho battle The history Of Europe
! is being written on the two blood
( Is felt here.
/ Apparently in the nature OF a di.
sersion the Germans launched five al
i tacks against tho French positions II
j the village and fort Of Vsnx. on this
opposite bank OF the Meuse durins
Fthe night according 70 tho FrencH
/ war Office II IN stated 4 hat all Ners
| repuised. In this region Il heavy ar
/ tiiiery battle Is now gqing on. accosd'
Ing to the midnight communiaus-