The sun., 1916-12-24

w YHEN General Nivelle babe far.
M well to his troops at verdun
w on December ls to take up
his post as commander in chief Of the
armies Of France he carried with him
In the estimation Of the men who had
fought for months under his orders
another title-the Victor Of verdun. II
was Nivelle who had definitely check
mated the Crown Prince and set at
naught the tremendous efforts made
by the Kaiser's son to force the fort
ress line.
After the striking victory Of Decem-
Der Is. when the line held by the troops
OF the republic was pushed forward
practically to where It was when the
German drive was launched in Feb
ruary last. the new chief of the French
armies thus spoke to MS star:
Tho test Il conclusive: our method
has proved sound. Once moro has the
Second Army asserted in the highest
degree It's moral and material ascen.
dency over the enemy"
What was this method Of which the
results bespeak so highly. the military
value7 The answer Is found in the
official and semi-oflcial reports of the
different phases OF the French often.
sive at verdun which, starting toward
the end Of October. has rust been termi.
mated in decisive victory. Tho MILL
tary operations which. from October
~ 10 November 2. at frst by a stroke
Of incredible fury and swiftness. later
by slow. methodical progression. re-
stored to the French the barrier forts
OF Verdun. ending the eight months
struggle by full success. have all the
proportions and the harmony Of q
work OF art.
This mighty blow which resulted in
the recapture Of the forts Of Douau-
mont and Vaux Is regarded in French
eyes as second only to tho battle OF
the Marne. which broke tho German
invading legions in the full fush Of
victory.
The dispositions ordered by Gen. Nj
velle. when ne became commander Of
the Second Army with orders to break
down the German offensive. could not
he better illustrated than by tho re-
suits of the drive undertaken against
Douaumont Fort. Three divisions took
part in the attack. For days the French
artillery had been pounding the Ger
man positions. until the chief COM
mander believed that the period OF
preparation had accomplished its pur-
pose. Then he gave his orders to the
infantry commanders.
Division. regiment. battalion, COM
pany, each had a certain. definite pur-
pose 70 achieve. The general infantry
attack was ixed for October ~ at 11:4o
in the forenoon. Two distinct ob1ec-
tives were set for each division. They
were to be reached at fixed time. Ac.
cording to the instructions the mer
were 70 advance at a certain speed, the
curtain fire OF tho big gums keeping
pace with this advance. always 1us'
forty or nifty yards ahead OF the waves
When the morning of October q
dawned thick fog was settling over the
Vcrdun front. Tho aviators were forced
TO stay in their sheds. 1t was scarcely
possible to make use of tho artillery
observation posts. At the hour for tn
attack the officers in charge OF the va
rlous sections Of this army got on
their compasses. for they knew that
they would have to lead their men Il
the attack Just as the captain Of {
liner pilots his way through a fog a
sea.
Precisely at 11:40 o'clock the gun
ners opened up the barrage fire IN
the attacking waves were launched
Feeling their way over the shell
ploughcd ground. up to their hips II
mud, the poilus kept at their tasl
and always. In spite Of the fog. tn
curtain of fire hat was to protec
them from the German guns ant
smash down resistance. was Their
Just forty or fifty yards ahead. ad
vancing Just as the men advanced
MS the orders of Nivelle had instructe'
them to do.
II was this extraordinary coordina
ton OF men and guns that swept tn,
Crown Princes army back to wher
the Germans stood when their driv
was begun.
During the month OF September an
IN the first days OF October II seeme'
az II the battle Of Verdun was owe
1t no longer held first place In tn
communicates. For the readers of tn
Paris newspapers the army at VerduI
had fulfilled Its mission by havlni
held back tho invader. retaining ol
tina; front an immense number O
German troops while tho Allies wer
carrying out their plan for n genera
offensive IN Russia. In Italy. on tn
SUnme. .,.s