The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-04-27
GREATEST OF
ALL BATTLES
Ninth Week of Conflict al
verdun.
COSTLY GERMAN DRIVE
A Review OF operations--ln Many
Respects Without Preeedent--4o0,.
600 Men Killed, Wounded
Or Missing.

tory of the world, the battle OF Ven
dun, has entered upon It's ninth week
It is In many respects without pre-.
cedent. The enormous scale OF The
German preparations and execution a
the attack, the unparalleled concentrs
ton OF artillery and the sustained
ferocity Of the fighting mark the battle
as one OF the greatest efforts OF the
war.
Verdun has been rated as one Of the
strongest fortresses Of Europe, a coz
nerstone OF the French defenses
against Germany The evolution Of
military tactics during the war. how
ever, and particularly the employment
by the Germans Of long.range howitE.
ers, capable Of reducing the greatest
forts, have dcpn much to change the
character OF the Verdun campaign, as
compared with the earlier conceptions
Of what such a struggle might be. 30
fore the battle opened the French part
ly dismantled their forts around Ver
dun, and here, rs elsewhere on the
various fronts, chief reliance for 70
sistance was placed on an elaborat,
system OF trenches.
In no previous battle were the losse,
so high as those which have been est
mated in the fighting around Verduu
These estimates. however. cannot b.
regarded as conclusive evidence. fof
neither Germany nor France has an
nounced its casualties.
Nearly 100000 Eliminated.
The French War Office has declared
the Germans have lost 100000 in kill
ed wounded and captured. The Ger
mans state semioficially that the
French casualties number 10000 kill.
ed and wounded and that $4,000 IN.
wounded French prisoners have been
taken. II these estimates are approx
imately correct. nearly 100000 mea
have been eliminated as fighting units
The ground occupied by the Ger
mans after Sc days OF offensive opera.
tions may be roughly calculated as 100
square miles.
The Verdun drive was begun on Feb.
ruary 21 by the German Army, under
Grown Prince Frederick William. The
Germans are reported to have brought
up seven army corps, or about 2Se,OO0
men. to reinforce the troops which had
been in service there, and subsequent.
ly, according TO French accounts, other
large bodies Of reserves were called in.
Within the first 10 days Of the bat
tie the French lost Haumont. Samog
neux, Brabant, Ornes, Beaumont
Chambrettes, Marmont, Cotellats,
Champneuville and numerous other
outer POSITIONS including villages,
woods, heights and fortified farms, TO.
gether with the fortified works Of
Hardaumont, and Dieppe. Fromezey
Abaucourt and, most important OF at
Fort Douaumont. These positions lie
east Of the Meuse and north, northeast
and east Of Verdun.
Fighting continued intermittentiy
northeast OF Verdun during the third
week. centering in the struggle for the
possession of FORT vaux. In this week
the Germans captured Fresnes, Is
miles southeast OF Verdun, making
three-mile advance In this sector.
Meanwhile. a new phase OF the bat
tie had developed west OF the Meuse.
With batteries spaced, according to
German correspondents, scarcely 100
yards apart, violent artillery attacks
were made against Dead Mans Hill,
preceding the long expected offensive
from the northwest. Forges, near
Dead Mans Hill, was captured early
In the third week, after an infantJ
assault along front less than three
miles long. Positions south of FORCES
changed hands frequently during the
following days.
On Sunday Of last week the Germans
undertook general onslaught along
13-mile front, both west and east Of
the Meuse, from the Haucourt- -Bethiu.
court sector to Douaumont. A high
French military official alluded to this
movement as IAN attack on the largest
scale since the beginning Of the Of.
fensive." The Germans announced
that within few hours after II was
begun Bethincourt and two fortified
positions to the southwest were lso'
lated. Trenches in the region of Dead
Mans Hin were carried. but at no
point was the French line broker
through. Toward the end OF last week
this attack subsided, and there came
another pause, followed by French
counterattacks over small sections Of