New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-05
Prisoners from Branden-
burger Corps Tell OF
Terrible Losses.
MACHINE GUN ENDS
BATTLE IN CAVE
Teuton Spy Behind French Lines
Killed with His Own
Helmet.
By FRED z. PITNEI.


Paris, March 4.-Prisoners from the
B,and.nburger Corps give interesting
details Of the as ault on Douaumont.
Prom early Friday until Saturday
morning." said one, eve waited for the
orders 70 assault through d breach
made BY the artillery. The Kaiser him
self sent Us a special message that the
country counted on US. Cannon fol-
lowed our advance and was ready 20
second Us and come 10 our help. Az
o'clock Saturday morning the order
Ior attack came. and we left our lines,
.insing Die Wacht am Rhein'; but tho
french machine guns did terrible work
in our ranks.
"tvery ool. struck home. and our
zen fell in solid iles. But we closed
up the gaps IN our ranks and went
.crward. The ground fairly writhed
under the exploding shells from the
zig guns. and We stumbled al every
Njep. We soon broke into run and
then reached tho French line. and II
was a hsnd-to-hsnd fight with your
troops.
III was terrible butchery. but
fortunately our supports we're close be
hind Us and We held our ground. Not
for long. however We had only be-
sun 70 organize for defence when the
tempest struck us il was e French
counter attack, and nothing could stand
against H. was taken prisoner with
out knowing hoV, but most Of our men
we're killed"
Tells Of Charging the Germans.
A French soldier. telling Of the same
fight, says: Our hardest time was
the twenty-four hours we waited shell
tered behind the crest Of the hill from
German guns At last the order came
10 advance, and We started IN two col
unns, 20 tho right and left. circling
The nil and gradually quickenlng our
pace as We came 20 the crest. As We
broke over the crest We saw the Ger
RAMA before Us, but could not fire for
fear OF hitting our own men coming
from the opposite side. We we're 10
have chance a. last 70 use knife and
bayonet.
"Ve went at them full charge They
tried 20 resist, but nothing could stop
us, ard we carried them back over the
Nsuohe Plateau, disregsrding a few left
d our rear. Il was not those az the
rear We cared about. We wanted to
get Of the ones in front. There was a
sshort, fierce struggle a. the foot of the
Fsuche Plateau; then at a bound We
we're on the crest, where our officers
made U. stop against our will.
I'VE dug trenches quickly for shell
~ from ar enflsding Ere. and al night
We put up barbed wire. The Germans
tried furiously 20 retakc the lost
ground, but were too late. They be-
gan with heavy guns. then came from
ne right aud left with an infantry
assault, but our mitrailleuses were
ready FOR them and they never reached
The entsnglements."
One Of the most furious fights Of the
Neroun battle took place in + great
quarry which formed part % the French
Inc near Louvemont. A spacious IN
cergTound gallery ran of from the
quarry 30 the direction Of the German
nes. The French soldiers considered
his only nnc shelter from lombard
intnt fortunately prepared for them
Dur ~he1 a. the end Of the lombard
msrt the soldiers were called from
ineir shelter into The trenches 70 re-
eeivs an infantry charge, the last Ger
nan shell broke through the roof OF the
gallery and opened passage for the
Germans into the middle Of the French
lines
Charging Germans lesped with a
snttr into the hole and surged up
mfougn the gallery, while the French
ron their end rushed in with fixed
''s.Jonets 20 receive the enemy. In the
BACK cave, lighted only by electric
,'rket lamps Of the wounded who
n'shed them % help their comrades. the
'Iaggle vent on. hand 20 hand, both
.+'t fearing % fire on account o. their
20 men. Finally The French carried a
sf'ine gun into the gallery, called OF
infantry vith blast Of bugle,
20 i1rned loose two hundred rounds a
!. re A. twenty yards. The lower end
iat gallery vas blocked with heap
German dead, more effective than =
al 81 s,on.
letter from member Of the
AFaille1ss section Sighting AZ Verdun
Liery way We looked We saw piles
'eroan dead, and for four days the
gres A. one time De had 20
IAo'sV our nitraillcUse thirty yards
'espse The dead hcapcd Ia front Of US
>fsn'sf " from firing or the living
,shT and then a. fast as the Germans
~. over the barricaGe Of their own
'ssq ~ Killed them
~ The midst % The fight near Lowe
W. German spy behind the Wrench
- VA killed b. wounded French
-e'f The officer vas lying Boo field
.shng sgecOr. while the battle went
81 IN front Of him. lic saW near b. 2
~ eoyerfd ~ long blue coat 81
- sina worn By The French army