The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-04
IN THREE DAYS
GERMANS LOSE
WORK Of WEEKS
initiative In the Verdun Sec
tor Passes to the
French.
DESPERATE FIGHTING ON
sOne Side of Fleury French
Other Part Ger
mans
tBy Associated Press.)

.ilst3.' tljy Associated ffesS)
PARIS, August Attacking stimuli.
taneously from the west and from
the southeast French troops yester'
day stormed the village OF Fleury
miles north of Verdun and captured
stveral hundred Germans. Ipthe even.
ing, however, the Germans launched
Furious counter attacks that after sew.
eral violent attempts succeeded In get
ting o foothold In the southern part OF
the villa. The French today continue
to hold the northren section of the
place and heavy fighting still is In
progress.
yerdun is again in the centre OF
the war stage. The recapture by the
French of the village of Fleury which
had been held by the Germans for more
than month has caused great elation
in France.
1t is the first fruits Of the French
slow and methodical offensive begun
three days ago and seems In the opin-
ion OF the French military observers
ot mark an epoch nj the six months
battle for the great fortress on the
Meuse.
The Germans appear to be less and
less capable of operating on their old
Overwhelming scale, and the initiative,
military men think here, is about to
pass to the French for good.
While German artillery continues
tolbe as powerful and well supplied as
ever, the Germans no longer are able
to gather the masses OF troops nee.
essary to reap the benefits OF artil.
-fery preparation.
20 day ssince the Germans made
their last big attack on the right
bank Of the Meuse by which they OBJ.
tanned all results at heavy costs.
On.hte left bank of the Meuse moth.
ing beyond ocal action have been at
tempted by the invaders for week.
French bomb throwers for a fort
night past in anticipation of the pres.
ent offensive had been creeping for
ward by the Vigne ravine west Of Froid
Terre with the object Of getting near
Vhiamount by working round hill No.
365.
The bombers first reached the Bras.
Fleury road. They then separated in
to two parties. one going to the east
ward toward the Thiamount works
and the second pushing northward to.
ward Vacherauville and Pepper Hill.
Last week the first party stormed a
redoubt west Of Thiamount and after
a stiff fight went beyond that posi-.
ton. The second party reached the
little woods Of Vacherauville. The
whole section from vacherauvillc to
the approaches of Souville thus were
In the hands of the French and the
higher commands Judged the time
right to attack from all sides at once.
Attacked from the northwest and the
southeast the Germans in Fleury Of.
fered desperate resistance but the
French bayonets finally prevailed Some
Germans managed to escape to the
Vaux.le. Chapitre woods but majority
were taken prisoner.
To su mup. the French in their last
three days offensive regained all tho
ground that the Germans had taken
several weeks to conquer. They took
all the positions for depth of about a
mile from the slopes of Souville court t
the approaches OF Hill No. S20 as well
IN the woods east OF vachcrauyille
and the Vignes ravine.
The French also installed them.
selves in positions southwest south
and southeast Of the famous Thia.
mount woods.