The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-10-27
Fort DOuaunlOnt and Village and
ThIaumOnt Works Taken.
SURPRISE ATTACK SUCCEEDS
Republics Men Also Capture Handro-
mont Quarry and Strong Points at
CaiIette Wood-3,50o Prisoners Are
Baeged-Gain Two Miles Deep Is
Made on Front of Over Four Miles.


prise blow struck on the western front
since Gallieni's "taxi-cab army
smashed the Germans on the Marine,
the French launched a terrific drive
against the armies of the German
Crown Prince east Of Verdun.
In one impetuous headlong assault
the defenders of the most precious
plot in France crashed through the
Teuton defense on a front of four and
a half miles from the Mouse to the
Woevre hills The fury of their as
sault carried them at points almost
two miles into the German lines. They
won back in their furious concerted
rush trenches, forts, villages and for
ests which the Germans had bought at
the cost of thousands upon thousands
of lives.
Fort Douamont and the village of
Douamont, names written with blood
upon the pages of history, once more
are in French hands Thiamont works,
scene of scores of desperate battles,
also is held by the French. The Heu-
dromont quarry, the Caillette wood,
the Chenois wood and the Damloup
Battery all have been won back.
News of the tremendous victory
reached Paris while the soldiers were
still smashing their way through the
German lines.
Paris in Great Joy.
Early in the afternoon the pregnant
rumOr of startling developments at
Verdun spread about the city. The
tension was tremendous but dissolved
into unbounded joy when, in an early
communique the war office more than
confirmed the city's fondest hopes.
Utter secrecy had marked the
French preparations for the blow. The
Germans were caught completely by
surprise and off their guard and their
ranks drained to supply the demands
of the armies on the Somme, fell cas-
victims to Joffre's great thrust which
was carried out with 1aWless strag edy
by General Nivelle.
Since early Monday there had been
tremendous bombardment but
heavy bombardments have been com
mon on the Mouse front. But when the
unprecedented intensity of the shell
fire warned the Germans that a great
general attack was near, it was then
too late for them to concentrate their
forces to meet the blow.
The mastery of the air by the
French had prevented German avia-
tors from spying behind the Verdun
lines during the concentration of huge
first line forces and reserve for the
smash. And France had time to make
ready And when the moment came
she struck with full force.
The drumfire of thousands of guns,
kept UP without intermission through
out the night, wiped out the foremost
Teuton defenses.
Attack Carefully Timed.
AT dawn the fire increased to an
inferno of violence. Then, promptly
at the moment set-11: 40 o'clock-the
fire curtains moved back and the
French troops leaped from their
trenches for the grand assault.
The poilus at last were hitting back
after months of buffeting.
1u0y WSuI Tic HISL OcI-
man lines as though they were made
of cardboard. And as they advanced
the shellfire kept moving before them,
cutting off the German reserves and
wiping out trench lines and entangle-
ments.
Hundreds of Germans, stunned and
dazed, were found in dugoutS and I'M
L.. It'll.
tie resistance. Their comrades in the
trenches had been blown to death by
the fury of the fire.
$500 Prisoners Taken.
How rapid was the French rush is
indicated by the number of prisoners
tions and food stores hidden in the un-
foreground vaults and subterranean
fortresses were captured by the
French.
1t will take days to even reckon the
amount of booty taken.
French Back to March Lines.
The French line is roughly defined
by the war Office as paralleling the
road from Bras to Douamont, and
passing from the right of Fort DOua-
mont along the northern edge of Gail
Iette wood the western border of the
village to the eastern edge of Fumin
wood Thence it runs to the north of
Chenois wood and the Damloup Bat.
terry
This front puts the French back al
most where they were in March
month after the German offensive
opened.