New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-21
French, Expecting Verdun
Drive, Had Plans Ready
Drive Logical Says Pars-Iroops, After Trenches
Had Been Blasted Away Fought Without
Defences Until Reserves Arrived

Paris, March 20. Recounting the
/ terrific punishment undergone By the
French troops resisting the German
drive az Verdun. as well as PARTIAL.
/ justifying that drive from a military
/ point Of view. a semi-officisl statement
was issued here tonight explaining
the frst phase Of the battle.
Many times, the statement says. ar
ter the destruction Of French trenches,
the soldiers stood their own in the
open fields. contending at a terrific cost
Of lie, against the German assault
Relative numerical superiority from
which an assailant always profits at the
beginning of an action" was the eI-
PLANTATION for the initial German sue
cess in the battle OF Nerdun.
AT the moment the Germans took
the offensive we could not engage more
than the forces We had provided for
holding the line says the memoran-
DUN. because the Germans might mere
Is have feinted before Nerdun and at
tackled Nancy en- masse. or they might
have made their principal assault IN
the direction Of Amiens or Calais.
"The greatest difficulty Of the Gen
eral staff in such emergencies 10 to
master its nerves 70 n reasonable APP
probation Of the shock that probably
is coming and the counter-blow II IS
necessary TO deliver. The French staff
was not surprised at Nerdun. What It
could not know was whether this was
TO be the principal attack or whether
ten corps were not ready 70 strike else
where while seven corps assailed the
eastern stronghold.
French Plans Work Perfectly.
THE reinforcing Of the troops on the
right bank Of the Meuse before Nerdun
with new contingents numbering go
600 and the bringing up of all needed
supplies and ammunition had been pro
vided for I'm every detail early IN Feb
ruary. and IL worked out to perfection
as the battle developed, but at the mo-
ment the German guns, massed 10 un-
precedented numbers. opened fire on
the morning Of February u the French
lines there were held only by the Gov
ering troops stationed there for months.
II was the same division that stood
the first shock that defended the
ground, foot by foot. retardne the ad-
vance OF tho Germans and plOughing
wide burrows i'm their ranks before each
position, and finally, By order, holding
the line Of DouaumOnt-Bras until rein
forcements came up.
"Thc issue of the battle was then
certain 20 the defenders. The rush
for Nerdun was not only anticipated
by the General staff. but on analysis
appears clearly logical. in spite OF crit
les who characterize u as paradoNlcal
The opportunity to impose battle on An
adversary with a river al his back and
with a single line Of railway communi-
cations exposed to artillery fire was
sufficient 20 tempt the Germans. whose
preparations were long deliberated
upon and methodically carried out
Shelling Unprecedented in War.
at the beginning Of the action the
French left rested on Brabant, Consen-
yoye. Haumont and the Csures. form
ing the first position, with Samogneux
and Hill No 300 constituting the sec
ond line. In the centre the French
held the Vile woods, Herbcbois and
Ornes on the first line, with Beaumont,
Wayrille, the Posses, the Chaums and
tho Caurieres. The right comprised
Maucourt, Mogeville, the Brau Pond,
the woods Of Hautes Charriercs and
Fromezey. with the second position on
BeZonveaux, Grand Cinema and Dlcppe.
Behind these positions was the line
OF forts marked by the villages Of Bras,
Douaumont, Hardaumont, Naux, Laufee,
and Elk.
After one hour Of Smelling by pro-
iectiles OF all calibres, including tear
producing and suffocating gas shells,
all telephone communication with our