The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-09
OPENING OF HUGE BATTLE.
Verdun Struggle Started at Herbe-
bois.-Germans Mown Down.

Paris, March 4.-The French Off
cial eyewitness gives the following
description of the defense Of Her
bebois, three miles to the north of
Fort Douaumont, where the great
battle of Verdun began IL days ago:
1T was on February 81, at 1920
O'Clock in the morning that the Ger
mans began preparation for the at
tack. They unloosed formidable
artillery fire on the positions which
they wished to capture and shells of
all calibres fell like hail. 1t was a
veritable drum fire of an intensity
unknown till now. A zone 500 me-
tres broad and a kilometre deep, for
example, was pounded in such fash
ion that the earth was plowed up on
the entire superficial extent in math-
ematical fashion. Laerymosal shells
and suffocating gas shells were also
employed to accentuate the moral ef-
feet However, despite this formida-
BILE rain of projectiles the Germans
the first day succeeded only in enter
ing our first line of defense at Her
bebois and taking small support
ing work of the line. 1t was a
miserable result compared with the
mechanical effort and the human eff
fort which they had put forth against
our advanC 1 line of resistance. 1t
was then that my regiment. was call
ed upon to counter attack and to try
to recapture the first line lost.
"At midnight accordingly on the
21st the men were in position and
we were rather happy at having at
the first moment of our appearance
on the ground taken 63 prisoners
who seemed to be- very glad not to
have to measure themselves against
US any further. Among these prts-
oners was an officer who, having
tried to escape, was killed by the
sentry who was charged with guard
ing them.
"Our counter attack took place on
February % at 4:S0 o'clock in the
morning, but after moment the
Boches attacked again. No one had
the advantage in this affair. Then
during the day there was on both
sides an uneeasing struggle with
F., grenades. We no longer had any
' natural shelter. Herbebois is cover
ed with tree stumps, among whichN
some large trees stand up. On a;
depth of 800 to 400 metres behind is
ordinary undergrowth, b4t the Ger
mans had opened upon it terrible
outpouring of projectiles and the,
wood at certain places was trans
fomed into clearing. It was neces-.
sary to manoeuvre through this con-.
fusion by climbing and crawling. 1t
was showing, and leave you to ina.
CINE the endurance which our men
! showed in the circumstances.
During the night Of February "a
the Germans renewed their offensive.
! A bombardment of amazing violence
and of mortal precision did not per-
nit them, however, to advance an
! inch. When their infantry in turn
attempted to strike our men made
them suffer sanguinary losses. It
was still worse during the 23rd. At
ter having copiously rained shells on
our lines, the Germans sent against
us at least battalion. This attack
excited to the highest degree the
valor of our men. They sighted the
! Germans at so metres and under
methodic volleys the latter fell, howl
ing in terrible fashion. 1t was
veritable massacre.
"Our rs millimetres on their side
had executed a curtain Of fire, pre-.
venting the enemy from retiring, and
very few of the assailants succeeded
in getting to the rear. That did not
prevent the Germans from attacking
us once more during the day but
without any better success.
-Four of our grenadiers, posted at
the entrance of a communication
trench, killed groups of the enemy as
fast as they presented themselves.
They carried on this work for more
than 20 hours. Our troops ma
noeuvred as during field practice.
They saw without murmur their
comrades fall around them and they
continued their work as quietly as
at exercise.
AT 4:15 o'clock in the afternoon
on February %, while we had not
retired single foot, order was CIV
en- us to withdraw carefully, as We
ran the risk of being surrounded.
We waited for the night to come.
Some of our men, when they learned