Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-04
GERMAN LINES
MOVED DOWN IN
HUGE MASSACRE
French Official Eyewitness
Says They Fell Howling
in Terrific Fashion
TELLS OF FIRST ATTACK
Drumfire of Unparalleled In
tensity Preceded Charge;
Killed in Rows
TELLS OF FIRST ATTACK

cial eyewitness gives the following de-
scription of the defense of Herbebois.
three miles to the north of Fort Dou-
aumont, where the great battle of
Nerdun began twelve days ago:
1T was on February 81 at 7.20
o'clock in the morning that the Ger
mans began The preparation for their
attack. They unloosed a formidable
artillery fire on the positions which
they wished 10 capture and shells of
all caliber fell like hail. from those of
$50 millineters to shells of 305 milli-
meters. 1t was Veritable drum fire
of an intensity unknown till now, and
this drum fire played by series on OBJ
jective points selected for attack. a
zone 500 meters broad and a kilometer
deep, for example, was pounded in
such fashion that the earth was plowed
up on the entire superficial extent in
mathematical fashion.
Gas Shells
'Lacrymosal shells and suffocating
gas shells were also employed by the
enemy 10 accentuate the moral effect
However, despite this formidable rain
of projectiles, the Germans on the first
day succeeded only in entering our
first line of defense at Herbebois and
taking n small supporting work of the
lines. 1t was a miserable result COM
pared with the mechanical effort and
the human effort which they had put
forth against our advanced line of re-
sistance. 1t was then that my regi-
ment was called upon to counterattaclI
and to recapture the first line lost.
When ] say line, it must he under
stood that there were only some
chaotic elements of trenches and fur
rows torn up with shell holes.
Prisoners Glad OF Capture
AT midnight, accordingly, on the
2lst, the men were in position and we
were rather happy at having at the
first moment of our appearance on the
ground taken siNty-three prisoners,
who seemed TO be very glad not to
have to measure themselves against us
any further. They rubbed their hands
and seemed quite gay at the thought
of having ended their share in the
war. Among these prisoners was an
officer, who. having tried to escape,
was killed ny the sentry who was
charged with guarding them.
Our counterattack took place on
February % at 430 o'clock in the
morning. bur after .. moment the
houches attacked again. No one had
the advantag" of this affair. Then
during the day there was on both sides
an unccasinS struggle with hand
grenades, while sonfc of our men
strained every effort, under the pro-
lection of the grenade throwcrs. to
consolidate our positions. At this mo-
ment we no longer had any natural
shelter. On u depth of three to four
hundred meters behind Herbebois is
ordinary underGrowth, but the Ger
mans had opened up on it a terrible
outpouring of proiectiles and the wood
at certain places was transformed into
a clearing. II was necessary, there
fore, to maneuVer through this con-
fusion by climbing and crawling and
TO work and raise barricades and TO
organize the shell holes. 1t was snow
ing and I leave you to imagine the
endurance which our men showed in
the circumstances.
HowIcd as They Fell
During the course of the night of
February % the Germans renewed
their offensive. A bombardment of
amazing violence and of mortal pre-
cision 5id not permit them, however,
10 advance IN inch. When their in
tantry in turn attempted to strike our
men made them suffer sanguinary
losses. It was still worse during the
day of the 23d. After having once
more Copioualy rained shells on our
lines, the Germans sent against us at
least the equivalent of q battalion.
This attack in a body excited to the
highest degree the valor of our men.
They sighted the Germans at so meters
and under volleys the latter fell howl
ing in terrific fashion. 1t was veri-
table massacre.
had executed Il curtain fire, preventing
the enemy from returning, and very
few OF the assailants succeeded in get
ting to the rear. Almost all were left
on the battlefield. That did not pre-
vent the Germans from attacking us
once more during the course of the
day, but without any better success.
-Four of our grenadiers, posted at
he entrance of a communication
trench which united our old firing
trench, now occupied by the Germans,
with n supporting trench which we
Still held, killed groups of the enemy
as fast as they presented themselves.
They carried on this work for more
than twenty hours. During these fights
was revealed once more the warlike
ardor of the French. Despite the
losses incurred (almost all exclusively
from artillery fire, for in the infantry
engagements we had constantly the
upper handD, their morale did not
waver for a moment. Our troopers
maneuvered as during field practice
They saw without q murmur their
comrades fall around them and they
continued their work as quietly as at
exercise. One has reason to be proud
of commanding such men.
Withdraw From Position
AT Ais o'clock in the afternoon of
February 30, while we had not retired
single foot, the order was given us
rills wood having been taken. we ran
the risk of being surrounded. We
waited for the night to come Some
of our men. when they learned that
VIC were TO leave Herbobois, protested
asking to be sllowed to fight and die
on the spot. However. tactical reasons
obliged us to ovacuate Herbebois, and
we had to reckon with the general
situation.
The retirement order was executed
and we went TO take a position in front
of the LaChaume wood, commune
eating with the units on our right and
left.
Glorious Page
THE defense of Herbebois will GER
tainly remain one of the most glorious
pages i'm the annals of our regiment
More than 5000 Germans came in
successive waves to smash themselves
against our ranks although we were
in fighting position of the most dis
advantageous kind. We voluntarily
abandoned the ground where hundreds
Of German corpses show sufficiently
how effective was our resistance.
Neither the bombardment, nor the
snow, nor the difficulties Of securing
provisions, nor fatigue. could over
come the stubborn bravery of our in
fantry. BY thus holding firm in this
corner of Herbebois they for their part
contributed to win time for the ar
rival OF the necessary reserves and
,,,Aa Il