Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-27
FRENCH RETAKE
LOST FORTRESS
BEFORE vEpssl
Paris 0ffici ~ -AAque Asserts
Fort Douk mont Captured by
Germans Again in Gallo
Hands.
HAVE ADVANCED PAST THAT
All Teuton Efforts 10 Drive Repub-
lican Forces Back Are
Futile.
LOSSES ARE HEAVY

PARIS, Feb. 26.--The official
statement issued by the war office
tonight mentions the sanguinary
struggle which has been going on
round Fort Douaumont, which IL de-
scribes as "an advance element OF
the old defensive organization of the
fortress of Verdun and declares that
the position captured this morning
by the Germans was reached again
by the French troops, who advanced
beyond that point and have resisted
all attempts to drive them back"
The text OF the statement follows:
"In Artois mine fighting has been
in progress. We exploded two mines,
one to the west of the road to Lille
and the second to the east Of Neu-
ville-St. Vaast. under a tunnel occu-
pied by the enemy.
RepuIse Attack of Enemy.
I'm Champagne we completely re-
/ pulsed an attack by the enomy against
a salient carried by us TO the south of
| Ste. Marie-A-Py. The total number OF
prisoners taken by us In this affair has
reached $40. OF whom nine ere officers
and thIrty-six non-commissioned officers.
Destructive fires have been carried
out against the German works to the
north of Ville-sur-Tourbe and in the re-
gion Of Mont Tetu.
I'm the region to the north OF verdun
/ the bombardment continues without
| cessation to the east and to the west of
! the Meuse. To these attacks of the
enemy our troops have replied by coun-
| ter attacks. carried out with vigor at the
various points assailed on our front.
IAN the new attempts of the Germans
in the region OF Champneuville and on
La Cote Deu Poivre. where we are sol
! idly established. have been repulsed.
Position Retaken.
"A furious struggle has been In pro
i gress around Fort Douaumont. which Il
and advance element OF the old defensive
organization of Verdon fortress. Th'
position captured this morning by tn
4 enerng after several ftuItless asaultl
i which cost Il extremely heavy losses
was reached again and gone beyond b!
our troops, which ali the attempts o
the enemy have not been able to pusl
back
ITO the northeast OF st. Mihiei. out
heavy artillery bombardcd enemy han
gars and depots near vigneulleG Tn
Germans have fired several shells o
large calibre in the direction Of Lune
VILE and Nancy.
To-day In the region Of verdun, Ad
jutant Nevarre in a monoplane bea
down with machine gun two German
aeroplanes. this achievement making fiv
enemy aeroplanes brought to earth b.
this pilot. The enemy machines fell II
our lines. Two aviators manning then
were gilled while two others were mad
prisoners. I..r
Shell Nets station.
ION the same day one of our squad
rons composed of nine bombing areo
planes dropped IA shells on the sablol
railway station at Metz. Another OF on
aeroplanes squadrons bombarded tn
enemy establishments at Chambley
northwest OF Pont-A-Mous.'
The Belgian official communicate
reads:
''The artillery actions were YER
spirited today on our front, PARTICULAR
in the region to the north OF Dixmud'
Our batteries carried out destructiv
fires on the nemy works at Mercken."