Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-08
.ERR|BLE TOLL TAKEN
BY FRENCH ARTILLERY
officer In Battle OF Vcriun Tells How
Advancing Germans Are
Slaughtered.
Fis STATEMENT AUTHORIZED
Men Vie With Each Other i'm Cour-
age and Devotcdncss, and They
Leave Ground Covered With Enemy
Dcad-COnfidcnt of Victory.

cry officer who took part In the battle
# Ncrdun has been authorized TO make
ne following statement:
After February 81, when the Ger
mans began the preparation FOR the
tttack with that fury which has al
eady been described we understood
hat Il decisive strupEl. was about TO
- engaged. our group was then in
tos'tton 10 the southeast of Haumont
wood. battery was divided up for
thanking purposes ON three positions.
me =" the east Of Iiaumont wood. one
4" the south and "A third to the north
.: SamogncuX. The two other bat
'"ri"s were 10 the south of hill No.
~. which lies 10 the east OF hill 3fi.
w" we're supported by battery of
SIN Pieces of ninety m!lllmctcr guns.
HErIY To ATTACK
WITH CURTAIN or FIRE
We naturally replied at once 10 tho
i".man attack with a curtain Of trn
- prevent, as Ear as possible. the
enemy infantry from opening "a path
uto our line. on. of our sections
even went forward into the ,.aurcs RI.
vine ami opened fire at 700 meter.
iu' the Gcrmaus, despite enormous
ioSS"" of men. commenced TO overflow
on AL sides. They arrived at the
'1ur"s wood by the tops of The hills
which run between the Tiaumont wood
| c"ss!vcly invaded the positions The
lection which was trying 10 retain
hem KEEP; shortening it's fire az they
.,ivanced, moving down entire ranks
New waves replaced those OF the Ger.
mans who died. and the section kept on
firing, eXhausting It's ammunition. II
was hard at work when groups OF tho
enemy who had succeeded in penetra,.
'ng got behind the guns. Although
they had been turned our artillcryrnen
rtld rot los" their presence % mind
They blew NJ their guns ana retreat
"d. carrying of a sergeant who had
been wouudSd.
| ~ battery OF ninety mIllIncter guns
established at iiaumont. although /,
"1h been reached by an Internal iir.
Ealianty carried out all Instructions
smells or 3oI -mil'metcr calih.r from I'll.
German heavy guns literally rain.d
around this battery. In less than a
ninut" thirteen OF them Yell around
our gums. and the battery Of ninetics,
ttcE having wiped out large number
II the enemy, was obliged 20 cease
Hring ~ this moment "a sergeant
major ~ battery ~ field artillery
nauicd P!crrard approached the com
'nn"dc- az tn" group Of batteries and
said Commander. my battery Of
A'iE-e'rh's no longer exist, Please
"nDloy me elsewhere VERY we'll re-
ne disposal % the battery ~ nine,i.s'.
AGAIN OPENS FIRE
WITH REMARK ABLE \It.OR
P!eTrard collected tho men who had
,'cn working with him ana brought
Nhtm ~ rho battery OF niuct!cs and
"u"ncd the Fir" again and with admir-
i-hic Nl:or. II se.TeG Tho pieces for
I i"rt%-eleht hours, and kept constantly
Z u communication with the commander.
""rnandinv ammunition for his duel
IN the German guns. tncorturatcly.
"as Impossible at last To send him
.Hpphes Use up what YOU have In
10" way o! ammunition ordered tho
r'inmander and 'hcn bow up your
ruus
IN" "nem' "as approaching Their
; rrSt ranks came so near the guns that
P!crrhrd and his companions had to
, defend themselves With their carb!ncs
p Then they began 10 fire again with the
lHlnct'cs until the moment when thew
|! ""Sit!on became absolutely untenable.
Ma they blew up the guns and with
'"W Probably during this movement,
"' iaIiinT back lierrnrd was Killed He
d''arpearcd from that moment
ANOTHER Instance OF the coo! drawers.
which animated our artillery,ncn was
--!N ven ~ battery which was under
ff!2htful homhardmcn, One a0.-
o. .'iim"'"r German shell KILLED the cap
tain. the scrgcant-maiur. n scrcnar,
and Eve numncrs. 10 YOU imagine that
mat Interrupted the work OF ,h.
"fners2 Not for moment. IS If with
on" impulse, they pulled OF their coats
20 work better in their shirt sl"evcs.
hoy -cdouhlrd their efforts 10 INTENSITY
! 'hcir curtain Ere and 80. urge on thcir,
comrades
Utmost IMPOSSIBLE
TO GER VT NITIONS
In The course OF the dag Of Feb
. ruari 30 "" received an iucaiCuIabie
number Of 30d-milimcter shells from
ino Germans on the farm OF Mormon,
aud its neighborhcod. our situation
vas very dinicu!t. and IL was almost
np"ssiblc 10 get munitions. We Were
ncNy II on" case nut OF three arrived
iNe road 10 NaChcrauvillc was SVEN,
~ an informal hail Tho gun which
MS detached to service at Samocnoux
Underwent bomhardment BY shells OF
''i sizes but carried out without ceas-
nS us work OF destruction against the
nemv. -Four times the gunncrs, 10
prevent u from ovcrheatinc. washed il
from their water bottles. When hard
Hr'sscd finally by tho enemy, they re-
novrd the breech keys and fell baci,
iu despair. however at not having
been able TO drag their gun With them.
ih"E returned during tho night TO TRY.
I" pull II off with their hands. The
@t gunner was wounded in ihis
enterprise. which failed. The artillery
men decided not TO allow their gun
{" fail into the hands OF the enemy.
| ID returned once more to blow it IN,
rucy found that II had already been
! l"stroyed, as a olh-millimctcr shell had
truck II. similar incidents occurred
vcrywhcre.
HEN VIE WITH EACH OTHER
~ COURAGE AND DENOTEDNESS
February - our men WED with each
! .,-hcr in courage and devOt cImess. II,
~ evening, after bombardmentS from
9TH sides OF extraordinary violence
| M batteries received the order to
'ovc a. the Coic-du-P oivrc. where they
. rived almost miraculously without
iaSsrs. February II was a great day.
4, hat massacre OF BorhcS. II was
Ihen tina the French and German
,.oppS iiSnll. cd DOSSpSSipp Of hill