New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-26
Battle for Verdun Another Gettysburg

nized that TO lose Verdun was 10 suffer
moral defeat which would almost IN
fallibly bring down the Ministry, might
call into existence a new Committee OF
Public Safety and would fire the Ger
man hear. and depress the French.
In the end the politicians had their
way and Castelneu. Jofre's second IN
command, came over to their view and
set out for Verdun 20 organize the de-
fence Of the position 81 the eleventh
hour. He had with him Petain, the
man who had commanded the French
army in the Battle OF Champagne and
hencetorth commanded the army that
was hurried 70 the Verdun sector.
France now took up definitely the
gage Of battle as Germany had laid il
down. Verdun now became a battle in
the decisive sense of the word, al
though still on the moral side. Nothing
is more preposterous than to believe
that there ever was any chance OF
German advance through Nerdun 20
Paris. One has only to 60 to Verdun
and see the country and the lines be-
hind the city and miles back Of the
present front 20 realize how foolish
such talk is.
Meantime the German advance had
been steady and considerable. All these
attacks follow the same course-Ypres,
Artois. Champagne. Dunsjec. There IS
first the tremendous artillery concon-
tra,ion OF the assailant; then the
bombardment which abolishes the first
and second line trenches Of the de-
tenders; then the infantry attack which
takes these ruined trenches ard almost
invariably many thousands Of prisoners
and scores Of guns. Blu. now the situa-
tion changes. The assailsnt has passed
beyond the effective range Of his own
heavy artillery, which cannot be imme-
diately advanced because Of its weight;
ne encounters a line of trenches that
have not been levelled, he has come
under the concentrated fire OF his foes
heavy and light artillery without the
support of his own heavy artillery. and
all the advantage OF surprise mas gone.
What happened at Verdun Is what
happened in the Champagne. The Ger
man advance was quite as successful
rather more successful than the French
last September; il covered three or
four miles on a considerable front, and
it even reached Douaumont. one OF the
old forts and the fort which was placed
on the highest hill in the environs Of
Verdun. Thousands of prisoners had
been captured and many guns taken.
But at this point the French resistance
stiffened. as had tho German last year.
French reserves and artillery arrived.
Petain and Castelnau arrived. There
was an end Of the rapid advance and
there began the pounding. grinding at
tack in which the advantage passed to
the defender. II was just what hap
pened at Neuve Chapelle so long ago
when we first saw this kind Of fighting
exemplifed completely.
German Losses Colossal.
In the new attacks the Germans still
gained ground, but they gained ground
because the French withdrew from posi-
tons made untenable through the origi-
nal German advance at other points.
They consolidated their line. organized
their new front. Ten days after the
attack had begun II had ceased TO be a
question OF Verdun. just as in short
err time the French had realized last
September that they could not break
the German line in Champagne. But
like the French in Champagne, like the
British at Neuve Chapelle. the Germans
persevered, and in consequence suffered
colossal losses, exactly as the French
and British had
To understand the German tactics
you must recognize two things. The
Germans had expected to take Verdun,
and they had unquestionably known
that the French military command did
not intend at the outset to hold the
town. They had advertised the com
ing victory far and wide over the
world; they had staked much upon it.
Moreover, in the first days, when they
had taken much ground, when they had
got Douaumont and could look down
into Verdun, they had every reason to
believe that they possessed the key 10
the city and that the French high
command was slowly but steadily draw
ing back its lines and would presently
evacuate the city.
Knowing these things you can under
stand why the Germans were so conf
dent They did not invent stories OF
coming victory which they did not be-
lieve They believed that Verdun was
10 fall because they knew. and the same
thing was known and mentioned in
London. ! heard IL there when the
battle was in its earlier stages that the
French high command intended to
evacuate Verdun. What they did not
know and could not know was that the