The sun., 1916-12-24
Story Of How the Crown
Princes Costly Work of Months
Was Nullified by One Stroke
Work of Each Regiment anEpic


his lungs"
II these were the impressions Of the
soldiers charged with the task of cap
turing the positions to the left and
right of Douaumont fort, what must
have been those of the men whose high
task Il was to assault this position
which the Crown Prince had thought
impregnable? All through the time OF
preparation Of the Verdun offensive
the idea Of Douaumont fort was up
permost in the minds Of the French
soldiers. II had become q legend. a
religion.
The conquest Of the fort was re-
served for three battalions OF the
colonial regiment Of Morocco, cited
twice in the orders OF the army for
its fine conduct In the battles OF Dix
nude and Fleury. At the outset OF the
attack the regiment met with an un-
expected resistance. The first French
line was pounded by German heavy
guns and Petain's troops had to evacu-
ate the position. German troops under
cover OF the fog succeeded in pene-
trating the French lines. Before the
advance could be undertaken these
troops nd0 10 ne uTlNtn Out.
This part OF their task accomplished,
! Modat's battalion was launched against
the fort. Having reached Its first OBJ
jective 1t organized the ground while
Croll's battalion passed in its charge
and took up n position ahead. Its In
struct!ons were to cncirClc the fort,
! right and left. The third battalion,
Nicolay's. had the duty Of charging
against the fort itself, to enter and
drive out the garrison. Crolrs battalion
reached the fort. Capt. Dorey. leading
the first wave, not observing Nico.ay's
men. took the initiative in goirg be-
yond the fort and through it. instead
of going around. intending to profit by
the shock of the first assault on the
Germans and not permit them to re-
organize. Several fractions Of French
troops thus passed through the super.
structure of the ruined fort and con.
tinucd their advance beyond 1t. Their
Nico!ay's men did their work.
For more than "A month Nicolay's
battalion knew II had been selected foi
this mission. The men thought OF
nothing else. The battalion ~ocCupic,
a unique position in the army OF Yer
dun because OF this choice, and officers
and men felt II. Each man knew that
much was expected OF him. but h
realized that he was a cog in the great
wheel. There was only one will. tn,
desire to fulfil the task entrusted I,
the battalion.
At the hour sot Nicolay's troop.
were marching. The mud chung TO tn,
soldiers boots. but their gal: was no
slackcned. The fog got thicker an,
thicker. An error in direction-prob
ably due to the fact that the office
holding the compass had II close TO hi
revolver-hrought the battalion almos
parallel 10 the Thiaumont-Douaumon
crest. There was a slight hesitation
II WAC Of vital importance. because thi
battalion WAS the only one equ!ppc,
with the necessary weapons and tool
for the capture OF tho fort. Tho 70,
Fitted and two German prisoners wcr
seen advancing toward the French
pointing tn pouaumont and Cry!n,
"Kaput,"
To these colonial troops of Franc
DouGumont seemed like n holy moan
tain, When the battalion arrived a
the fort, when tho mon realized wha
was about to happen, seized with
sort of religious respect. they naltc,
An official report. that OF Commander
Nicolay. refers to this extraordinnr
halt, perhaps unique in history, of tn
conqueror in front OF his conquest.
Dragging their feet out of tho mud
he writes, the Colonials dashed for
ward 20 take advantage of their pos
ton. Not a shell was falling ON tho.
line no infantry was there to stu
their rush. The Boche harrage w
intense. hut the shells were falling fl
behind, In the NiGnes ravinc.
1T was close TO 3 o'clock: Dorcy
detachment had entered the fort viii
out striking n blow. 1t was In positiu
southwest OF tho towers. neither firm
nor being attacked.
1T was impossible TO adopt methot
, ically the fighting formation arrange
by the commanders. The Bochcs We
, certainly on tho alert. II was necc,
, sary To attack them ut the earle
/, possible moment, before they were ali
to ove from the first shock.
"Cnder the low flying French acr,
=, plane with the tricolor in fun vie
, cIrcling over the fort, the battali,
crossed the ditch in line of columns /
sections, commanders at the head, a.
, then swarmcd over ;hc ramparts. H.
+, You'd the rainparts the men were loul
!, ing into the yawnlng mouths of q
classmates of the ground floor of u
fort and were gazing at the inter-,
, court torn to pieces by our shells.
Before this chaos which had be,
, a great fort. "A symbol ut vii at
, strength marvcliously recovered, Il
heads OF the columns stopped and n
mon looked into caCh others eyes. r.
battalion chief, who had halted at T.
bottom of the ditch To- see his m,
/ pass. regained his position at the he,
of the troops and, while paying hon
, age to the sacred and unfurgcttan
y scene before HIM, gave the order To II
i, tack the guns which wcrc Just bccil
4, ming to play on the advancing waves.
The resistance OF the garrison of Il
p fort did not last long. The supCrsiru
ture and the exterior works W.
q stormed. Grcnadiers worked their w
through all the passages of the We
2 and the fort was tirmly IN the han
o Of the French before the sun We
I down.
On the following day Gen. Nivoi
2 commanding the army of Nrrdun, "A
y dressed to the troops of Gen. Mang
$ this order Of the day:
a "ONCers, s~uh-onicors and soldiers
+ the Mang!n group-ln a few hours
"A magnificent assault you havo ioh
= from your powerful cncmy at II sins