Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27
FORT D0UAUMONT'S FALL
NOT ADMITTED BY PARIS
Night Official Statement Tells of
Reaching and Passing Position
Carried by Enemy.
ENACT SITUATION NOT CLEAR
Latest Offensive Of Germans Viewed
IN Most Serious Light, London
Hearing Persistent Rumor That
NcrUun Fortress Has Capituiatcd.

F. Especial Cable TO The Times Dispatch. I
LONDON, February :6.-Neither Of
hciai statement from Paris to-day adj
mits the fall of Fort .Douaumont. To-
hiGhtS communique. however. says
furious struggle has been in
progress around Fort Douaumont
which is an advanced unit of the old
defensive organization OF Ncrdun for
tress, The position carried this morn
ing by the enemy. after several fruit
less assaults. which cost very heavy
losseS. has again been reached and
passed by our troops whom the enemy.
despite all his efforts has not been
able 10 throw back"
INC German official report referring
TO the Stormine ana capture Of Fort
'ouauinont gives the time OF the ac-
ton as yesterday (Friday) Afternoon:
the French night report refers to q
position captured by the Germans
around Fort Douaumont' this lSatur-
day. morning. II is not clear, there
fore, whether the French claim TO have
rccaptured Douauinont or Il further
position. probably south OF the fort,
won by the Germans this morning fol-
lowing the fall OF the fort.
Fort Douaumont il only four miles
from \erdun. and was the keystone Of
the French ring Of rortitications on the
northeast, The entire fortress hither-
to considered imprcEnabe. is pu, in
peril Of capture.
Nerdun is now menaced by great
encircling movement. of which tl.
northern drive was only the first ma
neurer. With the st. Mihiel salient as
IT'S base. another strong force OF Ger
mans has begun turning movement
"a tp.l fY,Sst
and southeast
GERMANS PURSUING
THEIR BEATEN FOE:
The French esistance on the plain
of the woevre has been completely
broken. according TO Berlin. and to-day
the Germans were pursuing their
beaten for along this front as far as
point south Of the pathway from
Paris {" Metz. on which Nerdun is
located.
Both London and Paris view the
latest offensive Of the Germans in the
the rumor was persistently circulated
that the entire fortress had fallen.
London ana Paris critics were inclined
to the opinion that the weight OF the
French guns and the heavy re-cnforce-
ments which have been moved from the
reserve strength to that part of the
line would be successful in brea king
the force OF the German attack before
the inner ring Of Notifications
The official French report is as
follows:
I'm Artois the day was marked by
mine lighting. We blew up two mine
chambers. one west Of the road from
Lille. and the other under a communi-
cation trench occupied by the enemy
Il the east OF Neuvillc-St. Eaast.
In Champagne we completely re-
pulsed a German attack on the salient
carried by us south OF ST Marie
The total number OF prisoners taken
by us in this affair now reaches $40.
of whom nine are officers and thirty
six noncommissoned officers.
"A destructive fire was directed
against the German works north Of
Vile sur Tourbe and in the region of
Mont Tetu.
In the region north of Vcrdun the
bomba rdment continues necessarily,
both TO the east and west of the Meuse.