Arizona republican., 1916-03-04
French Official Fly e-wit- ness Gives Vivid Descrip- tiOn of Defense of Herbe- bois, Where Great Battle of Verdun Began
ARTILLERY FIRE
 IS FORMIDABLE
Was Veritable Drum Fire of Intensity Until Then Un- known Lacrymosal and Gas Shells Are Also Elm ployed
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel


 PARIS, March 3.-The French off | cial eye witness gives the following de- scription of the defense of Herbebois | three miles to the north of Fort Douau- mont, where the great battel of Verdun began twelve days ago:
 Tt was on February 21 at 7:20 o'clock in the morning that the Germans be- gan the preparation for their attack They unloOsed a formidable artillery fire on the positions which they wished to capture and shells of all calibres fell like hail from those 150 millimetres to shells of 305 millimetres. It was a veritable drum fire of an intensi- ty unknown till now, and this drum fire played by series on objective points selected for attack A zone 800 meters broad and a kilometre deep for example, was pounded in such fashion that the earth was ploughed up on the entire superficial extent in mathe- nautical fashion. Lacrymosal shells and suffOcatirg gas shell were also employed by the enemy to accentuate the moral effect. However, despite this formidable rain of projectileS, the Ger mans on the first day succeeded only in entering our first line of defense at HerbebolS and taking a small support ing work of the line. It was a miSer- able result compared with the mechan- ical effort and human effort which they had put forth against our advanced line of resistence. It was then that my regiment was called upon to counter attack and to try to recaptl1re the first lit,n I understood that there were only some chaotic elements of trenches and fur rows torn up with shell holes. At midnight, accordingly, on the Fist the men were in position and We were rather happy at having at the first moment of our appearance on the ground taken sixty-three prisoners who seemed to be very glad not to have to measure themselves against us any further.
 Our counter attack took place on February 22 at 4:30 o'clock in the morning. Then the boches attacked again. No one had the advantage there this affair. Then during the day there was on both sides an unceasing strug- gle with hand grenades while some Of our men strained every effort under the protection of the grenade throwers to consolidate our positions. At this moment we no longer had any nat ural shelter. Herbebois is covered with tree stumps among which some large trees stand up. On a depth of three to four hundred metres behind is or dinary undergrowth but the Germans had opened upon it a terrible outpour- ing of projectiles and the wood at cer- l tain places was transformed into A clearing. It was necessary. therefore to maneuver through this confusion by climbing and craving and to work and raise barricades and to organize the shell holes. It was showing, and | leave you to imagine the endurance which our men showed in the circum- stances
 | During the course of the night of February 22 the Germans renewed their offensive. bombardment of amaz- ing violence and of a mortal precision did not permit them, however, to ad
 vance an inch. When their infantry in turn attempted to strike our men made l them suffer sanguinary losses. It was still worse during the day of the 23rd
 Alter haVlng once more copiously rained shells on our lines, the Germans sent against us at least the equivalent
 of a battalion. This attack in a body excited to the highest degree the valor