Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
FIGHTING AROUND VERDUN
WORLDS GREATEST BATTLE
More Than 100000 Germans HIVE Fallen
on 0nc-Timc Wooded Hllls-Frcnch
Hold Commanding IIeiEhtr.


Hold Commanding HeiEhtr.
Correspondence of Associated Press.l
NERDUN, August es.-The greatest
battle ever fought. an eighteen months
struggle for Verdun. which has sen in
progress since February 81. 1915, has
been brilliant triumph for tho French
army. To-day not only the famous
city. but Its outlying belt Of forts are
IN the hands of the victorious French
defenders while tho discounted Ger
mans lie behind their shell-shattereu
I lines suffering severely from tbs hard
hits they have received, and unable
TO do anything more for the moment
to retrieve their most recent defeat
! than to try To hold back their antago-
hists while they recover their breath.
Among the one-time wooded valleys
and hills in the vicinity OF the fortress
no fewer than 100000 Germans have
FALLEN dead or wounded. Tens OF thou
sands OF their bodies were buried where
they fell. only to be disinterred again
pS shells tearing up the ground In the
course OF the incessant bombardments
ana then once moro covered by earth
thrown up by other exploding pro-
Jeetiies' The correspondent of the AS
soS,a'e" frtss had frequent evidence,
Whiie crossing the torn-up battle field
during the lighting, OF the temporarv
character OF the graves Around Douo,,
mont NauN. Pepper Hill, Goose Hill
Dead Mans Hill and hill sol. all cen
.ers or tha most serious fighting dur
!Hs many months, the earth is imprer
mated with blood. and the churned-nn
soil Is SO desiccatcd that In dry wa.tha
IL forms into deep beds or dust while
III wet weather 1t Is just n swami ~
ooZe' through which 1t Is difficult to
make progress W
IN me battles OF August and October
,si", 'crdun had freed itself OF some
ho., ,"e heaVy pressure OF the German
iosts' put the outer line of hills and
WOODS surrounding the city was stiI,
III the occupation OF the enemy tn
stta' fianders battle this summer wos
meit under way when the French com
';alaer IN chief. General Petain. de-
n.y.. .i,h' enc time lad arrived for a
ne" push Mt Ferdun, before which
s.rohg German army, under the oraa
- me ,nc crown prince. was sitting.
irepafationS were carefuIly -,a
"'u inc artillery began It's work ~
obstruction OF the German posItions
mpout inc beginning of the second
m ';,,a. or august. The Germans replied
honade gradually Increased in vo,u,'.
nv. ~, inc morning Of the day fixed for
."c french infantry to go over tha.
'op, ihat dawn. when the writer
niade MS way across the sear.a ,,J
scorched earth towards the front live
:" oiuer 10 observe the opening of the
engagement. every noise concai,,hI
by the human imaginntio, saan,as
nave combined to break the ear-dru,,,
ana shatter the nerves, while nil oho,,
great sugs OF steel fell and scored
and wracEed the soil.
me result OF this last battle NAV
&c .oiu In few words. On front
,,et IN straisht line just about
WE'VE miles territory of deptb ~
IRON 1000 yards to 5000 Yards had
oeeh recaptured by the French RI.
villages or Champneuyille and Samov
heuS' as we'll as the woods of Malan-
! court Avocourt. Camard and Cum!eres
ma6 been occupied. Goose Hill and
, taiou mn had been taken, Mort
been stormed and occupied, over II ono
prisoners had been rounded IN and
nearly nifty German cannon had h.en
taken or destroyed. together with more
IMAM 200 machine-guns and about
forty trench~mortars.
Verdun had been freed from the
constant menace OF the Germans. and
the French troops had shown their
marked superiority to the Germans.
both on the defensive and the offensive
lhey defended the citadel with te-
nacity and wonderful courage when IL
WAS threatened by apparently over
"helminS forces. and, when their own
'ime came they executed a brilliant
offensive movement which pushed tho
invaders back until at the moment Of
writing the nearest German line north
ward is over six miles away from III.
city. while. to tho eastward, the Ger.
mans are only slightly closer. The
French. however. are in possession OF
all tho commanding hills. and are able
thus to observe the enemy's movements
and to take the necessary precautions
against any further attack, W