Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-27
VERDUN BATTLE
FRENCH TRIUMPH
Famous City taken in Strug-
gle Which Has Lasted
18 Months.

Verdun, Sept. 27.-The greatest bAt-
tie ever fought. an eighteen nionths'
struggle for Verdun. which has been
IN progress since February 81, 1916,
q been a brilliant triumph for the
FFrench army Today not only the fa-
nous city but its outlying belt Of forts
are in the hands. Of the victorious
French defenders. while the disc0In-
fted assailants lie behind their SHELF
shattered lines suffering severely from
the 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
antagonists while they recover breath.
800, 900 Germans Dead.
Among the one-time wooded vail
leys and hills in the vicinity OF the
fortress no fewer than 500, 900 Ger
mans have fallen dead or wounded.
Tens Of thousands OF their bodies
were buried where they fell only to
be. distinterred again by shells tearing
up he ground, in the urs of the IN
cessant bombardments and then once
more covered by earth thrown UP by
other exploding projectiles. The cor
had frequent evidence, while crossing
the torn-up battlefield. during the
fighting, of the temporary character
of the graves. Around Douamont,
Naux, Pepper Hill. Goose Hill. Dead
Mans Hill and Fill 304, all centers OF
the most serious fighting during many
months. h earth is ~impregnated with
blood and the churned up soil is SO
d~esiccated that in dry weather it
forms into deep beds of dust while
in wet weather it is just a SWAMP Of
ooze, through which 1t is difficult to
make progress.
French Drive Begins.
In the battle of August and October,
1915, Verdun had freed itself OF some
of the heavy pressure of the German
hosts, but the outer line of hills and
surrounding the city was still
in the occupation of the enemy. The
we'll under way when the French
commander-in-chief, General Petatp,
decided that the time had arrived for
Ia new push at Verdun, before which
a strong German army under the Or
ders of the crown prince was sitting.
Preparations were carefully made
u the artillery began it's work Of de-
about the beginning Of the second
week of August. The Germans re-
piled vigorously and the reciprocal
c~annonade gradually increased in VOL
une until the morning of the day fixed
for the French infantry to go over
the top" That dawn when the writer
made his way across the scared and
scorched earth towards the front line
In order to observe the opening Of
the engagement every noise conceiv-
able by the human imagination SEEM
ed to have combined tt break the ear
drums and shatter the nerves. while
all about great slugs Of steel fell and
scored and wrecked the soil.
Result Of Last Battle.
The result of this, last battle may
be told in a few words. On a front
stretching in a straight line just about
twelve miles territory Of a depth of
been recaptured by the French, the
villages Of Chanpnueville and Sameg-
neux, as well as the woods of Malan-
court, Avocourt, Camard and Cum
ieres had been occupied Goose Hill
and Talou Hill had been taken, Mort
Homme and Hills 304 and S44 had
been storrned and occupied, over H.
900 prisoners had been rounded up.
and nearly fifty German cannon had
been taken or destroyed together with
more than 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 often
sive. They defended the citadel with
tenacity and wonderful courage when
it was threatened by apparently over
whelming forces and when their own
time can1e they executed q brilliant
offensive movement which pushed the
invaders back until at the moment Of
writing the nearest German line
northward is I'VE six miles away from
the city, while to the eastward the
Germans are only slightly closer. The
French, however. are in possession OF
all h commanding hills and are able
thus to observe the enemy's move
ments and to take the necessary pre-
cautions against any further attack.