MIPM or CHINS
DESCRIBED BY OFFICER
French Soldier Tells of Success of
, Enemy at Fort Douaumont
in March.
GIVES REALISTIC ACCOUNT
Many Acts of Heroism in Defense
of Village?Private in Trenches
Slays Fire Adversaries?Great
House-to-House Struggle.
PARIS, Mar 6?The occupation of
Fort Douaumont by the Germans In
March, which has been one of the most
Important successes of the enemy during the long battle of Verdun, Is described to the Associated Press by a
French infantry officer in the following
words:
"We had to combat detachments of
the enemy that had slipped inside the
fort with machine guns and a revolving
cannon. At the same time we had to
watch over a winding ravine opening
near the church of Douaumont, through
which the Germans might get through.
We thus had to look two ways, while
we were nearly blinded with smoke
and with dust raised by shells that
furrowed the ground all about. Orders could be heard only a step away
in the deafening crashes that were almost continuous. The ground quaked
under the concussions. All our defense
works were obliterated between 2
o'clock in the morning and 1 o'clock
in the afternoon, when the Germans
increased the range of their artillery
fire and their infantry attacked the
village. We were cut off from all communication front and rear, for every
man sent out with information was a
dead man." 