In one impetuous headlong assault, the defenders of the most precious city in France crashed through the Teutonic defense on a front of four and a half miles from the Mouse to the Woevre hills. The fury of their assault carried them at points almost two miles into the German lines. They won back in their furious conceited rush trenches, forts, villages, and forests which the Germans had bought at the cost of thousands upon thousands of lives.

Tonight Fort Douaumont and the village of Douaumont, names written with blood upon the panes of history, once more are in French hands. The Douaumont works, scene of scores of desperate battles, also is held by the French. The Haudromont quarry, the Calllette wood, the Chenols wood, and the Damloup battery all have been won back.

News of the tremendous victory reached Paris while the soldiers were still smashing their way through the German lines. Early in the afternoon, the pregnant rumor of startling developments at Verdun spread about the city. The tension was tremendous, but dissolved into unbounded joy when, in an early communique, the War Office tonight more than confirmed the city's fondest hopes.

Utter secrecy had masked the French preparations for the blow. The Germans were caught completely by surprise and, off their guard and with their ranks drained to supply the demands of the armies on the Somme, fell easy victims to Joffre's.  Thrust, which was carried out with lawless strategy by General Nivelle. 