STRUGGLE FOR VERDUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1916, Page 6

STRUGGLE FOR VERDUN.

■■■ SOME GLORIOUS EPISODES.' • " BATTLE OF CAURES WOOD. ' DEATH BEFORE SURRENDER. ■Paris, March 9. Verdun front gave the following description of the battle for possession of Caures Wood:— "The affair of the Caure a Wood is one of the most dramatic 1 and most glorious episodes of the battle of Verdnn. The Chasseurs who were charged witfh defending this part of the sector were under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Driant. They have added a magnificent page to contemporary 'history by their unyielding gallantry. "It was 7.15 in the morning of February 20 when the Germans commenced preparations for their attack. .We had then been holding the trenches for four days, and our chief. Lieut.-Colonel Driant, was milking a tour of inspection. We had one battalion on the firing-line and another held in reserve at the Moronat Farm. Everybody was immediately on the alert. The bombardment began with an unusual violence, and our listening posts, according to orders, fell back on the first line, where ive awaited the attack.

' A storm of- iron began to pass over. It. was. in fact, more than a storm—it was a deluge. Our shelters, even the best constructed, were demolished. About 1 1 o'clock the post at which 1 was was destroyed by the hail of shell?, and 14 Chasseurs and one officer were buried in the debris. However, our men did not hesitate, but pressed forward to the aid of their wounded comrades as if it was simply a question of some common accident.

''On the 22nd the bombardment was resumed with the greatest violence. Our trenches were rapidly levelled, the commui:icating trenches were dstroyed, and even the wood itself was mowed down in large spaces. However, our Chasseurs maintained the same impassibilitv.

''The C'erman attack increased in violence. A lieutenant sprang to the head ot his company to repel the enemy. He was wounded in the hand' immediately. ITo wrapped it in his 'handkerchief and sprang forward again, crying: 'Forward!' A second bullet cut the word short, in his mouth. As he fell the ground another officer leaped automatically forward to take his place. He had gone only a few yards when a bullet pierced his throat. The enemy, with very superior forces to ours, including an entire new brigade, swept down upon us. From the evening before until the morning our two battalions had suffered under the most murderous fire. The enemy was endeavoring to turn both our flanks, and we fought with all our strength against this encircling movement. About "..in p.m. the situation suddenly became critical. The Germans.had brought up a big gun which was bombarding the very heart of our position. I was then called to the post of Lieut.-Colonel Driant.

'■' Colonel Driant was stationed in the front line. He was surrounded bv Commandant Renouard, Captain Vincent and Captain Hamel. Energetically, but calmly, hi 'cclared to us: 'ln a few more minutes :o ./ill be necessary to die nr to be taken prisoners.' lie waited a little while and added: 'I would prefer to die.' The tears flowed down his cheeks, and we all wept. Commandant .T.cnouard reassured himself that there was nothing more in the shelter that could .be of value to the enemy. All our archives and) plans had been burned on the 21st and the order to retreat was given. ''Captain Tlenouard said: 'At least let us try and save some of these brave fellows.'

" 'All, well, lot in save all wp pan,' replied Captain Mael. 'lt will be so many Chasseurs wlio will be able to fight again to-morrow.'

"Our retreat commenced, protected on the flank by a detachment of Chasseurs. The heads of the column on leaving the woods were welcomed by a cross fire from the enemy's mitrailleuses. It was ot no use to attempt a reply, and the fragments of the sections which were able to escape from that zone rallied at TTaumont on the first lino of our second position. "Colonel Driant had wished to set out the last. lie remained until lip was certain that none of his men was left in the wood, and has never been seen since."

CHARGE OP CHASSEURS. GERMAX PLAXS UPSET Paris, March 12. A brilliant countei'-atta6k by French Chasseurs was responsible for tnc check which upset the carefully-laid plans of the Germans for the capture of Verdun, according to an account 3f the battle the journal claims to liytve obtained from seven Prussian officers, who were taken prisoners while on special patrol duty. All these officers were brought back to France from the, Servian front. Two of them, one belonging to the artillery, were wounded. They declared that in order to reach the German front '.liev j had to pass through concentrated lines of artillery several miles deep., j One of them declared the number of guns ised in the Galieian campaign was not to be compared with the great batteries assembled for the assault upon Verdun. The tremendous French mitrailleuse fire surpassed anything he bad ever known, the Herman is quoted as saying. He asserted that the French artillery at Douaumont was equal in strength at that point tc the German, but it Was the gallant charge of the French chasseurs which finally drove them back. The patrols describe their progress to the front in its last stage as 'having been made over heaps of dead comrades. The Germans explained that their •higher command had taken measure in advance to provide tlmt all their artillery, comprising hundreds of heavy guns, should advance in a compact mass, as though it were a single battery. The orders were to fire without stopping until exhausted, and shells were used in enormous quantities. When the French guns found their range, the Germans said, the batteries which bad been concentrated had to be dispersed, or they would have been put out of action.