THE VERDUN HORROR.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1916, Page 2

THE VERDUN HORROR.

REAL HORRORS OF WAR ATTACK BY 20,000 MEN. SHELLS THROWN 22 MILES. San Francisco, July 20; General Edward Kirkpairick, an American war veteran whose home is in Paris, but who holds large interests in California, and has recently returned to San Francisco, has prepared an interesting account of his experiences behind the French lines at the Verdun salient. His •acquaintance with the higher officers of the French army enabled him to witness the bloody struggle that ha 3 appalled the world, by its fierceness, while yet enthralling it by the bravery and gallantry of the intrepid defenders of the tricolor. Describing the night of April 28 at Verdun, Gen. Kirkpatrick said:—"ln the furnace of Verdun I have seen the real horrors of "war. I have seen the working of the marvellous "75" gun and the murderous mitrailleuse. I have seen an attack by 20,001) men on a front of 1080 yards; that is to say, an attack in which twenty men were assigned to every three feet of space. I have seen these men blown into the ait by tremendous shells; I have seen them burned by liquid Are; I have seen them suffocated by poisonous gases. "I .was through the Civil War, one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts which the world has known. Compared with the one day I have beheld of tin's battle, it was child's play. The opposing sides in this battle issue daily reports of their losses. As approximates" they may be well enough, but it is impossible that they could be correct. No one will ever know how many men fall at Verdun each day. When human beings are being stricken down by thousands, it is impossible to count them. This afternoon, of April 28, 280 centimetre Howitzer shells were being thrown from Montmedy, 22 miles away to the French rear. The Germans were preparing for one of their many sacrificial attacks. Its objective point was between Malancourt and Hancourt. The heavy shells continued playing on the French rear, shattering field hospitals and ambulance trains, until the moment of attack. All at once the first line of the Germans appeared. They were in enormous masses. The total number of those participating in the attack was at least 20,000. In this first line tl-cre must have been 7,000. As the line advanced the Prussian field guns stopped fire. Simultaneously the French guns emerged, from shelter and burst into flame. There were hundreds of them. Some were 75'9, other machine-guns. They hurled shrapnel and bullets into the advancing German ranks from front and flank. The smoke ascended in great clouds and obscured the sun. "The daylight was succeeded by a queer red and purple, which was,not'like anything I have seen on earth. Amid the smoke, under this strange light, this advancing Germans fell by the thousands. Mangled bodies catapulted into the air. It was unbelievably horrible. Yet it was not the worst. Despite shells and bullets the German continued to press forward. They rushed on to a point within two hundred yards of the French positions. Then the French guns sank into abrupt silenci 1 , just as those of the Germans a short time since, and I knew that a counter-attack was imminent. "The counter-attack was launched. Liquid fire, poisoned gasses and hand-to-hand lighting took the place of the unequal contest between men and artillery. "Hours passed. The sun sank and the. red and purple daylight turned to a hideous yellow. At last the Prussian masses fell back. As they retreated the French guns again burst into flame. The shells mowed down the fleeing Germans by multitudes. This was one day at Verdun—or less than that! It was five hours,"