THE FRENCH AT VERDUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1917, Page 3

THE FRENCH AT VERDUN.

SUDDEN ADVAXOE MADE. SOLDIERS ADVANCE SINGING. The sudden attack by which the French advanced their line at Verdun on a front of approximately 14 miles, capturing Mort Homme and other important points, is described in detail by a correspondent of the American Associated Press. When the prisoners came back in hundreds shortly after dawn this morning, he wrote, the observers knew that the sharp blow decided on by the French higher command in order to give more breathing space at Verdun had been successful. After the artillery had pounded the German positions stretching along a front of 14 miles from south of Bethnicourfc to Bezonvauz until they must have been like pulp, the infarttry advanced as the first streak of dawn lighted the sky, and occupied all the positions they had set out to conquer, at the same time sweeping into their net many prisoners of several divisions of the German Crown Prince's army. Then French soldiers showed once more that they wVre not yet bled whin-. When the order was given for them to go over the top in the face of hundreds <rf batteries of heavy and light artillery and thousands of machine-guns, they advanced singing, and nothing could stay their dash. They were handled in such a way by their officers that they got through , the most dangerous part of the ground . they Imd to negotiate with almost negligible losses, reaching the German posit&ns before the German barrage fire was put down. The night before this battle wgs fairylike in beauty. There was no moon, but the stars were brilliant, and the natural effects were enhanced by the constant succession of flashes from bursting shells, while all along both French and German positions flashes almost incessantly arose, making the surrounding area brighter than day. All through the night the German artillery had poured thousands of shells of every calibre into the roads and communication trenches leading to the front, The Germans also introduced a novelty in the shape of 15-inch shells, containing enormous, shrapnel bullets, which burst overhead, scattering pieces far and wide. But the disposition of the French troops was so cleverly contrived that they suffered little.

Verdun itself received hundreds of shells, which simply added to the destruction of the city. All the ground within eight miles of the front lines .was strewn repeatedly with shells containing a horrible new German gas, known as "mustard gas," affecting the mucous membranes and any portion of the body, exposed, causing terrible blisters, as its base was sulphuric acid, and bringing a slow and painful death if it entered the lunsrs.

The aviators were busy as soon as the light permitted, and the correspondent saw two Germans brought down by gunfire, while Germans who make a specialty of attacking observation balloons twice' attempted to destroy these, but were driven off on each occasion.

Information from various parts of the line indicated that the French went in several places farther than was originally intended and that the prisoners taken reached thousands.