vanished and in
Caures Wood and La Ville Wood men were buried in the dugouts or blown
to fragments. Telephone lines having been cut, communication could
only be maintained by runners. News of the great destruction wrought
by the German guns, far from depressing the French fighting units, had
a stimulating effect. The French front lines crumbled away under the
deluge of fire, but their occupants still clung tenaciously to the
debris that remained. The German guns were everywhere, and it was
useless for French aerial observers to indicate any special batteries
for bombardment. The Germans had the greater number of guns and the
heavier, but the French artillery was better served on the whole, and
there was less reckless expenditure of ammunition. As an illustration
of the brilliant work of the French artillery, an eyewitness has
described the defense of a position southeast of Haumont Wood. Here
one battery was divided into flanking guns in three positions--one to
the southeast of Haumont Wood, a second to the south, and a third to
the north of Samogneux. The two other batteries were to the south of
Hill 312; there was also a supporting battery of six 90-mm. guns. In
response to the German attack the French replied with a curtain of
fire, but, unchecked by the fearful loss of life, they began to swarm
in from all sides.

"They reached Caures Wood by the crests between Haumont Wood and
Caures Wood itself, and advanced like a flood on our positions. The
section which attempted to hold them back adjusted its range to their
rate of progress and mowed them down wave after wave. Swept by the
storm of shells, the Germans continued to advance and some succeeded
in making their way around to the rear of the guns. The French by this
time had come to the end of their ammunition, but they did not lose
their head, and, destroying their pieces, retreated, bringing a
wounded sergeant major along with them."

A battery of 90's on the Haumont knoll was forced to stop firing.
Pierrard, an adjutant whose battery had ceased to exist, was
dispatched by the commander to help.

"Pierrard collected his companions and attached himself to the
battery, which opened fire again with tremendous effect. Those guns
were in action under him for forty-eight hours, during which he kept
up constant communication with the group commander, the burden of his
song being an incessant demand for ammunition for this truly epic duel
with the Germans.

"Unfortu