a mass of debris. The principal French defense, a
redoubt of concrete, was smashed, and some eighty men were buried in
the ruins. A number of machine guns were also lost, and the ammunition
dump was destroyed.

About 5 o'clock in the evening a German battalion attacked Haumont,
advancing in three columns. The remnant of French troops manned the
trenches. The few remaining machine guns were brought into action and,
being well served, wrought havoc in the enemy's ranks, but the deadly
advance continued, regardless of the heavy losses incurred.

The French then assembled every survivor in some trenches southeast of
Haumont, and with three machine guns continued the fight. But the
Germans had the advantage of numbers. They penetrated to the center of
the village, and finally surrounded the French battalion headquarters.

After premises were fired by means of flame projectors, the French
colonel and his staff, facing capture or death, were fortunate in
escaping through the German machine-gun barrage without a single
casualty. They had been forced to evacuate Haumont, but their
sustained and splendid defense of the place was one of the bravest
deeds that marked the Homeric struggle at Verdun.

At the close of the day the French still held the greater part of
Herbebois and Wavrille, but La Ville Wood was in the hands of the
enemy. The French line now ran by Hill 240, the Mormont Farm, and the
intermediate position of Samogneux-Brabant. Their defensive works and
trenches having been destroyed or made useless, the French had no
cover. Fighting must now be carried on in the open. Often the French
artillery fired at point-blank range regardless of their own
sacrifices so long as they could mow down the enemy.

[Illustration: Fighting at Verdun up to March 1, 1916.]

Brabant was evacuated by the French during the night of February 22,
1916. At Samogneux, owing to the intensity of the German fire, they
remained on the defensive. Several counterattacks to the east were
carried out which greatly improved the French positions.

In the Wavrille sector the French had succeeded during the night in
connecting their new line with the Herbebois sector, though
incessantly bombarded. Wavrille Wood and Hill 351 must be protected,
for their capture would enable the Germans to sweep the Beaumont-Hill
344 line.

After repeated attacks the Germans captured Wavrille Wood, where they
were kept hemmed in by the French barrage and unable to pr