But while the French were certain that victory would ultimately be theirs, the German papers and people were just as fully persuaded that this finest of the fortresses of France would finally fall before the determined assaults of the Kaiser’s army, which no fort had, as yet, stopped.

Both sides recognized that this was the supreme moment of the War.  The Germans had gained by April 15 from three to five miles along a front of about 15 miles, but had taken only two of the ring of minor forts around Verdun.  The French claimed that the configuration of the ground occupied by the contending forces at that time made their line impregnable.  Although Verdun was said by the German military experts to be only an incident in the German offensive which was planned to secure the final “decision,” they realized the importance of Verdun to their whole line on the Western front, and knew its value too well not to make the most desperate and exhaustive efforts for its conquest.

A TERRIFIC ARTILLERY DUEL.

For many weeks the battle for Verdun was signalized by the most terrific artillery fire in history.  No words can tell of the ear-stunning roar of the guns, or depict the horror of the tons of steel daily crashing and splintering amid massed bodies of men, while the softly-falling snows of late winter covered, but could not conceal, the ensanguined landscape.  Modern warfare was seen at Verdun in all its panoply of terror.  Amid fire and fury, the rich and fertile countryside was transformed into a vast scene of ruin and desolation, while heroism and self-sacrifice abounded on both sides, men were maddened by the frenzy of the fight and the ghastly horrors of night and day, and Death stalked gloatingly and glutted, but never surfeited, over the bloody field.

The German attacks followed one another so fast and so furiously that the weeks of fighting became one prolonged battle, and a description of one attack will almost serve for all.  Thus, a wounded French officer said of the seven days of continuous fighting which opened the German offensive against Verdun:  “The first symptom of the battle favorable to the French was the inability of the Germans to silence the French artillery.  The attack opened with strong reconnoitering parties advancing, wherein was noted an unusually large proportion of officers.  For the first time the German officers were seen to be leading their men into battle, instead of driving them, as had been the rule—­and this was said to be at the behest of the watching Kaiser.  Then came the infantry in great numbers.  During the next two days the fighting waxed fiercer and fiercer.

“At first fourteen German divisions were engaged, then sixteen, and finally seventeen divisions (340,000 men).  The French command at this point carried out a maneuver which will be recorded as a masterpiece in military history.