Douaumont
FORT, one of the outlying strongholds of Verdun, to whose capture the Germans devoted their main efforts during 1916 and 1917, their final failure signalizing their loss of the war.
Fort Douaumont was termed by the Germans "the main pillar of the Verdun defenses," and had been captured by them in the last week of February, 1916. The fort was retaken by the Allied troops on May 22, 1916, only to be lost again two days later. On Oct. 24, 1916, the French recaptured it, after a furious engagement lasting several days.
FEODOR DOSTOEVSKY DOUAY or DOUAI, an ancient French town, department of Le Nord, 108 miles N. by E. from Paris. Douay is the seat of a university, and possesses a good public library, containing upward of 36,- 000 000 volumes. Pop. about 36,000.