FIERCEST BATTLE OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 5

FIERCEST BATTLE OF THE WAR

GERMAN ONSLAUGHT ON VERDUN

BATTALIONS HURLED AT THE FRENCH LINE ' DEFENDERS GIVE GROUND A LITTLE ■ 3 I RUSSIANS DEFEAT THE . AUSTRIANS REPORTED BATTLE ON THE : DNIESTER - ' V EXPLOITS OF THE MOEWE The centre of interest for all Europe—for all the world —at the present moment is the great French fortress of Verdun, wliere for three days the fiercest battle of the wKolo war has teen raging. The Germans have hurled whole battalions against the French line—and into eternity—in their desperate effort to break through, and after losses estimated at 20,000. have failed in their objective, although at isolated points they have succeeded in gaining a footing, and at one part have imposed upon the French tho necessity of dropping back to a riew line. The issue is awaited by the French Genoral Staff with calm confidence. • On the Russian front, a report states, the Austrians on the Dniestor-Prufch sector Have been heavily defeated, and reinforcements are being hastened up. Tho Turks in Tiebizond are reported to be evacuating that port on account of the shortness of their food supplies, a situation created by the Russians' grip on the Black Sea, which is said by one correspondent to bo absolute. Some interesting particulars are to hand concerning the latest exploits of the German high sea raider. THE ATTACK ON VERDUN FORTRESS GERMANS HEAVILY SHELLED NO ANXIETY ABOUT THE DEFENCES i ByTelcgraph-PreGa Association-Copyright " London, February 24. The whole region around Verdun consists of • wooded hills and ravines. After a .hoavy bombardment, a scries of infantry attacks commenced on Monday afternoon. The chief assault was made at the Beomer woods, Beaumont. and Herbebois, on a front of two and a half miles. The Germans here succeeded in occupying a horseshoe-shaped wood, about a milo deep, but elsewhere., they were unable to got started in their assaults, owing to the impenetrable barrage of fire with which the artillery of the 3rd French Army punished the attackers. Tho French losses were small during the capture of the first line, as the trenches were thinly hold, both sides knowing that front trenches can readily bo. broken, down by bombardment. After capturing tho trenches, the Germans suffered badly from the French fire, but promptly and largely reinforced the attackers. The defences of Verdun are so strong that the French experts are not anxious; indeed, they are hopeful that tho Germans will continue the attack. They attribute the attack to tho Crown Prince's desperate desire to refresh his faded laurels.

THE PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE TOLD IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS FRENCH. GIVE, GROUND SOUTH OF HERBEBOIS. The High Commissioner reports:— , London, February 24, 5.10 p.m. "In the Artois region, north of Verdun, the battle was continued all night with the same intensity. Following a violent bombardment of the advanced position at Brabant-sUr-Meuse, the Froncli troops evacuated the village, favoured by night and protected by a flanking fire from our positions. "On the left bank of tlie Mouse an attack which was directed oivSamogneux was repulsed. 1 "Another strong German attack, by » brigade at least, was launched on the Caures Wood, a, part bcing_ captured: tlie French now holding the south curve only. All the attacks which were directed on the Beaumont front, in which the French had established tliemsolvos, proved powerless _ to v dislodgo them. East of the attacked front tho French dominate the position. "Before Ornes, in a ravine situated south of Herbcbois, a backward movement was carried out ill order to avoid useless losses, and effected with perfect discipline, the enemy liejng prevented from advancing oxcent with difficulty, and at the price of considerable losses. Ho was unable to break the French front at any point. 1 "A slow bombardment has continued in the region between Ornes and Fromezoy. "In Lorraine the enemy took a footing in a French advanced post in the Bois Clieminet, from which ha was driven forthwith. • "Yesterday, in' the course oF the night, a French air squadron discharged forty-five projectiles—several of largocalibrc—on the station at Metz-Sab-lon and the gasworks. Imediately afterwards a big firo was observed." London, February 24,_ 12.50 a.m. "In the region north of Verdun the ei)eniy continues an intense bombardment of our trenches, but no infantry action has yet been attempted in this region. Between the Meuso and the Orno the enemy repeatedly and furiously attacked, leaving heaps of corpses, without being able to break our front. On the flanks, wo have resumed our line on one side behind SamogneuXj and on the other south nf Ornes." "THE FIERCEST BATTLE OF THE WAR " FRENCH COMMAND CONFIDENT IN THE ISSUE. (Rec. February 25, 9.25 p.m.) London, February 24. The "Daily Telegraph's" Paris correspondent writes: "One of tho fiercest battles of the war is raging north of_ Verdun, but the military chiefs view the issue with perfect confidence. The withdrawals at certain parts of the French line strengthen the new French position; for instance, Beaumont, five miles east of Brabant, which is strong strategically, has been held against the German attacks, while the Caures Wood is half French, and half German. The onslaught has now lasted three days, and has yet produced no appreciable effect on the French positions. The violence of the attacks : s indescribable. Iho Crown Prince is battering his head against a wall, and there is not the remotest chance of Verdun being taken, or even approached. A Paris report says that the German casualties on the Western front during these three, days are estimated at 20,000. ' A Gorman ronmumique claims Iho pupluro of Mn; villages of Bmbiuit, Haumoiit, Samoaneux, and the wooded district of Vicanty,

THE LATEST: GAMBLER'S THROW FOR HIGH STAKES

■ (Rec. February 26, 1.15 a.m.) r _ _ Paris, February 25. Jno German offensive al Vorclun bas eclipsed all other topics. France is watching events with unconquerable confluence. Though there are threequarters of a million men under the Crown Prince, mostly picked troops, there are evident risks in attempting an offensive before the end of the winter, but the General Staff in Berlin is under such pressure from economic and dynastic considerations that it is unable to choose its time. In order to prevent a repetition of the Crown Prince's blunders, the Kaiser sent tho veteran, von Hae'seler, formerly in command of the fortress at Metz, and who knows tho terrain of the present attack, to assist. The Crown Prince is adopting von Hindenburg's plan of assault —the Germans being massed two hundred tlious- ! and strong on a front of seven miles, this being sixteen men per yard. AUSTRIAN DEFEAT ON THE DNIESTER REPORTED ENEMY HURRYING UP REINFORCEMENTS ("Times";and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 24. An important new Russian success is reported from the Dniester, the Russians defeating the Austrian forces between the Dniester and the Pruth. An effort to reconquer their lost positions failing, the Austrians asked for reinforcements. Tuenty-hvo of the Hungarian Landsturm battalions and a number of cavalry squadrons liave beer. sent. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The High Commissioner reports: London, February 25, 3.45 a.m. "Petrograd reports: In district, of Ogher, the enemy's night fire is intense. Scouts dressed in white mantles n-ere repulsed) from the Russian trenches. "North of Chartorysk wo are pressing the enemy. On the rest of the front mining operations of an unimportant character are proceeding. HASTENING THE EVACUATION OF TREBIZOND RUSSIAN GRIP ON THE BLACK SEA REPORTED SURROUNDING OF A TURKISH ARMY CORPS By Telegraph—Prose. Association—Copyright , (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) . , London, February 24. The Italian journal "Corriere della Sera" lias received a dispatch from •Petrograd to the effect that the Russians have surrounded a Turkish army corps south of Muis (PMukus, south of Lake Van). Tho Turks are hastening tho evacuation of Trebizond, because the garrison of 100,000 soldiers is'.nearly foodless. Russia's control of the Black Sea appears to be absolute. FALL OF ERZERUM FELT IN SOFIA BULGARS UNMISTAKABLY DEPRESSED. • (Rcc. February 25, 6.15 p.m.) - Paris,, February 24. Correspondents at Sofia, state that the fall of Erzerum created .in enormous impression, bordering on TK'nic. Many anticipate 'a sudden appearance of a Muscovite army. The Bulgarian Army is unmistakably depressed at tl-o idea of opposing the Russians.-' CONSTANTINOPLE KNOWS NOTHING OF ERZERUM. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 24. The "Times"'correspondent at Bucharest says that visitors from' Constantinople state that the Turkish population is completely ignorant of the Erzerum disaster. Distress and discontent are provalfent, and the women are holding peace demonstrations. JAPAN'S SHARE IN THE FALL OF ERZERUM. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) . , "London, February 24. The Japanese Ambassador. Mr. Matsui, interviewed on his arrival at Marseilles, said that Japan was following with interest the development of tlio war, and had no doubt of the issue. Japan's 1010 sincc the capture of Tsingtau and the disappearance of the Germans from the Pacific had been confined to the supplying of Russia with munitions and food. "The Japanese factories have shared in the triumph at' Erzerum," he said. . 1 FADING OF THE MENACE ON EGYPT ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, February 24. A high authority states that seasonal sand storms are expected on tho Sinai Peninsula next week, and experts agree that an offensive against E"ypt is most unlikely and almost impossible, some statirtg'• that ■ tlie dauber of attack definitely ends early in March. . °/