EXTENSION OF VERDUN BATTLEFIELD PREDICTED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2716, 10 March 1916, Page 5

EXTENSION OF VERDUN BATTLEFIELD PREDICTED

WEST MEUSE ATTACK ESSENTIAL VERDUN RAILWAYS THREATENED By Telegraph—Press Association—OopyrisW ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (R«c. March !), 5.5 p.m.) ' . Paris, March' 8. A high Paris military authority predicts (he extension of the Verdun batilefield, culminating on Thursday or Friday. General Petain, the Commander at Verdun, is entirely calm and confilent. M. Reinach, writing in the "Figaro," says the Germans massed twenty non per yard in the Verdun attacks. The Paris Press anxiously point out that essential Verdun railways are threatened by the West Meuse attack. The "Times" correspondent in Paris reports that a 6 a result of violent ittacks, the Germans have practically 'driven out the French from the railway salient opposite Samogneaux, and have brought their line more into a relation tvith thoir position on the east hank of the Meuse. It remains to be seen whether action will be confined to tlie reduction of the troublesome salient, or whether it is the beginning of a big concerted action on the wings. THE SUDDEN GERMAN LUNGE WEST OF THE MEUSE. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, March 8. ■' Paris shows uneasiness concerning the sudden German lunge west of the Meuse, and its first results —the capture of Forges. M. MarcelHutin, in the "Echo de Paris," points out that Forges is a single-street village. The Germans lost heavily in broken assaults against the important Goose Hill, a mile south of Forges. The' attacks may be tlie prelude of groat assaults, designed to clear the west of the Meuse of the batteries which are raking the German positions east of the Meuse. FRENCH SUPERIORITY IN HEAVY ARTILLERY. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ■/ London, March 8. M. Gustave Herve, writing in a Paris paper, says: "The soldiers at Verdun have been amazed at the pouring in of artillery of every calibre. In light and heavy size arlillery we are now superior. However long the battle lasts, our immense reserve is inexhaustible." . GERMANS NOW MASSING IN EVERY SECTOR. Paris, March 8. A feature of the battle was the enormous quantities of German heavy artillery and huge mobile guns, wliilo, field artillery were merely accessory. ■ The French losses at Hill 235, notwithstanding the inferno of shot and shell, were .very_ light, while a German division was deoimated by fire. The German generals killed in the Verdun district included Lotterer, commander of a division of artillery, and Von Graf, a Bavarian. The Germans are now massing in every sector of the attack, bringing up reserves. LOST TRENCHES WON BACK BY THE FRENCH. London, March 8. A French official message states: Eastward of Maison de Champagne we won back the trenches lost on Monday. The enemy continued the bombardment. There has been an intermittent artillery struggle at the Woeuvre. We bombarded Blanzee and Grimaucourt, in th& neighbourhood of Fresnes. Our curtain fire smashed a German attack on Ihe railroad on the Manhculles road. GERMANS REPULSED TWENTY TIMES. AT HILL 265. (Rec, March 9, 8 p.m.) Paris, March 8. The fighting at Hill 265 was even moro obstinate than at Doraumont. The Germans were repulsed twenty times, with heavy losses, before the slopes were won by reinforcements which had just arrived from Serbia. I A GERMAN WIRELESS MESSAGE. (Rec. March 9, 8.15 p.m.) London, March 8. A German wireless message states: We stormed the enemy's positions on the left bank of the Meuse, and on both sides of the Forges brook below Bethinuourt; over a width of four miles, and occupied the villages of Forges and Regtiieville, also tin heights and the Corbeaux-Cumieres Woods. A great part of tbe occupants in the captured positions perished. We made prisoners of 58 officers and 3377 men. We have driven, out tha French fro the last hoiuuu of Fresnea.

FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACKS PROVE SUCCESSFUL. (Rec. March 0, 10.35 p.m.) Paris, March 9. A French communique states: —The cnenn' attempted to make fresh progress west of the Meuse under cover of an intense bombardment. A strong attack on Bethincourt was repulsed. 0 ounter-attacking drovo out the enemy from the greater part of the Corbeaux AVood. He only occupies the eastern extremity. There was a violent German bombardment at Douaumont; the enemy attacks east of that village failed. The enemy re-occupied the Hnldaumont redoubt. Sixteen of our aeroplanes dropped 124 bombs on Metz-Sablons station, where there wero several trains. Some of the projectiles found the mark. Fifteen of the machines returned. FORGES BECOMING UNTENABLE OWING TO FLOODS. (Rec. March 9, 11.30 p.m.) Paris, March 9. Semi-official: Though the Germans have made some gain on both wings, the general French defences are not affected. Forges is becoming untenablo owing to Hoods. The defenders aro able to inflict heavy losses in withdrawal, which is exactly what the French commanders desired. The German gain on the slopes of Goose Hill was not worth the sacrifices made. A GERMAN SOLDIER BOASTS OF HIS ATROCITIES. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. March 9, 5.5 p.m.) , London,-March 8. The "Times" publishes a facsimile of a letter written by a German soldier boasting of his bayoneting seven French women and four young girls during the fighting at Badonviller.

HOPEFUL INDICATIONS IN THE BALKANS

, GREECE THREATENS BULGARIA RUMANIA ADOPTS A VERY FIRM ATTITUDE By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, March 8. The Central News correspondent at Rome says the newspapers are emphasising the changed attitude of Greece towards Bulgaria. Greece threatens war if a Bulgarian soldier crosses the frontier. Rumania's rejection of the Austro-German intimidatory _ demand for the removal of troops from the Austrian frontier, and the mobilisation of naturalised Rumanians, are taken as hopeful indications ill the Balkans. INSISTENT CLAMOUR FOR PEACE IN TURKEY ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) Constantinople, March 8: Priests in the Mosques are denouncing Enver Pasha and Germany, and are urging peace. Djemal Pasha and General Liman -von Sanders refused the command of the Armenian Army, whose condition is shocking. Mussulman priests are agitating !or peace, and the Sheik ul Islam and Minister of Pious Foundations (Hazri Effendi) threatens to resign unless peace is sought. INTERESTING REPORT BY MR MARTIN DONOHOE. (Rec. March 9, 8.15 p.m.) London, March 8. From Athens, Mr. Martin Donohoe reports that the German-Bulgarian army has been ordered to be'in readiness to take its departure from its present front. A division at Rustchuk has left for the French front. The Bulgarian Government has instructed the troops to be withdrawn from the' neutral Graeco-Bulfrar zone v _ _ > At a recent meeting of the new Turkish Committee the Grand Vizier upheld the contention that immediate peaco should be concluded with the Entente; eventually the Committee decided to await the result of the fighting on the French front. In view of certain potential eventualities, the Porte has instructed the removal of mines from the Dardanelles.

RUSSIAN SUCCESS ON THE BLACK SEA COAST

TROOPS NOW ABOUT FORTY MILES FROM TREBIZOND By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. March' 9, 8 p.m.) Petrograd, March 8. A Russian communique says:—Our troops on the coast of the Black Sea are pressing the Turks closely. We have captured Rizeh (about 40 miles from Trebizond). Wo have occupied Seiuieh, fifty vorsts (about 30 miles) north of Kermanshah. It is unofficially stated that there were forty thousand Armenians in Erzerum prior to its capture by the Russians, who only found sixteen alive. The police in Erzerum a fe'v days before the capture drove out all tho Armenians westward, where the Kuids, forewarned, massacred them. GERMAN HIGH SEA FLEET REPORTED AT SEA WHAT THE CAPTAIN OF A DUTCH TRAWLER SAW By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. March 9, 8.15 p.m.)' London, March 8. A Ymuiden telegram states that a trawler reports that she sighted off Terschelling, off the coast of Holland, on Monday afternoon, a fleet of at least fifty German warships, followed by a large fleet of armed trawlers, two big Zeppelins, and numerous submarines, proceeding westward. On Monday morning five large cruisers of unknown nationality passed Ymuiden at full-speed. It is conjecturcd that the activity ( is in connection with the attempt to break the British blockade.