AWFUL CARNAGE AT VAUX

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2720, 15 March 1916, Page 5

AWFUL CARNAGE AT VAUX

GERMANS SEVERELY HANDLED ENEMY BRINGING UP RESERVES .TO RENEW THE STRUGGLE , By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ! . ' ■ (Rec. March 14, 10.10 p.m.) i Paris, Jlarch 14. The assaulting forces at Vaux grew tired of climbing over the bodies of fallen comrades, and the assault spent itself before the horror of these mountains of cprpsss. Thousands of dead cumber the sinister slopes of Vaux, where the ferdcious struggles were so terribly broken for the Germans', and whole brigades ceased to' exist. • ' The 7th and 27th Divisions bore of the. Be.thintfourt and Goose Hill actions, and were severely handled. Possibly, like the 11th Reserve Division, they must be replaced.' The 3rd German Army Corps suffered so severely'at Vaux and Douaumont that the few emerging from the fight were 6ent to the rear, The 18th Corps and the Bavarian Division lost whole battalions. , Telegrams from neutral sources report that' an enormous number of wounded is arriving at Aix la Cliapello night and day. The lull is due to the enemy awaiting Supplies from Mptz and troops from the home depots in Germany , are flocking to Verdun.' The struggle will be' renewed in a few days. The French airmen performed splendid feats in Watching enemy 'supply trains, reserve formations"; espyinc mm positions, an<J rigdin™ at night time lines of communication and blowing up munition depots. ,

INTENSE BOMBARDMENT WEST OF THE MEUSE.

(Rec. Marcli 14, 9.20 p.m.)

' Paris, Marcli 14. A French communique Bays: "The bombardment westward of tho Meuse is increasingly intense in'the Morthomine and Bois Bourrus regions. Tile firo of our batteries caught gatherings of the enemy between Forges and Crows Wood. The activity of the opposing artilleries is moderate on the right bank of the Meuse.

After a lively, artillery preparation the Germans, eastward of Seppois, attacked the-trenches we had recently, retaken,'but were stopped by a curtain of fire and had to retire with appreciable losses.

Six of our aeroplanes dropped 130 bombs on the strategic station of Brailles, northward of Verdun. There have been numerous aerial oombats elsewhere in the district, the advantage indisputably being on our side. Three German aeroplanes were brought down, one in our lines and two in the German lines,

AVALANCHES OF DEAD AND DYING ROLL DOWN T&E SLOPES.

(Reo. March 14, 4 p.m.)

. London, March 13. Officers agree that last Friday s carnage on the slopes of Vaux- surpasses description. Avalanches of dead and dying rolled dou;n and now lie iii gfgantic greyish heaps at the bottom. The attackers became nauseated, climbing over the bodies of their comrades.

A QERMAN WIRELESS MESSAGE.

(Rec. March 14, 9.20 p.m.)

' , . Amsterdam, Marob 14. A German wireless message says: 'Our airmen successfully . attacked, tho French 'Tail positions on the Clearmont-Verdun line, destroyed three enemy aeroplanes in Champagne, and one at the Meuse."

TERRIBLE BUTCHERY AT THE BATTLE OP VAUX

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

ml , , , t . Paris, March 13. The German losses at Douaumont pale into insignificance beside those of last week.

The German artillery for nine hours searched the Vaux plateau with a deluge of steel, and the trench mortars dropped huge torches amid tho houses >>f the visage; %> French, deafened by tho uproar and choked by smoke und gas and dust, held every position of value, though the enemy out, numbered them by six to one. It took four distinct assaults before the first Gorman column won tho shelter of a small group of ruined houses. Five times the enemy endeavoured to leave their shelter behind the ruins of the church, but each time tho machine-guns-cut through them liken sevthe, tho men falling in swathes. The fight d'\ed down from sheer inanition. " Desperate as tho fight in the village was, it was deadlier round Vlic fort, owing to the precipitous slope. Tho Bavarians climbed on one another's shoulders and hung on angles of rock. Repeatedly the human pyramids they formed collapsed into a shapeless miss under the French /ire. " The ditches van red with blood. Finally the German generals stopped the butchery.

GhHV4\ LOiVKS at ESTIMATED AT 200,000.

* , Paris, March 13. The daily review of the fighting estimates the German losses at Verdun to have now reached 200,000. A communique states: There has been no infantry action north of Verdun. A French niv squadron hombrttdod waitflanp" station. Five flwu wuca counted. All tie machines .returned safely.

TRAINS CARRYING WOUNDED SNEAK INTO GERMANY,

("Times" and Sycbiby "Sun" Services.)

London,' March 13. The "News Exchange" correspondent in Switzerland states that trains carrying wounded from the Verdun region travel only at night time, stopping at unimportant stations, where tho public are excluded. Most of tha hospitals are established in remote country districts.

' . PREMATURE CELEBRATION OF VICTORY. Athens, March 13. The German and Bulgarian officer b at Philippopolis (in Bulgaria) tri> umphantly celebrated the capture of Verdun and the march to Paris, Tho Bhops were closed, the town was decora ted with flags, and a march past of the troops was held. "" ' ENEMY TRENCH PENETRATED BY THE FRENCH. London, March 13, 6.35 p.m. The High Commissioner reports:^ "There "has be'qn no infantry action to the north of Verdun. "The bombardment continues at Betfhincourt and in the regions of Douaumont and Woeuvre. _ "In the sectors Moulainville and llonvaux the French artillery is very nctive.. , . - ■ "At Bois le Pretre, near ( Crois-des Carmes, the French penetrated a hostile trench along a front of two hundred yards and cleared the saps, returning with prisoners, after causing some loss to the enemy." SUCCESSFUL BRITISH BOMBARDMENT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Reo. March 14, 6.30 p.m.) London, March 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports: 'We earned out successful bombardments near Oametz on the Lille-Armentieres railway, and at Hooge. t "Thirty-two hostile aeroplanes were engaged yesterday. One was brought down near Lille, and the second in our lines to-day."