GERMANS' SECOND FAILURE AT VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 5

GERMANS' SECOND FAILURE AT VERDUN

AFTER FIVE DAYS' FEARFUL SLAUGHTER THREE FRESH DIVISIONS DECIMATED : ■ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright' < Paris, May 10 Semi-official: "The German objective west of the Meuse is still Hill 304 Three German attacks on Monday night, in dense formation, attempted frontal and enveloping assaults. All completely failed, with heavy losses. Kenewed attempts on Tuesday met the 6ame fate. It is believed that the Germans employed three fresh divisions, and all were decimate;!. Thus, after five days of furious assaults costing enormous sacrifices, the recrudescence of the Verdun offensive, carried on with unprecedented violence, leaves the enemy exactly where it started." ' ! ... ■ . i HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. '• ... n . , .. : . . London, May 10, 4.50 p.m. ' Between the Oise and the Aisne-a ooup-de-mam, which was attempted on our trenches south-east of Moulin-Sous-Touvent, was completely checked. "In tho region of Verdun the bombardment has sensibly 'diminished west of the Meuse. "East of the Meuse and in the Woevre there is an intermittent cannonade Grenade skirmishes occurred in tho Avocourt Wood, and in the region south of Fort Douamount. "In Alsace an enemy reconnaissance party, which was attempting to take one of our small posts near Hirtzsbach, south Altkirch, was' repulsed with loss." . London, May 10, li;sa p.m. . A French official report states: 'On the left bank of the Meuse, following a violent bombardment, the Germans launched, a strong attack on our positions" on thet borders of Hill 297, but it completely failed, leaving prisoners in our hands. "A small offensive was made by our troops west of' Mort Homme, which enabled! "us to capture portions of a trench. Sixty-two prisoners and two machineguiitfynrere faken," ' , GERMAN WAR COUNCIL MATURING GREAT OFFENSIVE. (I!cc. May 11, 9.50 p.m.) Amsterdam, May 11. lteports from Berlin state that the German "War Council is maturing plans for a f.U'eat offensive. Field-Marshals von Hindenburg and von Mackense'n, Generals von. Sanders and Buelow, the Crown Prince, Prince Ruppreeht of Bavaria, the Austrian Archduke, and other commanders aro attending'the Council. WERE THE FRENCH CAUGHT ON THE HOP ? T H HOW THE GERMANS NEARLY SUCCEEDED. (Kec. May 11, 9.5 p.m.) 'Paris, May' 10. The "Matin:" says: "A revelation of the inner history of Verdun shows that the French weio only aware on February 21 of the gravity of the situation. The fact that, previous local German offensives had puzzled tho French hindered concentration, and General Petain was only sent thither after the battle had been in progress several days. When the storm broke there were only GO,OOO troops opposed to 200,000 Germans. No railway had been constructed to Verdun, and it was therefore thought prudent;to-evacuato ihe right bank of the Meuse. "Then General! Castelnau arrived, and on his own initiative reversed the decision. .He ordered General Petain to hold the Douaimiont Plateau at all costs, and on February 24 transported to the Verdun front, in ten hours, a whole Army Corps from Bar-le-Duc, employing 4700 motors, tho men going into action as they arrived." . ' GERMAN CASUALTIES ANALYSED STATISTICS BASED ON OFFICIAL LISTS. The High Commissioner reports:— . London, May 10, 2.10 p.m. The German casualties,-as reported in their own official lists to the end of April, are:— #?ad ••'••••• 705,877 Missing and prisoners 3M.592 Wounded - 1,781,310 Total 2,532,079 By Tclegna-pTi-Press Association-Copyright London, May Ift. The Press Bureau announces: The casualties reported in the German official casualty lists for April'total 93,162 (?), as follow:— Killed and died of wounds 17,d55 Pied of sickness 2,495 Prisoners 1,221 Minsme (3,217 Severely. wounded 14,557 Wounded 4,001 Slightly wounded 39,G78 Wounded remaining with units 5^37 The total of these columns makes 91,261. The grand total of casualties officially reported is now 2,8,12,07!).

Tin t.'fio issno of "land and Water," to hand by last mail, Mr. Ililaire Belloo arrives ad the following; figures fur tho vnrious categories of German casualties up to Decern tier 31 ]ast:— e . atJ ■ 1,000,000 ] ?|nsoncM 250,000 1 Vrmnnently disabled—wounded 1600,000 Permanently disabled—sick .....".,.,.... GOO 000 , V I V-'° .a', I '.? severaljnethdds. tho writer points out, by which this result can 1» checked. AVe liave the knowledge conveyed by the Intel)igenco Department that the Germans created no new formations uftor last February that their losses up to that smoment had on tho average been at tho rate of close on a quarter of a million a, month, and that their dralts since that moment had been on an average aborrt 200,000 a month. From this external check one arrives at losses a greatideal aboyo3J millions. Wo nave another exceedingly valuable check in tho lact that the total amount oft .{.he strangtj of a force at anv moment is actually greater than, the casualty lists up to that moment, because' sickness and other causes more than make up lor tho return of wounded. Even- contemporary army of the Allies and every army of tho past, confirms th'is truth."]