THE DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2778, 24 May 1916, Page 5

THE DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR VERDUN

FURIOUS FIGHTING AT MORT HOMME GREAT AIR-SQUADRONS IN BATTLE ' The High' Commissioner reports-.— London, May 22, 4.20 p.m. "South of Berry-au-Bac we successfully exploded two mines on Hill 108. ' "In Champagne, the Germans discharged gas between Souain-Somme-py and St. Hilaire-Astoupplet without result, a sharp change, of wind turning back the gas on the enemy's trenches.. "On tho left bank of the Meuse, infantry actions were continued during ! the night at Avocourt Wood, the French grenadiers gaining the advantage and occupying several blockhouses evacuated by the enemy. "In the region west of Mort Homme, the combat'was particularly bloody, several of the enemy's attempts to increase his progress being broken by rur curtain of shell fire and machine-gun fire. A rigorous counter-attack by the French allowed of the recapture of part of the ground lost on Saturday night. On the right bank, several attempts against the position at Haudromont quarry taken by us yesterday wero all stopped by our fire, the enemy losing heavily. "At' Verdun, the French. airmen attacked German captive balloons, six descending in flames. "Three of the enemy's machines were brought down at Eparges. "This morning the enemy's aviators bombed Dunkirk. On Saturday-Sunday night tlio French successfully bombed the railway stations at Metz-Sablons, Avricoyrt, and Roye, the munitions depots at Biache and Chapelotte, the bivouacs at Azannes, and the village of Jemietz, where an important commanding post was instiled. ■ v ■ "Two. French dirigibles showered bombs on the railway stations and railways at Brieulles' and Dun." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. By Telegraph-Press Association—Copyright , (Rec. May 23, 10.25 p.m.) , . , Paris, May 23. A French'.official communique states-. V\e have made progress southward of Ftill 287, and- forced tho enemy to evacuate, a small work he has held since May IS- , , .. ' •' "Our counter-attacks drove the enemy out of some trenches at Mort Homme "We carried by. assault the German positions oh a front of two kilometres from west of Thiaumont farm to the ea6t of Fort Douamont, and penetrated into Fort Douaumont, the northern part of which is still held by the enemy. "We cleared the enemy trenches along a length of three hundred metres at Boucliot Wood,- on' the heights of the Meuse. "We brought down one of the enemy's machines which was raiding Dunkirk Two others wero brought down in Alsace.'' ° GERMAN ATTACK ON THE BRITISH LINE FRONT-LINE TRENCHES PENETRATED AT VIMX (Eec. May 23, • 8.45 p.m.) _. ' , „.ii , London, May 23. Sir Dougias Haig reports: After a heavy bombardment all day yesterday, growing more intense m the afternoon, tho enemy attacked our positions at the north end of the Vimy Ridge (between Arras and Lens), and succeeded in penetrating our front-line trenches along a length of fifteen hundred yards and a depth varying up to throe hundred yards. ' "To-day we subjected tho German positions to a heavy bombardment, and sprang mines near lvoclmcourt, the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and the quarries "The artillery of both sides has been active opposite Lens, and east of Ynres We obtained direct hits on the enemy s batteries east of Blairville (below Arras)' "One of our aeroplanes was forced to land in the enemy's lines." GERMAN OFFICIAL ■ COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. May 23, 10.25 p.m.) „ Amsterdam, May 23. A German official communique states: South-west of Givenchy (on the British front south-west of Lens), several lines of British positions along a length of 2188 metres wero captured during tho night. Counter-attacks were repulsed. Eight officers, 220 moil, four machine-guns, and three trench moHars were captured, and tho enemy suffered sanguinary losses. j "Wo stormed the Trench positions on the eastern spurs of Hill 304, and held them against repeated attacks. Ihe enemy sustained great losses. Nino officers and 518 men wore taken prisoner, llie booty captured on the southern slopes of Mort Homme hafi been increased to thirteen guns and twenty-one machine-guns. The French, in a third attack, gained a iooting in the quarry at Vaux Bridge. "Our air squadrons repeatedly attacked Dunkirk harbour. One of the enemy's biplanes fell into tho sea, and four of lus aeroplanes were placed hors-de-combat." THE SLAUGHTER AT VERDUN ON SATURDAY. (Rec. jrfay 23, 8.45 p.m.) " London, May 23. The "Daily Chronicles 1 aris correspondent was an eye-witness of Saturday's fighting at' Verdun. He writes-. * The assault was conducted at some points by, seven, and at others by eight successive waves of infantry from 60 to 120 yards'" apart. By the time, the Bavarian Bvigado reached the French trenches through the curtain of fire it' had lost forty per cent, of its effectives. The survivors had to faco a rain of grenades and the terrible lino of French bayonets. This brigado ultimately, lost thiee-qiiarters of its strength,"

FEW YARDS GAINED AT FRIGHTFUL COST GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OP THE BATTLE OF MORT HOMME. (Kec. if ay 23, 10 p.m.) Paris, May 23. Sinco Friday twelve score of German heavy gulls have been battering at the French positions vest anil north of Mort Homme iind Cumieres. The former is the centre of the heaviest fighting. Tho enemy streamed up the ravine in compact masses from Bethincourt, but w.ero swept away again and again by the French, heavy artillery. This struggle went on for eight hours, the battle alternately favouring one side and then tlie o thor. When night fell on Saturday, after exhausting fighting in the pitiless sun, the iveary defenders at Mort Hommo hoped, for a rest, but the Germans gave them no respite. A fresh division was hurried from Bethincourt, and rushed into the melee. An hour later, grey-clad waves of Germans swept up the shell-tortured slopes of Hill 195 from the west and the jiorth, reaching the corpse-strewn crest. The Germans, elated with their victory, pressed into the French second line, but were caught in the iron jaws of a counter-attack. None survived to celebrate the victory. A. similar failure attended a desperate attack on Hill 301 and the Cnmieres positions. Sunday's attack, in which the Germans failed to win new ground, must have cost them over five thousand, while they paid an awful price for their three hundred yards' advance nearer Verdun. WHEELING SQUADRONS IN THE AIR FULL-DRESS BATTLES IN BROAD MOONLIGHT. London, May 22. Aerial fighting is a feature of the operations on the Meuse daily. The fights are no longer duels, but elaborate battles. Large squadrons manoeuvre for a proper light, wind, and height. They open fire with the effect of a broadside the moment the enemy is sighted. All previous records have been broken. French "chaser" monoplanes have rison from the ground to a height of 3590 ft. in six minutes, and French biplanes have ascended 7000 ft. in eleven Diinutes. A French colonel says that 500 aeroplanes were engage'd in reconnoitring the fighting over Verdun. As soon as the moon rose, air raids with machine-guns and revolvers and oannon began, and lasted till dawn. Owing to the full moon the air fighting was practically continuous.