FIERCE FIGHTING ROUND VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2781, 27 May 1916, Page 7

FIERCE FIGHTING ROUND VERDUN

PRODIGAL SACRIFICE OF MEN HUNS DETERMINED TO OBTAIN A RESULT AT ALL COST By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright . . Paris, May 25. .4. semi-ofiiciar message states: The battle at Verdun continues.with the fiercest -violence* • The,fighting* on Wednesday assumed a,'desperation,riot reached sinco the struggle began. ' Tho German command, is determined, at all cost, to obtain 'a result by a more than', ever prodigal sacrifice of men. ' ' •'■ . !i: Tlis'Bayaria;ns : ;at.DonaumontroE&ited:their 'untiring,■ desperate''assaults, ' but • tlio French- infantry, made a veritable massacre'. of' them, showing .' marvellous bito in their .resistance,. against which the most l'urious assaults" were successively broken. ... Eventually the Germans by the end of the day penetrated tho fort. The present conflict surpasses all its predecessors. A-really general battle was begun, on the French initiative, with the attack on Fort Douaumont on Wednesday, arid it maybe decisive. i The slopes .east, and north of tho fort are covered with German corpses. INTENSE ARTILLERY DUEL NEAR HILL 304. London, May 25, 3.55 p.m. Tho High Commissioner.reports: ' On the left of the Mouse there is a rather intense artillery duel inltho sector Hill 301, and on the Mort Homme-Cumiores front. In the course of tho night we.progressed by grenade fighting in the spinneys east of the village of Cumieres the enemy, making no,attempt at'attack. > • \ ' On the right bank a strong German attack enabled the enemy to set foot in oris of our benches north of the roadways at Haudromont. A very violent bomI bardment on both sides continued in the region of Douaumont, without infantry action. 1 1 FRENCH PROGRESS JTE/18, THE VILLAGE/OF CUMIERES. . By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ■: A communique, stated: On Wednesday night wo progresssd with to the thickets immediately eastward of ( umieros. • 6 ; The enemy gained a footing in a tronch northward of the Haudromont quarries. . . • Tilers is continuous violent bombardment from Loth sides of the Douaumont region, without infantry action. CAPTURE OF PRISONERS AND GUNS BY THE GERMANS. . , Amsterdam, May 25. A German communique claims the capturo of 850 prisoners and fourteen »uns at tho Caillette Wood, and also the capturo of a quarry southward of Haudromonl farm. . . THE FRENCH WEAKNESS AT DOUAUMONT FORT. ' (Itcc. Hay 26, 'J. 25 p.m.) ■ .•'■*.•• London, May 26. The '"Daily Mail's" Paris correspondent says the French weakness at Doiuiumont I'ort lies 111 the tangle of ravines from Lavaucho Hill, which terminate at the basq.of the north-western salient, of the fort. When tho French recaptured the fort* tho Crown Prince brought up 120,000 men from Valenciennes and Cambria. Tho attack was still a failure at dawn on Wednesday. Tho Crown Prince then ordered the operation to be Hastened, and finally 50,000 Bavarians attacked on a front of three thousand yards, and the storming parties were so dense that .they choked the ravines. The French had 'the cxact range, and every gun within 10,000 yards was trained on the narrow corridors, the French, meanwhile, sheltering behind the ruined walls of craters. The German artillery mado it almost impossible to get supplies of ammunition, which was. running low, so thev retreated to previously prepared trenches on the southern slopes of the fort,' and are awaiting a favourable moment to sally out and recapture it. .•' SERIES OF GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED. 1 ' (Hec. May 2G, 8.45 p.m.) Paris,- May 25. ■ A French communique says: "The Germans made a, series of attxfcks at five o'clock between Haudromont wood and Thiaumont farm, all of which were repulsed with heavy losses, except at one.point, where tho enemy curried ft trench element. "Our artillery destroyed a German depot, at Haudicourt. I , "Violent artillery duels at Hill 301 and Douamont continue."