COMPARATIVE LULL AT VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2809, 29 June 1916, Page 5

COMPARATIVE LULL AT VERDUN

THE BRITISH BOMBARDMENT

ANOTHER RAID BY THE ANZACS (By Telegrapli—Press Association—Copyright). • Paris, Juno 27. ■' A French official communique states: "Local operations at night enabled us to enlarge tho ground gained near the Thiaumont work. There "was a rather lively ' engagement at Fleury.but tho position is unchanged. 'Three of our armed aeroplanes fired sixty-five shells on German vessels near tho Belgian coast." Semi-official.-—Tlie enemy 6 violent offort between June 21 and 21 on the TJiiaumont-Fleury sector lias cost him sanguinary losses, which aro completely disproportionate to the results, and which have momentarily exhausted tho Ger- • mans. Even tbe bombardment is slackening on both banks, excopt in. the region of Hill 301, where a vigorous duel continues. , . HIGH REPORT. 'The High Commissioner reports • - . London, June 27, 11.25 a.m. "On both banks of the Mouse there has been a less intense bombardment during the course of the day, but more violent in the Woeuvre and tho-Eis sector. "On the right bank the Germans attacked part of tho villago of Flcury, which, is occupied by the' French, but wero completely repulsed." , . GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. London, June 27. 'A German official communique states: "Patrol fights developed upon the English front and the north wing of the French front. Numerous gas clouds and smoko clouds were floated towards us without damage, and tho clouds in some places drifted back ion the enemy's trenches. "The enemy's artillery was directed with special intensity on our positionson both sides of the Somme. "Tho Frenoii attacks north-west of Thiaumont -and south-west of Fort Vaux were without result." ' . GERMAN ESTIMATE. PLACES LOSSES AT 170,000. , Berne, June '27. Hicli German diplomatists liave reported that the estimated losses at Verdun are 170,000. . ACTIVITY ON THE BRITISH FRONT s. — The High Commissioner reports •. • p • London, Juno 28, i.20 p.m. "Last night, south-east of the Ypres. salient,' a German attack was repulsed near the Ypres-Menin Canal. ■ "All along the front our patrols Jiavo been very active, entering tlie enemy's trenches at numerous points, and inflicting many casualties, while also capturing prisoners. — "Early-this mining we successfully exploded two mines near Loos, the Leinsters inflicting many casualties during a successful raid. "Yesterday five of our airships engaged four Fokkers on the enemy's side line, two of which were brought down, falling beyond our control ; two more wero driven down in the course of tbo day." ' 1 1 TWO TRENCH RAIDS BY THE ANZACS (Special from the U.Z. Offlcial War Correspondent.) • '. June 27. Two very'successful, raids were carried out by Anzac troops last night, at points 500 yards distant from one another in the German trenchcs. The bombardment was a short one, only eight minutes being oocoupied jn preparing the giound for the raid. Many Germans were, tho raiding parties and tho bombardment, and thirteen were taken prisoner. This is now the fifth successful raid made within about .three weeks by Anzac troops. MR. PHILIP .GIBBS'S STORY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—.C'opyriglil). (Kec. June i! 8, 8.25 p.in.) London, June 27. ■Mr. Philip Gihb's describes two successful raids by Anzac parties operating five thousand yards apart on Monday morning. "In order to ensure succes for the (aiding parties, all the six-footers underwent special training, their comrades rubbing them down after the morning,sprint. T|ie trepeh mortars at midnight be"an cutting the enemy's barbed.wire like beanstalks; simultaneously the guns I barraged tho communication trendies, putting a fence of shp)l flre round tho positions to be attacked. Then the Anzacs went forward with bombS and truncli"eons; the German machine guns scouring' No Man's Land tbe while. • "The raiders escaped the bullets, and rushed on. One party encountered the i Prussians and the other met the Saxons. It was a terrible ten minutes. Tho Ger. maws came out of their dug-outs, terrified to see the Anzucs in their trenches. Some promptly surrendered. Others tried to defend themselves with bombs, many of these killing their owl) comrades. The Anzacs wasted not a moment. They accomplished a great deal of quick work—rummaged in the dug-outs for papers, hauled out prisoners, bombed along the trenches, used tomahawks to break through the debris of sandbags, which were strewn with corpses as the result of tho bombardment, s , ' "When ordered to retire one Anzac, who was escorting prisoners over tho parapet, shouted: 'I won that five francs!' to an officer who had made a sporting bot regarding the number of prisoners taken. Another cheerily called attention to his'six bullets in one arm! Remarkable luck.' One burly New Zealander made a bet before starting that lie would bring back a prisoner. As ho dragged his miserable terror-stricken victim over the parapet of tho British trenches by the scrnlf of tho neck bo claimed tho bet, and apologised for not bringing 'a better specimen/ "These raids demoralised the Germans, who suffer dreadful nightmares, which are driving them mad." ' "■ OTHER ACCOUNTS. '.Hcc, June 'JB, 10.20 p.m.) ' London, June 28. Another correspondent describes tliriAnzac raids in'the neighbourhood of Arinentieres, ••[(; was a calm moonless night. Tim tren'cli mortar bombarjintint lasted only eight minutes, instead ;'f ti;o nsual forty minutes. Uol.Ji German trenches wore heavily manned, and the defenders were unable to escape, owiug to tho

artillery barrage. It is belioved that every German was cither kiled or takeu prisoner. The attaokors advanced over No Man's Land through a machine-gun faro, but happily all tho guns wero jwisdiroctod, and there \vei:« iiraclicaily no casualties, owing to tlio Anzacs' sprinting powers. Tlio euemvjr was ao Mustered that many were killed by their own-bombs, and tho Auzacs ©jfecjtcd a comparatively easy capture of Saxons and Prussians,.many of whom went d'own on their knees and squealed. Tho difficulty uas to get tho captives out of \ tho trenches, they wore so terrified of their own ai'tilery." 1 THE MORAL EFFECT OF THE BRITISH BOMBARDMENT FEANCE FILLED WITH CONFIDENCE AN]B* HOPE. f ' 3ar ' s i 'Tune 27. The "Petit Parisien" draws attention to the German desertion of the British guns "thundering furiously from end to end of the front," and l . adds: "Possibly this has sonni connection with the suspension of the Gorman loflensivo on the Mease. The British Army is a. formidable one. and the Germans are unable to deny the offensive powers of Kitchener's armies." (Rec. June 28,. 8.25 p.m.) Plaris, June 27. The reports which 11. Briand (tlie French Premier) brought back, from tho front of tho splendid preparedness and morale of the British troops has nlled Stance with confidence and encouragement. Tho "Temps" states that it is now tho tarn of the Germans fo submit to a ceaseless hail of shells. "They must understand that they are no longer our masters in this respect." * , Colonel Kousset, writing in "Liberte," says: "The British artiHary attack was a formidable one. Tho British army to4ay is a redoubtable, force, and tho Germans are so nnxious about it that tho violence of their bombardment at 'Verdun has slackened."