FOUR VIOLENT COUNTER-ATTACKS ON VERDUN SECTOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2914, 28 October 1916, Page 9

FOUR VIOLENT COUNTER-ATTACKS ON VERDUN SECTOR

'■..._■ "... \.;;^FpT;REMMNS. INTACT . v :■'.?: iffi:ipi&";ws up "■ ". '■ ■ " (By Telegraph—pxessAesociation.— Copyright). '• AiistraJian-New Zealand Cable Association. • (Reo.; October 27, 8.5 p.m.) ' -■■ . .■■•,■ ■-;•-.■ ' London, October 26. ■•• A .Paris, communique says:-"There were four violent counter-attacks on Douaumont and Haudromonty'which "were repulsed with important losses. The. . "front''remains intact; •- "Thetbtal number of prisoners captured is live thousand, besides soveral ■hundred wounded tmen." • ■ An attempted-attack on the Bois L'Abbe Farm 'southward of Bouchaves- / nes. was easily repulsed. ' Artillery and, infantry smashed two counter-attacks on Douaumont Fort ■ .nhd on the fron,t eastward. A third very powerful attack debouching from Haudramont Woods comprised four waves, which were caught under the fire of'batteries and machine-guns and thrown back in disorder, with serious losses. Isolated fractions'of the enemy were'taken prisoners. Finally they . attempted to attack the trenches southward of Chaurfour Wood, and'were completely defeated, ' •v-.. •: •.:. mvely" artillery, operations. : "' 'The.High'CommissionerVreports:' •-..-'.. v . -...■''..■■■: ....•-•■ London,. October 26, 0.10 a.m. ..French official: "There is lively artillery actions in the region of Sailly ■ SailliseL and the sector of .Vermandoviilers-Chaulnes." • • FRENCH' EQUAL TO :A- BIGGER TASK THAN ORIGINALLY v:^ : ';:' : ,..-;\:/;.v;,,;^^^ GRAPHIC""DESCRIPTION OF -. THE ADVANCE AT VERDUN. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. '•;=■••;. .' ■'■-..-.- .. . London, October 26. . -..-.- The Germans, on Friday-.moved two divisions which were in reserve on the ' Meuse-to the Somme, as the Kaiser, was at.Bapaume meditating an-offensive. ■■ .-. The weather was-very-thick after.a spell.of clear days, during .which the French artillery battered the. German trenches...During the bombardment was stopped, and .everything seemed quiet, when four divisions of Gen- • eral Nivelle's troops.suddenly leapt from the ■ trenches, and attacked, crying "En evant." : The.xolumns on the left quickly reached the Bras-Douaumont -road and.the quarries. They-also 6eizod Thiauraont Redoubt. „ ■ General Mangin's brigade, on the.right, cleared-the.ground north-east of . Floury and Hill 320, penetrating Cailette'.Wood by the famous Death Ravine. • On the east of.Thiaumont batteries were captured, and in -twenty minutes eight hundred defenders were-killed or'.taken,prisoner. The commander shot himself rather-than surrender. / So quickly did the poilus cover the ground that General Mangin saw they were equal to a .bigger task than originally devised. Ho gave his Staff the necessary ordcr s to capture Douaumont Fort, and let tho attackers have their -. head. ."• , .. • • . '... ~'... . x '.. . . . The: French reached the village" of Douaumont Fort at 4 o'clock, the columns-converging from south and south-west. .The very regiment which recaptured the fort on May 22, and wero turned out by the Bavarians, now •.occupied the ruins. "Within an hour the'smoking heap of masonry was fully bec'upfed and the tricolor'planted .on the topmost battlement. "A flare of . bengal ■ lights ;was sent up at 6 o'clock. The French pounced on all objective's taken, trenches were rapidly remade, and flocks of bricks and stone in tho village, piled' up, furnished .machine-gun emplacements. Tho third French force meanwhile penetrated'north of tho Chapitre and Fumin Woods, reaching the lake west of Vaux village. The success of the day's work was the more remarkable becauso a. thickmist and "fine rain the aeroplanes assisting.' -Vans Fort, which sur-' rendered on Juno 7, is within a quarter of a mile of the new French line. FRENCH ADVANCED BEHIND A FLAMING SHIELD OF (SHELLS. ■-'■->/ New York, October 26. ' The New York "World's" correspondent at Pan's states that tho French nt '< Verdun advanced behind a flaming "shield of shells. Thousands of shells weighing more than'a. ton each, were rained on the armoured shelters at Douaumont, and drove the Germans from vaults 60ft deep. Flocks of aeroplanes spied out the' Germans' secrets,' and told the gunners minutely what they were accomplishing. -When the infantry advanced, tho fire screen was so efficient that an even line of projectiles exploded a hundred yards ahead of the infantry. The fuses were lengthened for every step. NO FURTHER COUNTER-ATTACKS AT VERDUN. ...•''■-'.'- London, October 26. A French communique states: There were no further counter-attacks at Verdun. ...,-.'.'' WAR NEWS IN A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. London, October 26. A' German communique states: "English local attacks failed north of Gourcelette. Le.Sars, Gueiidecourt, and Jjesbooufs. ■ "The French penetrated our destroyed trenches as far as the fort and '. village of Douaumont. We evacuated the burning-fort, and occupied pre-, pared'positions to the northwards. We repulsed further violent French attacks ' at Fort Vaur.""

!*'" PRISONERS CAPTURED OUTNUMBER FRENCH LOSSES. (Reo. October 27, 6.35 p.m.) Paris, October 26. The "Petit. Parisien" states that the prisoners captured at'Douaumont outnumbered the French losses. „' ' ' 9 ' ' DROWN; PRINCE WAS NOT PRESENT AT iVERDUN. Amsterdam, October 26. Tho Crowii Prince was not present at the Verdumdefeat. Ho was visiting Berlin for the Kaiserin's birthday (October 22). SUCCESSFUL TRENCH RAID BY. THE BRITISH. CReuter'i Telesram.) London, October 26. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "During the night there was heavy enemy shelling between Eaucourt I'Abbaye and Lesboeufs. An enemy trench was Successfully raided near Monchy, and also north-east of Arras." -ENEMY-'ATTACK ON "STUFF" TRENCH REPULSED. (Rec. October 28, 1.40 a.m.). London, October 27. Sir Dduglas Haig reports: "The enemy in the morning attacked the 'Stuff' trench running northward of the 'Stuff' Redoubt, and was repulsed with considerable loss.- Our artillery was very effective." 1 ' • V "THE LORD OF CREATION IS WITH YOU" ; KAISER REVIEWS HIS TROOPS AT CAMBRAI. . (Ecutci'e Telegram.) . Amsterdam, October 26. .Tlie Kaiser reviewed German troops at'Cambrai. He said he had hurried from the Bast to bring them greetings and the thanks of their comrades for their heroism in the greatest battle in- the world's history. The battle of tho Somme would stand for centuries as a brilliant example of the whole nation's determination to conquer. "You incarnate that determination in your resistance of French arrogance and British obstinacy. Comrades, hold on. The liord of Creation is with you!"