FRENCH MASTERS OF SITUATION AT VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3175, 28 August 1917, Page 5

FRENCH MASTERS OF SITUATION AT VERDUN

FIVE MONTHS' SUCCESSES REVERSED IN FIVE DAYS BRITISH COUP AT HARGICOURT By Telesraph-Press Aesociation-Copyright Paris, August 26. The •'Matin/' describing tho capture of Hill 30i, 6ays: 'TVe have secured the last observation post surrounding Verdun, and now dominate the enemy from each side. A striking feature of the fchting was the largo number of officers taken prisoner in proportion to the men. This reverses our previous experience, and indicates tliat the morale of the German Army is weakening. The "JournalV correspondent at Verdun says that tie French had more artillery than infantry in the firing line. This tactical success enabled them to achieve in five days a Tesult which took the Germans five months, to accomplish. —Aus.-N.Z. Gablo Assn. ENEMY'S DIVISIONS TERRIBLY CUT UP. London, August 2C. Reuter's correspondent at French Hoadquarters, -writing in _ connection with the capture of Hill 301, eays: "The 6th Brandenburg Reserve Division was practically wiped out. Sixty-nine officers and 2794 men of its threo regiments were made prisoner, well over a third of its entire bayonet strength. The prisoners include a whole divisional organisation, with cooke and cyclists, and even the band, the members of which were sont to tho front at Goose Hill ns fighting men."— Jieuter. • • FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT London, August 26. A French communique states: "North of Verdun tliere is great urtillcrr activity on tho right bank of tho Meuee, between Samogneux and Chaume Wood. We made slight progress on the left bank south of Bethincourt."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ANOTHER ATTACK ACHIEVES ITS OBJECTIVES.' (Rec. August 27, 10.10 p.m.) London, August 2G. A French official communique states: "On tho right bank of the Menso we successfully attaoked between Mormont Farm and the Bois le Channe, and captured all our objectives on a. four-kilom otre front (about 2\ miles) to a depth of a kilometre (three-fifths of a mile}. The whole of the Bois des Fosses and the Bois de Beaumont i» in our hands. We have reached the eouthern outskirts of tho village of Beaumont. Our artillery caught and dispersed with heavy losses a violent counter-attack that was debouching from tho Bois de la Wavrille."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT London, August 20. A German official report ttates: "There wore infantry engagements in our advanced lino westward of _,e Catelet. We threw out tho French, who had penetrated south-west of Pargny. We repulsed tho enemy eastward of Samognoni. Fighting has developed near Beaumont."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn.-Eouter. (Kcc. August 27, 10.10 p.m.) London, .August 2G. A. German official report states: "The French gained initial successes near Beaumont, but we subsequently drove them back."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. \ . ■ SUCCESSFUL ATTACK BY THE BRITISH HALI' , A MILE ON A MILE OF FRONT GAINED. (Rec. August 27, f1.15 p.m;) London, August 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Wo have captured tho enemy's positions a front of over a mile eastward of Hargiccurt, and penetrated to a depth of half a mile, carrying strong points at Cologno farm and Talakof. The enemy during tho morning attacked, using flame-throwers, on the Ypres-llenin road, and momentarily reoccupied tho north-west corner of Inverness Copse. A counterattack restored the positions. We have slightly advanced south-east 'of St. Julion. Tho enemy recaptured a post south-west of Lombaertzyd'e. We brought down seven of tho enemy's aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter. • THE CANADIAN ATTACK ON LENS ANOTHER IR.RESISTIBLE SPURT. London, August 26. Reuter's correspondent at British Headquarters says tho Ca'jiadians, by another irresistible- spurt, captured another important trench, curving round the centre of the western outskirts of Lens, and a second trench running cast, across tho Arras road- —Router. "WE ARE VAINLY EXHAUSTING OURSELVES." Paris, August 2G. A captured Gcrnnn's letter to his father, written at Lens, saye: "I would rather go to hell than continno within this imprisoning rirolo of shells. Thirty-, fivo of my company of a hundred were mado casualties during an hour. Tho faces of tho others wero tho iacos of tho condemned awaiting death. The English have- a will of iron, against which wo aro vainly exhausting ourselves."— Aus.-N.Z. Cablp Afsn. BAVARIANS SACRIFICED TO SAVE THE PRUSSIANS. Borne, August 2G. Telegrams from Munich stnto that tho Bavarians are njritated ..ver tho enormous losses in Flandors, and declare that the Kaiser and Hindenburg aro allowing the flower of the manhood of Bavaria to bo massacred in order lo spare tho Prussians.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Aesn. THE TRUTH IN GERMAN CASUALTY LISTS. Christiania, August 26. The lmmbor of lists of German casualties which have arrived during the war is 1559. They contain altogether l!), 802 pages, oach of three columns, with ninety names in each column (5,316,510 names). Tho total sufficiently explains why tho Germans have ceased publication of tho lists.—"The Times. , ' A RIDICULOUS FABRICATION. London, August 26. Renter's correspondent at Headquarters declares that the German claim that t.wenty-0110 tanks were destroyed ie ridiculous. Only a fraction of this number was put out <>l' action by tank destroyers, known as "linf.i-taiik lurrels." Thn sue. cess of these niigbt liavc been greater but that the crows of many wero unnerved by the lino of advancing tanku, and, joining iu the general stampede, scuttled back into their boles.—Ecutcr.

FRESH SUCCESSES BY THE ITALIANS AUSTRIAN LINE DISORGANISED ENORMOUS CAPTURES TO DATE London, August 26. Tho Italians havn caplurod fresh positions all along iho front. Tho Austrians abandoned others, fearing an cnvolopmcnt—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. ENEMY HOTLY PURSUED Tho High Commissioner reports:— London, Anjfiist 26, 5.20 p.m. An Italian official report states: "After tho capture of Monto Santo, we aro noir continuing our advance towards tho eastern, border of tlio Bainisizza Plateau, hotly pursuing the enemy, who is making a violent resistance.". TOTAL PRISONERS TO DATE-23,600 ITALIANS ATTACKING THE BAINSIZZA PLATEAU. London, August 26. An Italian official report Fiimmarises tho action northward of Gorizia from August 10 as follows: "Tho Second Army threw fourteen bridges across the Isonzo, crossed tho river, and attacked tho Bainieizza Plateau. Directing themselves towards tho iTclenita. front, they broko through three enemy linos, eventually capturing Monto Santo. They aro now advancing on tho eastern border of tho Bainisizza- Plateau, pursuing the enemy. Tho captures now total 600 officers and 23,000 men, T5 guns, ami much booty."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Ueuter. AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL REPORT (Roc. August 17, 10.10 p.m.) London, August 2G. An Austrian official Tcport .states: "Wo took up a now lino on Bainisizza Plateau, and shelled the enemy, who had occupied our evacuated positions on several sectors. Our prisoners now total 250 officers and 8000 men. British and French aviators everywhere aro superior. Sinco August IS wo have brought down twelve aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcutcr, AUSTRIAN LINES CRUMBLING IN DEFEAT Rome, August 26. The Austrian lines over eixty kilometres (3G miles) aro crumbling, and tho Italians are marching to a, definite objective. It is estimated that fully a hundred thousand Austnans are already out of action. Tho "Idea Nazionnle" says tkat the people of Trieste went frantio over the Gound of the Carso battle and the bombardment, and violently rebelled. Soldiers fired on the crowds, filling hundreds. Mr. Percival Gibbon eays: "Tho Austrians wero badly disorganised by the violence of tho frontal attack, and aro trying to gtaye off the paralysing blow at Hermada Hill. British gune assisted in reducing the formidable lines at Selo and Castanavisza, where machipe-guns bristled every six yards. A whole page would bo insufficient to catalogue tho Italian booty taken at Selo. The tenacious grenadiers, though dropping with fatigue during the three day 6* battle, bombed their way through stone-neaps -which wero formerly houses at Selo. The defenders were mostly Hungarians, whose bloodily massacred corpses were lying thickly in. .the etreets and poisoning the air."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable .ten. GOIIIZIA NOW SAFE FROM EO MBARDMENT. (Kec. August 27, 3.15 p.m.) Rome, August 27. The correspondents state that victory on. a sensational Gcale, with tho imminont capture of Monto Santo, terminated the Austrian bombardment of Gorizia, which had lasted for a year.—Renter.