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Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 February 1916, Page 3

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1 THE GREA T BATTLE OF VEIRiDUN. London, Feb. 27Lbough the German claim to a great victory came as n shock on Saturday eveuing the French announcement lli s morning brough equally great relic!, hut si I 1 reiich official wireless message mm- put<s the matter in truer proportions. ('oin mowing with the German statemrut re the armoured fortress ot Douaumont, etc.. it says that the ■Germans attribute great importance to the tort which was out of date and dismantled in the first month of tie wa I '. !t no longer contained "guns or I soldiers. The message quotes the Matin ins saying that if the Germans after their frightful losses, succeed :n ( aptai'iiig Verdun itsclT. they will find only an empty shell, as all supplies were removed months ago. A FRENCH COMMUNIQUE. Fans. Feb. 27. A communique states that our troops during the night continued t-s-tuvngthen their . positions north of Vor iun. There is no change east oi the Meusi' where there was a heavy simwfn.lL N T o fresh enemv attemp:s haw been Iliads at Talou ' Hill iiov I I'nivrc Hill. Strong enemy attacks made on Saturday evening on Hndarniunfc farm east ot Poivre Hill wer« broken up by our artillery and inacliiii ■ gun fire and our counter-attacks. Another attempt equally violent was n;a< e on iladrauniont wood, east oi Douaumont, was equally futile. Our advPico-i at \\ cevre carried out the r withdrawal unliiiulered. There was no infantry action west of the M-.'iis: , bui a strong enemy attack on a two-mile front near Cellas, after artillery preparation, was a. complete failure.