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Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 March 1916, Page 3

Latest War News

4 vUecoivcd Tlii« Day a.m.) iii.il, li.\ 1 1 Lh, OF YERjDUX. London February 'l\i On tile niiiili da\ 01 ill 1 battle official and noii-oifji-ial reports indicate# liie lury oJ tho uue.ny attacks was upending it.eli. '11 n> attack nurtneast ot Vcruiin had been statiunary for thrive days and ielegi aak, from Amsterdam stated that -15, UM) Germans already had been killed, and endless trains of wounded were arriving at Metz, Oahlenz, Treves and ologne. The early enthusiasm of the populace was damped by the appalling sights. One regiment had been reformed from the remnants of ten crack regiments. . At one time 8(100 lay dead on a two mile fiont at Han wont. As the attack passed 011 the whole of the valley w as converted into »A-i\cano and its exit stopped by.a barrier, oi slain. After a series of attacks of this nature, Ridge 315, in front of IXiunumont. was carried, and the bloody tide of battle lapped the base ot Douaumont. Attack after attack melted under the pitiless French fire. CTltimately the seventh wave carried the 34th Brandenburg Regiment up to the crest At this, when the heat was at tlio pi'int of temperature of a furnace all the notion ot losses seemed to have been engulfed in ail orgy of butchery. Then the famous French corps which ahvavs was at the point of danger wiii launched in a successful coun-ter-attack. The infantry and Zouaves bounded forward from Beaumont fort and Vatix, and converged on the plateau held by the Germans. Brig ide after brigade dashed up, but instead of making straight for the ruineTT fort t.hev separated into columns and envel-. oped the nositiori, cutting off and ultimately taking prisoners the few Brandenburg soldiers in the fort. Wrom the heights of the other side of Ornoß the Kaiser watched wave after wave of German infantry breaking helplessly against the impa.ssa.ble wall. Their losses were terrible, hut I as fast as they fell fresh reserves were brought .up and a final attack against the extreme edge of the French

| positions at Hardaumont, where ' there was fearful slaughter. The Germans withdrew, leaving thousands 'il ! dead heaped high on the .hillside. The j Kaiser -witnessed the broken and dispirited brigades retiring under a diai bolieal tire. The German losses to the 27th hare been estimated at 130,000. THE FIGHTING IX .FRONT' OF VERIHLN. Loudon, February 20. >Tho High Commissioner reports:--■N'orth of Verdun a more intense ijonibardment has continued. In the sector east of the Mouse, in the. course of the night, there were violent local uttacks several times. Tn t'he region oi the village of Douaumont they were brought almost tn hand to hand combats and were repulsed by the French. At W oevro the Germans succeeded alter intense artillery perforation in capturing the village of Manheulles. An immediate counter-attack brought the French to the western border of the village, which they hold under fire. In the Lorraine the enemy penetrated certain small portions of our advan-<-ed trenches, when lie was chased oivß again almost immediate]*-. !!\ T nthiiig noteworthy took place on the rest of th« front. (Received This Day II a.m.) BIG LOSS OF LIFE. Pans. .Feb. ':y. The auxiliary ship Provence was sunk on February 26th in the Mediterranean. There were 1800 souls aboard-; j Wti were landed, but 1100 are missing. | French and .British trawlers aud, destroyers have teken 29(5 survivors to Malta. Four hundred were landed at Melos Apparently the periscope oi any submarine was not seen betore nor after the disaster, mid there is no trace ol a torpedo. The observers oi the guns'cren'is remained at their posts until the last moment. Half a sooif of boats still are at the scene of the Jwrock, and the search continues. (Received This Day 12.55 p.m.) A PRENCII COMM I N IQl' K. Paris, Feb. 20. A communique states that violent night attacks in the region of Douaumont everywhere were repulsed alter hand to" Ljjjid encounters. The Germans appear to be attempting a diversion on .the AVoevre. AfbT an intense bombardment they seized the village m Manheulles. Our counter-attack recaptured the outskirts.