IHE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 2 March 1916, Page 3

IHE WAR

| ULEC'l'ltH: XEIiEOKAI'II —COI'VIUGIIT. j [l'Ell riiESS ASSOC! All ON.] SHELLS CALLING IN VEiRDUA. London, t'eb. 2U. The l>aily Chronicle's Paris correspondent says thnt Verdun has been completely evacuated oy civilians, itis a quaint little town ol U(J,UO() inhabitants, lying on b<it'll, sides ot the Meuse. The ancient wallis, moats ami gateways are now only of historic interest. The population latterly has been much reduced. Shells began to full in Verdun's streets and among the old-fashioned: houses on Monday. The cannonade oil Wednesday being more serious the Governor ordered the civilians to leave. Hundreds of the poorer claws took refuge in the deep underground galleries fo the citadel. A dreary cavalcade of civilians has .since trickled' along the snow-covered roads to the titfTn going to Pans. ■ :

! The fighting continues along the lines hold since Friday across the Poivre crest through Douaumont to Vaux. Though the incessant and frightful bombardment is kept up on both -.sides a further retirement of one and a half miles to Eroidterre is expected. Douaumont is still the heart of the furnace. After being repeated. !y stopped and decimated in in frontal attacks the enemy is endeavouriupr to penetrate by the eastern ridge hills near Vaux, with supporting assaults lrom Woevre. Columns of infantry liHVe also been launched repeatedly against the rums of Doriaumout village. Paris, -March J. Many of Verdtin's suburbs; liave been severely hammered with the bombardment, and numerous c-ivilians hove been the victims. Hie new church and the old cathedral were forgets on Ihur.-day and Friday night for heavy shells, which fell almost one per minute. Parts of the town are in ruins. Paris, Feb. 29. Our Latteries in the Champagne wrecked German organizations in the region of Hill 193. The bombardment on the north trot#(1 Verdun i« less intense. No iutantl'.V action is reported. The Genua as have entrenched on the northern slopes of Poivre ridge, the first cterfl-whereof our advanced troops occupied. AVe violently bombarded Samognetiux where an enemy iiattaliou had assembled. Our artillery in the YVoe\-re prevented attacks in preparation. There is great artillery activity m the A osges regions, near Seiuunes and Bandesapt.

Our counter-attacks east ill Sep.poil.drove out the enemy from some trenches lie had penetrated in the morning. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. London. Feb. :;17. Sir Douglas llaig reports : - e brought down ;i Germnn aeroplane behind our' lines. Another fell in flames behind the German lilies in the vicinity ol La Bassee. ACTIVITY OX Tfirc K.\ST FRONT. i ! etrograd, March 1. A communique suites: —We drove back the eiiomy and advanced a. Utrte nearer to thfr village of Gahuiiovka, in the Dvinsk region. ■liK' Germans' serried ranks advanced between Lakes Alston am" Mainui.s.s, but recoiled before our heavy artillery iiiv. On.- Hi our destroyer.-, in the Black ."oa dispersed a convoy along the coast road. Turkish officers captured, in the flight., '''oin KrzeroTun complain bitterly that their headquai teis staff is concentrate I :u fiormaii hands. The latter were the first to abandon the lortilied positions e.iusing ii panic ami disorder among the Turks.