THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 March 1916, Page 3

THE WAR

(.JgLKli'l'UU! iiaUfiGHAi'U —GUI'VHIGiII.J H'KU PUEKS ASSOCIATION .j THiii VMtDIJN .BATTLE. rails, March 'I. -V communique states: —liuomy u.rtili«.ry 1101 tluvard of Verdun and in the iVoevre has greatly increased in activity along the whole front, chiefly jgainst Morthowine. Poivre Hill and .Douaumoiit. Here .several infantry attacks of extreme violence were tkivcii back, our artillery decimating the enemy s ranks. Our batteries everywhere vigorously replied to tho uomoardmem. We cannonaded communication roads, and our long range guns ;ioi th-cuDtu ard of fc>t>. Miluel bombarded the nation of Vigneiiics. There were two outbreaks of tire and several trains -were struck. A locomotive burst. Tliere lias been great artillery activity in the Seppois sector, j A French air squadron dropped 4* | bombs, which greatly damaged the iC'hambley station. Our areoplanes also dropped forty bombs on llernsdorg station and nine ■ projectiles on an enemy establishment at Avrecourt. The French have evacuated Samogneattx. They crossed the river Mause and retired into French territory. President Poiincare visited Verdun and congratulated the troops. The" Germans have made a preliminary bombardment during the last 12U hours, almi st wholly -with heavy guns. Tito Trench front has been terribly battered. The lire on the second line made it difficult to get food up. .A Jiitceu-inch shell burst near a French battery of "'7s's" in a little wood near Flettry. All the gunner's were killed or wounded. One German army corps northward o; Verdun was reduced to 3000. 1

The French losses during the last ten days were slight compared to the Germans. Tile proportion of killed, wounded, and prisoners are estimated as five of the Germans to one ol the French. London, March 2. 'ihe German press is jubilant over Verdun, claiming that it has been a great and unexpected success. All are asserting that the German losses are not heavy. Four long range shells destroyed Douauinout fort. RUSSIA'S REFORT. i'etrogrudi, March 3. A Russian eomniuniiie ways: — lie ene.ny is aerially active along ■ j li'iga Dviina sectors. \Ve occupied Ivamakh and the JN'ekavauk Convent, seven mile* north-east ol itlis. THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN London, March 2. A number of small vesels are reported sunk, including the Itusslaa .steamer Alexander Weiitzel. Eighteen persons were drowned. The Italian sailing ship Ghisa end four Lowestoft smacks were also sum. The last named crews were landed.

A BRITISH SUCCESS. London March 2. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—This morning we attacked jind recaptured trenches on the Tpres-Cotnines Canar. which we lost on rebruary 14. We also captured a small salient in the original German lines and repulsed an enemj counter-attack, launched some hours later. We destroyed Ger'inon mine galleries in the captured trenches and took prisoner 180 Germans.