In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 85, 16 March 1916, Page 5

In the West.

THE FIGHT FOR VERDUN. FOURTH DAY OF LULL, ] UJ )i ', - d FRESH ATTACK EXPECTED. ("United Pkess Association. t London, March 15. This is the fourth day of tho lull at Verdun, The German communique does nojfc even mention this section of the battlefront, * but revertheless the French staff is not deceived, and is expecting a renewed attack and is preparing for it. The German headquarters staff is absorbed in the doings of Fokker pilots Immerman and Boelke, who brought down four more*Allied areaplanes, making their respective scores ten and eleven. , ..

SHELLED BY OWN GUNS.

GERMAN INFANTRY’S PLIGHT. BRITISH LOSSES LIGHT. (Received 10.40 a.m.) London, March 15. /At the Canal, the German artillery shelled their own infantry, many being killed. The survivors flung themselves on the ground and crept in to the trenches and surrendered. All w'ere youths belonging to a regiment previously distinguished for bravery. The British losses were extremely light. A VISIT TO VERDUN. PARLIAMENTARIANS IMPRESSED. DEEP FRENCH CONFIDENCE. Dntvko Pewsk Association. (Received 10.40 a.m.) London, March 15. The Parliamentary delegation has returned from Verdun. Members were impressed with the difference between the French and German transport system. The Germans during the last tew months built eleven strategic railways behind the Verdun front, while the French relied on a single railway hut they were engrossed with the motor transport which worked faultlessly and proved vastly superior owing to iis flexibility. The delegates were profoundly impressed with the defenders’ confidence. General Retain’s last words were; “The load is off my mind now 1 am certain of final .success!’

THE CRITISH SUCCESS AT YPRESCOMINES GAGAL. ENEMY WILLINGLY SURRENDER. (Received 10 a.in.) Paris, March 13. A semi-official account of the British recapture of trenches at the Ypros-Comines Canal on the 2nd states that the British did not attach ini-, portancc to the loss, but refused to ignore a methodically-prepared conn-er-attack, and kept the captured linp.y under artillery five for a fortnigl|tj. preventing the enemy’s consolidation.. An intense bombardment oh day lofig oh March 1 caused the Germans W expect an immediate attack, but it was not delivered until 4.30 on the morning of the 2nd, The moment that the Germans wore relieving the trench parties, the Grenadiers suddenly dashed forward, smothering the defenders with bombs, and the trenches were retaken in a few minutes. Fifty-one German batteries at midday opened a bombardment, and assaulting columns advanced at four o’clock. The British noticed that the enemy flung their bombs far beyond the trenches and rushed forward' with their hands up.

THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

The High Commissioner reports: London, March 15 (3.50 p.m.)

West of the Meuse, the enemy made no fresh attempt. In tho course of the night, between Bethincourt and Cumieres, counter-attacks with bayonets and grenades enabled the French to -retake part of the French elements occupied •by the enemy yesterday at Hill $65. The French hold Bethincourt, the heights of Cumieres wood, and the village of Cumiere. Bombardment continued intensely along the whole sector, and was enegetically countered by French artillery. There was nothing fresh on the right bank of the Meuse, or in the Woevre, where there is intermittent cannonade on both sides.

THE FRENCH REPORT.

!■ M )»• Paris, March 15; ■ A Thorp was a violent cannonade.west.of the Meuse,; near Vaux and Damloup.- A Strong-’ enemy rcconhaisanc6.’ , pk. > the. Haudreraonf was checked * at JBaislb. There \: have % : bp«i. bombardments with shell?;- • '.redoubled, violence.j-agaipkt; buy-- - ' Bethii4(|m&;i mans 1 f af- 1 VprynUtyick;; on,, 'But- 't|vey' .pulsed aPi-t-hei iyjvo'lb "front! ; losses. ;iiicy- ;, gfiiftFd a* fodtfiig Vft'bhly two points in our trenches between Bethincourt and Morfchomme. We captures much material by a surprise, attack on tho trenches between V.osswihr and Carspach, in Alsace, without l(js|| Throb German aeroplanes wore brought down in tho ‘German lines in the Verdun region and another in Ccrnay district. - •V ; : A ft'-' Vuv'-V* .iw- y UjSUCCESSFUL BOMBARDMENT London, March 14. Generals Haig report* tjiax the' c*&* plosion of an enemy mine did some damage to a portion of a small salient of our trenches. We carried out a successful bombardment of the trenches north of Ypres. IMPORTANT DECISION PENDING London, March 14. The Vossiche Zeitung says that in | the Western theatre an important decision, perhaps the final decision of the war, is impending. Verdun represents only one piece on the hoard.

VILLIERS VIEWS

Fremantle, March 15. Mr Villiers, continuing his narrative, says:— The hills are apparently bare, but, as one approaches, line upon line of what, at first glance, seems supports for vines can be seen. Ihe whole country for miles around looks all the world like an immense vineyard. The only difference is that the; supports are made of the very strongest barbed wire. At the highest parts machine-guns arc hidden, and should the Germans succeed in destroying the entanglements by using up immense quantities of high explosive shells, they will find it a difficult matter to get past those machine-guns. It has been found that one ma-chine-gun is capable of holding up a battalion. FRENCH 1916 CLASSES MOT USED. London, March 15. The Times’ correspondent at Baris says the 1916 classes have nob been used at Verdun.