In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 8 May 1916, Page 5

In the West.

FURTHER DESPERATE FICHTINC i ITntted Press Pads, May 6. i A communique says :. A surprise attack on Friday evening penetrated the German trenches eastward of Lunaville road, in the Argonne, and we brought in prisoners. A German bombardment with heavy calibre suffocating gas shells 'continued with unprecedented at night, westward of tb« evacuated portion of the trenches; on the northern slopes of Hill 304, which were completely, wrecked and untenable. Our batteries replied with equal 'energy, checking the German advances. j Wo repulsed with the bayonet German attacks westward and north-west-i ward of the Hill. There is a slow and 'continuous German bombardment [against the Mort Homme-Cumieres lines. A fresh German division attacked Hill 301 on Thursday and.sustained crushing losses.

OFFICIAL REPORTS. ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. BALOONERS' THRILLINC EXPERIENCE. The High Commissioner reports:— London, May 6 (3.20 p.m.) French official messages state : South of the Somme on Saturday evening, the Germans after intense artillery preparation attacked our trenches south of Lihone. The attacks was arrested by a curtain of fire, and was dispersed before reaching our barbed wire.

At Verdun there is continued violent bombardment of Hill 304, and in the sector of Haudremont-Thiaumont. At Sinii and St. Mihiel, we repulsed a strong enemy reconnaisance attempting to carry one of our small pusts east of Dialee. During a storm the day before yesterday, twenty of our captive balloons broke theiFrench'''lines and s6mte-4ntq the Gcrinan lines, but most of the cjftser-; vers",' r usirig : ''parachutes;'"descpnded in ourj , REPULSE ; pE THE. GERMANS. taut ■: in Krrti — 1-% r r .. NIGHT-LONG .BOMBARDMENT AT Jjjjjj « } ji jViRDUN. f"fo?> ■ , (Received 9.15 a.m.) ,: Paris, May 7. A communique states: After in* : tense bombardment, the Germans on Saturday evening attacked southward, of Lihone, but our curtain of fire dis-1 persed tliem before tliey reached our ! entanglements. There was violent bombardment all night long in the Verdun region.

INCREDIBLE VIOLENCE OF GERJ MAn attacks; ~; FURIOUS BATTLE FOR 48 HOURS, i j ENEMY INFANTRY SUFFER J HEAVILY. (Received 9.45 a.m.) r Paris, May 7. Semi-official.— Incredibjfi violence in the German attacks on Hill 304 failed to overwhelnj the French. The battle was resumed for the last fortyeight hours with a fury unknown prior to Verdun. After repeated failure to capture Hill 304 from the rear, they attempted a hank movement, involving a frontal attack on the northern slopes. There was intense bombardment, and the biggest caliDres in the French batteries replied vigorously. The Germans at some points reached the front of the French lines, but the northern slop' Is now neutral zone, the French occupying the summit and the Germans being at the bottom. The German bombardment continues with sustained intensity. The infantry are not moving, which is probably due to their overwhelming losses.