In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 48, 31 May 1916, Page 5

In the West.

EXPENDITURE OF PROJECTS LEC. RAINING SHELLS. [Uivttvt> PkAoboo’ation.] i Received S.6U a.m.) Paris. May .‘lO. M. Uutin, writing in the Echo do Paris, says sonic idea of Liu* expenditure. of projectiles prior to the now big German attack towards Verdun may be gathered from the bombardment of tlu* seven and a-half miles of front between Avoconrt and Cnmiorcs, where there arc one hundred heavy batteries, and an unknown number ol light guns. EXCHANGE OF WOUNDED. SCHEME IN SWITZERLAND. (Received 8.60 a.m.) Borne, May 00. The first contingent of five hundred wounded British prisoners from Germany have arrived at Chateaux Doex. They will sojourn at the hotels and boarding houses under Swiss supervision in return for similar facilities afforded the Germans from England. British residents af*e making great preparations for their reception.

AVIATION SHEDS -BURNED. TWENTY-FOUR AEROPLANES LOST. (Received 8.50 a.m.) Copenhagen, May 30. The aviation sheds at Dresden (Saxony), and Neustadt (Rhennish, Bavaria), were burned, together with twentyfour aeroplanes, , TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT ON ALL FRONTS. London, May 29. General Sir Douglas Plaig reports that the enemy artillery is most active, particularly between La Basscc Canal and Arras.. The bombardment on the front and support lines in the neighbourhood of Loos continued all day long. The town and neighbourhood of Arras, and northwards to Neuville St. Vaast, is the scene of an intermittent and heavy concentrated bombardment. * ! Our grins in sonic cases silenced the hostile batteries. ' Paris, May 30. A communique says': The enemy all day long maintained an intense bombardment with heavy guns on Avoconrt Wood, as far as Cumieres. The Germans violently attacked Hill 304 in the afternoon and suffered two sanguinary reverses. The only success the enemy gained was three hundred metres ol an advanced trench north-west of Cumieres. THE LIEGE FORTS. London, May 29. The Amsterdam Telegraaf reports that the Germans have repaired the Liege forts with concrete and iron, and have built many earthworks, and are constructing defence works north ol Serve, along the new Aix-la-Chapelle railway. EXPERT 0PINlOW !? ’ London, May 29. There- is no abatement in the fighting at Verdun, but even if the Germans make a further advance there is no reason to think that the French are likely to lose the grip of the situation, which, it is unanimously agreed, they have well in hand.. Further terrific fighting is expected, because everything points to tlie fact that the German staff will leave nothing undone to smash France.

Military criticis agree that the enemy knows that he must succeed .’n the war either this year or never.

Mr J. L. Garvin (editor of the Fortnightly Review) thinks that the Germans will attempt to attain peace with all or some of the Allies in 191 (i. in order to save the War Lords’ prestige before tire risk of i, * ’•'■'■cl penalty becomes imminent. it is reported that the Germans are more and more changing their tactics, sparing men and using their heaviest guns to batter and flatten out the trenches. When hey think they have succeeded they will send out parties to reconnoitre, and if the trenches are still occupied th-v will continue the bombardment, but if the trenches are abandoned they * >il occupy them. COST OF 300 YARDS OF TRENCHES GERMANS ATTACK TIME /bD AGAIN. POOR RECOMPENSE. (Received 10.15 a.m.) Paris, May 30 The Petit Parisien states: The i ew German offensive at Mort Homme and Cumieres began on Sunday evening. An unusual movement was noticed : t

Crows Wood, and tin? pnoiny bebouched in columns. Our artillery fire stopped them before they reached the French trendies. Tl:e Germans redoubled the bombardment for several hours, and then attacked again ami again a Tier midnight, hut ail the assaults failed. The bombardment was resumed during the entire laoming with unprecedented intensity ; then a whole division emerged from Crows Wood (Hiring the afternoon. The first waves were forced to take refuge in th shell craters and reinforcements .crept up on their hands and knees. Some reached the trenches, hut wore annihilated. The obstinacy of the struggle ' nearer Cnmieres was even more mark'd!. They attacked ten times, hut were repulsed with bayonets and grenades. The Germans, on their eleventh assault occupied three hundred yards of trenches, hut their situation is precarious.

BOMBARDMENT OF REDOUBLED | VIOLENCE. FRESH GERMAN DIVISION RE- | PULSED. SHORT FRENCH RETIREMENT. The High Commissioner reports:— London, May 30 (4,.10 p.m.) Left of the Meuse, the bombardment was redoubled in violence to the end of yesterday between Mort Homme and Cnmieres. The enemy shortly afterwards directed on the whole of our positions in this sector a powerful attack, employing a. newly-arrived fresh division to the left of the French but all the assaults of the enemy launched on the slopes of Mort Homjno, where our lines are established were broken by onr fire.

■ lii the region of Antereateres Wood, after several fruitless attempts of the enemy who suffered important losses we retired from the advanced elements south of the Bethincourt-Cumieres road. Further to the right, despite repeated efforts, the Germans were unable to dislodge us on the outskirts south of the village of Cumiores. The bombardment continued intense during the course of the night. On the right bank, artillery fighting is very active in the region west of Fort Douaumont. '■