CORPSE STREWN MORT HOMME.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 122, 24 May 1916, Page 5

CORPSE STREWN MORT HOMME.

THE HUNS REACH THE HILL’S CREST. COMPLETELY WIPED OUT P>Y FRENCH GUNS. GERMANS PAYING AWFUL PRICE WITH NO GAINS. ; PARIS, May 23. Since Friday twelve score of German heavy guns have been battering the French positions west and north of Mort Homme and Cumiere. The former was the centre of the heaviest fighting. The enemy steamed up the ravine in compact masses from Bethincourt and ‘ wele swept away again and again by the French heavy artillery. The struggle was in progress for eight hours, the battle alternately favouring one side and then the ether. When night fell on Saturday, after exhausting fighting in the pitiless sun. the weary defenders of Mort Homme hoped for rest, -but the Germans gave no respite. A fresh division was hurried from Bethincourt and rushed into the meelee. An hour later grey-clad waves of Germans swept up the shell-tortured slope s of Hill 195 from the west and north, reaching the corpse-strewn crest. The Germans, elated by victory, pressed into the French second line, but, wore caught in the iron jaws of a counter-attack. None survived to celebrate the victory. There was similar nonsuccess in a desperate attack on Hill 304* — Cumieres position. A communique says; We progressed southward of Hill 257 and forced the enemy to evacuate a small work he had been holding since the 18th. Counter-attacks drove out the enemy from some trenches at Mort Homme. We carried Ire assault German positions on a two kilometres front west of Thianmont farm to the east of Douaumont Fort, and penetrated into Fort Douaumont, the northern part of which is still held by the enemy. We cleared enemy trenches on a length of 300 metres at Bouchot Wood on the heights of i-he Meuse. Sunday’s attack, wherein ..the;-Germans failed to win fresh ground, must have cost them over 5000'men*,y.vp1Ie they paid an awful price for three hundred yards advance near