IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1916, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

HEROES AT VERDUN'ATTACK GERMAN STRONGHOLD. A BRILLIANT ASSAULT. '$ Received March 30, 5.5 p.m. London, March 20. A feature of the day's war news is the success of the French offensive. Not content with repulsing the enemy, the heroes of Verdun assaulted the strong Avoneourt redoubt, which is the centre of the most recent attack. A semi-official review states that the German offensive, which had been suspended since the 22nd, was resumed today with redoubled violence,. The enemy, in order to conceal their designs, deluged the entire Verdun front with shell-fire for, six days without interruption. The weight of the infantry onslaught was delivered on a front hardly a kilometre in extent, between Avoneourt and Malancourt. The Germans in massed divisions, leaped to the assault over ground that had been ploughed up by their own heavy shells. I GERMANS REPULSED. | They thought they had easily crossed, but they reckoned without our infantry and light artillery, which was an orgy of steel, undestroyed, and lying flat. The infantry poured in a terrific fire, and the field pieces cut down swathes of men. The enemy's line was again and again broken. They failed to drive us out of the village of Malancourt, where they already occupied the surrounding hills, and their losses were so heavy that the German commanders, at nightfall, recognised the futility of the attacks, and returned, leaving about a quarter of their effectives dead and wounded on the field. ATTACK WEAKENS. The German tactics in butting forward by fits and starts show that the enemy is weakening, either from lack of will or from lack of means. If the enemy proposes to march towards Verdun via Malancourt he must cover twelve kilometres. THE GERMAN STORY. Received March 30, 8.55 p.m. London, March 29. A Gorman wireless message regarding the fighting at Verdun ignores the French offensive and states: Our troops, with little loss, stormed the French position north of Malancourt, over a depth of several lines and extending along a front of two thousand yards. W« also penetrated the north-western portion of Malancourt, where the French left 12 officers and 486 unwounded men and five guns.

DEATH OF A HERO. Received March 30, 8.55 p.m. Paris, March 29. General Largeau, one of the youngest generalg in the army, who was in command at the conquest of the German Cameroons, was killed at Verdun. He had only recently returned, and immediately asked to be sent to the front. A SUBSTANTIAL CAIN. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. iParis, March 29. A' French communique says: Our troops, after an intense artillery preparation, t vigorously attacked Avocour wood and captured the south-eastern horn thereof to a depth of three hundred metres, also an important small fort which the Germans had strongly fortified. A violent German counter-attack with recently arrived troops was completely repulsed, with heavy losses. Another French attack, delivered in conjunction with the foregoing, progressed north of Avocourt. A FRENCH REPORT, .?' *. Received March 30, 10 p.m. Paris, March 30. A communique states: Between the Oise and the Aisne our artillery dispersed important convoys, north-east of Moulins-Onstouvent road. Three successive enemy counter-attacks on the positions captured by us at Avecourt woods were completely repulsed. During an attack in great strength on the village of Malancourt the Germans gained advanced work north of Malancourt and captured two houses in the village, but our fire stopped further advances.

ON THE MEUSE.

SUCCESSFUL FRENCH ATTACKS, Wellington, March 30. The High Commissioner reports from London, under date March 29, 3.40 p.m.: In the Argonnc our batteries bombarded German organisations and the borders of the Cheppy Wood. Grenade fighting in connection with the neighboring attacks on this sector permitted notable progress against the enemy branch trenches northward of Avocourt. Prisoners were taken west of the Meuse. The enemy made no new attempt in the course of the night, against our position at Harcouit and Malancourt. The bombardment has taken a certain character of intensity on our front BethincourtMort Homme-Cumieres. This morning, after intense artillery preparation, our troops attacked the wood at Avocourt with spirit, carrying the south-east corner and also an important work called the Avecourt Redoubt, which the Germans had strongly fortified. A very violent counter-attack by a newly-arrived enemy brigade was completely repulsed, the enemy sustaining heavy losses and leaving about 50 prisoners. East of the Meuse there is great artillery activity on both sides in the region of Vaux, Douaumont, and Woevre and in the sector of Moulainville. ANOTHER RIFT IN THE LUTE. GENERAL AND KAISER. Paris, March 29. Le Temps states that General von Haseler has quitted Verdun and gone into retirement because he disagreed with the Kaiser on tactical ajid other questions. He is said to have strongly [protested at the careless sacrifice of lives, especially in the massed attacks Jo which the Kaiser is partial-