THE VERDUN FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1916, Page 7

THE VERDUN FIGHTING.

SCOTSMAN'S GRAPHIC STORY. A vivid personal impression of the fighting around Verdun (says the Yorkshire Post) is furnished by Mr. James Leith, a Scottish solicitor's clerk now serving with the Foreign Legion. He says:— The fighting was hot enough to last for a lifetime, and it developed with astonishing rapidity. My first glimpse of the fighting as the enemy advanced against our line was to be remembered for all time. Our guns rained shell pitilessly, and against this shower of death-dealing metal the frail wall of humanity shivered to atoms again and again. The attack on the village of -- had developed considerably when the Legion was called on to lend a hand in the fray. At first we could see nothing, and the only inkling we had of anything unusual was the furious bom•bardment of our position by the enemy. Endless tons of shells seemed to be rained upon us. Gradually we came to discern little dark specks on the horizon and these quickly developed into masses of German troops. Our artillery had the range nicely. It was not until the enemy had reached a point little more than five hundred yards from which we were posted that the order for rifle and machine-gun lire was given. Before the first deadly volley the enemy recoiled nnd their lines h'roke and straggled away into the darkness. Frantic efforts were made by the officers to induce the men to return to the attack. Time after time they succeeded, but each time it was more than' flesh and blood could stand, and the attack crumpled up. After a time there was a lull, and the artillery reopened with deadly intensity us the prelude to another attack on a large scale. This time the enemy got nearer, and for one brief moment it seemed as though they were going to carry the position by assault. Our front ranks were pressed steadily back, and seeing them wavering, the enemy swept forward exultingly. At less than one hundred yards the attack was brought to a dead stop by our machine-gun and rifle lire, and before the enemy could recover we dashed forward with the bayonet and completed the rout. Meanwhile a fleet of fast motors had been hard at work bringing up reinforcements for the Germans, and with fresh men the attack was renewed. This time the attacking force was too strong to 'be withstood, and inch by inch we were forced back. The slaughter was indescribable, each inch of ground being hotly disputed, and paid for with the life-blood of men. Whole bodies'of the enemy were wiped out in the briefest possible space of time, and it seemed as though nothing human could live against the deluge of fire from our lines,