VERDUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1916, Page 5

VERDUN.

SATURDAY'S FIGHTING. " WAVES AND WAVES 01 MEN. BATTERED TO DEATH. Received May 23, 5.45 p.m. London, May 23. The Daily Chronicle's Paris eyewitness says that fighting at Verdun was conducted' at some points by eight successive waves, from U.) to 120 yards apart. By the time tlie Bavarian Brigade reached the French trenches through the curtain of fire they had lost 45 per cent, of their effectives, and the survivors had to face a rain of grenades and then,a terrible line of French .bayonets. The Brigade ultimately lost three-quarters of its strength.

EXHAUSTIVE FIGHTING. THE GERMANS' ADVANCE. CAUGHT IN IRON JAWS. " AN AuTUL PRICE IN BLOOD. Received May 23, 10 p.m. Paris, May 23, Since Friday twelve score German heavy guns have been battering the French positions west and north of Mort Homme and Cumieres. The former ci-r.tre saw the heaviest fighting. The cntmy streamed up a ravine in compact masses from Bethincourt and was swept away again and again by the French heavy artillery. The struggle went on fcr eight hours, the battle alternately favoring one side and then the other. When night fell on Saturday, after the exhausting fighting in the pitiless sun, the weary defenders of Mort Homme hoped for a rest, but the Germans, gave them no respite. . Fresh divisions were hurried from Bethincourt and rushed into the melee. An hour later grey-clad waves of Germans swept up the shell-tourtured slopes of Hill 105 from the west and north, reaching the u.rpse-strewn crest. The Germans, elated by this victory, pressed into the French second line, but they were caught in the iron jaws of a counterattack and none survived to celebrate vhe victory. The enemy met with similar non-suc-ress in a desperate attack on Hill 304, Cumieres, on Sunday, wherein the Germans failed to win much ground. It must have cost them over five thousand men here, while they paid an awful price for the three hundred yards advance nearer Verdun.

FRENCH CARRY POSITIONS. GERMAN TRENCHES CLEARED. Received May 24, 1.25 a.m. London, May 23. The High Commissioner reports as follows: — In the Argonne our batteries bombarded energetically Natillois, Montfancon and Cheppy Wood on the left of the Meuse. We continued to progress ,on Monday south of Hill 28S. ,We drove the enemy out of the small work he 'ias held since Wednesday last in the region west of M'ort Homme. We chased the enemy in several new elements of trenches on the right bank. After powerful artillery fire, the infantry carried by assault German positions on a front of two kilometres east of Fort Douaumont. On all the fronts attacked our troops carried the German trenches and penetrated Fort • Douaumont, of which the enemy still hold the north part. On the heights of the Meuse at Bouchot Wood, by a surprise attack we e'eared enemy trenches for a length of ?00 metres.

THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS. FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACKS. Received May 23, 10.25 p.m. Paris, May 23. The official communique states: We progressed southward of Hill 287, and forced the enemy to evacuate a small work tliey y were holding since the 18th. Counter-attacks drove out the enemy from some trenches at Mort Homme and carried the assault to the German positions, two kilometres in front and west of Haumont farm to the east of Douaumont, the northern part whereof is still held by the enemy. We cleared the enemy trenches at length by three hundred metres at -Bouchatwood heights on the Meuse. We brought down an enemy machine that was raiding Dunkirk, and two others were brought down in Alsace.

THE GERMAN VERSION. SUCCESS ON ALL SIDES Received May 23, 10.25 p.m.. Amsterdam, May 23.. A German communique states: Southwest of Givenehy we captured several lines of British positions of a length of 2188 kilometres. During the night counter-attacks were repulsed. Eight officers, 220 men, four machine-guns and three trench mortars were captured. The enemy suffered sanguinary losses. We stormed the French positions on the eastern spurs of Hill 304 and held them against repeated attacks. The enemy suffered great losses, also nine officers and 518 men were taken prisoners. The booty captured on the southern slopes at Mort Homme has been increased to thirteen guns and twentyone machine-guns. The French in their third attack gained a footing in the quarry at Vauxbridge. Our air squadrons repeatedly attacked Dunkirk harbor. An enemy biplane fell in the sea and four aeroplanes were placed how de combat.