VERDUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1916, Page 5

VERDUN.

, THE NEW OFFENSIVE. SLIGHT FRENCH RETIREMENT, 'ATTACK AT CUMIERIES. Paris, May 30. Tlie 'Petit Parisien states that the new German offensive at Mort Homme and Cumieries began on Sunday evening. An unusual movement was noticed in Crow's Wood, and the enemy debouched in columns. The artillery fire was stopped, and then, before t'liey reached the French trenches, the Germans redoubled the bombardment for several hours. They attacked again and again after midnight, but all the assaults failed. The bombardment was resumed during the entire morning with nnpreedented intensity. A whole division emerged from Crow's Wood during the afternoon. The first waves were forced to take refuge in shell craters, and the reinforcements crept up on their hands and knees. Some reached the trenches, 'but were annihilated. The obstinacy of the struggle nearer Cumieries was even more marked. The enemy attacked ten times, but were repulsed with bayonets and grenades. The Germans, at tiie eleventh assault, occupied three hundred yards of our trenches, but their situation is precarious. A FIERCE ATTACK. GERMANS HURLING IN MEN. Received May ?1, 5.5 p.m. Paris, May 30. Yesterday's German attack on Mort Homme and Cumieres was the most powerful yet attempted, the enemy using fresh divisions, Vijith appalling losses. Our withdrawal oh the Bethin-court-Cnmieres road was only one hundred yards in depth. A GERMAN DEPORT. .r ; ", Received May 31, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, May 30. A German communique says: We captured the entire French positions between the southern ridge of Mort Homme and Cumieres, capturing thirteen hundred prisoners. Our aviators attacked the uiemy detroyers at Ostend. TH'E WASTE OF SHELLS. Paris, May 30. M. Marcel Hutin, writing in the Echo de Paris, says that some idea of the expenditure of projectiles prior to the next 'big German attack towards Verdun may be gathered from the bombardment of a 7% miles front between Avocourt and Cumieries, where there are a hun ; . dred heavy batteries and an unknown number of light guns. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, May 31. The High Commissioner reports under date London, May 30, 4.15 p.m.:— On the left bank of the Mouse the bombardment was redoubled in violence to the end of yesterday between Mort Homme and Cumieries. 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. All the assaults of the enemy launched on the slopes of Mort Homme, where our lines nre established, were broken by (ire. In the region of the Caurettes Wood, after several fruitless attempts of the enemy, who suffered important losses, we retired our advanced elements south of the Bethincourt-Cuniicres road. Further t.o the right, despite repeated efforts, the Germans were unable to dislodge us on the outskirts south of the village of Cumieres. The bombardment' continued to be intense during the course of the night. On the right bank artillery fighting is very active in the region west of Fort Douaumont.