WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE VERDUN COUP. INTERESTING DETAILS. VALUE OF AIR SCOUTS. Kcw York, October 20. The Paris correspondent of the New York World states that the French advanced behind a flaming shield of shells. Thousands of shells, weighing more than a ton each, rained on the armored shelters of Douaumont and drove the Germans from the vaults sixty feet deep. I'locks of aeroplanes spied oat the Germans' secrets and told the gunners minutely what was being accomplished. The advanced fire screen was so efficient that an even line of projectiles exploded a hundred yards ahead of the advancing infantry and the fuses were lengthened at every step. London, October 26. The Germans on Friday moved two divisions, which formed the reserve on the Meuse, to the Somme, as the Kaiser was at Bapaume meditating an offensive. The weather was very thick, after a spell of clear days in whigh the French artillery battered the German trenches. During the fog the bombardment stopj ed and everything seemed quiet, when four divisions of General Xivelle's troops suddenly leapt from the trenches and attacked, crying ''En avant!" The columns "on the left quickly reached the Bras-Douaumont road anei the quarries and also seized the Thiaumont Redoubt. ■General Mangin's brigade on the right, cleared the north-east of Fleury and Hill 320, penetrating the Caillette Wood by the famous death ravine on tie east of Thiaumont. The batteries were captured in twenty mintucs and SOD of the defenders killed or taken prisoners. The commander shot himself rather than surrender. So quickly did the poilus cover the ground that General Mangin saw they were equal to a bigger task than was originally devised, and gave the staff the necessary orders to capture Douaumont Fort and let the attackers have their head. The French reached the village" of Douaumont and the ;,furt at four o'clock, columns converging from the south-west. The very regiment which recaptured the fort was on May 22 turned out by the Bavarians, and now occupied the ruins. Within an hour the smoking heap of masonry was fully occupied and the tricolor planted on the topmost battlement, A Hare of Bengal lights sent up at six o'clock announced that all the objectives liad been taken. The trenches were rapidly re-made, blocks of bricks and stone from the village piled up and furnished with machine-guns. A third French force meanwhile penetrated north of Capitre and Fumin Woods, reaching the lake west of Vaux village. The success of the day's work was the more remarkable because a thick mist and rain prevented aeroplanes assisting. Vaux Fort, which surrendered on June 7, is within a quarter of a. mile of the new French line. VERDUN FRONT INTACT. COUNTER ATTACKS REPULSED. 6COO PRISONERS CAPTURED Received October 27, 8.5 p.m. Paris, October 27. A communique says:—Four violent counter-attacks at Douaumont and HaudroinDiit were repulsed with important lossok, and our front remains intact. The total number of prisoners heretofore is five thousand, besides several hundred wounded, HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED An nttempted attack on the Bois i'Abbe form, southward of Bouchavesnes, was easily repulsed. Artillery and infantry smashed two counter attacks on Douaumont fort, and on the front eastward of the third. A very powerful attack, debouching from the I-laudromont woods, comprised four waves, which were caught under the fire of our batteries and machine guns and thrown back in disorder, with serious losses. Isolated fractions of the enemy were taken prisoner. Finally, an attempted attack on the trenches southward of Chaurfour wood was completely defeated. ON THE SOMME. TRENCHES RAIDED. (Renter). London, October *2O. Sir Douglas Haig says:—During the night there was. heavy enemy shelling between Eaucourt l'Abbaye and Les Moeufs. An enemy trench was success fully raided near Manehy, also northeast of Arras. COUNTER-ATTACKS CEASE. London, October 20 A French communique says:—There have been no further counter-attacks at Verdun. . Amsterdam, October *2O. The Crown Prince was not present, during the Verdun defeat, as he was visiting Berlin for the Kaiser's birthday. Received Oct. 27, 8 p.m. Paris, Oct 27, Le Petit Parisien states that the prisoners captured at Douaumont outnumbered the total .French losses. SIGNIFICANT MOVES. Received Oct. 27, S p.m. London, Oct. 27, Five thousand civilians at Ghent were deported on the 23rd, replacing 'workmen sent to the front. A hundred thousand civilians in other cities and villages have been notified to leave. ATTAOK ON A TRENCH REPULSED. Received Oct. 2S, 1.40 a.m. London, Oct, 27. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy this morning attacked the Stuff trench running northward of the Stuff redoubt, and were repulsed with considerable loss. Our artillerv was very effective.