THE WESTERN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15605, 1 June 1916, Page 7

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

ON THE MEUSE. , s DESPERATE FIGHTING , | CONTINUES. I . . GERMAN ATTACKS CHECKED. k •SLIGHT GAIN AT ONE POINT. The High Commissioner reports LONDON, May 30 (4.15 p.m.). West of the Mouse the borabard- • ment was redoubled ill violence all lav a on Monday between Mort Homme anil u Cumieres. 1 The enemy shortly afterwards directi eel on the wnolo of our positions in this - sector a powerful attack., employing a - newly-arrived division of fresh troops. s To the French left, all the assaults 1 of tho enemy launched on the slopes of l Mort Homme, where our lines are esJ tablished, were broken by our fire. Jn . the region of Caurettes Wood, after 1 several fruitless attempts by the enemy, - who suffered important losses, Ave re- , tired from our advanced elements to the I south side of the Bethincourt-Cumieres i road. Further to the right, despite repeat--1 ed efforts, tho Germans were unable to - dislodge us from tho southern outskirts i of the village of Cumieres. An intense bombardment was conl tinued during the night-. [ East of the Meuse, the artillery s fighting is very active in the region i west of Fort Douaumont. J THE ENEMY'S CLATMS, ENTIRE POSITION CAPTURED. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) AMSTERDAM, May 30. A German communique says:— "We captured the entire French po- ' sition between tlie southern ridge of Mort Homme and Cumieres, taking 1300 prisoners. FRESH EFFORTS. REPEATED ATTACKS FAIL. TEKRIFIC BOMBARDMENTS. PARIS, May 30. Tho -'Potit Parisien" states that a new Gorman offensive at Mort Homme and Cumieres began on Sunday ovening. An unusual movement was noticed in Crows' Wood, and the enemy debouched in. columns, but tho Fron'ch artillery fire stopped them before theiy reached the French trenches. Tho Germans redoubled their bombardment for several hours, and attacked again and again after midnight, but all their assault 3 failed. The bomonrdment was resumed during the entire morning with unprecedented intensity. A whole division emerged from Crows' Wood during the afternoon. The first waves were forced to take refuge in shell craters. Reinforcements crept up on their hands and knots, and some reached tho French trenches, but were annihilated. The obstinacy of tho struggle nearer Cumieres was even more marked. Tho Germans attacked ten times, and were repulsed with bayonets and grenades. Their eleventh assault resulted in their occupying 300 yards of trenches, but their situation is precarious. M. Marcol llutin, writing in the "Echo do Paris," says that some idea of the expenditure of projectiles prior to the present big German attack west of the Mouse- may be gathered from the bombardment on the seven and a half miles of front between Avocourt and Cumieries, where there are 100 heavy batteries and an unknown number of light- guns.

MORE TROOPS BROUGHT UP. APPALLING LOSSES. PATHS, May 30. Yesterday's a ttack on Mort Homme and Cumieres was the most powerful yet attempted. The enemy used fresh divisions, and suffered appalling los&es. The French withdrawal "on the Beth-incourt-Cumieres road was only a hundred yards in depth WOUNDED PRISONERS OF WAR. BRITISH AXI> GERMAN EXCHANGE. BETINE, May 3D. The iirst contingent of 500 wounded .British prisoners from Germany has arrived at Chateau d'Oex, near the Lake of Geneva, and -will stay in hotels and boarding-houses Svrijrs 6upervision. In return similar facilities will be accosded to Germans from England. The British residents are making great preparations for the reception of their lcilo w-countrymen.