THE GREAT BATTLE NEAR VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2707, 29 February 1916, Page 5

THE GREAT BATTLE NEAR VERDUN

GERMANS GAIN 2000 YARDS

FRENCH LINE INTACT FIERCE FIGHTING ROUND FORT DOUAUMONT ' f _____—— P. & 0. LINER SUNK MAIM MINED OFF DOVER \ • ~~ ~ BRUSH 'WITH THE ENEMY IN EGYPT-

The Verdun battle continues to moiopolise attention. Reports to-day disclosc, upon the whole, a somewhat more favourable position than was reported yesterday. There is an official announcement that Fort Douaumont, which has been taken by the Germans, has been recaptured. This is denied by the enemy, and some pf the later Allied reports are open to an implication that portion of the Douaumont position is still in enemy occupation. In any case, it is definitely stated that Douaumont is no longer a fort, but was dismantled at the be : ginning of the war. The development of the terrific battle now in progress has little reference to the Verdun fortifications as they were constructed before the war. The burden of the news is that the

German phalanx is ppposed by a defence whicli becomes progressively

harder to penetrate. Some London critics incline to the opinion X that Germany is intent upon compelling France and Britain to launch a premature offensive before their Allies are ready to co-operate in other theatres. The P.-and 0. steamer Maloja has been mined off Doyer, and another vessel, which went to her assistance, shared her fate. In the case of the Maloja there was a heavy loss of life; a - ,large proportion of the drowned were lascars. The Austrians clain< that they have captured Durazzo in Albania, and other reports indicate that the Allies are evacuating a great part of that territory.

COLOSSAL ONSLAUGHT NEAR VERDUN

AN ATTEMPT TO DISORGANISE THE ALLIES' v . PLANS ' By Tslezrauh—Press Association—Conyrisht ■ London, February 27. The consensus of opinion of the newspapers is that the colossal onslaught" northward of Verdun indicates that Germany seeks a solution at any cost, Decause she is unable to await the Allies'higher strength, super combination, and more various initiative. It is with Germany a case of now or never both on sea, and laud: The "Observer" says:—"The present is an attempt to anticipate, disorganise, and shatter by an alternative stroke the Allies' plans for a combined olfen j sive at their own time, and. secondly, by indirect means to clear the Allies from .the Balkans, with'a view of isolating aud subduing Rumania. This demands, on their part, absolute coolness and self-control. Finding the weather still unsuitable to complete operations on the Eastern front, Germany has brought thence every man that can be spared during the next six weeks. Moreover, Gormany has massed in the West two-thirds of her armies, with a vast proportion of her accumulated shells. Could 1 she force France and Britain into a premature offensive, she would be able to employ a maximum degree of' strength against them, and if they were beaten to a standstill, to transfer troops to the East and tackle Russia in her turn." The "Observer" praises the FfAich soldiership during the past week. Tlio French have been making the utmost slaughter of the enemy, while straightening their iino and economising their men for the purpose of the great French offensive that is already being planned. The paper adds: "Verdan, however important, is not vital; its fall would not be a thrust in the Allies' vitals, but only a dent in their armour." " PARISIANS NEVER MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN TO-DAY. Paris, February 27. The "Temps" says the French' took prisoner an entire battalion of pioneers. It is reported that the Imperial Guards supplied two kinds of flame-throwers, the smallest hurling a flame a distance of twelve yards, and tie biggest one 55 yards. , . . Parisians were never n.ore optimistic than they are to-day. The 'Bourse has .ihown a gradual rise since the beginning of the battle. Military circles are quietly confident <tnd grimly glad that the long-threaten-ed attack has come. They describe the German advance at different places as purely strategic, and, in fact, advantageous to the French, since both sides aro playing for a stronger position. COMMENT BY A FRENCH MILITARY CRITIC. Paris, February 27. According to a prominent French military critic the French evacuated on their left wing a height extending'from south of Champ Neuvillo to Beaumont, on which it would have been dangerous to prolong their stay, because tho Meuse would have hampered the falling back of the soldiers, and the latter would have been uneasy, knowing that the river, was a short distance in the rear. Accordingly, all the first line troops were retired to the heights between the Poivre hillside and the Vache Wood. Tho Germans are now assailing this jxisition. Tho whole operation is not a siege, but a battle against one of the French armies. It must be remembered that the garrison at Verdun and its forts only figure in these combats as an element of resistance. The enemy's big guns might demolish Fort Douaumont without destroying anything but an inort block of concrete. Operations of such magnitude as aescribed must te carried on to the end despite the snow. The Germans cannot remain long inactive aw/iting better weather, while a thaw would make the situation worse. ENEMY ATTACKS BROKEN UP BY ARTILLERY FIRE. London, February 27. A Paris communique states: "Our troops during the night continued to strengthen the positions north of Verdun. There is no chango east of the Mouse, whero there lias been a heavy snowfall. There have been no fresh enemy attacks at Talou Hill nor at Poivre Hill. A strong enemy attack on Saturday evening at Haudromont Farm, east of Poivre Hill, was broken up by our artillery, machine guns, and counter-attacks. Another attempt, equally violent, was made in the Handaumont wood, east of Douaumont. It was equally futile. Our advanced posts in the Woevre carried out a withdrawal unhindered. There has been no infantry action west of the Meuse. A strong enemy atta.sk on a two-mile front, near Celles, after an artillery i preparation, ended 1 in complete failure. STRUGGLE AROUND THE DOUAUMONT FRONT. ! _ Paris, February 27. I A communique states • Northward of Verdun" the bombardment continues without relaxation. Eastward and westward of the Meuse the enemy's atj tacks at different points on our front were met by vigorous counter-attacks. . All the enemy's fresh attempts in the region of Champ de Neuville and against \ Poivre Hill, where wo are solidly established, were repulsed. ' A desperate struggle rages round the Douaumont front, an advanced ole- , inent of Verdun's old defensive organisations. The position was captured this , morning by the enemy, after several fruitless assaults, costing him very great ' losses. It was again reached and passed by our troops, and ! all attempts to force » us back failed. ; FALSE CLAIMS IN GERMAN COMMUNIQUES. Paris, February 27. A French official report emphasises the false claims made in German communiques, and affirms that the total number of French captured by the Germans was less than five thousand, although tho Germans alleged they had * taken ten thousand.

OFFICIAL FRENCH STATEMENT OF THE POSITION. London, February 27. Though the German claim of a great victory at Verdun came as a shock on Saturdav°evcning, the French announcement this morning brought equally great relief. But a French official wireless message now puts tho matter in truer proportions. Commencing with the German statement regarding the capture of the armoured fortress of Douaumont, it says: "The Germans attribute over-groat importance to the fort, which is out of date, and was dismantled during the first mouth of the war. It no longer contained a gun or a soldier." The wireless message quotes the "Matin" as saying that if the Germans, after their frightful losses, succeeded in capturing Verdun itself, they would find it empty, "shells and nil supplies having been removed months ago. , - PITIFUL SLAUGHTER OF GERMATv TROOPS. Paris, February 27. 'A wounded soldier says that the slaughter near Melancourt was pitiful. The German infantry advanced in unbelievable fashion, averaging a man to every 18 inches. They rushed forward quicker than the guns could be fired. He saw them falling over their own dead. Shells tore through the walls of flesh, but still they came on as if fascinated. But there was no ehoxiting or singing, as thero used to be earlier in the war. They just charged into the French mowing machines. GERMANS ADMIT APPALLING LOSSES. j Amsterdam, February 27. German newspapers admit appalling losses northward of Verdton, The "Frankfurter Zeitung" describes German regiments as fighting in a sea of fire. ENEMY READY TO SACRIFICE 200,000 MEN. Paris, February, 27. A neutral, just arrived from Germany, declares that he learned from the best source that the Germans are ready to sacrifice 200,000 men in the capture of Verdun. ENEMY'S REVICTUALLING DEPOTS SHELLED. London, February 27, 5.20 p.m. The High Commissioner reports:— . ... In the region north of Verdtan the French have continued to reinforce positions during the course of the night storm. There no change in the front attack. East of the,Meuse quantities of snow are falling. Yesterdav a heavy German attack was launched in the region of Haudromont Farm, east of* Poivre Slope. It was broken by our artillery, machine-gun fire, and 1 counter-attacks. Another attempt, not less violent, in the region of Hardaemont Wood, east of Douaumont, failed equally. • At Woevre the withdrawal ordered of our outposts was effected unhindered by the enemy. . . . In the Vosges, after artillery preparation, the enemy attempted a strong attack at nightfall on a front of two kilometres south-east of Celles. The attack completely failed. . . . . This morning the action of our batteries against the enemy s revictualling depot-s at Stossweier and north of Munster gave good results. TWO GERMAN AEROPLANES DESTROYED. Ky Association-Copyright Paris : February 27. A communique states: In the region of Verdun, Adjutant Navarre, in a. monoplane, brought clo»n with a machine-gun two German aeroplanes within our lines. Two of tho aviators were killed, and two others mado prisoner. _ Nine bombarding aeroplanes dropped 144 bombs on the Sablon station, near Mefcz. Another squadron bombarded the enemy establishment at Cliambley, north-east of Pont-a-Mousson. GERMANS CLAIM FURTHER SUCCESSES NEAR VERDUN. (Rec. February 28, 8.30 p.m.) Amsterdam, February 27. A German says: "Wo repulsed the English attack south-east French attacks, in an attempt to recapture Douaumout, were repulsed with sanguinary enemy losses. Wo captured Champ Neuville and Talon Hill and fought our way to the neighbourhood of the southern border of tho wook north-east of Bras. ' . . TT , "Our troops eastward of Douaumont stormed the fortifications of mraaumont. Our front on the Woevre Plain in advancing against the Lorraine Hills. "The unwounded French prisoners now total fifteen thousand." SLOPES OF DOUAUMONT COVERED WITH GERMAN CORPSES. (Rec. February 28, 8.40 p.m.) Paris, February 28. A French communique says-.—There is a certain slackness in the enemy's efforts northward of Verdun, except between the Douaumont height and the plateau northward of De Vaux, whore a powerful attack rn our positions was repulsed. The slopes eastward of Douaumont are covered with German corpses, and our troops aro closely encircling the enemy factions which obtained a foothold there. The onomy is holding the ground with diffaulty $ Tlio opposing artilleries rendered the Talon Hill untenable to us or the eDell The Germans in tho Woevro established contact with our outposts towards Blanzea_a_nd Moranville, from whence their attempts to debouch towards HiU fttllod ** An enemy detachment in the Senones district was shelled and dispersed. FRENCH FRONT NOT PIERCED~£T ANY POINT. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. February 28,' 0.0 p.m.) London, February 27. The "Times" correspondent in Paris says the thoughts of the whole _of France are concentrated on Verdun, and is equal to the anxiety displayed during the struggle at the Marne, but there, is less apprehension, all feeling that so much depends on the Germans capturing Verdun. They (the Germans) aro going nap on the present offensive, neglecting nothing likely to secure success. Accounts unanimously agree that even the tremendous artillery fire in the Champagne offensive were mero fireworks -compared with the pitiless bombardment thundering tho Meuse. Tho famous 12-inch and 17-inch guns have been brought back from the Russian and Serbian fronts to swell the chorus, and adding force to the tremendous artillery, which has transformed the whole region, twisting and distorting the local geography, tearing, rending, and obliterating the trenches and fiold fortifications. Never was battle so minutely prepared or an army so abundantly provided with material. Tho Ailies' tremendous industrial mobilisation ' and Britain's new armies have forced German Headquarters to. realise the possibility of an Allied general offensive on all fronts, and therefore determined to forestall it, and got a knock-out blow in before being beaten by sheer exhaustion. After five days' fighting the enemy has succeeded, at tremendous cost, in battering back the French lines two thousand yards, but has not pierced it anywhere. j Broadly speaking, tho French centre gave way under tremendous pressure, while tho staple points at each end held firm, but were withdrawn in order to constitute a straight front on hills a thousand feet high, supported in the rear by 2} miles of solid field works near Douaumont Fort. The Germans must firrht hard if ever they reach the main defences. ° Major Moraht (military critic of tho "Berliner Tageblatt"), in boasting of German sacrifices, scoffs at the French policy to prosecute the war to exhaustion, with the highest possible saving of French human material.

THE CROWN PRINCE BROUGHT TO A STANDSTILL (Rec. February 29, 1 a.m.) London, February 28. The "Daily Mail's" Paris correspondent reports that the Crown Prince is at a standstill on the second-line positions from Champ Neuville to Bezonvaux, on the edge of the AVoevro Plain. The hilly ridge of the Meuse Heights, -where tho Germans are endeavourIn" to advance, is seamed with ravines and watercourses, and the French trenches and batteries enfilade them. The carnago is terrible; German corpses in many places form dams across the ravines, impeding the watercourses. Occasionally tho dams yield into a reddened stream .in swirls, carrying hunare sending up troops and munition trains with battery after battery realising that victory to the army rests in making the best use of artillery. Tho consumption of shells is exceeding all estimates. SMALL ENEMY ATTACK NORTH OF YPRES REPULSED. (Rec. February 28, 8.40 p.m.) London, February 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Yesterday we repulsed a small attack north of the Yprss-Comines Canal. Artillery was active on both sides to-day at Hullach, Armentieres. and Ypres. STATION AND TUNNEL DAMAGED BY AIRCRAFT. Amsterdam, February 27. An Allied 1 airman destroyed the Eleyberg station, on the Bclgo-German frontier, and damaged a tunnel.