WESTERN CAMPAIGN

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 May 1916, Page 5

WESTERN CAMPAIGN

BATTLE OF VERDUN PROGRESS AT CUMTERES ENEMY STRONGLY "REINFORCED. PARIS, May 27. A communique states that the enemy launched a powerful attack in the af- " ternbon against our trenches about Douaumont Fort- They were completely repulsed, with severe losses. A communique states that we attacked Cumieres and positions to the westward on Friday evening. After a desperate struggle we penetrated the eastern portion of the village and carried several trenches to the north-westward. The enemy's violent counter-offensive failed to dislodge us. Our bombers eastward of aiil W* "- made progress at night. A second attack in the evening against out trenches on the outskirts of Douaumont Fort was completely repulsed. Intense artillery activity continued all night on both sides throughout the *" lesion northward of Verdun.'. . '"'- ' A semi-official' statement says the -essential fact of the battle- of Verdun "- in the last few days is the", employment of five German divisions taken from the reserves on the Somme, and the attacks at Vimy with a-view of "masking the departure of the First Bavarian-Army corps to Verdun. - w . Despite the disastrous assault in the Verdun region, the" battle is in nowise finished. The enemy is still going to hurl a million shells against our positions on -both banks. ■'■ > Lieutenant Thaw, of the American flving squadron, fought and brought down a Fokker. The Americans consist of thirty university men who recently arrived in France. WORT HOMME . APPRECIABLE PROGRESS BY THE FRENCH. PARIS, May 28. A communique states that we captur- " ed" elements of trenches south-west of -Mort Homme;- and made appreciable ' progress , north-west of Thiaumont Farm. BATTLE DESCRIBED HALF A MILLION MEN ENGAGED"A BATTLE OF MADMEN." "AMTOST- A VOLCANIC ERUPTION.". NEW YORK, May 27. A message from Psmqs. states . that since Saturday the Verdun" deadlock has •developed into the most terrific pitched battle in history. Half a men have been engaged in the struggle without a moment's respite. Whole regi- - merits melt and disappear'in a few minutes. These are replaced by others, -which, only melt and perish in the same ■way. - - "It is a battle of madmen' amidst a volcanic eruption," declared a staff captain. "Between- Saturday morning and noon on Tuesday, we reckon that the Germans -used np 100,000 men west of the Meuse alone, this being the price paid for the recapture of our gams and the seizure of outlying positions in the valley. Dead Man's Hill and Hill 278 are. choked with dead bodies. A full brigade was mown down in a quarter ' of an hour. n Dead Man's Hill itself passed from ■ our possession, but the crescent occupied by tie French to the south prevents the enemv utilising the gain. '•The scene at this point is appalling. Certainly one at least dies in the open, air, but at Douaumont there are all the horrors of darkness. There men fight in tunnels, screaming in the lust for butchery, deafened by bursting shells and grenades,-and stifled by smoke. Even the wounded refuse to abandon the struggle. As though possessed of devils they fight -until senseless through loss of. bloooL"A surgeon engaged in the front line told me that in a redoubt in the south " * part of the fort he found 200 French dead, faHy half of them having more than two wounds. Those Frenchmen he was able to-treat seemed utterlv iii- - sane, and kept shouting -war cries. Their ' eyes blazed in the strangest manner, . and they seemed indifferent to pain. At one period the supply of anaesthetics ran out. There, -was no possibility of obtaining fresh supplies, owing to the bmobaTdment. Men had arms and legs • amputated with a groan. They appeared not to feel the shock. They asked for cigarettes, and inquired how the battle was going on. ■ , - i , *-. "Our losses in the Tetakmgt of the fort -were below expectations, as the enemy -were demoralised and surprised. The action exacted a terrible toll. All cover was blown to pieces, and every - German rush was preceded by two or three hours' shell storm, and then increasing waves came to the attack. Repeatedly the defenders' ranks were renewed. ' "Practically the whole sector was sprayed by artillery fire. . • "In comparison with the cannonade Waterloo was merely an exhibition of fireworks. Some of the shell holes are thirty feet across, single shells killing fifty men. Before our lines the Ger- % man dead are heaped in long /oris "An observer calculated that there were .7000 dead Germans on a front of 700 yards. The enemy do not .succour - the wounded, whereas at "least one in :-\ three of ours removed to safety in the Tear. "We know the Germans cannot Jong maintain-their sacrifices. Since Satur- : «tay the enemy have lost two, if not three, for each of our losses. Every bombardment has been withstood and= • " every rush checked, bringing nearer each moment the inevitable exhaustion. -• Then, will come our recompense for the : >[ , days of horror.'-

REASON FOR THE OFFENSIVE GERMANS HOPE TO WEAR DOWN THE FRENCH. BEFORE FRESH RESERVES ARE AVAILABLE. LONDON, May 27. The "Daily Telegraph's" Rotterdam correspondent says the Germans have reconsidered their general war plans, and are now staking everything on Verdun. This gambler's throw is due to the General Staff's belief that Germany, having greater resources immediately available, will be able to endure the present-tremendous pressure longer than Erance. Many troops are still coming to.Fance, and the whole available strength is concentrated on the French front.

The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent says the German object is.less the capture of Verdun than to wear out France's best attacking forces and turn the French position on the heights of the Meuse. Colonel Feyler, a Swiss expert, says that prior to the present attack at Verdun- the Germans had lost 300,000 men compared with the French loss of 120,000, of whom 20,000 were Africans. When the present attack began the Germans showed visible (repugnance to leave the trenches", and numbers were' imprisoned for refusing to march to ; Verdun. GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.. AMSTERDAM, May 27. A German comjmiunique says: mines destroyed a great -width of enemy trenches in the Argonne. -The French temporarily penetrated the southern part of Cumieres, but were ejected. FRENCH COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. May 29, 1.45 p.m.) PARIS, May 28. A communique says we occupied the southern -lips of three craters caused by German mines in Hautechevauche. In the Argonne our fire stopped two attacks north-eastward of Belschweller. THE CROWN PRINCE ' SUFFERING FROM NERVE STRAIN. V' _ ' BERNE, May 27.Owing to serious nerve strain, the Crown Prince, though remaining at headquarters, no longer takes an active part in directing the operations at Verdun. His condition does not occasion anxiety. • . THE ITALIAN WAR OPERATIONS ON THE ADIGE. ENEMY GENERALLY DEFEATED. AIR RAID AT BARI. ROME, May 27. Austrian aeroplanes bombed Bafikilling 18 civilians, mostly women and children. A communique states tha the enemy j persisting in impetuous attacks between the Adige and the Val Arsa, were bloodily . defeated. . , The chief feature of the fighting was the extermination of compact masses of infantry assaulting Coni Zugra Biiole Pass. .'■■-'. The Italians between Posina and % tho

Astico, owing to intense- artillery fire, evacuated their advanced position on the' right wing of the Astico line. The enemy made several attacks at Monte Civaron, but wero repulsed with serious losses. /ITALIAN RETIREMENT FROM , MONTE CTVARON. ROME, May 28. A communique' says that the Italians fell back in good order from advanced positions at Monte Civaron. The enemy attacked east of Calamento Valley, but the Alpini stopped the £ttack, inflicting very heavy losses.

AUSTRIAN COMMUNIQUES. AMSTERDAM, May 27. I An Austrian communique says: "We captured at Civaron, south-eastward of Borgo, the entire height between Corno di Camfevirde and Maato, northward of Asiago. We flung the enemy back with sanguinary losses. Cleared the woods westward of Vacarola, arid occupied Monte Cimone. An Austrian communique says: "We captured armoured works at Casaratta which barred, the way south-west of Bacarola. AVe occupied Mont Mos- ] chicce,, north of Asiago. The guns captured since the beginning of the offensive total 284." DEATH OF GENERAL 6ALLIENI PARIS, May 27. General Gallieni is dead 1 . ' v A STATE FUNERAL. (Rec. Mav 29, 9.10 a.m.) PARIS, May 28. General Gallieni will be accorded a * State funeral. The remains will be Interred in the Hotel des Inyalides. SWITZERLAJJOAND GERMANY SHOOTING OF ALLEGED SPIES. BERNE, May 27. The Swiss Government has demanded from Berlin an explanation of the Alleged shooting of five Swiss, and the imprisonment of 21 others, on a charge of espionage; -