ANOTHER FIERCE ASSAULT ON VERDUN FRONT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16202, 12 April 1916, Page 7

ANOTHER FIERCE ASSAULT ON VERDUN FRONT.

FRENCH IKES STAND INTACT AGAINST THE ENEMY.

REPEATED ATTAOKS EAST OF THE RIVER ALL REPULSED,

OFFENSIVE A' VERDUN NOT LIKELY TO BE ABANDONED.

(Received April 11. 9.20 p.m.)

Paris, April 11.

A communique states: —" The intensity of the bombardment of our positions west of the Meusc increased until noon, when the Germans launched an attack, debouching from the Haucouirt-Bothincourt region against our positions southward of Forges Brook. Notwithstanding the ferocity of the assaults, costing the enemy very great losses, our whole line withstood them intact.

" Our curtain of fire stopped attempted attacks on the Mort Hommc-Cumieres front.

" In the evening the enemy repeatedly attacked our positions in the Caiilette Wood. They were repulsed everywhere. "A French airman brought down a Fokker in our' lines in the Verdun district on Saturday. Our special guns on Sunday brought down another in the German lines in the Woevre. A third Fokker landed undamaged in the Champagne. The pilot was captured." The Paris press agrees that the Verdun offensive has not finished. General Chefills, writing in the Gaulois, says there is every indication that the Germans will continue their offensive until their armies are demoralised. This will mean the commencement of the French offensive elsewhere. M. Marcel Hutin states that he thinks the poor results west and east of the Meuso will cause the Germans to make great efforts to reach Verdun through St. Mihiel.

The Amsterdam correspondent of the Central News states that the remnant of a German battalion, which was recently fighting at Douaumont, was ordered to return to the firing lino. Many of the men refused to go again into "that hell." Forty of the mutineers were shot as an example to the oth'ers.