THE WEST FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16709, 1 June 1916, Page 7

THE WEST FRONT

f THE YERDUN BATTLE. NEW GERMAN OFFENSIVE. PARIS, May 3a Le Petit Parisien state 3 that a new German offensive against Mart Homme and Cumieres has begun. On Sunday evening unusual movement was noticed in Crow's Wood, and the enemy debouched from it in columns, but the French artillery fire stopped them before they reached the French trenches. The Germans then redoubled their bombardment, and after several hours attacked again and again till piter midnight, bat" all their assaults failed. The bombardment was then resumed for the entire morning with unprecedented intensity, and on it ceasing a whole division emerged from Crow's Wood during iihe afternoon. The first waves of men were forced to take refuge in shell craters. Reinforcements crept up on hands and knees. Some reached the trenches, and were annihilated. The obstinacy of the struggle nearer Cumieres was even more marked. The enemy attacked 10 times, and were repulsed with bayonets and grenades. The Germans, on their eleventh assault, occupied 300 yards of trenches, but their situation is precarious. EXPENDITURE OF SHELLS. THE GERMAN BATTERIES. PARIS, May 30. M. Marcel Hntin, writing in the Echo de Paris, says that some idea of the expenditure of projectiles prior to the next big German attack towards Verdun may be gathered from their bombardment along a 7mile front between Avocourt and Cumieres, where there are 100 heanry German batteries, as well as an unknown number of light guns. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. LONDON, May 30. The High Commissioner reports: On the west bank of the Meuse the bombardment was redoubled in violence to tiie end of yesterday between Mort Homme and Cumieres. The enemy shortly afterwards directed on the whole of our positions in this sector a powerful attack, employing a newly-arrived fresh division. To the French left all the assaults of the enemy launched on the slopes of Mort Homme, where our lines are established, were broken by our fine. In the region of Cauerette's Wood, after several fruitless attempts of the enemy, who suffered important losses, we retired to our advanced elements south of the BethinCourt-Oumieres road. Further to the right, despite repeated efforts, the Germans were unable to dislodge us on the outskirts south of the village of Cumieres. The" bombardment continued intense during the course •f the night.

On the east bank of the Meuse artillery fighting is very active in the region west of Fort Douaumont.

FIERCE ASSAULTS RENEWED. ALL REPULSED AT MORT HOMME. FRENCH WITHDRAWAL NEAB BETHIN CO URT. v _ PARIS, May 30. A communique states : After a bombardment with redoubled violence, very strong enemy attacks were made on all positions between Mort Homme and Cumieres, employing a division of newly-arrived troops. All the assaults on the eastern slope of Mort Homme were broken. Further east, in the region of Caurettes Wood, after repulsing several fruitless attempts and inflicting heavy losses, we wore obliged to withdraw from our advanced elements to the southern side of the BothinoourtCumieres roa/L The Germans made repeated efforts to dislodge us from the southern outskirts of Cumieres, but failed. The bombardment was continued with intensity at night.