THE OFFENSIVE AT VERDUN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CIV, Issue 15904, 7 March 1916, Page 7

THE OFFENSIVE AT VERDUN.

GERMANS NO FURTHER FORWARD. TROUBLES IN TURKEY. ASSAULTS ON YOUNG TURK LEADERS. Zeppelins over England.

GERMAN SOCIALIST ON GERMAN CRIMES.

Press Association—By "Tel. —Copyright,

Received 5.45 p.m., March 6th. LONDON, March 6,

Tho "Daily Chronicle" says: After several failures, tho enemy attaching Douaumont on Thursday penetrated a village street, bringing the extremity of their lino within tlio broken walls. The French recaptured the village on Friday. The Germans on Saturday again penetrated the northern end. A violent bombardment on the western battlefield meanwhile was kept up by the Germans' guns on Montfaucon and Forges Hill.

GERMANS LEAVE A TRENCH.

A German communique says: —The French on Saturday evening opened a heavy fire from several points, particularly between the Meus'a and tho Moselle, where tho French artillery bombarded the Douaumont sector with special violence. In order to avoid unnecessary losses we evacuated a trench north-east of Badonviller.

GERMAN ATTACK ■ REPULSED. (High Commissioner's Cable.) LONDON, March 6 (12.55 a.m.). North of Vurdun there has been a violent bombardment between the wood of Haudremont and Fort Douaumont, but the enemy has not renewed his attacks in this region. We still hold tho outskirts of Douaumont. His attack directed against our advanced positions east of Vaucherauville was repulsed. French airmen bombed the station at Conflans. AROUND VERDUN. GERMAN PLANS AFFECTED BY "WEATHER. Press Association—By Tel.—Copyright. Received 10.50 p.m., March 6th. LONDON, March G. "Tho Times" publishes an interesting despatch from Lord Northcliffe, dated "Before Verdun, Saturday." lie says that .on the evidence of German deserters tho attack was intended to be mado a month or two later, when the ground would be dry, but a premature spring hastened tlio plans. Tho Germans made many faults, tlio same as ours at Gallipoli. By tlio closing of tho Swiss frontier tho French wero fully warned. French losses aro insignificant, whereas the prisoners estimate tho losses of German companies at one-third of the total effectives. All availavle indications' suggest that tho Germans in thirteen days lost at least a hundred thousand in killed, wounded and prisoners.

Lord Xovthcliffe tells an astounding incident, a result of a sudden thaw near Verdun. French and German trenches were so close that the men wero within hearing of each other. When tlxu thaw (<ot in the hard frozen parapets melted and subsided, and two long lines of nvon stood faco to. l'aco. There were two possibilities—either wholesale murder or a temporary and unoflicial truce while, fresh parapets were erecred. The situation was unique. 111 trench warfare. The 1* reneli and German officers, unwilling to negotiate, turned their backs in order that they mi;j;l\b not witness the miwarlike scene while the men rebuilt tlie parapets without firing a single i'lio.fc. *

WOODEN ROADWAYS.

He. noticed that British Red Cros'S stations and ambulances were assisting tho French.

He says the French, have reduced motor transport to a science. ' Tlio French arc utilising thousands of miles of poplar and lime tree lined roads for mechanical transport at a speed of fifteen miles an hour.. On one road he counted twenty motor convoys, each of a hundred waggons.

NEW UNNAMED GENERAL,

Lord Northcliffe is certain, that one of the discoveries of tho Avar is . "Ho is still in the fifties, and most of his staff are much younger. He resembles Lord Roberts, though of larger build. "\Yo discussed the Australians, Canadians, and the new British army."

jGERMAN prisoners. An inspection of prisoners revealed that they are of remarkably poor physique. All declared that enthusiasm for the war had long since evaporated.. It is unlilrely that Verdun will be' taken. So far the. French have suffered a comparatively small loss of ground and liavo warded off tho attacks of armies outnumbering them originally three-fold. LATEST FROM VERDUN. FRENCH HOLDING THE HUNS. Received 11.50 p.m., March 6th. PARIS, March 6. Semi-official, —Tho situation at Verdun is satisfactory! Tho Germans continue to disputes possession of the village of Douaumont, without being able to dislodge us from the surroundings, which we hold solidly. The. Germans submitted tlio sector between Haudremont AVood and Fort Douaumont to intense bombardment, but were unable to make the slightest progress. The enemy's inability to advance at any point since ho resumed the offensive gives increased justification for tho belief that tho French will be able to hold him in check. GERMANS WILL LEAVE VERDUN. AND TRY ELSEWHERE. Received 11.00 p.m., March 6th. MILAN, March 6. .Reports from various sources state ihat tho Germans consider that they liavo made tho maximum sacrifices at Verdun and are preparing for an offensive elsewhere. The Crown Prince has transferred his headquarters to Mulliausen. There is an uninterrupted movement of troop trains on the Rhine southward. AMSTERDAM, March G. German newspapers announce that an extraordinarily heavy cannonade was hoard at. Mannheim, and especially , severe tiring was heard in thu Black , Forest.

GERMAN GAINS AND LOSSES. ' THEIR OWN ACCOUNT. "Times" and Sydney "Sun" Servian. Press Aasociaciou —f'-v Tsl- —Copyright. Received 5.5 p.m.. March Gth. LONDON, March 5. Tho "Lokal Anzeiger" declares that sinco February 21st the Germans have gained 170 square miles—four times as much as the French gained in September. It adds that the losses were relatively small. On the other hand 1700 Germans wero buried at Beaumont. Yesterday eight long trains reached Cologne, carrying guns disabled at Verditn. Four German Army Corps have been withdrawn from Russia to replace gaps at Verdun. FRENCH OPINIONS. ON PRESENT POSITION. M. Marcel Hutini, writing in the "Echo de Paris," says that public opinion in Germany has been at white heat sinco Douaumont was reached. The Crown Prince is unable to afford to disappoint the public by ordering a halt, therefore new, merciless, and hopeless attacks are proceeding. M. Clemenceau, in "L'Homme Enchaine," points out that the German artillery is massed in such strength, and of all sizes and shapes, that it is unlikely to give out for many days. Although tho French have inflicted incalculable losses the German forces are able to proceed with prolonged encoxmters. The general tone of the Paris Press, however, is confident that the French new line is absolutely impregnable. Both amies have been strongly reinforced. General von Haesler has arrived and assumed command, under the Kaiser. The "Gaulois" describes von Haesler as a sinister puppet- He is popularly called flie Devil of Mete, and is brutal and eccentric, and only fit for laughter. Ho taught the Kaiser and the Crown Prince swordmanship.