WESTERN CAMPAIGN

Timaru Herald, Volume CIV, Issue 15904, 7 March 1916, Page 8

WESTERN CAMPAIGN

BRITISH SUCCESS IN BELGIUM. (High Commissioner's Cable.) LONDON, March 5 (6.40 p.m.). In Belgium, south of Lombaertzyde, our artillery overwhelmed the enemy trenchesIn the Argonne the French directed a heavy bombardment on the enemy in the region of La Haute Chevauchee Bonreuilles, where a fire was started. LIVELY ATTACK AT VERDUN. At Verdun the fighting had been localised to the village of .Douaumont, but it spread yesterday evening at six o'clock. The enemy, after, a .violent bombardment launched a very lively attack from the wood Haudremont to Fort Douaumont, which was repulsed by a curtain of fire and infantry fire. In. the course of the night an intense bombardment was continued on the whole of our front east of the Mouse and west of Dead Man's Hill and Gorse Hill.

THE ATTACK AT VERDUN. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. FRENCH SUFFER LITTLE. I'ress Association—By Tel.—CoDyriglit. PARIS, March o. 'A review of tlie recent fighting at Verdun shows that tlic battle continued on Saturday -with undiminished intensity and the day closed -with positions unchanged. The enemy's greatest efforts' "were again directed against the village of /Douaumont, where -both sides ivero fighting desperately though neither was able to occupy the village definitely. The German attacks were most furious and every devilish expedient was used in the endeavour to break the French resistance. Nothing, however, could overcome the stubborn endurance of the French troops. The number of French wounded was Final) ; the enemy's losses were very great. The French supply system was equal to all demands, and all the services, including tlie railway juul motor transport, 'wore strongly reinforced. This was the situation when the second phase of t-lre German offensive began. It is totally different from that of n week ago. The enemy lias not made the- slightest advance. A further difference is the :inpossibility of surprise: also the ground lias been so torn up liy the bombardment- that it cannot be scientifically organised. The men taking part in the Jirsc attaclcs are worn out and tin- fresh troops have been demoralised at the (sight of mounds of German corpses, estimated to number 00.000, which are still cumbering the ground before the Freud lines.

For these reasons the issue of the bnttlo is still awaited in Paris without anxiety. Other reports from eastern France estimate the German losses in killed and wounded at 200.000. VERDUN AND YPRES COMPARED. FRENCH SOLDIER'S STORY. LONDON, March 5. Marcel Jaures, a relative of Jean Jaures, the French Socialist leader, who was assassinated in 1914, was wounded at Verdun. He tells this story:— ' I fought at Ypres a year ago. It was a mere brawl compared with Verdun. Only a. fiend or tli.e Kaiser coulcl have sacrificed German lives with such prodigality. '"The assault was crushed under the enormous weight of metal and half the force was wiped out. The remainder fied to the shelter of the wood, but sallied out strongly reinforced and kept steadily on, though' their ranks were rapidly thinning. "When they were 700 yards away our machine-guns and rifles started. The carnage, was frightful. The remnants struggled on for a. few yards, then turned and fled in a wild panic to the wood, pursued by screaming shells. Our artillery concentrated on t-lie wood, which was soon ablaze from end to end. "Our infantry advanced to harass the" euemy as they quitted the wood. We were exposed to a murderous fire. We skeltered in shell holes for half an hour, but we reached our objective, despite heavy losses. "The Germans attacked us, singing and cheering. My impression is that th'oy were drunk. Our machine-guns mowed lanes in. their ranks. The survivors lay down behind a. breastwork of their fallen comrades and fired until their ammunition was exhausted. Then they charged with the bayonet. "We fired a volley point blank, and all fell or fied, except a handful, who were bayoneted or taken prisoner, j sonre'refusing quarter. '"The second attack was prepared in a snowstorm. They came on to figlit with a terrific onslaught and we were almost swept off our feet. No quarter ! was iriven or taken. j "The battle swayed to and fro on the ! slushy ground. Hundreds of the men j found it most difficult to keep a foothold. Many slipped and paid tho | penalty with tlieir lives. I "Our slender lines seemed to be I snapping, but a miracle happened. We J held our feet. The enemy weakened and by midnight he was in full flight." DOUAUMONT CHANGING HANDS. ENEMY MOWN DOWN. The Press correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle'' states that Douaumont village changed hands many times.- The Brandenburgers, Pomeranians and Hanoverian reinforcements debouched from the north-west and noi lli-east. converging on Douau--1)10111. At Vaux the enemy losses were so s heavy that new battalions had to bebrought up. but were swept back. As it Mas freezing cold the wounded

were bound to suffer unspeakable agonies. 1 lie enemy attacking at Vaux reached wire and were met by a. terrific fire from the seventy-fives and , mitrailleuses. T-here were 4000 corpses lying near the entanglements. Many of the Prussians were driven on by their officers with revolvers. They climbed over piles of the corpses of tlieir comrades and were then mown down.