WAR NEWS

Waikato Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1739, 13 April 1916, Page 5

WAR NEWS

Ai VxilwJOlN. NEARd! MALI' 1 *v xuiLLiUA INFANiiiI US-bD. Cable Frees Assn. —Copyright. Received jU p.m. EUadda, April ju. it is stated that tne losses of the German units at Verdun from .February 29 to April I averaged oO per cent. As an example the Third and Eighteenth Army Corps were withdrawn from the lines after losing respectively 22,000 and 17,000. At Vaux fort over half the (Seventh and Sixtieth regiments were mown down by the French machine-guns. During the attack on Vaux village on March 9 the Nineteenth regiment lost 00 per cent. One company was annihilated. During the attacks on Malancourt and Avocourt woods on March 20 and 22 three regiments of the Eleventh Bavarian and four regiments of second Landwehr s divisions lost half their effectives. Inferring to the strength of the Germans the same source says that between February 21 and April 1,/239 infantry and 23 engineer battalions were engaged at Verdun, totalling 1,145 companies averaging 260 men, thus there were 208,000 infantry alone in action. They were reinforced by 80 battalions, and the total infantry faced by the French was 450,000. ENEMY USES LIQUID FIRE. ATTACKS REPULSED. ATTEMPT TO RECAPTURE TRENCHES FAlxi. Received II p.m. LONDON, April 12. The French official report states that there has been ho infantry attacks today against our front. In Mort Homme-Cumiercs sector there has been a somewhat intense bombardment. After very violent artillery preparation with powerful use d‘ lachyrnose shells the Germans launched powerful attack against our trenches between Douaumont and Affiux. At four o’clock in the afternoon, after gaining & footing in a few portions on our advanced" line, the enemy were ejected by a counter-attack, the French making prisoners of 100 uninjured men. Late yesterday evening the Germans debouched from Crows’ Wood. In an attack on Mort Homme Hill, the enemy used liquid fire . The attack was repulsed by our curtain of tire and the infantry fire, except to east where the enemy giiued a footing in some small portions of the trenches. The Germans also attacked in the course of the night in order to drive us out of the trenches taken during the last few days south of the village of Douaumont. These attempts were also accompanied by sprays of liquid fire. The Germans sustained sanguinary defeat. • FIGHTING AT ST. BLOI. LONDON, April 12. (Sir Douglas Haig reports that grenade lighting for the crater cast of St. Eloi continues with varying fortunes. We hold three craters, but not the other two gained during the Sth of April fights. Wc brought down an enemy machine, and lost one of our machines, which was brought down by our own lire. The enemy exploded mines north-east of Vermilles, damaging portion of the old crater without altering the situation. ALLIES TO LAND FORCES AT CEPHALONIA, MINISTERS’ AUDIENCE WITH ! KING OF GREECE.

Received 11 p.m LONDON, April 12

The British and French Ministers informed the Premier of Greece, M. Skouloudis, that it was intended to laud forces in Cephalonia, one of the Aegean Islands, in the harbour of Argoseoli. They gave assurances that the sovereign rights of Greece would be respected.

The Premier energetically announced that he could only protest at this fresh infringement of Greek Sovereignty. The British Minister was afterwards received in audience by the King. British and French legations have announced the establishment of a naval base at Argostoli as purely a defensive measure. PIGHTING IN THE EAST. SENSATION CAUSED IN GERMAN MILITARY CIRCLES, GERMAN LOSSES COLOSSAL.

Recieved 11 p.m. PETROGRAD, April 11. A Russian communique states Cut we checked an attempt by the Germ ins to develop an offensive against Iskll Bridgehead. We continue to wrest fresh ground

from the enemy west of Eezeroum. A telegram from Copenhagen reports that a sensation has been caused in German military circles by an improvement in the Russian artillery. They believe that the French officers are directing the lire. The German losses at Lade Narotch were colossal. They adopted the old plan of massed attack, not suspecting the presence of new artillery.