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Show READY FOR ; TilE FINAL AT VEHOUN Crown Prince Only Two and a Half Miles From City; Prepares for Series of Greatest Storming Actions of j the War. CITADEL REDUCED TO MASS OF RUINS For More Than a Week German Artillery Has Been Pulverizing the Last Defenses of the French. (Spprlal Cahl by Arrangement with London Da.lly Teltraph and International News Srvlu LONDON, July 13. Only two miles and a half from the center of Verdun the German crown prince tonight is believed be-lieved to be preparing for a series of the greatest storming actions of the war. The battle which opened 1-13 days ago is fast approaching a climax. Only one of the larger defense works now separates the Germans from tho city, the shattered Fort Souville. Against this work tonight the crown prince is bringing the full force of his artillery to bear. Already the German infantry are almost before the battlements of the stronghold, following their success of the previous night where the Fleury and Vaux roads join. Germans Move Downhill. The German approach to Verdun now lies downhill. Their capture of Froid Terre has given them artillery command com-mand of the neighborhood and from this dominating position they are pouring down a tremendous fire into Souville and the two smaller forts to the southward, south-ward, Belleville and St. Michael. Further east on their front, which now stretches practically on a straight line from northern approaches to Souville Sou-ville to a point south of Damloup, the Germans are heavily bombarding the strong Laufee field work, a fortified forest. They are concentrating their energy en-ergy on the cast bank of the Meuse, their occasional outbursts on the opposite oppo-site side of the river being only a feint. Citadel Mass of Ruins. Information received tonight from Berlin is to the effect that the citadel of Verdun is a mass of ruins. Tho German Ger-man artillery has had the last French defense under fire for more than a week and the steel and concrete works have been transformed to dust and debris. Tonight 's statement from Paris makes no reference to any action except ex-cept the bombardment of Souville. Tho earlier report also told of the furious fire which is being poured into the French defenses. In tho last two days, Berlin announces, more than 2000 prisoners have been taken in the fighting around Souville. The recently captured positions are being be-ing consolidated by the Germans and the heavy guns are being brought still further forward. ARTILLERY DUELS REPORTED IN THE SOMME SECTOR PARIS, July 13, noon. There was no infantry fighting of importance last night on the Verdun front or over the portion of the Somme front held by the French, today's official report says. Intermittent Intermit-tent artillery engagement occurred in the Somme sector. In the vicinity of Souville, Chenols and Laufee. before Verdun, Ver-dun, a heavy bombardment was maintained main-tained by the Germans. In the Champagne, the French penetrated pene-trated a salient of the German front and took prisoners. Two German raids In tho Argonne were stopped by the French fire. The statement says: There have been Intermittent artillerv ar-tillerv exchanges along tiie front of the Somme. In the C'hampatrne district we penetrated pene-trated a salient of the German line In the vicinity of Prosnea and brought 0?.''k some prisoners. In tiie Argonne two surprise at-ta'k at-ta'k delivered by the enemy on the northern and enMern portions of the p.olante salient failed under our fire. A t La Fille Morte we caused the explosion ex-plosion of a mine and then occupied the southern Bide of the crater. On the ritrht bank of the Meuse there I ih fcen no infantry righting. During the night, however, there was an intense bombard merit in t he soc- (Continued on Paso Two.), -i BEADY FOB FINAL j AnACKS AT VEBDON (Continued from Page One.) ton of Hon v Me, ChenuiB and L. Ii'lf.-'). In the, Yo.-gen, an attack by t hie en'-rnv upon one- of our trenches south of I 'n rspai-h ban been repulxed, a f ter a Hplrped engagement with hand grenade. |