| Show I VERDUN TOTTERS TOTTERS' BEFORE I. I I GREATEST ASSAULT IN THE HiSTORY OF WORLD WARS MEN HURLED DEATH IN DRIVE Latest Paris adv advices ces reflected the opinion of military observers that the French lines at Verdun would hold until a counter offensive was ready to be la launched C The tremendous German drive for Yer Verdun is continuing with undiminished fury Berlin today claims ims the breaking of the cordon of prot protecting forts by the capture capure of of Fort four miles to the northeast of Verdun I i The loss of this outlying fortification however is not not admitted in to today's days French official statement which declares that despite t the e desperate German a assaults the he French have maintained their positions While the G German wing on th the east eat has b been en driving at Fort and it its Jr protecting trenches tr the center of the crown princes prince's s for forces es has work worked d down the Meuse valley until it itis is hammering hammering hammering ham ham- mering at t the ridge of La a Cote du just sou south l of f Louvemont and about four tour and a half half- miles north of the main mam fortress All AU along the Verdun f front ont the Germans Germans are are hurling their men TIen against the French lines without without with with- out regard to sacrifice Paris Pans declares the fighting be being ng particularly desperate in the region of Beaumont almost directly north of Verdun The rain of shell sheU fire in the Septem September er offensive of the allies alies was at the time without precedent precedent prece prece- d dent n correspondents n near ar the the fr front nt declare that it was vas feeble in ln c comparison with the d deluge luge of ot projectiles which at present is being poured upon the French trenches and fortifications from the massed batteries of the Germans EMPEROR WILLIAM TAKES PLACE ON BATTLEFIELD Enemy in Retreat Before l Kaisers Kaiser's Forces Forces' Is Report Re Re- e. e port From Berlin BERLIN Feb 26 via London An An official ial st statement issued t today day says gays that thai considerable advances ad v vances ces have been made east of the Meuse in m n the region north of Verdun Verdun in the presence of Emperor William The war office also announced the capt capture re of the lulls hills southwest of the village of Louvemont and the fortified positions to the east cast thereof Resistance of ot the French broke down on the plain along the entire front to south of the high road from Paris to Metz We are pursuing the retreating enemy the statement says The French forces in m the Champagne Champagne Cham have made an attack on the German positions south of St St. Mariea Marie Marie- a aPy a Py The war office statement today says the French penetrated the first German trenches o over er a distance of about yard yard It was announced by the German war office today that the capture of the village of in the Verdun sector reported yesterday was based on erroneous information The statement follows Western front On the night of ot February 25 an a advance vance by a British detachment east or of was repulsed In the Champagne the French made an an attack south of St St. Marie Marlea aPy a- a Py position which we captured on February 12 They su succeeded in in penetrating pen our first line trenches over ver a width of about twenty twenty five five yards East of the Meuse considerable advances advances ad ad- vances were made on the battle front tron frontin t tin in the presence of the king king emperor Our brave troops gained possession tot bt f the hills southwest of the village of ot Louvemont and the group of fortified positions situated east thereof In the tho fierce rush forward Brandenburg regiments regiments reg reb- pushed on as far as the village and nd armored fort of or which they carried by storm In iii the plain of the th the enemy's resistance broke down along the entire front as s far as the neigHborhood neighborhood neighborhood neigh neigH- of l l south of the national high road from Paris to Metz Mets Our troops are closely pursuing the retreating army The capture of ot the village of reported yesterday was based on onan an erroneous report Eastern theatre Apart from sUCcessful successful suc sUC- engagements participated in by our vanguards there is nothing to report Balkan theatre The situation is unchanged un un- un- un changed The German statement indicates a a. development of the attack along a wide front south and east of the region north of Verdun along which pressure pIe hitherto has been exerted The high highroad highroad highroad road from Paris to Metz Mets referred to o runs through Verdun passing slightly to the southeast It is crossed at a a point about fifteen miles east of Verdun Verdun Verdun Ver Ver- dun by the German line bending southward southward southward south south- ward in the salient of Mihiel Verdun is thus being assailed simultaneously from the north northeast east and southeast Apparently the Germans are developing developing developing devel devel- an attack similar to that employed employed em- em frequently with marked success against the Russian fortified positions in the campaign of last summer Their tactics were to bend back the Russian lines on both sides of the selected point of attack and compel evacuation of the fortress itself The town referred to in tho the German statement as marking tho the southern end endot of ot the portion of the French front which has been broken is probably En Marcheville This town ill is Just south of t the e P Metz ris-Metz highway thirteen miles east of Verdun i |
