OCR Text |
Show DESPERATE FIGHTING ON VERDUN I RESUMED WITH GREAT VIOLENCE I Germans Clear Douaumont and Advance West and SoutH o H the Village Taking More Than 1,000 Prisoners French H Repulse All Other Attacks and Inflict Cruel Losses H on Enemy British Make Heavy Artillery At- H tack Along the Yser Front H New York, March 3. The White Star liner Canopic, fl which sailed today for Italian ports with three Americans in H her first cabin, will take on armament when she arrives at H Gibraltar, it was announced by the White Star line today. The H armament "will be removed when the ship again arrives at H Gibraltar on her returned trip, it was stated!" H Paris, March 3, 2:30 p. m. Bombardments Bom-bardments and attacks on the part of German troops continued all yesterday yester-day evening in the region to the nortb of Verdun, according to announcement announce-ment made by the French war office this afternoon. This fighting was conducted with redoubled violence. Near Douaumont several fruitless endeavors on the part of the Germans were repulsed with cruel losses for them. Nevertheless, the Germans succeeded suc-ceeded in reaching the village of Douaumont Dou-aumont where the fighting continues with ferocity. Germans Forced to Retire. The village of Vaux also was attacked attack-ed by the Germans but these advances were checked by the French fire and tho Germans were compelled to retire, leaving a great number of dead. The bombardment continued with great intensity yesterday evening and last night in the Woevre district, but French forces held the Germans in check by their curtain of tire. The artillery of the Germans has been active in the vicinity of Malan court and near HaucourL Continue Violent Bombarding. The text of the statement follows: "North of Verdun the bombardment and the attacks of the enemy were continued all last evening with redoubled re-doubled violence. In the sector of the village of Douaumont, after several fruitless efforts which were repulsed with cruel losses on their part, the Germans were successful in penetrating penetrat-ing to the village of Douaumont, where the fighting Is continuing with ferocity. Further east, the village of Vaux was attacked at about the same hour. Assaults, coming from the north and the northeast, were broken by our curtain of fire and by the activity ac-tivity of our machine guns. The enemy en-emy was compelled to retire, leaving among our barbed wire entanglements a large number of dead bodies. "In the Woevre district yesterday evening and last night the bombardment bombard-ment continued with great intensity. Checked, however, by our curtain of fire, the enemy found It impossible to come ouL & "West of the river Meuse in the regions of Malancourt and of Hau-court Hau-court the artillery of the enemy has been active. "In Lorraine, south of the forest of Parroy, a feeble attack was dispersed by our Infantry and the use of hand grenades." Germans Claim Advances. Berlin, March 3, via London. 3:40 p. iu. German troops cleared the village vil-lage of Douaumont and pushed their lines to the west and to the south of the village and of the armored fort yesterday, according to the official announcement issued today by the German army headquarters staff. The official statement relates that German airmen dropped bombs in the vicinity of the main Verdun fort and that to the east of Douai, Lieutenant Immelman shot down a British biplane. bi-plane. The statement.adds that more than 1000 prisoners wero taken and also that a number of heavy guns were captured. The statement follows: "Western front: Southeast of Yp-res Yp-res on the canal, the British broke Into In-to the positions taken from them on the 14th of February and even penetrated pene-trated over a small front Into which was our forward trenches. They wero Immediately driven out of these but still occupy somo parts of tho bastion. bas-tion. "South of the canal at LaBassee lively fighting developed at close quarters quar-ters before our front in conjunction with onemy mine explosions. Heavy Fighting In Champagne. "In tho Champagne the activity of the enemy's artillery increased in places pla-ces until it became hoavy. In Bolante wood, northeast of La Chalade, in the Argonne, a tentative attack by the French was repulsed easily. "On tho heights east of the Meuse, after heavy artillery preparations, we cleared tho village of Douaumont of the enemy and pushed our line out to tho west and. south of tho village, as well as of tho armored fort, to more favorable positions. More than 1.000 prisoners and some hoavy guns were brought in. "Our, airmen dropped bombs in tho vicinity of Fort Verdun. On the east of Douai, Lieutenant Immelmann shot down his ninth onemy aeroplane, a British biplane. Of its two occupants, one was killed and the other serious- ly wounded. H "Eastern theater: On the Dvlna M east of Frlederichstadt there were ar- H tillory engagements and also on the ! Sereth." H Review of War Situation. j So far as both official and, unoffi- M cial accounts show, the situation H around the French fortress of Ver- H dun has not been changed by the re- H cent fighting. The renewal 'of the M German attacks both north and 'east M has failed to shake the new French H lines, while the Germans are holding H as tenaciously to their advanced posl- H tions la the face of such counter at- H tacks as the French havo launched. H Apparently the Germans now have M been able to bring up some, at least, H of their heavier artillery for the H French war office has reported a con- H slderable increase of tho intensity of M the fire along the wliolo front at Ver- M Tho drives on Verdun -from two j sideB, now renewed, are held to indi- M cale the familiar German plan of roll- 7 M Ing up the flanks of a position, or j using the claw hammer jaws of the M military machine to get at the kernel M of the nut. H Movements In the Argonne. il Possible development of some Ger- 'H man movement in the Argonne north- jH west of the fortress is indicated by jM the Paris report that the French have il directed a concentrated fire on hostile positions thero. H German military writers are laying jl stress on the large amount of terrl- 'JM tory wrested from the French in the l first week of tho advance on Verdun, jH pointing to the advantage which tho l destruction of the defensive front of M the fortress gives tho Germans for H their concentric artillery fire. M The activity of the British along H the front in Belgium has begun to H attract increased attention with the jH delivery of the thrust which yester- jH day won back for them 800 yards of H trenches they loBt last month along H the Ypres-ComineB canal. ' From various sources have come M accounts of heavy artillery play along H the Yser front. M Comparative inactivity prevails on H the other war fronts. jH From Bombay comes a report that M the Portuguese have hoisted their flag H on all the German steamers at Mor- M mugao, the Germans on board being M interned at Panjlm, capital or the H Portuguese colony of Goa in India. 1 The United States senate by a voto jH of 68 to 14 tabled Senator Gore's reso- H lutlon to warn Americans off the arm- H ed ships of the warring nations. jH Gorman armies have broken into H the French lines at the village of Don- H raont, four miles northeast of Verdun. M The Paris official bulletin admits JM the Germans penetrated to the village. H The Berlin statement claims Ger- M man troops cleared Douaumont. ad- B vanced west and south of the village, H and took more than 1,000 prisoners tM and several heavy guns. ' |