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Show FRENCH TRENCHES ARE CAPTURED New German Offensive For the Possession of Verdun Has Been Started. Paris, May 7, 11:01 p. ra. In fierce attacks on the banks of the Meuse today the German forces gained ground from the French. They entered enter-ed the French communicating trenches trench-es east of hill 304 and gained a footing foot-ing in the first French line between Haudromont wood and Fort Douau-mont Douau-mont over an extent of nearly a third of a mile. The official communication of the French war office making this announcement, an-nouncement, reads as fdllows: "On the left bank of the Meuse a bombardment of extreme violence, which lasted without cessation for two das In the region of hill 304, was followed today by a powerful German Ger-man attack delivered against our front between hill 304 and Le Mort Homme. The enemy, after repeated efforts, penetrated the underground passageways cast of hill 304. Everywhere Every-where else he Avas repulsed with serious seri-ous losses inflicted by our machine guns and batteries which energetically energeti-cally bombarded the German Hues. "On the right bank, after intense artillery preparation, the Germans delivered de-livered "several successive attacks against our trenches between Haudromont Haud-romont wood and Fort DouaumouL In the western part of the front the enemy attack gained a footing for an extent of about 500 metres in our first line. To the center and to the east all the attacks were broken. : "In the Woevre there was great artillery ar-tillery activity in the sectors at the foot of the Meuse hills." -,H London, May 7. What seemingly H is a new offensive with its objective ;H the capture of Verdun, has been ' H launched by the Germans northeast -jH and northwest of the fortress. In "H both sectors gains for the Germans "H are chronicled in the latest French. " official communication. , H In the former sector, between the H Haudremont wood and Douaumont H French first line trenches over near- H ly a third of a mile were entered by "H the Germans while northwest of Ver- . H dun to the east of hill 304, they pene- trated underground passageways of ; " the French. H Russian torpedo boats have inef- fectuplly shelled German positions on " the northern coast of Courland, ac- , " cording to Berlin. The Turks, who had been contest- :H ing the advance of the Russians to- ;. ward Bagdad In the Cerinalkerind re- '-M gion. have retreated hastily after hav- " Ing sustained heavy losses, leaving " behind them their tents and war ma- H terlal. ' |