Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-24
GERMANS MASS GREAT
FORCES FOR NEW DRIVE
AGAINST VERDUN FORTS
French Report Severe e
Fighting in Vosges and
Argonne Foes Attacks
Repulsed Gain Trench
in LIE Pretre Forest.

LONDON. July 9A--The Germans are
massinF troops at 81. Mihiol TO lsunen
a new drive at verdun, according to un-
official reports received here. The off,
ciai communications do not give any hint
of such concentration. but the military
experts consider II likely, in view of the
Crown Princes recent attempt to weaken
the French hold on verdun.
Severe hghting continues in the Ar
sonne and in the vosges, but no gains Of
consequence were reported today The
Germans tried to win back ground they
lost on the heights of Metzeral Althopgh
they penetrated the French lines at one
point, Paris reports, a counter-attack
drove them out The French claim they
have gained foothold in the trenches
in lie Pretre Forest, which they lost re-
Gently The bombardment of Pontsa-
Mousson is reported by both sides
The oficial statement issued by the
French War ONCE last night says;
To-day II was comparatively quiet along
the whole front.
"In Artols there was the usual artillery
activity on both sides.
"some shells were fred on the suburbs
OF soissons and on Rheims.
between the Oise and Aisne in tho
region of Quennevlerres, and on the
plateau of Mouvron, on the right bank
OF the Aisne near Soupir, and on the
Champagne front several artillery ac-
tions also were reported
In the Argonne there was rife and gun
firing in the region of Bagatelle, where
one OF our companies succeeded yester-
day in Selling part OF an enemy trench.
thus strengthening the front TO our ad
vantage.
PoNT-A-MoUssoN BoMBARDED.
"Pont-a-Mousson was intermlttently
bombarded during the night.
'In the region of Arracourt a strong
hostile accommodating force supported by
artillery was turned back by our infantry
and artillery.
"In the vosges an attempted German
attack against our positions southwark
of the Faye was easily repulsed.
"The positions we had won to the east
of Metzeral, on the crest of the Linse
and Barrenkopf, were subjected to very
violent bombardment. The enemy mo-
mentarily succeeded in penetrating part
Of our links, but was driven out by an
energetic counter attack on our part.
"In the forest Of lie Pretre in the course
of last night we regained footing in
the line of trenches previously lost. Two
German counter attacks were repulsed
with considerable losses to the enemy.
lone of our flying squadrons employed
on bombardment duties yesterday evening
dropped 2S shells on the railway station
at Conians, in Jarnisy, and forced two
German aeroplanes to allght in their
lines"
LIE PRETRE ATTACK FAILS.
The communication given out by the
Berlin War Office says:
"The nightly hand grenade attacks of
the enemy north and northwest of Sou
chez were repulsed. In the Champagne
district we successfully blew up several
mines and occupied the borders of the
openings thus made.
I'm the forest OF lie Pretre a French
ing is proceeding An attack by the
enemy against the Lingekopf- -Barrenkopf
line north OF Munster was repulsed after
severe fighting at close quarters before
and in the positions Of the Bavarians and
Mecklenburg chasseurs We captured
two officers and 64 Alpine troops
"A French attack against Reich-Acker-
kopf also was successful Near Metzeral
we elected the French from their adj
vanced positions. which. according to
our plan, we evacuated in order to avoid
losses.
"As a reprisal for the repeated bonn
bardment Of Thiascourt and other places
between the Meuse and the Moselle our
artillery yesterday bombarded Pont-a-
Mousson.
"Our airmen dropped bombs on the
railway triangle at st. Hilaire, in Cham
pagne."