The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-04-05
GERMANS BEGIN
NEWVERDUND DRIVE
KurI Vast Forces at French
Positions.
BATTLE RACES ALL NIGHT
Defenders Recover Part of Wood on
Douaumont-Vaux Front - Teutons
Move Big Guns to Front.

London, April 4.-Heavy masses OF
troops are being hurled by the Ger
mans against the de ences of Verdun,
which are being tested to the limit
at vital points.
The French are offering tenacious
resistance and, according to Paris,
have succeeded in pressing back the
crown princes forces between Vaux
and Douaumont, where sledge-ham-
mer blows. had badly denied the
French lines within the past few days.
A new phase of the battle of .Ver'
dun, now in it's fortythird day, has be,
gun, and the belief prevails in Paris
foreshadows another attempt by the
Germans to rush the fortress with vast
forces. New batteries of large calibre
have been moved up closer to the
French front and the German infantry
nas been rested and reorga- izei.
Forty-two centimetre guns, the
most powerful in the world, are now
being used by the Germans in their
bombardment of the French positions
French aviators are trying to learn
the location of these guns, which &C.
counts for the extraordinary aerial &C.
tivity over the Verdun front for the
past forty-eight hours.
By the capture of foothill in Gail.
let's wood, which is south of Fort DOu
aumont, the Germans are now less
than five miles from Verdun, on the
northeastern side of the fortress. On
the west side the Germans have evil
IDENTIFY begun their drive against the
French positions at Hill 304, which
lies east of Haucourt and west of lie
Mort Homme dead Mans HilD, Hill
304 commands the avenue of communi
cation for the French troops holding
the Bethincourt salient.
Fighting continued all night east OF
the Meuse, between Douaumont and
Vaux. The issue turned generally,
the French war Office announced, In
favor of the French, who gained
ground in the northern part Of Caillet-
to wood. West of the river a bonn.
bardment was carried on near Hau
mont without effect.
The statement says that In the
fighting the Germans heightened their
front of attack to about two miles.
Sundays fighting, on the whole, was
not unfavorable to the French, it Is
authoritatively stated. The object Of
the Germans was to clear the ap
proaches to Fort Douaumont and 49,
900 men were thrown forward On the
mile and half line between Douau-
mont fort and the village of Vaux. The
attacking force succeeded in crossing
little rarine which hitherto had
stopped them, and in entering the
Caillette wood.
Further east they disclosed the
French from the last ruined houses of
the village of VauX but the French
positions were so placed as to make
1t practically impossible for the Ger
mans to debouch from the village. Wig.
orous French counter attacks drove
them back To the upper fringe OF Cali
lette.
The total result OF the very formid
able effort they had put forth was a
gain for tire Germans of about 500
yards, more than Offset, it is affirmed,
by the heavy losses they suffered. On
the west of the river the Germans at
tackled the AvoCourt blockhouse in
no less determined manner, but
again met VITA complete failure, tho
observers declare.