The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-11
KAISER CUTS WAY
CLOSER TOvERDUN
Take Two Towns in New Rush
on Fortress.
LOSSES ARE AGAIN HEAVY
Fresnes Also Falls Into Hands of In
vaders-British Fighting Alongside
French Allies.

vaders-British Fighting Alongside
French Allies.
Massed forces of Germans of the
crown princes armies are now pound
ing simultaneously on both TANKS o.
the French defenses of Verdun in al
effort to roll them back upon the fort
ress.
To the northwest they have battled
their way south from FORCES, six miles
from Verdun, toward Regneville, de
bouching to the east along the rail
road skirting the west bank Of the
Mouse and likewise driving directly
south, where a full division of at least
twelve thousand men stormed Hill No.
265 and captured it, despite the deci
nation of the ranks by French artil
lery and machine guns.
The Germans took FORCES, but were
prevented by the French from de
bouching against the Cote de L'Ole
Goose HID, a height about a mile
to the south.
To the southeast they have driven
successfully at the village of Fresnes,
eight miles from the fortress, which
the French have been holding tenaci
ously, although the Germans already
possessed Manheulles and Champion
ON either side.
Meanwhile the pounding of the
heavy guns of the Teutons on the
French center on the Douaumont plain
Is continuing with undiminished vic.
lence.
A despatch from Melbourne publish.
ed, stating that the minister of de
tense, Pearce, has announced that an
Australian siege brigade was fighting
at Verdun, is the first statement print
ed in London that British forces were
operating with the French there.
1t has been reported that British
artillery had been moved to Verdun
and had been doing great execution
but it was not known whether the
big guns transferred were being a
ned by British or French artillerymen.
The new drive of the Teutons from
the west and northwest apparently is
in the nature of a clearing operation.
probably indirectly aimed at ultimate
possession of the dominating heights
In this region. For days they have
been hammering the commanding
height of LIE Mort Homme (The Dead
Mani and other elevations west OF
their present line of advance, which
is bringing their infantry ahead in the
same general direction.
The present movement, if success.
full, also will straighten out the bat
tie line to the northwest of Verdun,
which now curves sharply northward
from the point of the bend in the
Mouse, the territory included within
which, lying east of the river, was
some time ago reported cleared OF
French forces.
French lines further west have held
and they are in possession of Bethin'
court and nearby territory, and still
occupy Cote de L'Ole.
The troops that captured FORCES
suffered heavy losses from their WI
poison gases, says a despatch from
the front. This was the first time that
asphyxiating fumes had been used by
the Teutons in their attacks around
Verdun.
The Germans prepared for their at,
tack Upon FORCES by burying tanks OF
LIQUID chlorine behind their lines and
establishing an elaborate system of
outlet pipes from the tanks. When the
attack was ready they opened a vic
lent bombardment at the same time
turning on the flood of gases. The
fumes rolled In huge clouds toward
the French positions, but the French
gunners, being aware of the gas prep
arations, opened a severe fire upon
the tanks which burst, filling the Teu-
ton positions with the deadly vapor.
Simultaneous the wind, which had
been blowing from the north, shifted
and the gases were driven back into
the German lines before the French
got the full effect of them. The Ger
mans were thrown into panic and set
up a terrific clamor. Above the din
of battle, the shrieks of the dying sol
diers, contorted in the grip of the
fumes, could be heard above the gun
fire.
The Germans then resumed the bonn
bardment with r%edoubled fury, hun
dreds of asphyxiating shells being
fired from a steel bl~ockhouse. The
French artillery men soon got the
range of this blockhouse and opened
fire. and blew the work to pieces
German officers then succeeded in
rallying their men I'M delivered a
series of savage attacks which gave
them the village of FORCES.