Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-01
VERDUN DEFENSE
UNSHAKEN AS FOE
REVIEWS ATTACK
French Hurl Back Violent
Assault Against Dead
Mans Hill
DASH ON CUMIERES FAILS

PARIS, May l.
Following a violent bombardment. the
Germans last night launched what the
War Office described as powerful,
close-formation attack" against trenches
recently gained by the French north of
Dead Mans Hill.
The assaults broke down under French
fire. the enemy suffering enormous losses
Another German attack on the Cumieres
sector was also repulsed.
The German attack was delivered with
more violence than were the blows last
Friday, that marked the resumption of the
Crown Princes drive on Nerdun. Guns
of all calibre first assailed the French po-
sitions northwest of Verdun, cannonading
not only the Dead Mans Hill. but Hill
304, and even extending the bombardment
east of the Meuse River to Vaux.
A curtain of French mitraileuse fire
swept the advancing Germans and moved
them down by the hundreds. The stroke
against Cumieres was beaten back in
similar fashion.
French air squadrons have been very
active throughout the last SO hours. one
squadron early yesterday raided the Sc
bastopol station, near Thieuacour The
railway at Etai nand German bvouacks
at Spincourt and other stations were
treated to liberal bomb showers.
The text of the official communique fol-
lows:
Followed by violent bombardment
yesterday west of the Meuse. the
enemy directed in the evening a pow
erful attack in mass formation upon
the trenches captured by us the north
of lie Mort Homme (Dead Mans
HID. Our curtains of fire and our
machine guns inflicted enormous
losses on the enemy, all of whose as
saults broke down.
North of Cumieres two German
counter-attacks directed smultan-
eously against the trenches captured
by us yesterday were likewise re-
pulsed.
During the third assault the enemy
forces gained a foothold in our lines,
but were unable to maintain them
selves there and were Immediately
rolled back with heavy losses
There was violent bombardment
Of Hill 304, as well as in the region of
Vaux.
The night passed quietly in the
Woevre region.
During the night of April 1890 our
bombarding squadronS threw numer-
Gus projectiles on the revictualng and
munition stations at Sepastopol, south
of Thiaucourt, on the railway at Et-
man, on camps near Spincourt and
on the railway station at Apremont,
Grand Prex Chatrande and Vouseres.
Several explosions were caused on the
railways and numerous fires have
been reported as a result of this ope-
ration.
BERLIN, May French concentra-
tion and ammunition depots behind the
French lines west of Verdun have been
bombarded by German airmen,
1t was stated in an official report of the
German War Office today.
Violent fighting near lie Mort Homme |
dead Mans HID was reported but II |
was stated that the situation upon the |
west front in general was unchanged.
Following is the report in full:
The situation is generally un-
changed.
Near the height of LIE Mort Homme
dead Mans HID there was violent
fighting.
German air squadrons bombarded
extensively enemy rendezvous for
troops Concentration points, and
magazines west of Verdun, A French
biplane was shot down in an air fight
east of Troyon. The occupants were
killed.