South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-06-02
Four Days and Four Nights
Germans Have Continued
Terrific Assaults Against
French Positions.
LOSSES SINCE BATTLE
BEGAN ARE 100000
Crown Prince Suddenly Shifts
Attack From West Bank
of MeuSe to East Fol-
lowing RepuISe.
international News service

International News service;
PARIS, June. FIFTY thousand
men. some of them fresh troops,
were used by the Germans in their
renewed assaults against the French
line between Vaux and ThiaumOnt
farm. northeast of Verdun. it is
stated in dispatches from the front
today.
For four days and four nights the
Germans have been attacking on
the Verdun front. delivering sledge-
hammer blows on one side of The
Meuse and then on the other. says
the Echo de Paris.
These massive attacks have in
variabiy been preceded by an in
creased violence in the artillery fire,
which never dies out ENTIRELY.
That the crown prince is anxious
10 reach a decision on the Nerdun
battlefield without any further delay
is made evident by the increased
pressure which the TeutOns are eX-
ertinz with fresh troops, reinforce
ments OF heavy guns and vast sup
plies of ammunition. the GeI:nans
are pounding away more vigorously
now than at any other time since the
first days of the battle in February.
suddenly Shift Plan.
The sudden shift of the German
assaults from the western bank OF
the Meuse 10 the eastern side of the
river followed the check administer
ed by the French when the Germans
tried TO take ChattancOurt by storm.
The failure OF the Germans to break
through the French lines south of
Cumieres and occupy Chattancourt
upset their plan of battle and in ad-
dition IL entailed losses which were
seriously felt.
The Matin states that the German
losses since the battle opened on
Feb. q must be at least $1,000
men in killed. wounded and prison
ers. These losses have been heavier
during the past fortnight of hghting
than at any other time since the
Teutons were attacking around Fort
Douaumont in the first two weeks
OF the engagement.
French guns have taken q heavy
toll but the heaviest losses have
been inflicted by the machine guns.
Most of the casualties on the French
side have resulted from the inces-
SAINT Smelling Of the Germans.
CannOnade For rs Hours.
The cannonade of gun fire which
preceded Thursdays attacks east of
the Meuse was uninterrupted for 90
hours. All the time the Germans
kept not only the first but the sec
ond line trenches under fire. drench-
ing the French positions with tons
of steel POmeranians troops were
sent forward when the fire slack
ened debouching from Chauffeur
woods. but were moved down in
great numbers by French guns
masked behind cole De Froide and
HiU No. $40. Even harder was the
hammer blow which was struck
simultaneously against the French
trenches in Caillette wood and south
OF Chapitre wood. The object OF
these assaults was 10 give the Ger
mans possession of F'leury. south of
Thiaumont farm and less than a
mile from Fort Souville. one OF the
works defending Nerdun on the
After "a heroic combat the French
retired 10 their supporting trenches
along a front Of 1910 Yards where
the struggle is in progress now. If
the Germans had been successful in
their first line rushes they would
have endangered the whole line OF
the French northeast OF Verdun.
Far From Exhaustion.
The Russians and British will
soon launch offensive movements
which viii compel the Germans to
loosen their pressure at Verdun But
the battle So far as IL has proceed
Ell. haas taught the people OF the al
lied nations that the Germans are
far from exhaustion and that they
can strike blows now which are
fully as vigorous as those driven
home during the early days OF the
war
Progress for both the French and
Germans was announced in the Of
dcial communique issued at noon by
the French war ofhce
In CauTettes wood the French
drC"@ forward. advancing their lines.