New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-30
Capture 800 Yards of
Trenches After Three
Costly Assaults.
FRENCH BRING DOWN
FIVE ENEMY PLANES
Launch Fifteen Attacks on Foe
Violent Artillery Duels
on Whole Front.

LonQon, May concentrating al
their efforts for twenty-four hours into
three furious assaults on the French
lines between lie Mort Homme and
| Cumieres, the Germans succeeded in
penetrating about 800 yards Of trenches
northwest Of the disputed stronghold
For that short stretch of ground the
Germans paid dearly in men and am
munition. Preceding the first attack
yesterday they directed an intense bonn
bardment Of shells Of large calibre
against the French first and second
lines which lasted nearly all day. At
o'clock in the evening they debouohed
/ from the Corbeaux Woods, the as
/ sembling place for each of the three at
tacks, but were instantly met with
curtain Of FIRE which decimated their
ranks and sent the remnants back to
the shelter on the run.
/ From the same point the Germans
delivered a vigorous attack at midnight,
but il suffered the same fate. To-day,
/ however, after a terrific rain of huge
explosives, German infantrymen seeped
through the enemy's defences and
gained footing in trenches northwest
of Cumieres, which they Immediately
/ began TO consolidate in anticipation of
q French counter attack tonight.
Attacks on Hill 3Oi Fail
Two German attacks against the
French positions on Hill BOA this after
noon broke down, and concentrations OF
troops west of the height were taken
nnder the fire of French batteries and
dispersed with losses.
Two weak attacks by the French on
narts of Cumieres village held by the
enemy were repulsed, Berlin asserts.
Violent artillery actions continue on
the rest of the Verdun arc and along
the entire west front, being particular
" severe against the sector held by the
British.
Aerial activity yesterday was marked
/ French pilots delivered fifteen attacks
on German aeroplanes, bringing two TO
earth, one in flames. In duel with a
/ German Fokker a French aviator had
/ his machine cut to pieces by thou
sand shots, but succeeded in winglng
/ hi, opponent. On the left bank OF the
Mouse cannon mounted on automobiles
/ brought down two German machines.
/ Teuton aviators successfully bombarded
/ the aerodrome at Furnes.
Terrific Bombardments.
To-night's French official communics-
b ton reads:
/ "On the left bank Of the Mouse the
enemy directed all day an intense bonn
bardment with shells Of large calibre
against our first and second lines from
the Avocourt Wood to Cumieres. About
8 O'Clock in the afternoon the Germans
violently attacked our positions on Hill
304 Repulsed the first time with con-
siderable losses, the enemy renewed
his effort At $3.50 o'clock and suffered
new ssnguinary check. Concentrations
of the enemy reported west OF Hill 3O4
were taken under the IRE or our pat
teries and dispersed.
Between lie Mort Homme and Cumi-
eres a strong enemy attack. debouch-
ing from the Corbeaux Wood. was
broken by our barrier fire, except at
on, pont. where the enemy gained
footing on a front Of about 800 metres
in one Of our advanced trenches north
west Of Cumieres.
"On the right bank there was a vio-
let artillery action in the regions TO
the east and west of Fort Douaumont.
Except for the usual cannonading,
which was particularly spirited in the
Apremont Forest, there is no event to
report on the rest Of the front"
Assaults on Cumieres.
The early French statement said:
"To the south of Roye, In the region
OF Beauvraignes, French artillery over
whelmed the first line German organi-
cation.
ION the left bank Of the River
Mouse both the French and the German
artillery were active last night.
Yesterday evening At Z o'clock a
German attack. advancing from the
Corbeaux woods, was completely re
pulsed by our curtain of fire and the
fire of our artillery. A second vigor-
Gus attack, delivered at about midnight
in the same locality, also was driven
back.
ION the right bank Of the river the
night passed in relative calm, except in
the region Of the Fort Naux. Here
there was very spirited artillery fight
ihT. . o..
I'm the Lorraine district we have dis
persed a strong German reconnoitring
party in the forest OF Parroy.
French pilots yesterday delivered
fifteen attacks upon German aero
planes. Two of the enemy machines
were brought down. One fell flaming
on the edge of the Argonne forest,
near Monthers, and the others came
down in the region OF Ami-Fontaine, TO
tho north Of Berry-au-Bac.
Fokker Winged In Duel.
while one of our pilots was making
a trial flight, he was attacked IN the
region TO the north of the River Aisne
By a German Fokker. The enemy ma
chine fired over a thousand shots at
the French aviator. Under this hail OF
bullets and in spite of the fact that his
machine was virtually cut TO pieces
by this fire, the French aviator sue
ceeded in getting back TO our lines, fol-
lowed by his adversary. Another French
machine came forward and attacked the
German. He was not more than thirty
wards distant. and was brought TO the
earth az a point near Burgogne, 10
the west OF Rheims.
ION the left bank Of the River Meuse
cannon mounted on automobiles
| brought down two German air ma