The evening world., 1916-03-13
Artillery Battles Continue With
Great Intensity All Around
the Fortress.
GERMANS LOSE TRENCH.
Paris Reports -Four Desperate
Charges UP the Slope at
Village of Vaux

PARIS, March 1s.-German losses
in tie FIRST three weeks OF the Verdun
offensive were estimated at 200, 600, In
an official statement issued by the
French War Office to-day.
Semi official reports estimate the
French losses at 10000.
The War once announced that
French troops have stormed and cap
tured more than 200 yards OF Ger
man trenches in the Carmes forest,
taking some prisoners.
tTNhls Is about thirty miles
southeast of Verdun and few
miles from Pont- -Mousson, near
tho Alsace border.l
Tn. official statement reported iu-
tense German bombardment in the
regions Of Douaumont, Bethlncourt,
the Woevre and lie Petre woods, but
no infantry attacks north OF Verdun
last night The battle is now in its
twenty-first day. Following Is the
text OF to-day's War Office report:
There was no infantry fight
ing last night in the region to
the north of Vordun. Tho bonn
bardment continued during tho
night at Bethlncourt and in the
vicinity of Douaumont, as well
as in the Woevre. in the sectors
OF MoulaInville and Ronvaux.
Our artillery showed great ac-
tivity along this front
In the wood of lie Pretre a de-
tachment OF our troops penetrated
a trench OF the enemy at a point
near Croix des Carmes along
front of about 200 yards. The
men cleaned UP the saps and
after having inflicted some losses
on the enemy they returned to
our lines with some prisoners.
"Dur1ng the course OF n night
fight q group OF French aviators
threw down thirty shells of large
calibre at the railroad station OF
Conflans. Flames were seen
breaking out at Ave different
points. In spite OF a violent cam
nonade all the French aeroplancs
succeeded in getting back with
out suffering damage"
The German losses in the fighting
around Fort Vauv last Friday and
Saturday surpass all previous records
in this war, according to officers who
Nap1nn Time Al
time again and with extraordinary
courage tho Germans in columns four
deep rushed from tho trenches. only to
melt away under the fire OF the
French l7h. $50 and 2lo mlllimetre guns,
which rained shells with deadly ac-
curacy into the marching companies,
When the smoke and dust cleared
nothing was to be seen but heaps OF
bodies.
The spur on which the fort Is situ-
ated H. almost perpendicular in GER
tain places. The German lines were
forced to halt. but many Bavarian re-
servists climbed MP ON one another's
shoulders and struggled up the slope,
clinging to angles of rock and grasping
tufts OF grass. Again and again these
human pyramids collapsed into shape
less gray masses. In the places where
the incline was easier and the attacks
more concentrated. the bitches below
ran red with blood. At the Lowest
estimate the attackers lost two thirds
OF their electives,
The fighting also was desperate In
the extreme when regiments from the
Fifteenth and Eighteenth German
Army Corps attacked the village of
yaux on Friday. Dawn was just
breaking and over the country hung
a heavy white mist. making every
thing invisible beyond a hundred
Yards. This enabled the Germans 70
get within rushing distance OF the
French front trenches, but although
they outnum bered the defenders siS
to one, 1t took four distinct assaults
before the first column OF Germans
won the shelter of a small group OF
houses beyond the church OF Vaux
Then they organized an assault upor
the church. and the French. beint
unable to bring up endorsements OF
account of the German curtain OF fire
withdrew their advanced elements
yhrh we're In danger OF being sur
rounded,
Five times North Prussian regi
ments rushed to attack the church
but every time they left the shelter