The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-07
GERMANS CAPTURE
TRENCHES ON MEUSE
Occupy Positions on slope Of
Hill 3O4 in Violent Bonn
bardment.
STILL SMELLING HEIGHTS

Special cabfe Despdfch 70 Tus scs
PARIS. May "a determined enort Is
being made by the Crown Princes army
to take Hin 400, the important height
on the west bank Of the Mouse. southeast
OF Haucourt. between the Bots dAvo-
court and lie Mort Hom,ne. As a re-
suit of the attacks made Thursday ana
yesterday at this point. covered by bon-
hardment with gas shells. the Germans
succeeded in occupying a part OF me
French trenches on the north slopes OF
the hill. In order to do this they
brought up a fresh division from
another part OF the front.
The preliminary bombardment against
this sector began several days ago ana
continued all day yesterday and Last
hight. attaining a violence before tire
infantry attack last night described In
the Wal Office communicate as "unprece.
denied"
To-night's communicate Is a summary
OF the fighting In the Verdun region since
April 20. In the first five days OF this
period the French were on the offensive.
enlarging and consolidating their posi-
tions at lie Mort Homme and north OF
Cumieres. The German attack on Hill
3ol began on Thursday with the bring.
ing up of the new division.
The only infantry action on the east
bank of the Mouse in the period named
was an attack made by the French on
May l. which resulted In the occupation
OF a German trench near Fort Douau-
mont. southeast of the ruined fort.
The German guns are continuing their
very violent bombardment of Hll 30%
ard the Haucourt- E:snes road.
sheIItng Near HiII 400.
lie official communique issued ny the
French Wal Office to-nish, follows:
In the course of the day the bonn
bardment continued very violently
west Of the Meuse. principally in the
region OF Hill 30& and on the sides
OF the road between Haucourt and
Esnes. There was no infantry COM
bat. There was intermitten artillery
fighting on the rest OF the front.
The situation from April 20 to May
8 in the region of Ncrdun.
The lighting was incessant on the
left bank OF the Meuse. We enlarged
and consolidated bctween April 20
and May 3 our positions or lie Mort
Homme and north Of coumiere by a
series OF successive actions. repulsing
all enemy counter attacks. On May I
and 5. after very violent lombard
ments and by using a division brought
as reenforcements from another point
on the front. the enemy succeeded in
occupying n part of our trenches on
the north side Of lill 30&.
On the right bank OF the Mouse
there were violent artillery actions but
no infantry action except an attack
made by us on May on a German
trench which we occupied. southeast
of and near Fort pouaumont. We
identified in this region a new German
division.
Various attempts made by the enc
~. uDaipat nn, trenches in the NOSRea.
the Argonne and south OF the Son,nN
were easily repulsed.
on our side we succeeded in making
several surprise attacks, particularly
on May 8 in the region OF Lassigny
and in the Ar9onne. which enabled US
to bring back prisoners.
A surprise attack made by the French
IN the L~assigny region. southeast OF
Roye. yesterday gave them some pr!s-
oners. and in another surprise attack
made las, night against a small German
salient on the Binarville road the French
entered German trenches, took some
prisoners and two machine guns and re-
turned to their own lines.
German Advance At Hill 3OA.
The afternoon communique was as
follows.
In the vicinity OF T.assieny We de-
livered a surprise attack or a German
trench In the Bots d'Drval. which re-
suited in Dur taking some prisoners
and inficting losses on the enemy.
In Champagne near Somme-Py the
fire OF our artillery inflicted such
damage on a German battery hat the
Germans had to cease firing.
In the Argonne yesterday evening a
surprise attack upon a small salient OF
the enemy lines at a point east OF the
Binarville road made II possible for
rs to maze our way into the German
trenches. We brougf, back some pris-
oners and took two machine guns
West Of the Mouse the lombard
ment by the enemy with shells Of
, heavy callbre. ccompa MED by the use
of suffocating gases, continued yester-
day and last night. This attack at
tanned an unprecedented violence in
the sector embracing Hi 30&. Here
We had to evacuate a part OF our
!, trenche on the northern slopes OF this
, hill. which had been completely shat
tered and rendered untenable by the
artillery fire OF the Germans. Our
batteries replied with no less energy
and checked the advance Of the enemy,
Last night a German attack directed
upon the wood To the west and to the
, northwest OF Hin 800 was repulsed
with the bayonet.
II has been confirmed that the at
tack or the enemy delivered the day he
fore yesterday against our positions
: north Of Hin 304 was conducted by a
fresh division Of German troops. and
that these men suffered overwhelming
losses.
There has been a slow and continued
! bombardment upon our line at lie
l Mort Homme and Cumieres.
: East OF the Meuse there has been
! intense artillery activity In the region
Z OF a u