Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-25
Germans Press Advantage
of Gain and Rush Foe
Along River Mouse.
SLAUGHTER TERRIFIC
Losses of Men Suffered bv
Both Sides in Great Bat
tie Is Appalling.

Berlin, May 20, 10y wireless 10 Day
vile 1.-THE repulse of three counter
attacks by the French on the village of
CumiereS- to the west of the Mouse on
the Verdun front, was announced by
the war office today The capture of
additional French trenches southwest
and south of Fort Douaumont and the
reCapture of the Haudremont quarry
by the Germans are also reported.
The text of headquarters statement
follows:
Western front: German airmen
attacked British torpedo boats and pa
troll boats off Flanders coast.
West of the Mouse three enemy
counter attacks against Cumieres
failed.
ITO the east of the Mouse our regi-
ments captured enemy trenches south
west and south of Fort Douaumont.
We recaptured the quarry south of the
Haudremont farm.
! In the Caillette wood the enemy at
tackled our positions without attain
ing the least success. The enemy suf-
! fered heavy losses. We captured more
| than $50 prisoners and IA machine
guns.
AN enemy biplane was shot down
near st. Souplet and another over
Herbebois.
Eastern front: The situation is IN
changed.
| Balkan front: Enemy airmen I'M
successfully attacked Uesleb and Giev-
geli"
Paris, May 25 (11:30 a. m.)-Ger-
man troops made an attack last night
! on French positions on the Verdun
! front east of the Mouse near the Hau-
dremont quarry and obtained foot
! ing in one of the French trenches, the
war Office announced today.
East of Cumieres TO the west of the
Mouse the French made some progress
in hand grenade fighting.
| There was no infantry action al
| Fort Douaumont last night Activity
, on the part of the artillery was par
! tiCularly severe in the vicinity of Hill
304 and in the sector from Dead Man S
Hill to Cumieres.
French War Report
The text of the statement follows:
"On the left bank of the Mouse there
| has been an artillery duel of consid-
cradle intensity in the sector of Hill
304, as well on the front between
Dead Mans Hill and Cumieres. Last
night we made progress with hand
grenades Immediately east of Cumi-
| eres-
! "On the right bank of the river a
! strong German attack was successful
J n
of our trenches at Haudremont. In
! the region of Douaumont there has
been no infantry activity. The night
| passed in relative quiet on the re-
mainder Of the front"
Capture 300 Metre in Front
Inspection made by military author
tiles of maps of the Verdun region
shows that within the last month Ger
man gains on the west bank of the
Meuse from Cumieres to Avocourt av-
erage a depth of 300 metres. The line
eastward from the river is substan-
TALLY the same as it was a month ago
French Admit Loss.
The tide Of battle at Verdun flowed
against the French during the last "a
|
the smashing blows which took from
them the greater part of Fort Douau-
mont, hurled their legions once more
against the ruins which retain BY
courtesy the title of fort, and, by q
lavish expenditure Of life. succeeded
in partially retrieving the ground they
had lost They also gained small ad,
vantage on the left side of the river.
Military opinion here is not greatly
concerned over the result of the
days fighting. Such incidents are re-
garded as inevitable in the strategy
OF action and reaction upon which the
stubborn defense Of Verdun is based
The aim of the defenders is to inflici
the greatest possible loss upon the
enemy at the least possible cost tC
themselves. French counter attacks
are expected to restore the situation
by tomorrow in favor of the republic
The village of Cumieres gives the Ger
mans a slight advantage, as it com
mands the French lateral communica,
tons. The village is so well covered
by the French artillery that the Ger
mans will be unable to profit TO any
great extent nv ifs naSSpSSiOQ.