Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-24
Deadly Onslaught of Ger.
mans at Verdun With
stood by Defenders.
FIGHTING MURDEROUS
Battle Being Waged With
out Regard to Cost in
Men on Either Side.

Paris, May "a, DIS a. MA pow
erful offensive was undertaken by the
Germans last night to the east of
Dead Mans Hill on the Verdun front.
CeSsful, the war Office report of this
afternoon says, but after a fierce
hand to hand struggle the attacking
forces made their way into portion
OF the village of Cumieres.
At this point the French are faced
by more than three divisions.
German attacks on Fort Douaumont,
the corner stone of the Verdun de-
lenses, are said virtually to have fail
ed. notwithstanding the determine
ton of their attacks and what is char
acterized as most reckless expendi-
ture of life, the Germans succeeded
only in taking a small part of trench
west of the fort.
French War Report
The text of the statement follows:
In the Champagne district Germans
by the use of gas, endeavored to oc-
cupy our lines. Our curtain of fire
threw the enemy back.
"On the left bank of the river Meuse
the Germans undertook last night a
powerful offensive action east of Dead
Mans Hill. After hand-to-hand fight
ing the enemy penetrated, at the cost
of important sacrifices, into the vii
lage of Cumieres. as we'll as into one
of our trenches Immediately west of
this point.
Recent information sets forth that
the forces employed by the enemy in
the region of Dead Mans Hill since the
21st of May exceed three divisions.
"On the right bank of the river Meuse
there have been preparations on the
part of the artillery and successive at
lacks of great violence. In the region
of HaudrOmont and at Douaumont, in
spite of ferocious assaults, the enemy
| has been successful in securing foot
| ing in only small part of a trench
| east of the fort This has been accom-
plished without counting the cost in
human lives. All endeavors against
our positions west of the fort and upon
the fort itself have been checked by our
| fire.
IN the Woevre district there have
been bombardments in the sectors of
| Elk and Moulainville"
Battle is Worst in History.
| The battle around Verdun continues
to rage with a violence uneXampled
even in this region. The Germans are
| striving with every resource in their
! power to capture Hill No. 304 and
| Dead Mans Hill, on the left bank OF
| the Mouse and to win back the fam
Gus Fort Douaumont on the right
| bank which was wrested from them
by General Nivelle's brilliantly plan
ned and executed offensive.
| Without full possession of the line
from Pepper Hill to VauX fort the Ger
mans cannot hope to capture Verdun
Even if they succeeded in taking this
! line they could not hold it unless they
were also in possession Of Hill No
304 and Dead Mans Hill, which out
| flank the line.
Driven to desperation by seeing SO
much of its work undone the German
command has hurled attack after at
| tack against Fort Douaumont. At the
| same time it has kept up its on
slaught on the left bank of the river
to prevent the French transferring
any forces TO the main scene of attack
Cost in Men Appalling.
All day yesterday the tide of war
ebbed and flowed, inches of ground
being won and lost at an appalling
cost in men. AS one French officer
said: plots of land come high here. p
Again and again after reducing
trenches TO crumbling heap of ruins
| by deluge of shells, the German in
| fantry dashed forward, only to be
caught and swept away by a hurri-
cane of curtain fire from the French
batteries and machine guns.
The conditions of the present war
have transformed the traditional fur
ious courage OF the French soldiers in
to an immovable stoicism. Men have
stood their ground manfully in a sit
| uation which seemed beyond human
nature to support. When night fell the
positions on both sides were I'M
| changed. The French held all their
gains while the Germans incurred
fearful losses without getting near to
any decisions. Describing the battle
around Fort Douaumont, one combat
ant said:
Witness Gives Views.
For four miles behind US there
was not a trench or communlca-
ton, nothing but shell holes, one with
in another Every inch of the ground
was plowed up by an expenditure OF
ammunition which is inconceivable.
It is the abomination of desolation. Not
for a second do the guns cease roar
ing or men cease falling. AS soon as
a trench is made the shells begin TO
drop and the survivors have to begin
Continued On Page Five.)