Evening star., 1916-04-12
GERMANS W0RSTED
IN VERDUN ATTACK,
|SFRENCR REPORT
Paris Declares Enemy Failed
in Gas-FIame Assault West
of the Meuse.
CROWN PRINCES LOSSES
ARE SAID TO BE HEAVY
His Soldiers Hurl Themselves
Against French Lines, Appar-
emily Needless of Slaughter.
GAS CLOUD SMOTHERS FIELD
French Forced to Abandon Trenches.
But Recapture Them When
Curtain of Poisonous
Vapor Lifts.
GAS CLOUD sMoTHERs FIELD

dun front. west OF the Meuse.
was renewed this morning.
Troops advanced on Caurettes
wood. south of Cumieres, the war
office announced, using flame pro-
iectors. but were repulsed.
East of the Meuse. in the Dou-
aumont-Naux sector. there was
only artillery fighting.
The war office SAYS it has been
confirmed that the German losses
Yesterday were very heavy.
Official French Report.
The text of the statement follows:
"On the left bank of the River Meuse
the Germans this morning delivered an
attack on our positions at the Caur-
cites wood. between lie Mort Homme
and Cumieres. in which they made use
of flaming liquids. They were every
where repulsed.
"On the right bank of the river there
has been great artillery activity be-
tween Douaumont and Vaux. but last
night saw resumption of the infan-
try fighting at this point
1t has been confirmed that the very
violent offensive action yesterday aft
ernoon at o'clock in this sector, which
was repuIsed by US, cost the enemy
heavy losses.
The night passed relatively quiet on
the remainder of the 'front.'
To Yield No More Ground.
verdun, it Is said, has ceded all the
ground he intends to- The French line
now is located on the heights. Any fur
ther advance, in the opinion of military
observers familiar with the ground, will
.lave to be purchased at such a loss that
even the crown prince, who has gained
among the French a reputation for reck-
lesSneSs, must hesitate.
While bringing up reinforcements to
resume their attack on LIE Mort Homme
thc Germans are trying to recover the
ground regained by the French in Call
,ette woods and to the north between
Douau umont and Faux.
The French positions there describe
an arc from point south of Douamont
Vaux, and the front is little less
than two miles in length.
Under Heavy Gunfre.
For three days the only actions on
the east bank of the Meuse have been
centered there with the habitual pre-
paration in heavily concentrated ar
tillery fire. with a finishing touch in
the form of 4 couple of hours of heavy
shelling. with suffocating and tear
provoking gas protectiles.
After a bombardment with high ex-
plosives lasting eight hours and the
use of gas for another hour or two the
Germans would attack in two columns
simultaneously on two tanks. There
was no visible diminution in their
courage and ardor: neither did the
French show the slightest fatigue and
the consequence is that the unprece-
dented carnage Of the battle Of Yer
uun goes on.
gas projectiles. was overhung by yellow
lsh cloud of chlorine vapor which seemed
10 be suspended from the sky. When
the cloud lifted thk Germans bounded
forward seemingly Indifferent to the thick
dealing curtain of fire from the
French artillery. Some of them got
through it. but only to find that the
French had abandoned the first line
trenches TO allow the gas cloud to dissi
pate.
TO fortify the trenches, but before they
had reached the line the French came
back with an Irresistible counter attack
ara N few minutes drove out the Ger
mans from The few points at which they
mad penetrated the trenches