The sun., 1916-03-13
SAY GERMAN LOSSES AT
VERDUN ARE NEAR 100000
Third Week of Fighting Most Disastrous for the In
vaders, Asserts "Daily Mail" Core
spondent in Paris.

Hand faced superior numbers and, "A ter
rihc German curtain Of fire rendering
the organization of a counter attack diff
cult, withdrew from their advanced ele-
mcnts. which were In danger OF being
surrounded.
When the Prussian regiments recon-.
menced the assault they were able ut
great cost to push as far as the church.
hut not further. Five times they en-
deavored TO leave the shelter OF all that
is left OF the church and cottages. but
each time machine gun fire. shrapnel and
the French mountain guns cut through
their lines like "A scythc.
Gen. Petain's guns from 75s TO ?i0s.
were also busy IN the rear Of the ad-
vanced German regiments. Now that
the mist was clearing away the Kaiscr's
generals were unable to rush supplies
or munitions and rcenforcements, and
from sheer inanition the fight died down
NH through Saturday and Till this
morning there were no more infantry
engagements at Vaux village, though
the artillery never slackened.
Half "A mile south Of the village Ia
Fort Eaux. position the Germans
boastcd they had captured and after
ward said they had lost.
Germans Make No Gain.
After four days Of desperate fghting
which covered the plain for 5000 yards
from the foot OF the hills with heaps OF
their dead. the Germans barely sue
, ceedcd in setting foot on the lower slopes
and have not yet reached the barbed
wire which encircles the position.
As desperate AS was the figh,ing in
the village. II was even more deadly
around the fort French artillery ori-
GERS commanding batteries on the
heights of the Meuse say that they
never saw German generals SO reckless
OF human life. Times without number
tnc German columns debouched from
their trenches and rushed 10 attack In
lines four deep only 10 be smo,hcrcd h,
the French tire. French inch and 5
inch shells exploded right on top of the
maNhinS companies and when the
SMOKE and dust had cleared nothing was
ieit hut mass Of piled bodies
| The spur on which the fort stands |.
| IN many places almost perpendicular r
| The German lines were forced TO halt
nut many Bavarians from reserve regi.
ments struggled up the slope amid hai
| VI pu'ets' Ihey climbed on one an
others shoulders. hanging to angles of
rock. grasping TUFTS OF grass. Time and
again the human pyramid they formed
| collapsed INTO shapsless gray mass
| IN places where the slope was casie,
anu ,hc attack therefore more concen.
trated the bitches ran red.
! Germans Call a Halt.
FINALLY the German officers called q
matt 10 the butchery ana the nyh,ln,
stopped. The enemy must at the loves,
estimated have los, moro than tvo.
'hlrds of his attacking forces.
| est OF the Meusc the strurr,.
centred al the two points Of Crows WOO,
and the Bethincourt front. The wood AZ
IT'S longest part measures 500 wards
| nowhere II II bruader than 400 Yards
ic 10 take IL the Germans threw ,r.Ins,
| the FRENCH more than % 900 men an,
"an 10 make several assaults.
AT the end of Friday the Fre,c,
sun held their positions in the Cum, 70,
WOOD and prevented the enemy's fur,he
progress. AZ the same time several 90,
man regiments marched asains, IN.
frehch positions defending tho road fro,
J hethincourt TO chdtt4ucourt and ,b
tanned footing in an important s,,
hehind tho French lines. but A yIrorou
counter attack drove them out,
| NJ IN" hour of tclegraphinC tho Ger
mans seem 10 hc resting. I, il repor,c,
that the Imperial Guard t. being brourh
M with u View To aiding In "A d.srcr,,
assault on the Nerdun front"