Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-11
Crown Prince Continues to
Hurl His Legions on
Verdun
FEARFUL SACRIFICES
Twenty Thousand Teutons Said to
Have Been Killed in Intellectual
Drives on Fortress

Paris, April l1-German losses at
Vcrdun have now reached 100000 the
war office estimates today.
Berlin, April 11-More than $4,000
prisoners have been captured by the
Germans at Verdun since February
81, it is semi-oficially stated.
London, April l1-Under the most
tremendous hammer blows in the his
tory of the world, the French line is
holding firm in the great battle raging
about Verdun.
Wave after wave of German gray
coats are rolling up against the French
barricades on the six-mile front north
west of Verdun.
Bursting shell storms have shat.
tered trenches, parapets and rcdoubts
of the defenders.
The French are driving back the
German legions in savage hand-to-
hand fighting on the southern banks
of Forges brook.
Beginning with heavy infantry at
tacks delivered last Saturday, the
title has hourly grown more violent
as if it is about to eliminate in a
or,I ocs,,,1t Loth hax
Meuse..
IF the French hold them this time
VeNlun is saved beyond doubt"
said an English authority today,
Twenty thousand Germans were
killed or disabled in the first forty
eight hours of the new Verdun at
tack, Paris reports. The French los
ses are admittedly heavy.
Paris, April 1.-THE failure of the
latest great hammerstr6ke of the
Germans at Verdun has greatly en-
couraged the French press and pub
lie and confirms still further the
general confidence felt in the ability
of the high command. The attack
is stated to have been one of the
most determined of: the great blows
delivered since the battle began 50
days ago, and: yet it yielded the least
results of any of them, although the
Crown Prince hurled two whole army
corps against the French along 4
10 mile front.
AS Bethincourt formed Il danger
Gus salient, it's evacuation had been
expected for some time and military
observers long ago criticised it's re-
tention. General Petrain's unerring
Judgment in letting it go at exactly
the right moment is now highly
praised. While of little value to the
French, it is of almost none to the
Germans, as it is located in hollow
commanded by French guns on all
sides, out of which it is practically
impossible for them to debouch.
Abandoning the new open forma-
ton and the lately established prac-
tice of night attacks, the Germans
yesterday engaged wo army corps
in dense masses against the French
positions northwest of Verdun be-
tween Avocourt and Cumieres. Fore
es numbering at least division and
a half charged the line between Avo-
court and Bethincourt.
They approached within 100 yards
of the French trenches and seemed
insensble to the fact that hundreds
of their men were falling by the way
but notwithstanding their courage and
the weight of their masses they were
stopped. There was dead line beyond
which they could not pass. When the
attacking columns were thinned out
by artillery and machine gun fire SC
that reformation became necessary
the order to retire was given. Twice
were they obliged to fill up the gap:
in their: ranks, but none of theil
three ofslaughts shook the French
line, which had been considerably
strengthened in the region of Beth
incourt by the withdrawal of force
from the dangerously exposed salien
to commanding positions behind tn
village.
Two. fresh divisions attacked Dea
Mans Hill while the assault was i
progress on the Bethincourt lin