The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-23
GERMANS WIN
BACK TRENCHES
POSITIONS REcAPTuREp FROM
THE BRITISH.
FRENCH ATTACKS ARE HALTED
Battle Raging for Works South OF
Fort Douaumont and Near Vaux
-Four French Aeroplanes
Shot Down.


Berlin (Wireless via London) March
20.-Ths official statement issued here
is as follows:
Western theater: Northeast of
Vermelles and south of the LaBassee
canal, after effective preparation by
our artillery and FIVE successful ex.
plosions Of mines, we recaptured from
the English some small advanced po-
sitions which they had taken by mine
warfare on March 2. Thirty survivors
were made prisoners English conn.
ter.attacks met With fsilure. The town
of Lens was again the target of Eng
fish artillery fire.
French Repulsed at LeMort Homme.
On the western bank of the Meuse
there is nothing Of importance to re-
port. The French attempted attacks
against LeMoFt Homme and the
ground to the east but the attacks
were stopped in their initial stages,
"On the right bank of the Mouse
there has been artillery activity Of
considerable intensity. Hand-tohand
fighting for possession of the defense
works at various points south of Fort
Douaumont and west of the village of
Vaux occurred simultaneously. The
actions were undecided at the hour OF
making this report.
I'VE again Elected the French from
the position they occupied on March
8 near the Thianville forest. North.
east of Badonviller, after destroying
some enemy shelters end taking Al
prisoners. we returned to our trenches.
-Four. Aeropianes Shot Down..
There has been lively activity by
the aviators Of both sides, both In
accommodating and attacking. Our
ayiators attacked the railway works at
Clernont, the veFduii line from E2inal
to Ldrevesoul and also the enemy po-
sitions south of Dion.
Three civilians were injured at
Metz by bombs by enemy aviators.
"Of a French squadron attacking
Muelhausen and Habsheim four aero.
planes were brought down in an aerial
, battle in the vicinity of Muelhausen,
the occupants Of which were killed.
At Habsheim one soldier was killed.
AT Mnelhausen seven inhabitants were
killed and IS injured. ~,
Eastern theater: Russian attacks
which had been expected, began with
great violence G.. the Dreswiaty- Lake
Postawy front and on both sides of
Lake Narocz. They were repulsed at
all points with heavy losses. Before
our positions on both sides Of Lake
Narocz alone 9,270 fallen Russians
were counted Our losses were small.
South of Wiszniew lake there was
only artillery activity.
Balkan froEt: The situation is I'M
changed.
Ono Of our airships attacked an
enemy feet off Kara Burnu."
Paris Says Attack Failed.
Paris, March 20.-The official state
ment issued here is as follows:
East of the Meuse after violent
bombardment the Germans directed
a somewhat spirited attack against
our front from Vaux to Damloup. They
were driven back by our curtain of
fire, their attack failing completely.
There was no infantry action by the
Germans during the night.
Artillery activity has been intermit.
tent on all sectors In the region of Yer
dun. On this front the night was calm
as d whole.
''In the Verdun region one of our
aeroplanes brought down a German
machine within our lines near Nome
vile.
Sergeant Major Navarro brought
down his seventh German aeroplane in
the region of Verdun. The German
machine fell into our lines.
German Stations sheIied.
Five of our double motor aeroplanes
bombarded the German balloon station
at Metz, the ammunition depots near
Chateau Salins and the aerodrome a.
Dieuze. Thirty shells of large ealiber
were dropped during this expedition,
20 of which fell on the station at Metz.
"one of our groups of bombing aero
planes composed of % machines
dropped 70 shells on the aviation camp
at Habsheim and the freight station at
Muelhausen. German aeroplanes pur.
sued our airmen and engaged them in
an aerial battle in which one French
machine and one German were forced
to descend as result of exchange OF
machine gun fire. Two other German
aeroplanes fell in flames and three of
ours were seriously damaged and
obliged to descend in German terri
tory" D..