Evening journal., 1916-05-31
million GERMANS IN
new drive ON VERDUN

Continued From First Page.)
the German fire and was of necessity
abandoned.
South of Cumieres village, the Ger
man attack became so violent that the
French relinquished their hold on the
works west of the Aleuse and fell back
along the railway leading to Chattan-
court station, half mile east of Chat
tancourt village. The fighting continued
along the railway throughout the after
noon. In the evening a brilliant coun-
ter attack drove the Germans back to
their former positions near the village.
One German detachment, which had
managed TO reach the Mcuse, was COM
pletely annihiated by French fire.
I'm Upper Alsace the Germans, follow
ing intense artillery preparation. cap
tured few elements Of trenches cast of
ScIore. They were Immediately driven
out by counter attack.
Since the battle began the French
have persistently failed TO stop the
Germans permanently. At the very out
set, they were surpris, by the sudden
moss of the German ons aught, and dur
ing the first battle the local command
ers at Nerdun decided 10 abandon the
east bank of the Meuse where the
Louaumont and NauN fighting has oc-
Cured General Castelnau. however,
who IS General ,IofTre's chief lieutenant,
rushed > Ncrdun, reversed the orders
OF the local commanders, and the first
drive Of the Germans was checked.
But the check has never been more
than temporary. The Germans have
been compelled to fight desperately
for every foot of their advance since
General Castelnau ordered the east.
ern bank Of the Meuse defended, but
the fact cannot be evaded that the
advantage of gains remains with the
Germans. The Crown Prince has con-
Quered about 100 square miles of ter
ritory during the past 100 days. The
battle front forms little more than
one-third of a circle about Verdun,
for a distance of 25 miles. The aver
age depth of the German gains is four
miles, which represents, to the east
of the Meuse. one-half the distance TO
20 from the former German front to
Verdun. To the west Of the Meuse.
however. where the heavy fighting at
Dead Mans Hill and Cumieres is oc-
curing. the Germans are three miles
further away from Verdun than on
/ the Douaumont and VauX side. The
/ Cumieres and Dead Mans Hill en-
gagements. in fact, are efforts to even
up the distances separating the Ger
man loop from Verdun.
Charny Ridge. west Of the Meuse.
is the present main objective of the
Germans. and If this is attained. the
German forces on both sides of the
Meuse will be within the four-mile
radius. A further advance Of one
mile will then bring Verdun within
the dangerous three mile range of the
enemys artillery. This is the limit
/ OF range for the small -calibre guns
/ which are the most effective weapons
Of both armies.
! VIII Verdun fall? II depends on
the number OF available French re-
7 serves. The Germans assert the
French are now using their last re-
serves at Verdun But il is open
TO the French TO increase their
I strength al Verdun II the British take
! over more Of the front in western
France. Since the Verdun battle be-
gan the British have added As miles
Of trenches to their former holding
Of so miles in eastern France and
Belgium. The French still occupy
25 miles of western trenches. extend
ing TO the south of Noyon. where the
battle front turns northward. That
front. however. protects the road to
Paris and the French may hesitate be-
fore they abandon to anybody the
guardianship Of the direct Paris ap-
proaches.