Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-03-02
TREMENDOUS ATTACK UPON THE
FRENCH LINES I'M VICINITY
or vERDuh FORTRESS.
issue Not Yet Decided, Altho Oh 1t. is
Admitted That German. Have
Made Some Headwsy.

: 4oOiSlnuAil5 LIE dSSdulC Dy dTLllleTy ana
have captured trenches and minor
forts The French reports indicate
that the attacking forces have been
held back and the hope is expressed
that the brunt Of the fighting is over
for the present German reports,
however, differ in some respects,
leaving the impression that the Ger
man gains have been very substan-
tiaI.
Verdun is less than $50 miles from
Paris and the opinion prevails in
some quarters that Paris is the OBJ
1ective, while in other quarters it is
believed that the Germans have pre-
pared Tor great activity at various
battle fronts during the early spring
with a view to bringing the war to q
close in the near future.
Berlin Reports.
Berlin (via London) Progress Of
the Germans in their drive toward
Verdun in the Woevre district was
announced by the war office today.
The German troops have passed
Dieppe, Abacourt and Blanzee and
also have taken Manheulles and Cham
&plon.
Artillery Activity Violent.
The text OF todays oficial state-
ment on military operations follows:
Western theater: Very strong ar
tillery activity has continued at sew
eral points.
East of the Meuse we stormed 4
small armored work directly north
west Of the village OF Dauamont. Re-
Ieated enemy attacks In this region
were stopped at the very outset.
TN the Woeyre our troops have
passed Dieppe, Abacourt and Blan-
zee have cleared the extern
sive wooded region northeast OF Wat
ronyiile and Handimant and have
taken in their heroic advance Man
healles and also Champion.
16,575 Sound Men Taken.
up till last night we counted un-
wounded prisoners 22S officers and
16,575 men, and further Is cannon,
81 OF these heavy and OF the most
modern kind, and SO machine guns.
while uncounted war material is re-
ported as booty. 52
At the foresterts house at Thia-
VILE, northeast of BabonyiIler, the
projecting portion of, a French posi-
tiOn was attacked and taken. Many
prisoners remained in our hands"
Hand to Hand Fight.
Paris. The bombardment to the
north Of Verdun is continuing with
greater intensity. "a
The text OF the official communica.
tion ON the progress OF hostilities
given out by the French war office
this afternoon is as follows:
To the north of Verdun the bonn
bardment has continued with in
creased intensity.
In the sector to the east OF the
Meuse last night there was resume
ticn Of the previous violent local al.
tAcks, particularly in the vicinity of
the village of Douamont where thas9
sighting came to hand and hand en-
iconnters g resulting in the driving
back OF the enemy by our troops.
Tertons Fail to Hold Gain.
In the Woevre district the Ger.
mans were successful, after an intense
preparatory artillery FIRE In gaining
possession OF the village Of Manheul.
les An Immediate counter-attack on
cur part brought us back to the west
}crn boundary Of the village, which we
NOW hold under our fire.
In Lorraine the enemy was suc
ccssfnl in penetrating several small
sections Of our advance trenches. Int
they were almost Immediately driven
cut OF these positions.
Therei nothing to report from
fhe rernas nd ~ ~ 5fIYx frr,,+s y. N