New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-04
French Continue Counter
Attacks West of
the MeuSe.
PETAIN FORCES FOE
TO KEEP UP BATTLE
Crown Prince Halls Withdrawal
10 Watch French Move
Gains In Argonne.

London, May 3.-Again the French
have driven ahead at Dead Man Hill.
To the 1900 metres Of trenches the
capture OF which WAS announced yes
terdsy. they have added fresh lines
taken to-day.
Tonight the Germans have been
practically cleared from their last foot
hold on the slopes of Dead Man Hill.
To gain 1t had cost weeks Of titanic ef
fort and the sacrifice Of German lives
with q prodigslity matched only at
Douaumont They lost it in two sharp,
decisive, brilliantly planned French
counter attacks.
Since the opening Of the French
counter offensive ct Verdun, German
attacks on other sectors OF the west
front have practically ceased. In the
Argonne there was small assault,
aided by gases, which succeeded to-day
IN reaching the French trenches for
short time. But the diversions Of last
week, which Paris believed were mask
ing the withdrawal Of troops from Yer
dun, have generally been abandoned.
German Withdrawal Halted.
These movements are now believed 20
have stopped. while the Crown Prince
watches the development of the French
counter offensive and seeks 10 deter
mine its magnitude. Berlin continues
20 ignore Paris claims, except to de-
clare that counter attacks have been
repulsed with heavy losses.
Speculation among observers here as
TO the extent Of General P6tain's Of
fensive is equally fruitless. The more
substantial opinion seems to be that the
French attacks are undertaken primar-
lily with the purpose OF strengthening
their defensive lines. Coupled with
this is the desire to keep the Germans
from letting 60" so long as II is pos
sible to bleed them in assaults.
"West Of the Meuse," says Paris to-
ight, there was a violent lombard
mt in the sector Of Avocourt. Tow
ID the end Of the afternoon our troops
oy a brilliant assault captured Ger
man positions northwest % lie Mort
Homme We took about hundred
prisoners and four machine guns
The afternoon War Office statement
said:
been fairly intense activity on the part
of the opposing artillery forces IN the
sectors of Dead Man Hill and Douau-
mont. One Of our long range pl~s
bombarded the railroad station a. pc
bastopol. to the east Of Nlsneulles.
Flames were observed al the station.
Launch Attack In Argonne.
an the Argonne district, after
spirited bombardment with shells
yhich released irritating gases, the en-
envy undertook yesterday evening.
mall attack in which three companies
,ok mart upon our trenches between
.arazee and Four de Paris. The Ger
ans were successful in gaining a loot
o for few moments in our advanced
)sitions, but they were not able 10
1intain this success and had 10 re
e. They sustained heavy losses by
T FIRE"
The situation remains unchanged IN
Meuse (Nerdun sector).' Berlin
lares. "First Lieutenant Won Al
US shot down his sixth enemy aero
40 above the Caillette Wood. An
ar French aeroplane was brought
n in a combat in the air south OF
tumont. Anti-aircraft guns brought
two moro aeroplanes south Of
u ridge. and a fifth plane was de-
we'd by machine gun fire near
daumont. The pilot Of the last
toned aeroplane was killed and
observer seriously wounded.
'orth of Dxmude our detachments
eeded by surprise attack in en-
q the Belgian line. and took sew
dozen soldiers prisoners.
the Four de Paris sector our pa
reached the second French line,
returned after capturing several
Iners."