New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-17
Hold Lines on Southern
Slope and Beat Back
Foe at ThiaumOnt.
GERMANS WON ONLY
RUINS AT FORT VAUX
Eight Thousand Shells Fired
Each Day Isolated Fortress
from Supplies.

London, June 16.-Violent attacks
last night and to-day by the Germans
in an effort to dislodge the French
from trenches captured yesterday on
the southern slope of lie Mort Homme
broke down under a rain of shells from
the French artillery, Paris announces.
The number of prisoners taken by the
French in the operation exceeded two
hundred.
East Of the Meuse powerful German
offensives against the positions north
of Thiaumont and on the southern side
of the Caillette wood were repulsed.
Berlin claims the repulse of all French
attacks east and west of the Meuse yes
to-day and to-day.
Details Of the last stand Of the
French garrison in Fort Vaux were
made public in Paris to-day. The last
message received from Major Reynal,
commander of the fortress. before it
fell into the hands of the enemy, read:
1--WE are reaching the limit. Officers
and soldiers have all done their duty.
Vive la France!"
Eight Thousand Shells Daily.
Since the beginning of the real at
tack on the fort in March the Germans
fired no less than eight thousand pro-
joctiles daily. and. in the last days be
fore its fall this number was greatly
increased, according to details Of the
fighting given out officially to-day.
An "eye witness" is quoted as say
ing: "Whav the infantry was powerless
to realize was accomplished by artil-
lery. For q long time Their was only
one outlet at the fort which could be
utilized This was a subterranean pas
sage to the northwest, access to which
later became impossible. Then fol-
lowed the cutting Of communication.
THE men suffered greatly from lack
Of water, but held out, occupying and
utilizing the ruins in the interior. In
windows and between the ruins Of the
shattered walls machine guns were in
stalled and barbados erected at all
corners. All about the outer works
the bodies OF Germans were thick.
French Attacked from Above.
"The combat continued under ex-
traordinary conditions. The Germans
conceived the idea Of filling baskets
with grenades. These were let down
by cords from windows of buildings
dominating the French positions and
exploded on top Of the defenders. The
garrison fought on, but human force
was reaching the limit of endurance.
"On the morning Of the 9th Stretcher
Bearer Vanier led a number Of wound
ed who did not want 10 be captured
through an air hole, whence they es-
capped. Others crawed toward the
French line through the piles of corpses
and heaps Of debris. Later aviators OBJ
served great columns Of smoke and an
explosion. On the 7th the Germans an
nounced the capture Of the fort. In
reality they captured only WORKOUT men
among uninhabitable ruins
Reports from the British sector OF
the West Front praise the heroism OF
the Canadian soldiers in recent engage
ments. Twenty-nine officers and men
Of the Overseas regiments have been
decorated for valor in the fighting on
June 10, when 800 yards of front line
trenches AZ Hooge. taken by the Ger
T. 49,
In the action Lance Corporal Roy A
Edmonds especially distinguished him
self when a siXty-pound German NOR
picked up the shell and pushed it over
the trench parapet, where IL exploded a
moment later
lie Mort Homme Lines Taken.
To-night's French official statement
says:
don both banks Of the Meuse the
activity of the artillery was intermit-
tent during the course of the day
There was no infantry action.
at has been confirmed that the at
tack we made yesterday on the slope
south of lie Mort Homme gave us a
portion of enemy trenches on a front
Of about one kilometre. All the at
tempts made by the enemy TO drive Us
back from there have completely failed
The number OF prisoners taken exceeds
200. including six officers"
The afternoon communication issued
in Paris reads:
"On the left bank of the River Meuse
the Germans last night delivered sew
eral counter attacks upon the trenches
on the southern slopes Of Dead Man
Hill which were occupied by US yester-
day. All their endeavors failed under
the French fire. The total number OF
German prisoners taken at this point
reaches officers and $50 men.
"On the right bank of the river the
efemy, AT 6 O'Clock yesterday evening
directed a powerful offensive movement
against our positions to the north OF
the Thiaumont Notifications. from Hill
No. 32l as far as the sides of Hill No
$50. The successive attacks Of this
movement broke down under the fire OF
our machine guns and our infantry, and
it resulted in heavy losses to our as
sailants.
"Further TO the east. following VIC
lent bombardment with large calibre
shells the Germans undertook an at
tack at about 10 p. m. upon our trenches
on the southern side of the Caillette
Wood Our curtain OF fire. at once
brought into play, prevented the enemy
from coming out Of his trenches
German Statement.
The text of to-days German state
ment is as follows: