Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-03-18
FRENCH HEAD OFF
new OFFENSIvES
Heavy Artillery Fire Prevents
German Preparations for
Futher Advances.
KAISER's MEN MAKE GAINS
Additional Points About Verdun o.
cupied by Teutons-Activity Along
the Lines in Belgium

London. March with the lessen
ing OF the ACTIVITY of the contending
forces to the north of Verdun, the
French in the w Oevre region, east OF
Verdun, are using their artillery to
break up German preparations for
further advances toward the fortress.
At various points the fire of the
French guns has prevented the Ger
mans from launching otfensives.
In the Vosges mountains there also
has been great artillery activity by the
French near Senones and Man-de-
Sapt; while near Seppois the Ger
mans have been driven out of trenches
they had previously taken. In the
Champagne, German fortified works
have been battered by the French guns
and the crater OF mine exploded by
the Germans was occupied by the
French
Germans Continue to Gain.
The Germans have added several
additional POINTS to their terrain in tne
fighting about Verdun, having been
able 10 construct trenches on the
slopes north of the Cote du Poivre and
to capture an armo1ed work northwest
of Douaumont and have taken the
towns of Manhueles and Champion,
thirteen miles southeast of Verdun.
In this drive to the east of Verdun,
the advance of the Germans has ex-
tended over front O, virtually twelve
miles from Dieppe to Champion.
Berlin reports that thus far the Ger
mans have taken prisoner 22S officers,
16,575 men and a large number of can
non, machine guns and much other
war material
Activity on British Front.
There has been considerable artil-
lery activity and fights in the air be-
tween battalions of Germans and Brit
ish aviatols, along the British front in
France and Belgium.
The British official communication
dealing with the fighting along the
British lines on the continent, made
public tonight, says:
Today our artillery bomharded
enemy trenches about Ouvilder, Au
Thule and Fromelles There has
been considerable artillery firing by
both sides about Ypres.'
Surround One Teuton Regiment.
Paris. Feb. 29.-Attacks by the Ger
mans to the north of Verdun, where
the battle tor the fortress is still rag
ing fiercely. were driven back by the
French fire and counter attacks, ac-
cording to the official communication
issued by the war Office tonight.
Hand to hand encounters occurred
to the west of Fort Douaumont and
the Germans were driven from a small
redoubt which they had taken.
London. Feb. 29-The tide of the
great battle around Verdun apparently
has not turned in favor of either side
While the Germans claim further adj
vances. the French are equally en-
phatic in their assertion that they
checked the attacks of the masses of
German infantry sent against them.
Around Fort Douaumont, which has
fallen to the Germans and reported to
be in ruins. the most desperate fight
ing of the battle has been going on
since Friday. Here French counter
attacks were delivered with such
crushing force that some of the Ger
man detachments were driven back
and one regiment is almost encircled.
1t is to the west of this fort that in a
ham to hand encounter the French
have elected the Germans from small
redoubt which they had captured.
Throughout the entire sector of Yer
dun. except on the western bank of the
Mouse River, where the German bonn
bardment has slackened somewhat.
the artillery duels are still of vast pro-
portions.
More Activity in East.
On the Russian front around Fried
richstadt and IIloukst. there has been
heavy artillery. machine gun and rifle
firing. The Austrians. according to
Vienna. have put down with sanguin-
AIRY losses an Italian attack against
positions on both sides of Monte San
Michele and east of Azzo and also de-
stroyed an Italian trench on the Gori-
zia bridgehead.
Germans Take Two Positions
London, Feb. 2S.-The great battle
centering around Verdun, in which a
half million men are engaged, is still
being fought at some points with the
same fury as was manifest several
days ago.