Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-24
FORT DOUAUMONT STILL
is HELD BY THE FRENCH
Crown Princes Attacks Declared to
Be Without Regard to Enor-
nous Sacrifices.
FoROCITY OF BATTLE APPALS
Men Seem Bewildered by Thunder
of Guns. But Cling to Trenches
or Charge With Grim De-
termination.

PARIS. May "a, HIS am
: A powerful offensive was under
taken bv the Germans last night
to the east of Dead Man hill, on
the Nerdun front. The attempt
in general was unsuccessful, the
war office report of this afternoon
saws. but after fierce hand-to-
hand struggle the attacking forces
made their way into a portion Of
the village of Cumieres. At this
point the French are faced by
more than three divisions.
German attacks on Fort Douau-
mont. the corner stone of the
Ferdun defenses. are said viz
tually to have failed Notwith-
Standing the determination Of
their attacks and what is charac-
terized as a most reckless expen-
diture of life the Germans sue
ceeded only in taking a small part
OF a trench east of the fort.
Most Violent of Battles.
rage with violence unexampled even
in this region. The Germans are striv-
ing with every resource in their power
to capture hill No. so4 and Dead Man
hill. on the left bank of the Meuse, and
to win back the famous Fort Douau
mont on the right bank. which was
wrested from them by Gen. Neville's
brilliantly planned and executed Of
fensive
Without full possession of the line
from Pepper hill to Eaux fort, the Ger
mans cannot hope to get any nearer to
the capture of Verdun. Even If they
succeeded in taking this line they could
not hold it unless they were also in
possession of hill No. 304 and Dead
Man hill, which outflank the line.
Driven to desperation by seeing so
much of its work undone. the German
command has hurled attack after at
tack against Fort Douaumont. At the
same time it has kept up its onslaught
on the left bank of the river to prevent
the French transferring any forces to
the main scene of attack
Many Die to Gain Inches.
All day yesterday the tide of war
ebbed and flowed. inches of ground
being won and lost at an appalling
cost in men. AS one French officer said:
PILOTS of land come high here" Again
and again after reducing trenches to
a crumbling heap of ruins by deluge
of shells the German infantry dashed
Forward only to be caught and swept
away by a hurricane of curtain fire
from the French batteries and machine
Euns.
Tho conditions Of the present war
have transformed the traditional fur-
GUS courage of the French soldiers
into an immovable stoicism. Men have
stood their ground manfully in a sit
uation which 1t seemed beyond human
nature to support. When night fell
last night the positions on both sides
were unchanged. The French held
firmly all their gains. while the Ger
mans incurred fearful losses without
getting near to any decisions. Describ-
ing the battle around Fort Douaumont
one combatant said:
Trenches Are Destroyed.
For four miles behind US there was
not a trench or a communication, moth .
ing but shell holes, one within another.
Every inch of the ground was plowed
up by an expenditure of ammunition
which is inconceivable. In holes made
by ffteen-inch shells you could stable
fifteen horses easily. The few trees
:. still standing have been stripped of
+ their branches and looked like tele-
graph poles. 1t is the abominatjon of
deso,ation Not for second do the
guns cease roaring or men cease fall
ing. AS soon as a trench is made the
shells begin to drop and the survivors
have TO begin all over again Attacks
have become almost impossible. be-
cause in the terrific tornado of artillery
fire the infantry on either side are un-
able alike 10 advance or retreat Yer
dun will certainly not be taken from
this point.
are able to keep it up. You are ex-
terminated in your boots without see
ing the enemy. The terrific noise
leaves half stunned Men look AZ
each other with bewildered eyes. n
requires strong effort of the will to
speak to a comrade.
Official French Statement,
The text of the statement issued nv
the war ONCE follows:
"In the Champagne district the Ger
mans by the suse of gas endeavored to
occupy our Slines at point west OF
the Navarin farm. Our curtain of fire
1confinusd on Second Page.)
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