New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-24
Hurl Back MurderouS
Assaults on Whole
Verdun Arc.
GERMANS GAIN
NEAR THIAUMONT
Hold Footing to West of
lie Mort Homme Only
Seconds.

London. May 23.-To-day has wit
messed the bloodiest fighting in the
whole battle of Verdun. The strug-
Gle Of the first days of the German
assault, or Of the second mighty ef-
fort 10 ovcrwhelm the fortress fades
into nothing compared with the u
tanic force of to-day's blows.
Their net result, as far as the Ger
mans were concerned. was to leave
the battle lines where the French had
left them after the successful coun-
fer attacks of yesterday. Only about
the Thiaumont farm, east Of the
Meuse. does Paris admit the loss Of
? single foot of ground. Berlin It
self claims only the capture Of
small blockhouse west Of the river
and of a mine sap near Vaux. For
the rest it contents itself with report
ing the repulse of French attacks.
Every available man and every
available gun, except those actually
necessary for the reserves, the Ger
mans have mustered into the battle.
They made a supreme effort to re-
,apture Fort Douaumont, which, in
their absorption at Hill 304 and lie
Mort Homme. they had neglected TO
prepare against the contingency of
French surprise. But the French
grip on their old Notifications was
TOO strong.
Assault Follows Assault. !;
Assault after assault so many Of
them that they literally flowed into
each other we're delivered within the
old ramparts. II was a repetition Of
the hand-to-hand struggle in the
streets of Vaux.
To ono corner OF the abandoned fort
the Germans still clung desperately.
The French fought their way so close
that. had the opposing troops stood up
in the trenches, they could almost
have clasped hands. There the Ger
mans arc repeating the feat Of the
Brandenburgers who first captured the
fort. Isolated from their comrades
for days. they nevertheless succeeded
in repellng sll French attempts to
regain the work.
Le Mort Homme and Hill 3O4 con-
iInue 20 bear the brunt Of the attack
west Of the Meuse, though Paris as
serts that only once were the Germans
able 20 reach the French line That
was in the second assault at lie Mort
Homme. and a counter attack quickly
oislodced them.
Flaming Liquids Fail.
Flaming liquids again were resorted
TO- but the French long ago solved this
method Of attack. The advance posts
were evacuated while the FIRE lasted
and clay shields prevented its doing
damage further back.
The French official communication
tonight SAYS:
"ln the region Of Verdun the Ger
man countcr-attacks took on a char
ecter of extreme violence along the
whole ront. without 10 being yet posi-
ole 20 specify the considerable effec
tlves engaged
"On the left bank of the Meuse. after
bombardment with large shells all
morning, the Germans launched on
several occasions their assaulting
masses against our positions 10 the
east and west Of lie Mort Homme. The
nrst attack, moved down by our artill-
cry and machine gun fire. was re-
pulsed with sanguinary losses, with
GUY me enemy having been able TO
reach our lines.
Germans Win. Then Lose.
"A second attack. likewise desper-
aye. about Z o'clock in the evening,
succeeded IN gaining a footing in one Of
our trenches 10 the west an immediate
eounter-attack completely drove out
the enemy
-, "On tho right bank the region Of
haudromont-Dousumont was all day
ttne theatre of a murderous struggle.
Inc Germans multiplied their assaults,
winch were preceded each time by
very powerful artillery preparations.
Despite all these efforts the posi-
uons conquered by us yesterday were
maintained i'm their entirety. notably
IN Fort Douaumont. In this region /
more than three hundred prisoners re-
NAMED in our hands"
Germans Win at Thiaumont.
The early French statement said:
In the region of Nerdun the battle /
continued with extreme violence Ell |
last night on both banks of the River I
Meuse. On the left bank Of the stream |
furious counter attacks delivered by the /,
enemy against all our positions at Hill I
ooi resulted in complete failure. To |
tAe west of the hill particularly the !
enemy employed in large measure ma !
chimes to throw flaming liquids. This /
Continued on page 8, column