New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-09
French Retain Trenches
West and South of Capt
ured Height.
TWO FRESH DIVISIONS
WON STRONGHOLD
British Garry Out Successful
Raid on Trenches South OF
La Bassee Canal.

London. June s.-The capture OF Fort
Vaux, admitted by Paris this morn
ing, indicates that the Germans now III
possession of the height must attempt
at once to clear the trenches sweeping
around the western and southern slopes
if they hope to hold the position.
after seven days of ferocious fight
ing against assaulting forces whose
numbers we're constantly renewed,
saws the French official. "the garrison
at Fort Vaux reached the limit OF It's
strength and was not able to prevent
the enemy from occupying this posi-
ton. which had been completely
ruined by furious bombardment. we
hold the immediate surroundings OF the
fort. as we'll as the trenches to inc
RIGHT and to the left Of it. In front OF
these. every attack delivered by the
enemy has been broken by our fire
The French garrison gave up the
bombarded shell of the old fort after
heroic resistance. having been cut
off from food supplies for five days and
from all communication for the hnai
twenty-four hours.
The desperate defence made by Com
mander Raynal and the small contin-
gent left in the fort constitutes one OF
the most notable incidents Of the Yer
dun campaign. The fort had been
gradually pounded to pieces in ter
,ific seven-day bombardment, while in
fantry rushes were repeatedly Launched
in this period against the slopes OF
the fort, its bitches and outworks.
Garrison Cut of.
Early yesterday morning the garri-
son was cut off for the first time
from communicating with the French
trenches lying only 300 yards to the
south The means Of transporting pro-
visions and shells had previously been
destroyed and the stock of food was
exhausted.
In the meantime the Germans brought
up two fresh divisions and hurled them
forward in five successive massed at
tscks which, in spite Of the fearful
losses caused by the French artillery,
finally resulted in the Germans gaining
the inner defences of the fort and
sweeping over its exhausted defenders.
No word has been received from Com
mander Raynal since communication
was first cut, and nothing is known OF
his fate or that OF his men.
While the prolonged bombardments
have destroyed the usefulness OF Naux
as a fertilization, yet its possession is
important, as it is one of the dominat-
ing heights on which the posting Of
artillery is advantageous.
The French lines now embrace the
circle of inner forts and trenches lying
south of Fort Vaux. the lines constitut-
ing a semi-circle of defences from five
to six miles outside of Verdun.
Germans Attack at Thiaumont.
The official statement issued in Paris
twelve hours after the announcement
Of the fall of Fort Vaux showed but
little development in the situation.
After a violent bombardment," says
the bulletin, "the enemy directed sue
cessive attacks against our positions to
the west and to the cast of the Thiau-
mont farm north of Fort Naux).
These attacks failed under our curtain
Of fire and the fire of our machine
guns"
On the left bank of the Meuse inter
mittent bombardments of the French
second line positions were reported this
morning. ain the sector of Hill 3O4
and the region Of Chattancourt," says
the evening bulletin, "the artillery ac-
tivity WAS maintained"
Artillery fighting is also reported
west of Pont-a-M ousson and at Hart
mansweiler-K opf.
ain the Argonne district" says the
Paris bulletin. "a German mine eX-
ploded this morning at Hill 285, at la
Haute Chevauchee, but without causing
us any damage. We occupied the
southern lip of the crater thereby ere
ated."
In Flanders the principal activity in
the last twenty-four hours has been IN