The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-09
WHOLE WOODS REDUCED
TO KINDLlNG BY FIRE
OF GERMAN ARTILLERY
Paris Reports Situation Improved in Drive Against
Verdun - Believe Germans Can't Capture
TOwn-Terrific Duel By ArtilIerymen Takes
Heavy Casualties on Both Sides-Armies Are
Fighting i'm Most Desperate Fashion.

appeared over Turvigany with the
| evident intention of destroying train
loads Of munitions The station
| agent named P1ancon, with the help
of a station hand, with great GOODNESS
ana dextertty coupled up the seventy
cars composing the train and got
them off to a place of safety, bombs
exploding all around but none strik-
ing the target. For this the station
agent was decorated with the military
cross.
AS a result of yesterdays opera
tlons, the French line west of the
Mouse in the Verdun battle now runs
from Bethincourt, by Corbeaux Wood
and the northern part Of Cumieres, to
t. per end of Cote De L'Oie and is
thus in advance of the first line of re-
sistance constituted by positions run
ming from Mort Honlne Hill to the
south of Cumieres. This is considered
as a, considerable Improvement in the
French position in that section The
faith of the public in the solidity of
the line west of the Mouse is regarded
as justified as the results of the first
days serious attacks. The whole
front yesterday was copiously shelled
by the German heavy artillery but the
German infantry attacked only against
positions at Bethincort on the left of
the more westerly of the two plateaus
between which the French line runs.
masses dashed forward, but the
FTenchmen, having emerged from
shelter as soon as the preliminary
bombardment had ceased, had directed
such an offensive fire from carefully
placed machine guns, accompanied by
fire from rifles and 75-nqilIimetre guns
that after struggling boldly again and
again, the assailants finally gave up
and retired.
Encouraged by their successful re-
s1stance, the Ferenchn1en won back
Corbeaux Wood which they had lost
the day before. 1t was considered
that the honors of the day rested with
the French but the situation remained
undecided. In conjunction with the
attack to the west of the river the
Germans made another determined
effort to carry Douaumont Plateau but
they only succeeded in restoring as it
was on Monday without accomplish
ing any. new progress. At the same
time the Germans increased the vieor
of their action in the Woevre district
When the operations began the Ger
mans Lad, from Etain to Fresnes, the
5th landwehr division of the fifth
corps and the 3rd Bavarian corps in
all $4,000 men spread out along a 12-
mile front.
The capture of F,resnes enabled them
to advance, and to shorten their lines
to seven miles. F'resnes had for some
lays N00n PdAIldIIy enNe1opeQ Dy the
Germans who, at Manheu1les on the
north and Champion on the south, had
rendered the position a. difficult one to
hold 1t was finally taken with heavy
loss by the Germans.
The French fell back on formidable
positions on the heights of the fMeuse
and their batteries on the heights
stopped the German attempts to push
forward from Manheu1Ies and Fresnes
1t is not considerer likely that a seri-
Gus offensive will be undertaken by
the Germans against the heights with
cut considerable reinforcements of in
fantry and more heavy guns