The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-05-26
Douaunont Once More Entirely
InGaIlio Hands, Save For Small
Northern Sector To Which
Teutons Cling Desperately
DoUAUMoNT VILLAGE ALSO
HELD BY GENERAL PETAIN


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CAssOeisted Press by Federal wirsisss.)
~ ARTS, May s4.--After almost four
months Of constant lighting the
French troops under General Pc
tain, appehf TO have assumed the Of
fensiye at Yerdun, and to be slowly
wrestling from the Germans, under the
Grown Prince; land and positions won
intthe first fierce days Of the verdun
battle. ~ 3.tf : .rH-.E-.l e
These gains, practically admitted by
the German official dispatches, are
increasing in importance as the attacks
under the direction Of General Petain
move forward, seizing first one and
another Of. the positions the, Germans
have held for months. ST..
Douaumont fort, formerly regarded
rs one of the master keys to the door
Of Verdun. and the point around which
so much bloody fighting has ragged since
1t was stormed by the Crown Prince
February IS, is now again in French
hands, save for minute section at
the most northern end, where the Ger.
mans are clinging' desperately to their
last fragment of foot hold.
French Hold village
Douaumont village, where the armies
have attacked and repulsed each other
for 30 long, is also in French hands
once more, and the French are debouch-
ing from its shell shattered streets
against the German positions north Of
Thiaumont.
The official statement issued late last
night, and based upon reports from
the battle hsld headquarters, says that
the French are consolidating their gains
and are holding tenaciously to all tho
ground won, despite counter attacks
made by the Germans.
In the struggle around Douaumont,
which the communique calls "most muir
derous. - huge masses of Teutonic troops
have been used to counter-attack the
victors, This appears to have cost the
KaiseI's commanders dear, for, accord.
ing, to the reports, the seventy .fiyes of
the French artillery, have "mowed
long lanes in the ranks of the enemy"
and inflicted "sanguinary losses upon
him."
German Losses Heavy
West of lie Mort Homme, on the
western side of the river Mouse, the
fighting was resumed with all it's former
fury yesterday morning, shortly after
sun rise. The weather was clear, and
the artillery observers on both sides
were able to mark the exact fall of
the ehells.A As a result of this the at
tacks of the Teutonic infantry, which
had been preceded by prolonged artil.
lery bombardment succeeded, at first, in
gaining foothold in some of the ad-
vanced French trenches on the western
slopes of the historic hill.
Hardly had the French foot cleared
the trenches, however, when the French
artillery took for its target the posi-.
tions which but few moments before
had sheltered its own men. Men who
watched the bombardment Of these
guns. say that the effect was terrific.
The Germans holding the captured tren-
ches were literally blasted to flinders
blythe rpiu of high explosives, shower
ed upon them, and when the French.
infantry counter,attack came shortly af-
ter, but little, was left of the trenches
and less Of the foemen who had enter
ed them. ~ '..y
Gas Attacks Pan E 2
At Hill 304, another point in the
main line Of the French Defensive chain
flung around Verdun at the time Gen.
eral Sarrail, then in command Of the
fortress, dismantled his forts and NOV
ed his heavy cannon into the fields
north Of the city, the Germans attempt
ed 10 gain ground by poison gas
attack. In this they failed, say the
French accounts of the action as they
followed the gas cloud the German in
fantry was met with heavy fire by
machine guns, seventy fVes and the
rifles Of the men in the trenches, and
the attack broke down before it reached
the most advanced positions on the
Gallic line.
Berlin SAYS nothing of the failure of
that attack, but reports that French
attempts in the same sector and on
the eastern slopes of the hill also broke
down. after severe punishment had
been inflicted uron the attackers.
The rest Of the French theater of
war arnRars to have been fairly quiet
with hut little to break the deadly
nibbling' If trench warfare. Upon
the eastern front. where the German ms
and the Russi"nS are facing each other.
the sprin" fighting Is growing in vol.
umR. IT ~" """i"n of the Pripet river
positions the Russians yesterday report.
ed thnt th"'' h"v" renulsed repeated
Teutonic attarLs The Russians report
havino occunied Serbecht.
In the Asia Minor fighting the Slavs
continue their strides west and south,
driving the Turks before them They