The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-22
FRENCH TROOPS OCCUPY
BLOCK HOUSES IN WOOD
German Infantry Attacks on
Dead Man Hill Repulsed
/ by the French.
GERMAN LOSSES ARE HEAVY
'Kaiser's Forces Succeed in
Gaining a Footing in the
French First Line.
ssy As.ee,ArrD -e.ss,

PARIS, May 22-French grenn-
alers occupied several block houses
IN Avocourt wood on the yerdun
front in the course of severe fight
ing last night.
The struggle west Of Dead Man
NIL was terrific. The war Office
statement of today says that the at
'tacks OF German infantry were re-
pulsed.
Houses Abandoned.
The block houses in Avocoprt
wood were abandoned by the Ger
mans.
East Of the Meuse infantry fight
ing occurred at tho Haudremont
quarries, captured yesterday by the
French. Tho Germans attacked these
positions and the statement asserts
were repulscd with heavy losses.
The battle Of yerdun. the longest
and most bitterly contested struggle
or the war. entered on its fourth
month today. The Germans are
'hammering at Dead Man hill. where
the most furious and bloody fighting
,of the three months conflict has
taken place. Clinglng desperately to
the trenches that they have wrested
from the French on the lower slope
OF the hill the Teutons have hurled
10000 men backed by sixty batter
los of guns of all calibers forward
along seven mile front from .tvo-
court wood to the Mouse in deeper
ate effort to seize the coveted sum-
nit.
Germans Cot Foothold.
AS has been usual in this war
when either sido lost well prepared
and strongly delivered offensive at
lacking forces have won initial ad-
'vantages. Tho Germans have sue
ceeded in gaining footing in The
French first line ct cost OF severe
losses. However. Judging from the
experience of tho past 1t will not be
q difficult task for the French to dts
lodge them before they are able to
follow UP their advantage. Both
Sides viii! then return to their former
posts to await another offensive.
That the Germans must continue
their tremendous onslaught on Dead
Man hill or abandon the idea OF
taking Verdun seems obvious. This
biood-soaked summit and its sister
eminence, Hill No. 304, form the key
the whole system of Verdun's de-
lenses.
The fire from their batteries tanks
the Douaumont plateau across the
river. Without the undisputed po-
sitions Of this plateau military critics
agree that no attack on Verdun has
any chance Of success.
Onivial Statement.
The official statement continues:
"South OF Berry-au-Bac French
forces exploded two mines with sue
cess Mt hill 1903.
I'm tho Champagne district a gas
attack by the Germans was without
results. This emission OF gas was In
the zone betwon the road from souaia
to somme-Py and the road from San
tie Hilaire to st. Souplet. No sooner
had the cloud Of gas started than an
unexpected turn In the direction Of
the wind drove 1t back on the trench
es OF the enemy.
Balloons Sent Down.
''1n the region Of verdun French
ayiators have attacked q number Of
captive German balloons. SIX of these
balloons were sent down on fire. In an
aerial engagement one of our pilots
brought down German aeroplane. In
the vicinity of Eparges two other ma
chimes of the enemy attacked by
French aeroplanes were brought to
earth. one behind the enemy lines at a
point near Liancourt and the other be-
hind our lines at Fontenoy.
''This morning aeroplanes OF the
enemy threw down bombs on Dunkirk.
ION the nights of May 90 and 81
several operations were conducted by
groups of French aviators. Shells
we're successfully thrown on the rail-
road station at Metz-Sablons. Avri-
court and Roye; upon munitlon de-
pots at Biaches and Chappelote; on
vicouacks in the vicinity of Azannes
and on the village Of Jimietz where
there had been installed the head
quarters Of the commandments of an
important division. Furthermore
two Of our dirigibles have rained
down bombs on the railroad station
and the railroad line at Brieulles and
Dun.'