Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-18
Great Numbers of Germans
Fall Before Guns of the
Enemy at Avocourt.
ATTACKS REPULSED
French Foil Charges of Foe
and Capture a Teuton
Fort on Hill 304.


troops on the Verdun front last night
in an effort TO capture a TedOubt at
Avocourt. The official statement of
today says the Germans were re-
pulsed each time and that they lost
heavily.
French troops after severe fighting
captured q German fort on the north
east slope OF Hill 304.
Three German trenches north of
Hill 2S7 were raided by French forces
which killed or captured the occu-
pants Of these positions.
On the Nerdun front east of the
Meuse the artillery on both sides was
active during the night
Two French aeroplanes dropped so
more shells on the railway station at
Metz on the night of May s.
The text of the statement follows:
Between the river Disc and the river
Aisne a strong accommodating party of
the enemy which was endeaVoring TO
approach our lines in the neighborhood
Of QUennevieres was subjected by us
To a counter attack and dispersed,
leaving some dead upon the field.
On the left bank OF the river Mouse,
the Germans endeavored several times
last night to capture the redoubt in
the wood OF AvoCOurt. Repulsed each
time by our fire, they suffered serious
losses We executed, north of Hill 2S7
about : O'Clock in the morning, d sur
prise attack on German trench. The
men occupying this position were eth
or killed or captured. The French
1Ec oF +bo
enemy on the northeast slope of Hill
304.
The night Of May 1917 French avia-
tors conducted numerous lombard
ments along the front to the north of
Verdun. Fifteen shells Of large CAL
ibre were thrown down upon an i'm
poTtant depot OF munitions between
Raucourt and Arraocourt 10 kilome-
tres (six miles, south Of Sedan; five
more on the railroad station at Sedan,
where a fire broke out and Is on a de-
pot of munitions not far from Azannes.
During the same night two French
aeroplanes threw down so shells on
the railroad station at MeU-Sablons.
German War Report
Berlin, May is. via London, 2:57
p. mI-The repulse this morning of
three attacks by the French against
German positions on Hill 304 north
west of Verdun was announced by the
war Office today.
The text of today's statement fol-
lows:
Western front-Hand grenade en-
gagements southwest of Laon cnntin-
ued.
Three further attacks by the
French against our positions on Hill
S04 were repulsed early this morning.
During a retreat through Esnes the
enemy suffered very heavy losses in
the surrounding open country. This
refers TO attempts to attack made by a
fresh African division, consisting of
mixed white and colored French
troops.
An advance by weak enemy forces
southwest of Reich Ackerkopf failed
completely.
Eastern front: An enemy aero
plane was brought down east of kras-
chin.
"Rarkzn front. There Is nothing to
report
Austro War Report
Berlin. May IS, Thy wireless to Say
vile. \. Y.4-Artillery engagements
are in progress all along the Austro-
Italian front on which the Austrians
began an offensive movement several
DAYS ago. The official Austrian state
ment or May i reports the capture of
now positions on the Doberdo pla-
teau.
Offensive Is Begun.
Paris MAY IS, (5:45 a. m-)-The at
tack By the Austrians against the Ital-
ian front in the southern Tyrol which
has gradually extended to the entire
AuStrO-Jtaiian front, is being followed
here with close attention 1t is gen
orally believed in military circles that
the great Austrian offensive which has
been expected for some time past has
a. last begun.
No Importance is attached 10 the
falling back of the Italians advance
lines which is considered an obvious
move as they were not sufficiently
strong to resist an attack on a large
Scale. Although the Italian central
position on the LaYarone plateau, is
not yet involved il is thought probable
shat the principal effort Of the Aus
Hlans will be made in that direction.
1t SENS evident that the Austrian gen
erals intend TO try to carry out their
former plan of smashing a way
through TO the Vicenza plain. The fact
that heavy reinforcements have been
moved up under cover of the formida-
bic series of forts stretching from Fol
cara and Layarone fayors the belief
mat Vicenza is the real objective OF