The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-09
DRIVE ON lERI)uA
HALTEDBF FRENCH
Fighting Still On for Possession
of Douaumont. "
$4,000 BODIES ARE ON FIELD
Berlin Says That Forces Were With.
drawn From Position Near Forest
Of ThlaVIIie to Avoid unnee-
essary Losses.

Paris, March Sit is stated semi
officially that the battle at Vsrdun con-
tinues with the same intensity and
without causing any change in the
respective positions of the opposing
armies. Fighting is still going on
for definite possession OF the village
of Douaumont. .. .....a .......
The only progress made by the Ger.
mans in the second phase OF their
offensive was during the first two
days of the second attack. For the
last forty-eight hours they have moi
advanced.
The Germans now have lost the ad,
vantage Of surprise. Also the ground
has been torn up to such an extent
that it cannot be organized properly.
$4,000 corpses on Field. ~
Forty thousand to fifty thousand
German corpses are lying before the
French lines.
Re-enforcements brought up by the
Germans since the Inauguration OF the
second phase of the battle on
Wednesday are estimated at 100000
men, raising the total forces utilized
by the assailants to more than 900 900
Details of local actions and the size
of the reserve forces brought up
cause French observers to make the
deduction that the Germans have paid
a very heavy price for the six square
miles of ground they have gained.
,a-. 1000 Bodies at vaux.
In front Of the village of Vaux alone
1000 German corpses were counted
after the eighth unsuccessful attack
This part of the battle, though over.
Swallowed by the fight for Douaumont
is regarded in. Paris as a serious
. check for the attackers. The Ger
mans carried on the assault with
great courage until the dead lay thick
on the field. Then the officers, it is
saidS were compelled to urge on the
troops as they clambered over the
corpses OF their fallen comrades. b"
The Pttack on Vaux began on the
evening of March 2, after. a furious
shelling and continued until the fol
lowing night. Columns of Germans
advancing simultaneously from the
north and northwest, tried to enyel.
ope the village. French artillery sep,
aratCG the first wave of Germans
from their re-enfo' cements. Never,
theless, fresh troops came on, plung.
ing INTO that storm of "teel and
emerging thinned to half their
strength. Some contingents lost six
out every ten men before even hav.
ing fired a shot.
Fight Hanc to Hand.
The survivors, undaunted, resolutely
stormed the French trenches and
fought hand to hand. The bitterest
fighting was. or possession of the road
leading to Douaumont. The Germans
harged eight times there. The ST..
preme effort was carried out by six
regiments, advancing in close forma.
ton. 49,.
French machine guns gruesome exc
cut!on IL the mass, and French infau-
try, held carefully under cover un-
til the advancing force approached
the trenches, leaped out to meet the
onrush with cold steel. The lighting
was finished in few minutes, The
Germans retired, leaving hundreds
torn and tangled in, the barbed wire
defenses and thousand laid low by
machine guns. .... ..., .....
Withdraw In Lorraine.
Berlin, via London, March 6.-The
battle of Verdun received only pass
ing mention in the war office state
ment. 1t is said French artillery is
keeping up heavy fire. especially in
the region of Douaumont, but that
there has been no further infantry
fighting Of great importance. .
The statement also says:
ITO avoid unnecessary losses, we
evacuated the trenches we captured
from the French ON February % near
the Forest of Thisville, northeast OF
Badonviller (Lorraine), before the
concentrated FIRE of the enemy against
these positions"