Omaha daily bee., 1916-08-05


this morning, it was officially an
nounced today by the German army
headquarters. The situation at Fleury
and its vicinity, the statement adds,
now is the same as it was before the
French attack.
Paris, Aug. Attaching sin,ulta-
neously from the northwest and from
the southeast French troops yester-
day stormed the village of Fleury,
three miles north OF Verdun, and cap
tured several hundred Germans. In
the evening, however, the Germans
unched furious counter attack and
after several violent attempts sue
ceeded in getting footing in the
southern part OF the village. The
French today continue to hold the
northern section of the place and
heavy fighting is in progress.
Battle Along Meuse.
The statement given out this after
noon by the French war department,
in which it is admitted that the Ger
mans have succeeded in reczpturing
portion of the village of Fleury, is
as follows: ,.
"On the right bank OF the Meuse,
the battle continued along the Thiau-
mont-Fleury front, which the Ger
mans attacked last night with great
ferocity. Several counter attacks in
large numbers upon our positions
near the Thiaumont works were re-
pulsed with heavy losses for our ad-
versaries. In the coures OF this fight
ing our troop even occupied the
Thiaumont works, but they were COM
PEELED to evacuate it under the power
full German bombardment. They
brought back with them eighty pris-
oners.
Part of Fleury Lost.
There has been fighting no less
violent in the region OF Fleury. The
Germans multiplied the number of
counter attacks Upon this village.
Each was preceded by an intense pre-
paratory artillery fire. After several
fruitless cndeavors the Germans Sc
cured a footing in the southern part
Of Fleury, where very spirited fight
ing still is going on. All efforts to
dislodge US from the position to the
southeast of this village were checked
by the persistence of our troops.
"The enemy attacked in like man
ner during the night our new posi-
tons to the east of Vacherauville.
They succeeded only in suffering
heavy losses. In the vicinity OF Vaux
La Chipitre and Chenois the artillery
fighting has been very spirited.
Battle in Vosges.
In the Vosges yesterday the
enemy delivered upon. salient at La
Chapelottc an attack which was, how
ever, dispersed before our adversaries
could reach our lines.
"Thc night passed in relative quiet
on the rest OF the rfont.
During the night of Aug. "a, one
Of our air squadrons dropped eighty
shells OF large caliber on the rail-
road station at Noyone and on mu-
nitions factory. Fifty shells were
thrown by another squadron upon
railroad stations and bivouacks of the
enemy in the region Of the Somme."
Earlier French Reports.
The French official statement issued
last night by the French war depart
ment, announcing the capture of
Fleury by the French and recording
other operations Of the day along the
western front, said:
"On the Somme front there was no
infantry action in the course of the
day. An artillery duel continues in
the region of Monacu farm.
"On the right bank OF the Mouse
our infantry, continuing their offen-
sive action on the Thiaumont-Fleury
front. captured during the day by a
series of successive attacks all the
trenches comprised between those
two points as far as a point southeast
of Thamont work and in the vicin-
ity Of Hill 800
How Fleury Was Taken.
THE village of Fleury was at
tackled simultaneously on the north
west and on the southeast and was
entirely occupied by our troops after
y