Evening star., 1916-03-10
CAPTURE Of ABLA|N
WOOD, LATE CLAIM
|. OF GERMAN ARMIES
Admitted That French Have
Regained FoothoId in
Fort Vaux.
LET-UP IN TEUTONIC
ATTACKS MOMENTARY
Further Progress fer Gen. Joffre's
Men in Corbeaux Wood
Reported.
PARIS IS RESTING EASIER
Fierce Engagements Raging in Vari-
Gus Sections for Past Week
Are Graphically De
scribed.
LET-UP IN TEUTONIC
ATTACKS MOMENTARY
PARIS IS RESTING EASIER

LONDON. March io.-Capture
OF the Ablain wood was an
nounced today by German army
headquarters. 1t was stated that
the French had resained foot
hold in the fort OF Naux.
A momentary let-up in the
desperate infantry fighting about
Nerdun was reported today from
Paris The Germans had not, up
to the time the statement was is
sued, again attacked on either
bank OF the Meuse. it was an
nounced. but violent lombard
ment of the defenses continued.
indicating that the respite prob
ably would be brief.
Further progress for the French
in the CorbeauX wood was re-
ported in the official statement IS
sued by the war office last night.
Situation Regarded Better.
The situation at Nerdun is regarded
as much better. from the French view
point. as a result of yesterdays fight
ing. The public ~ greatly cheered by
reports of successful resistance on tn"
part of the defenders OF the fortress
Nn. in bSta a pdi inc
ture o. ammunition and unstlnted sac
rifice of life. the Germans have failed
to bend. much less break. thA blue line.
The inference drawn by the general
public in France is that the German
wave has advanced far is in its
power without further wastaee on "A
large scale, which the German general
staff hesitates to make, with four army
corps already put out of action in the
struggle of eighteen days.
Exhausted by three days of violent
efforts. the assailants called a half rest
to replenish the depleted ranks of in
fantry. The French took advantage of
the respite TO sweep out the Germans
still remaining in corbeauX wood. and
in this effort were almost successful.
Interest Centers in Douaumont
The renewal OF heavy fighting east OF
the Meuse attended by a series Of
saults on Doua umont mas conferred in
terest once more on this portion of the
front
good road runs through the gently
sloping ravine up to the plateau before
Douaumont, posse ssion of which would
ena BILE the attacking forces TO take the
defenSeS in the flank.
Massed infantry. well supported by
artillery. struggled hard to win COM
mand of this easiest approach to the
famous position. but the French were
able to hold off the ASSISTANTS and at
the same time TO deal with attacks
from the village of Douaumont.
In the Woevre the Germans did not
attempt to pursue their actions fur
ther.
German System of Attack.
The great successes in battles up TO
the present have been gained by
means of violent shocks delivered by
fresh and specially prepared masses of
infantry, and have generally been
achieved rapidly OF such a character
was the German attack Nerdup
which smashed itself against the
French defenses on February 26.
The Germans then began a series of
battles on small fronts, sometimes al
one point, sometimes at another. one
day the attack was made on the eA-
treme left from Bethincourt to Goose
hill, on another day bloW was strucH
at the extreme right. at Fresnes. and
again at Douaumont. All these Were
genuine attacks, carried out by masses
of troops capable of undertaking Sc
riouS actions
Assaults Prove Mystifying.
Military observers are at a loss to
explain the object of these assaults. as
II is believed there is little probability
for the defenders
The important question is whether
things will go this way. just as in
the case of the French offensive in the
Artois region. which. beginning May
of last year. continued with diminishing
force far into June. or whether there will
he another great attack. carried out by
The most powerful means and with that
sinsleness of aim which decides the vic
tory Not often in the long battle have
the French infantrymen had the order
10 advance When they did receive il
they showed that their offensive spirit
had lost nothing by being held in. They
had such opportunities on Wednesday
and Thursday in Corbeaux wood On
Tuesday night the Germans held virtual
ly the whole wood and an advance post
had crossed the ros.d into CumIeres
slopes of Goose Hill
Had the Germans advanced arother
200 Yards they would nave come out on
the main road from Cumieres to FORCES
and have. .cut the communications of
the French forces on the hill. To pre-
vent this French infantrymen were
brought out from the trenches shortly
before midday of Wednesday. They
advanced simultaneously on two sides.
From their positions on Dead Man hill
they crossed the Bethincourt- Cumieres
road. climbed the slope on the opposite
side and entered the wood. From. the
edge another strong at
tack was directed from Les Caurettes.
about mile farther down the same
0Confinlled ON Eourteenth Pagel