Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-05-25
GERMANS BACK b I
in D0uANM0N;T
Fort Retaken From French
by Series Of Furious
Attacks
10000 SLAUGHTERED
French Frustrate Attempts at Flank
ing in Cailette Wood and Inflict
Heavy Losses

Berlin, May 26.-The giant Ger
man nutcracker is closing in upon
Verdun in the bloodiest fighting IN
all history. Thirty thousand men have
fallen in the last seventy-two hours
in the underground caverns around
Fort Douaumont without changing
the battle lines in the slightest.
The right jaw has advanced on a
front of three miles in the last sew
enty-two hours of the mad struggle
northwest of the fortress.
Hill 304, cornerstone of the French
outer defense west of the Meuse, is
now held jointly by Germans and
French. Further slight advances for
the Germans in the ravines on either
side will force its surrender to the
right wing of the German army that
occupied Cumieres village Tuesday
night.
The left jaw Of the crown princes
great fighting machine, bent back
slightly under the most terrific blow
struck by the French since the Ver-
dun struggle began, has reconquered
entirely positions temporarily sur
rendered to the French.
Authoritative denial was made here
todav of French claims that Gen.
eral Nivelle's forces even temper
arily reoccupied the ruins OF Fort
Douaumont.
-s.In the most desperate hand-to- hand
struggle of the war, a French force
did succeed in capturing redoubt
and ruined works connected with the
fort. The only French detachment
that penetrated the ruins of the fort
itself was completely wiped out, not
a single survivor escaping.
strewn about the southern ana
western approaches to the ruined
fort are countless dead and wound
ed. Since the French attack began
Sunday night the fury of the battle
has not waned, but has grown more
intense, and there has been no chance
to reach the dying.
Paris, Nav 25-The Germans nave
reoccupied Ford Douaumont, while the
French hold the immediate approach
to that position.
This announcement is made IN the
official communication issued by the
French War Office, which says that
two new divisions of Bavarians Ell
fected the recapture after a series
of furious attacks.
| The statement says: in the Cham
pagne district the Germans, by the
use of gas, endcavored to occupy our
lines at a point west of the Navarln
farm. Our curtain Of fire threw the
enemy back to his trenches.
"On the left bank of the river
Meuse the Germans undertook Tues
day night a powerful offensive ac-
tion east of Dead Man Hill. After
hand to hand fighting the enemy
penetrated, at the cost OF important
sacrifices, into the village OF Cumleres
as well as into one of our trenches
immediately west of this point.
"On the right bank of the river
Meuse there have been preparations
1 on the part of the artillery and sue
cessive attacks of great violence. IT
the region of Haudremont and al
Douaumont in spite of ferocious as
| saults, the enemy has been success
full in securing footing in only
: small part of the trench east of the
fort. This has been accomplished
without counting the cost in human
lives. All endeavors against our posi-
!, tions west of the fort anu upon TIT
fort itself have been checked by ou
fire" ~
!, Berlin. May 25-The capture b!
/ Thurigian troops of the village o
Cumieres. east of Dead Man Hill o.
} the Verdun front, is announced b,
the War Office. The Village was takel
by storm. So far more than 800 pris
oners, including eight officers, hav
$ been taken by the Germans in thi
operation.