South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-25
No Loss Great Enough to
Shake Determination of
KaiSer'S Staff to Take
French Stronghold.
BURSTING SHELLS ARE
ONLY GRAVE DIGGERS
Killed and Wounded Lie on
Battlefield Uncared For
During Whole
Fortnight.


PARIS, May 25.-Between Avo-
court wood and Fort Douaumont.
northwest and northeast of Verdun,
across a front 90 miles wide, there
are dozen ravines so choked with
dead that CHASTITY barriers are form
ed by the cOrpses.
Never before has there been fight
ing of such ferocity as has been seen
during the past week upon the she'll
torn hill slopes where half a million
German and French soldiers were
straining at each others threats like
maniacs
During the direct attacks and
counter-attacks of the past fthree
days and nights it is estimated that
the Germans lost a full corps in dead
and wounded. Particularly severe
were the German losses around Fort
DoTaumont which is again in Ger
man hands With a callous disre-
gard for human life that is incom-
prehensible, the German legions
were sent forward in mass forma-
ton, wave upon wave, into the cur
y
the inferno of machine gun fire.
The mighty artillery duel which
RACES night and day over the en-
tire Verdun front has made IL i'm
possible to remove the dead and
some of the cOrpses have lain where
they fell in lighting a fortnight ago.
Shells Dig Graves.
To the west of the Mouse. around
Hill No. 3O4 and lie Mort Homme,
where the concentrated fire Of hun
dreds of German guns has been
concentrated for many days, shells
have sometimes acted the part OF
grave diggers covering the corpses
with tons of earth thrown up by
their mighty explosions. But too
often the bursting steel falling
among the mounds of dead, tears to
atoms the corpses adding 20 one
horror OF battle which is sometimes
worse than death itself
Between the lines soldiers, help
less from wounds, have died amidst
the fallen. the Red Cross workers
being unable to reach them for the
artillery fire.
That the Germans are willing 10
pay any price to take Verdun has
become fully apparent. No losses
are too high TO vary the plan of the
kaiser's general staff.
French Save Men
With the French it is different.
Dead Mans hill was given TO save
the troops from being smothered
beneath the rain Of projectiles which
the German gunrers hurled against
the eminence day and night Gen.
Nivelle. rather than incur the ex-
IRENE losses which a prolonged de-
tense of the hill would have entail
ed. gave up the position, but even
vet the Germans have been unable
to organize a position on the crest
because of the sustained fire Of the
French artillery.
Strong counter attacks were
lunched by the French last night IN
the region of Cumieres. il was stated
by the war office in the official COM
munique.
At the same time the Germans
we're hurting troops against the
French position at Haudromont
quarry. east of the Meuse.
With the use Of grenades the
French were able TO make progress
on the low ground lying between
Cunieres and the river, but further
10 the east the Germans gained a
trench at Haudromont
Official Communique.
The text of the official com
munique follows;
ION the left bank OF the Meuse
there was rather an intense artillery
duel in the sector Of Hill No. 304, as
we'll as on the lie Mort Homme-
Cumieres front. During the night We
made progress with a grenade at
tack in the wood Immediately east
of Cunieres village. The enemy
made no attempt 10 attack.
Ion the right bank a strong Ger
man attack succeeded in gaining "A
foothold in one OF our trenches
north OF the Haudromont forest. The
bombardment continued very violent
on both sides in the region or
Douaumont without any infantry
engagement
The night was comparatively
quiet on the rest of the front"