The sun., 1917-01-30
FOUR CHARGES
BY FRENCH FAIL
Severe Grenade Fighting on
Nerdun Front in Effort
to Regain Hill 3O4.

LONDON. Jan. 29-Four times the
French tried to-day to get back from
the Germans the trenches on Hill 304. on
the west bank of the Meuse at Nerdun.
that changed hands on Thursday, Berlin
announces. All the attacks failed, and
: the Germans did not lose foot Of
ground.
In neither the day nor the night
statement does the French War Office
mention these fruitless counter attacks.
though the night statement says there
was more grenade fighting and an ar
tillery duel near the hotly contested hill.
The German statement describes In
some detail the French efforts. The
first. made in the morning. was an at
tempt TO retake the lost trenches by a
sudden thrust without the warning ar
tllery preparation. The Westphalian
and Baden troops who made the success
full attack on Thursday were not sur
,prised. and the German barrage sent the
French streaming back" to their own
trenches. the German statement says
Then the French artillery opened Oh
Hin 3O4. and after a heavy fire three
more infantry attacks were made in
considerable force. None succeeded.
Brisk British Attack.
A British thrust at the German lines
northeast of Armentieres, which the
: British War Office describes merely AS
an unusually large raid and the German
as full fiedged attack. brought on some
brisk fighting last night. According &c
4 the British announcement the raiders
! penetrated to the German third trench
r inflicted large losses in men and dam
, age to trenches and then came bach
= again with some prisoners. The Ger
= mans say the attack was repulsed will
{ the infiiction of severe losses upon thu
r enemy" British troops also made {
t raid near Nermeles.
= Save for this lighting the othcia
n statements report only the usual BON
e bardments air fights and patrol activity
notably on the front in Alsace. Th
: statements follow:
: tierman-Army Group of Crown
u Prince Rupprecht-North of Armen-
there's the British attacked in three
u waves the positions OF Bavarian In
!. fantry Regiment No, 90. The attack
was repulsed with the inf'ictlon OF Sc
we're losses upon the enemy. West OF
:, Fromelles, east OF Neuv!lle st. Naast.
:, on the north bank OF the Ancre and
= north OF Nic-sur-Aisne enterprises by
70 hostile rading detachments were hn-
p successful Southwest OF lie Transoy
70 a British outpost was captured.
=, Four Attacks Rcpulsed.
is Army Group OF the German Crown
A. Princeton the west bank OF the
se Meuse (Nerdun region) there was
A. lively fighting activity during the day.
In the morning the French tried 10
advance by surprise. without artil-
!. lery preparation, against the positions
on I'M 30l captured on January %.
:. They streamed back under our fire
~ which began Immediately. Beginning
at noon a heavy artillery fire was
20 played upon our trenches. After a
,o violent fire upon the lines three more
~ French attacks ensued, which al
,n broke down and were without success
Westphalian Infantry Regiments Nos
l3 and Is and Baden Reserve lnfar
no try Regiment No, lO9 tenaciously de
~, Tended the captured ground, OF which
N not ore foot was regained by th'
in French in spite of the most liberal us'
of men and ammunition.
,n Trench Raids In NOSGcs.
es In the Vosges n recommending rsi'
" resulted In nine prisoners heinz
Iy brought in After strong artiller,
er preparation on Hartmansweiler-kop
storming detachments OF Wuerttem
burg Landwchr Infantry Regimen
No l24 entered French trenches an'
returned with thirty-hve prisoner
and one machine gun.
III French-Artillcry actions OF bot
sides and grenade lighting occurred /
the sector OF Hill 3Oi. on the left ban
- OF the Meuse. Long range artiller
~ engagements took place in Lorraine
The usual Cannonade occurred on III
rest of the front.
An enemy airplane was hrougl
down by our artillery in the region {
Dannemarie. Bombs have been droppe
-, on the open town OF Luneville, Thei
T., were no casualties.
,a Belgian-Particularly lively artiller
~ fighting took place In the course of II
'' day in the sectors OF Dixmude, Stee,
-, straete and Het Sas. In the directio
od of Ramscape,ie and Noordschoote u
IN. artillery duel was less violent.
h,, Britlsh--We blew mine yesterds
40 afternoon southwest OF Lens with goo
an effect Early this morning we raid'
the enemy's lines northeast Of We
i'm melles. bombing his dugouts and 4
Nv hicting many casualties.
ar The enemy's positions also were @
tered by us last night northeast
rit Armentieres Our troops penetrat
YES the enemy's third line again and
re- stroyed MS uueou'S' 'oH''ner WI
on their occupants '"hsinerane hu'
rin ber OF Germans encountered In I
Lad