THE TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1916. FIERCE MEUSE FIGHTING. THIAUMONT WORK RETAKEN. BATTLES ON STOKHOD FRONT. GREAT FRENCH DAY AT VERDUN - ENEMY AERODROME BOMBED. War: 3rd Year: 2nd Day. THIAUMONT WORK HELD AGAIN. Hie following French cossgeimtgW issued yesterday afternoon : On the right bank of the Steoee vm continued on the Thinumont - rieury iwh which the Germans attacked att night with Several counter - attacks carried out with large numbers of troops against PU near the Thiaumont Work were repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. During the fighting our troops even succeeded in carrying the Work, which we subsequently evacuated under the weight of the enemy bombardment. brought back 80 prisoners wnum i in thift ar ti on. the moon of Fleury the fighting was no leas violent. The Germans multiplied tneir counter - attacks against the village, each being preceded by intense artillery preparation. After several fruitless attempts they gamed a foothold in the southern part of Fleury. where very lively fighting continues. All th r.rmin . fFnrt t disiodee US from A night and day of furious battle at Verdun have j the station south - east of the village were left the French in a position of condderable j roki &S&T otST&t advantage. On Wednesday they captured the j our new positions east of Vacherauvule, He near the Thiaumont Work ! there was a very lively artillery dueL i In the Voages yesterday, at about 10 p. injuring the night, the enemy massed his troops enemy defcvered an attack against the against both points and delivered repeated at - 1 Chapdotte salient, which was dispersed before ... ... I it reached our lines. tacks. At Fleury be was successful in driving nignt WM relatively calm on the re - the French from the village. At Thiaumont, be mainder ol Uie lront. failed, and the French re - entered the Work, but fell back again. Yesterday's fighting gave the French possession of both positions. The chief part of Fleury village is in their bands. The Work of Thian - mont taken for the second time in 12 hours - remains with them, though the enemy is still manhaUing against it successive counterattacks. Meanwhile French air squadrons have bombarded the railways 'which supply the enemy's lines at Verdun. On the Somme front the French guns have been active. A minor British operation west of Pozieres gained some ground, and similar strokes north of BasentinJe - Petit and north - west of Delville Wood led to the capture of a few prisoners. The evening dispatch told us that yesterday was a quiet day. South of Brody, on the River Sereth and its tributary, the Graberka, the army of General Sakharoff is again on the move. His new operations, based on his capture of Brody, are Last night one of our bombarding squadrons munitions railway station of Noyon ALL DAY FIGHTING. Last night's French cornmuniqui said : On the right bank of the Meuse, the fighting continued all day in the region of Thiauraont - Fleury, to the north - west and south of the Thisnmont Work All the attacks of the enemy aimed at dislodging us from the conquered positions were in vain. Not only did we shatter the enemy a efforts, inflicting upon him heavy losses, but by a second counter - attack our troops succeeded in capturing, for the second time in 12 houre, the Thiaumont Work which remains in our power, notwithstanding several counterattacks attempted by the enemy. The struggle also continued with desperation in the village of Fleury. After evacuating the whole village this morning, in consequence of several German attacks, our infantry this afternoon captured, with the bayonet, the greater part of the village, where the enemy is still vigorously resisting. The number of unwounded prisoners taken by us in to - day's fighting exceeds 400. In the region Vaux - Chapitre - Le Chenois there was a violent bombardment, but no infantry action. During the night of August 3 - 4 our air squadrons carried out several bombardments in the region of Verdun. Thirty - two shells were dropped on the station of Stenav. and 83 on the stations only beginning, but he has taken 1,300 i of Montmedy and Sedan, and on the bivouacs pta ft - . - of kov - aa - N J Russians penetrated the village of Rudka mort fiercely contested positions on the Verdun front, ... , , . M . . I and it has changed hands more frequently than any Miry risks, but were driven out by German other objective. It fell to the Germans on June 23. Seven days later, between 10 in the morn inn and counter - attack. 4.30 in the afternoon, the French recaptured it, lost it, and refrained it. On the night of July 1 the Oer - The Rahrian farces onpratinc in Hrmn ! mans, attackinz in ereat strength, once more rot possession of the Work, only to be thrown Ujiji. It is the terminus of the railway which runs from the coast at Dar - es - S a 1 aam to Lake Tanganyika. The Germans have now lost all their main ports on Lake Tanganyika. The King baa sent a message to General Smuts, commanding the British and South African Forces in German East Africa. He expresses his appreciation of their skill and courage in conducting these difficult operations. The German aerodrome and ammunition sheds KOVBL BATTIiEe GERMAN AERIAL PIRACY. GENERAL SAKHAb(oFFS FRESH ATTACH. iJJhcftnt KtrvelfronTthTt at the point referred to by Mr. Washburn m this the most direct Us of approach. General Sakharoff is engaged 4a another fierce battle south of Brody, and has aktady captured 1,300 prisoners. On page f J Mr. Washburn describes the very strong defences of Hovel and the recent victorious advance of General Lesh ohich brought As .Russian lines up to the Stokhod. From Stanley WrnddWn, The Tim Special Correspond with the Russian forces. STOKHOD FRONT, Auc. 3. There have been no important changes in. the hues on uus iron auxin w - u.yo, thouirh the Germans have been number of futile counter - attacks portions of the front. The Kaai ment, after advancing eight miles Stokhod, has for the moment st troops are now fortifying their the case generally after Th..Pii. - mv losses have been r - viallv those of the Am 4th Austrian Division to 3,000. It is impossible to analyse the enemy lormationaj as tne divisions seem w do wmpn elements takentrom vanoi that three new enemy divisions the past week, and one is rep come from France. Prisoners German losses have likewise serves brought up being There are reports irom FRESH BATTLES FOB VERDUN. VIGOROUS FRENCH OFFENSIVE. CH0WX PBIKCE'S CHANGED PROSPECTS. UMfc Mr ol Verdim tetOk i arrived during arted as having state that the been neavy, tne already consumed, prisoners that stores and heavy guns are being evacuated from KoveL The sat est course, nowever, is w assume T. that the enemy will hold their lines until the Jong the (FBO OUB OWN PARIS, Awo. 4. Fighting of some magnitude has bean in nreeesa of develooment uoon the right bank of the Meuse since August h" It is still in a state of flux as regards its strategic importance, but it shows the growth of French capacity to react m increasing strength against the enemy. Chief attention has, naturally, been diverted from Verdun to the Somme during the last month, but it may well be that the Meuse may again become the real centre of interest. When the Anglo - French offensive began in the north, the Germans had reached positions on the right bank of the Meuse from which they could undertake the systematic reduction of the line of forts based upon Souville. They had driven a threaten ing wedge down the ravine south of Fleury, had nushed oast the village, and were on the heavy, I point 0 crushing in upon Souville in a concentric attack. The French have probted by tne reiiet given them by the Somme offensive to beat back this menace. Their attack was launched along the comparatively wide front from Fleury to the Wood of Vacherauviile. It coincided with the delivery of the German attack in the Chenois Wood. The fighting was difficult, but by yesterday evening the French, attacking the village of Fleury from the west and southeast, carried their lines past the railway station into the village, and late in the dav earned possession of the village itself. They last gasp, as long as they can continue t RJr. n j i lv x. i thft offensive there also, made uroarceu. (4SriwS Laetnight, however, the Germans hit back teriSl asTmurder. Every day there are nd there was a struggle in the ruins of bomb raidsPhere, The machinesfay as low as j the village, pert of which is now once more in the brunt Tbjxjughout the night the battle raged along of all these attacks. To - day's toil was 11 killed! the Thiaumont - Fleury front. The enemy and 40 wounded. The latest form of bomb ; attacked in strength and with mcreasing BRITISH NAVAL AIB BAID. TWO TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED. SEAPLANE MISSING. The Secretary of the Admiralty made I f n anions last ntfr Z - naafl attacks by a Naval strem and on his About two tons of bombs were dropped on the objectives and uwsnnaran.n in aj aSU TKai. Westrem fiv mile south of H. "IN VERY CLOsi TOUCH' WITH THE ENEMY. OUR NEW TRENCHES WEST OF POZIERES, 77 following telegraphic dispatches were received yesterday from General Hsadquarters m 1 9.4J5 r jl - Last nisM. as the result of a minor operation west of Pwres, we gained some ground In other minor operations norm oi Petit and north - west of Delville Wood we cap tured a few prisoners. During the night there was considerable artil lery fire on both sides on various portions ol the British front. A raidiM party destroyed an enemys mineshaft east of Loos. , m . Near the Ypres - Comines road we exploded a small mine in the enemy's lines and occupied the crater. 10.3 r.M. A aoiet day. In the trenches which we captured last night west of Poaieres we are very close touch with tne enemy, a targe number of German dead are lying all around these trenches. We captured over 100 prisoners. The enemy's artillery maintained a barrage south of Pozieres nearly all day. He also shelled employed is one filled 1 with fragments of broken tLX . Near St!' 'ffiThe erlodd a small my house. One bomb fell nearer still, a frag - j tha they carried them for a moment into the mint striking the roof of my Quarters. The j Thiaumont Work, but they were unable to hold u l. vLWi - t Am.nr 1 tho Dosition under the concentrated bombard - EngUsh hospital having suffered already twice ! ment thrown upon it. In their retirement they frSm this atrocious prlctice. Many wounded ; &d not, however abandon the ground gained in v. i 1,11 i u.. i iJT i the course of the dav s fisrhuns. A still more atrocious practice has The work at Fleury was equally hot. There lately been adopted. The airmen sweep enemy had to niake many bootless efforts dowi and dropP bombs on thrhigh roadSj before he finally drove tieiWh out of the behind the fines. Two days ago a ' southern section of the village. He was unable German airman on the stretch of road between p0.?"1" iurtner, ana ine rrencn are sxui here and Lutsk, which is open1 country, dia - j noioing ; on at tnerau covering an unproiectea column oi amDuiances l which only damaged his fired another near Aucliy morning and afternoon there was desperate fUrhtinK in and around the coveted position. The French repulsed several attacks, but Anally, late in the after - rt'ork. They have COMPLETE RECAPTURE " OF FLEURY. THE GERMAN VERSION. Bkmjx, Aug. 4. German official report : Yesterday evening the French succeeded in occupy - nst our oosiLion in the villse of Fleurv &nd wun.h. ol the Thiaumont Work. Our counter - attack near tihent were atUcked on Tuesday by one nortT - we.? oflL viUae. W of our naval aeroplane squadrons of bombing and fighting machines. The Admiralty states that about two tons of bombs were dropped on the objectives. Considerable damage was done. All the machines but one came back undamaged. On August a, two enemy aeroplanes attacked shipping in the Sues CanaL Many bombs were dropped, but no damage was done. The dav before, an Aviahk was driven down and wrecked in an air battle with one of our machines. The Board of Agriculture announces that the Army Council have decided to release some 27,000 srldiers to help with the harvest Tht - y will, so far as is possible, be allotted in accordance with the numbers available for the arious districts. A list of 283 casualties among officers is published officially ; 44 are reported dead and 49 rnissing. The lists of ncnonmnssiosed officers and men contain over 5,180 names. We also e the death of 14 other officers. nd Hilly Woods were repulsed with great enemy The si teation is now the same as it mm before the R.l'ni 'tielsj' lL xtrenely strong BRANDEN BURGERS SHOT DOWN AT DELVILLE. Paris, Aug. 4. The correspondent of the Liberie on the Somme front in a telegram under to - day s date says : On the British front all efforts by the Brandenhurs regimant to retake Delville Wood hare been annihilated by the coorageouA reautaaoe of the South Afncan troops. Repeatedly our Allies let the enemv et cW to their tenches, when they opened terrible ttre, which forord thcr ailante to retire hurriedly, having many dead upon the ground. At one point the Brandrnburgri managed to come within 50 ranks, of which few earaped. Aewtoe. levelling the Boche QUIET IN MESOPOTAMIA. The Secretary of the War nm m.. iL following announcement about the Mesopokmsmm Since the last eoiMsameW was issued there are no fresh developments to report. The situation on the Tigris and Euphrates Ubm THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE AT VERDUN. plodding through the dust, a oove it and opened nre killing 20 wounded men with their canvas covers are this act can only be It is unbelievable that the authorities approve of piracy. Certainly such be formallv presented t German Government through children with bandaged heads value. th a machine - eun. German higher atrocious deeds could i the aitet neu moral ot he shch 1,300 PRISONERS ON BRODY FR(jNT. DESPERATE FIGHTS FOR KOVEL. i however, A natrof ef four of our aeroplanes seven enemy machines in a fight which minutes. Three of the enemy's aeroph driven down, and two of ours are missk FRENCH AIRMEN'S ACTIVITY. The French communique" issued yesterday afternoon contained the following s Last night 50 bombs were dropped by one of our air squadrons against the enemy's railway stations and bivouacs in the region of the Somme. Last niehf: On the Somme front our artillery bombarded the enemy organizations. A German captive balloon, hit by our fire, was destroyed near Knnemain, south ol reroone, THE GERMAN REPORT. Bebxjn, Aug, 4. German official corns North of the Ancre artiflerv fishtinsr was ass extremely violent, and continued between the murh changed as to make the n?m", unriisnmiahed fury station in the south - ast. In the Chenois region, the violent re sumption of the bombardment seems to indicate that the enemy has not yet accepted defeat there. EFFECT OF SOMME BATTLE. Now, as throughout the Verdun battle, it is well to be reserved in judgment. Positions have changed hands so frequently that only after nrolnnowl rtneiinarJnn can anv aHvannn itlOn Of the I rr.A k mmrrM m ,.nnrlirlarf th Crmcn tral channels. ' Prince, despite the Somme offensive, still the Russians, preparation in the rear, on the front the i"Wv supenonw m material is suu, tnougn, ot course, in diminishing degree, in the ' hands of the enemy. Some things OPERA. DW!ra tia.ei,: d TMEATRE3 cwDnu Ron , Ta aim L THE HAPrr , XHS Hippy , mm T0 - DaT.tS;T pUBPISOIX HENBY AINLEY. ALLAN AYNESWOBTH. MARION TERBY. AS. dS.li.BgyWEBST - J3 MaTUnUB TO - DAY. KB 5 pZS TIIt ES, m c - fsJ& pBXSCE man. ,"1 rtt.ind sui epilw hr Vii amm. 'of anv GermiTonWve at Verdun I . Strong enemy attacks were reputoed north of unlikely. Divisions, instead of travelling com - Mu" - W18 end north of fortably from the Western to the Eastern front, "L - W' - rfg . ... now have to scurry " like frightened rabbits " l .of tb ?orame 1 mt from one point to another of the same front. ! rjarieux xaueu. Snn,, intP - t - hicr Ati dm Kv - I ;h4J i In n sir fight near Lens Lieutenant corresoondent. show how th chan is likelv i down hia th aeropUna, and Lieuteaant FraakJ Pbttiioorad, Aug. 4, 1. JO p.m. - The following I to become more and mare important as tone j oar airsaea aETiEl down an enemy biph official communique was issued here this after - goes - The losses of the Germans on the Somme yesterday near Person. Two others wars broaj Kovel Front. (48 miles north which had pushed on beyond the left bank. :upied a series ot heights which they r. In the region of Iiubashevo ! French were engaged in consolidating their ! 9? ggHEEfigJgiig aeropUnss h - east of Kovel our troops ! gainB at Monacu and Hem, the Germans de - Z.Tfff f jL bed on beyond the left bank, ' livered a series of violent attacks, which failed i which attacked Namur but caused only small iLaterial to do anything but add greatly to their casualty sohdated. lusts. The German battalions were sent back On the River Stavok, a tributary on the ' to tae5 " m lorder, followed by a de left bank of the Stokhod, ojir troops, after ! vastatmgiy accurate artUlery tiro. fiffhtinff. annroached close to the fought a desperate engagement for the possession of the vilhure of Rudka Mirvnaka fnn tho east bank of the Stavok, 20 miles east of The battle developed into bayonet fighting in the streets of the village, which changed hands several times, and finally remained in our oossession. All the enemy' s attemnte to dislodge us were in vain. T We threw the enemy back across the River Stavok. taking prisoners about 600 Germans and capturing 12 machine - guns. In the region of Korytmtae on the southwest face of the Lutsk salient! we renukad n enemy offensive by our fire. On the rest of the front there was the usual rifle firing. Caucasus Front. Nothing important has Petroobad. Auat. 4. 7.15 n.m Th munique issued this evening aWys : Kovkl Front. A sanguinary fight took place all night on the outskirts of Rudka Mirynska which formed a salient in the position on tho River Stavok. The enemy, having enveloped series of these, but 600 yards farther Throughout the early hours of yesterday morning the Germans sought to gain possession of the Somme crossing which dominates Monacu Farm. Again their battalions were shattered, and the troops engaged were so severely hit that they had to be withdrawn for repairs. The evidence of prisoners on this point is of j interest. The 14th Bavarian Regiment, which had been badly handled at Bethinoourt and went back to refit, was hurriedly sent to the rim line on July 10, and on the Somme bad ill first battalion almost annihilated. The 2nd and 3rd battalions lost about 60 per cent. ! of their effectives, while the Commander of the 3rd battalion and seven of its officers were captured. The losses of the 1 11th Regiment seem to have been equally severe. An order found upon a prisoner states : " From to - day July 31 the 2nd battalion eeasea to exist". The men who belong to it will be placed in the 1st battalion." .The Fre KOVEL AND BRODY. the village on three counter - attacks. We were oblieed about 3 in th tho village, and fall back 400 east UAUC - South of Brody, on the line of the "ttV Ctafr!. nd Sereth, the troops of gagement. They have made 1,300 prisoners. Tn Brody an explosion of heavy ahran Kiiieci rawer uspenssy, Heuter. this morning and printed in an adjoining column reports that the French yesterday retook the greater part of the village of Fleury and recaptured the Thiaumont Work, which has frequently changed hands since it was taken by the Germans on June 23. SHACKLETON'S MEN. A GERMAN RALLY. Bzaxnr, Aug. 4v - Germa4 official report - trrmt north. THIRD ATTEMPT TO RESCUE heavy ah.1 i FAILS. remental chaplain. Port SrAjrurv (Falkland Islands). Atts d on Elephant Island Shackleton has returned here in the schooner west of PoaUvy (which i 55 mile & rfrwSl Emma. BfflllTC Pbbynvygnle.id v - toev sq. g, ef DTuntTwe r - nuTSon the R.ver Staeak, east Chenois Wood. E rWA hooi oonouiosoUyU 'S?!? ;j suvok, east af the froat af taa araUaTaT noOaagoluap anoountared north of the to drive tiirough. Pack ice island, which it The shin was badly engines being injured she had to proceed under Sir Ernest recognises that it 1 m ih the lee with a light , the relief fEnSLSinS k Sir E. BhackJeton flnt astampS to ram ast which ha. also falUd to pArasS. k a woSKa Dh east of Kovel the Russians advaneeA to th River Stavok, a tributari foTTht lX7T3UMLanS KSSt BvB VAR1EJIES, Ac GEORGE VIOLET - VLFEB ROBEY LORA1.NE Ug" PHYLLIS MONK M AN J U 1 i THE tiKESHAM SLXBEW aATOT TO - DAY. t5 MT' ""aBMSar i 8BT TOKKDAT. THTBiLiv. mt - r - mfj rKfcT i!Ln I Sereth ana the rraders ano&ZL" tan ot the Wi , iTrTV V" - M M ... soman to r ' TTuAtS m imm m. IliiwShi i I alMOK GlSAal. ,1ukOm' VSTZ - mn.mn saU M asstaaT ZZu