New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-08
Grenade Attack Wins Back
BethinCOurt Line from
Germans.
FLANK ADVANCE
IS HURLED BACK
lie Mort HOmme and Hill 265
Again ShelIed-Berlin
Denies Gains.
-Bg cable o rae rrlban. ]

London. April = AGAIN French 'oun-
ter attacks, a at Yaux and IN the Call
lette wood earlier in the week. have
been able 70 loosen the German grip
west Of the Meuse. A part Of the
Bcthincourt road. which the French
lost yesterday. was recaptured to-day
IN a hand grenade attack Thus the
hold on the village itself has been
strengthened.
German attempts 90 eNpel the French
from their last positions in the outskirts
Of Haucourt also met with failure, Paris
asserts. Preceded by a three hours
bombariment. the Germans attacked
over front Of d mile and half. only
10 be blocked by an impenetrable bar
r.er Of French shells.
But though the Germans did not sue
coed in pushing forward. their COM
mand of the village Of Haucourt still
menaces the whole French line in this
section. They are thus across the
FORCES Brook, able 70 make its south
bank, as well IS Bethincourt, untenable
for General Petaiu, except with the
greatest difficulty.
Equilibrium Restored at Eaux.
East of the Meuse the deadlock con-
tinues about Vaux. The French have
succeeded IN restoring the equilibrium,
but are just as unable as the Germans
TO overthrow It permanently. After
weeks slaughter, IN which trenches
have changed hands as frequently az
five times. the lines in the village
stand practically where they did be-
fore.
The French. Of course. car be satisfied
with such q situation, since General Pc
tain's whole strategy has been 10 exact
the highest toll Of losses from MS foe
For the Germans. on the contrary the
result can be little else than fatal. II
Is Synonymous ir general with the sit
uatiOn on all sides OF the fortress.
ITO the west of the Neuse,' says the
Paris n ght statement. after a violent
bombardment lasting several hours, the
enemy directed against our positions
10 the south and on the eastern out
skirts Of the village Of Haucourt a
strong attack or a front Of about two
kilometres.
lie Mort Homme Again Shelled.
stopped by our curtain of fire and
the intense fire Of our mitrailleuses. the
Germans were unable 10 reach their
goal and were forced 10 retreat to their
trenches, leaving on the ground numer-
Gus bodies.
ITO the southeast of Bethincourt we
made, through the use OF grenades,
some progress in the communicating
trenches and the element OF trenches
captured last night by the enemy be-
tween Bethincourt and Hill 300.
"A rather violent bombardment OF lie
Mort Homme and Cumieres village has
taken place.
ITO the east Of the Meuse and in the
Woevre there has been artillery fight
ing, during which our batteries scat
tered several enemy gatherings
An earlier official statement said:
ITO the west of the River Meuse.
in the course Of the night attack de-
l!vered after a violent preparatory
bombardment against our positions be-
tween Bethncourt and Hill 265, Ger
man forces made their way into
French trench of the first line on the
highway between Bethincourt and
Chattancourt.
French Gains Near Douaumont.
we at once made a counter attack,
which drove the Germans back from the
greater part of the possessions they
aad been able 70 seize. At the present
time the enemy holds only certain ad-
vanced sections Of long front OF about
800 yards.
"East Of the Meuse there has been
AN intermittent bombardment, and we
have continued TO make progress in the
communicating trenches OF the enemy