New Britain herald., 1916-04-11
FRENCH LINE HOLDS IN TITANIC BATTLE
 ON VERDUN FRONT
Germans Making Desperate At tempt to Capture Dead Mans
 Hill, Which Blocks Path

MHUIlliyI UOlSU DO1NANO AAAV
 WAVES OF ATTACKING FORGE At End of Fighting Yesterday Posi-
 lions of Both Lines was Unchang-
 ed. Paris SayS-TeutOns capture
 Twenty-Five Square Kilometers of
 Ground, Berlin Reports-Let Up
 In Assault Felt by Defenders.
 Paris, April il, 1920 p. m.-The German general offensive against the French fortress of Verdun, begun Sunday over a 13 mile front, is being restricted in the latest fighting to a two-mile front on the west side of the river Mouse. Along these $500 yards of trenches the French thus far not only have succeeded in bar ring a further advance of the Teu- tons on the west bank of the river but also in screening their artillery, which is ra1ing every advance of the Germans on the east side of the river.
 The object of the present opera :ions is the now historical Mort Homme, or Dead Mans Hill, which bars the way of the Germans to @ further advance west of the river The operations began yesterday when two German divisions were launched from Bethincourt and Haucourt against Hill BOA, on the left of Dead Mans Hill, while two divisions at tackled at the same time in the direction of Hill 295, between Dead Mans Hill and Cumieres.
 e The Germans advanced in serried ranks, as on Sunday, and their pro- portionate losses are reported to have been quite as great. The fighting lasted all afternoon with alternative advances and recoils, the little gains of both sides being offset by equiva- lent losses, and at the end of the day the positions were on the whole the same as before the attack.
 Stinging Fire Poured From Hill.
 The Germans are at the foot of Hill 295 while the French hold the slope and the summit, which are soldly fortified. From these posi- tions the French poured a singing fire into the dense ranks of Germans advancing over ground where, in spots, they were fully exposed to 10th machine gun fire and the fire of 3-inch guns
 The repeated attacks were thrown back before they succeeded in reach ing the barbed wire defenses, and there was the same result generally in the attacks against Hill BOA.
 The German regiment that suc- ceeded in penetrating 500 yards of French trenches on the northeastern slope of Dead Mans Hill several times was driven back to cover when attempting to debouch to attack the positions higher up.
 No sooner would a company of men leap from their trench than the 3-inch pieces and the machine guns began to bring down the attackers. They never got more than one hundred yards from their trenches and they lost heavily during the day.
 Bethincourt Important Point.
 Berlin, April 11-'West of the Of ground has been occupied the
 
 German newspapers point out that the French now say Bethin- court was evacuated in accordance with plans previously made. Never the1ess it has been ascertained that an order was issued stating: This Important place must be held in all circumstances. The fact that more than seven hundred unwounded prisoners were taken and that the French losses in killed or wounded were far greater is proof that the French plan of evacuation could not be carried out as intended.
 According to the French reports, the new line runs from the south ern corner of Avocourt wood along the first slopes of Hill BOA, thence along the southern bank of Forges Brook, passing to the northeast of Haucourt; turning eastward, crosses the Bethincourt-Esnes Road at a point south of the junction Of that road with the highway of Chattan- court, and reaches the Mouse just north of Cumieres The fortifica- tons of the village of Avocourt, which is south of Avocourt wood, were destroyed by the German ad- Vance of April g, as reported.