Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-04-10
HEAVY
POUNDING DENTS
Line OF DEFENSE
Germans Gain Foothold Nearer
Verdun-British and Germans
Have Contest Near St. ElOi-
French Using Hand Grenades
with Success

London, April 9.-By heavy assaults
south of Haucourt the Germans have
once more driven in the western face
of Bethincourt salient northwest of
| Ferdun, until at this point the French
line runs virtually north and south.
This attack, delivered Friday night.
failed to make any impression east
| Of Haucourt, the French pouring a
murderous fire into the advancing lines.
But to the south the Germans won a
! footing in two small works between
| Haucourt and 2S7meter hill, according
! to the Paris statement.
! French Gain with Grenades
| Berlin claims the entire position on
| Termiten ridge, about mile and a
| quarter long. was captured, with ia
| prisoners, and that French counter
attack this morning was repulsed.
Bethincourt, in the north, still holds
out. On the other SIDE of the angle the
| French have regained some ground in
hand grenade fighting in communica-
ting trenches on the road between
| Eethincourt and Chattancourt.
! German attack with grenades north
of the VauX fort was stopped by the
| French fire.
| The Germans heavily shelled the Brit
ish positions about ST. Elois today ana
the British retaliated.
| An Austrian attack in considerable
force on the Stripa river line in Galicia
failed according to the Russian state
ment.
French Artillery Skaters Lines
The official communication issued to-
night by the French war Office follows:
South of the Avre the fire of our ar
tillery swept the St. Aurin hill, where
there was an observatory, and shattered
the enemy trenches north of Beauv-
raignes.
In Champagne in the region of Ma
varih we replied with curtain of fire
to very violent bombardment, which
presaged an attack. The enemy did not
leave his trenches.
"1n the Argonne we directed a con-
centrated fire on the enemy batteries IN
the Cheppy wood and in the region Of
Montfaucon and Malancourt4
I'm the region of Verdun there was no
event of importance save a somewhat
spirited bomta rdment of our front COM
priSIIS betHlncOuTt, LIE MORT HOmme
and Cumieres.
I'm the Vosges our artillery was very
active in the Fecht valley.
In the Argonne the french successful
ly fired two mines at File Morte and oc-
cupied the crater of German mine at
Hill 2S5.
Germans Charge Treachery
Saturdays German official report
reads:
the Meuse Silesian and Bavarian
troops took by storm strong French
point of support south of Haucourt.
They captured the entire enemy DO
stion on the ridge of Termiten hill, ex-
tending over width of more than two
kilometers A counter-attack attempt
ed early Saturday morning failed COM
pletely. Our losses were slight.
Those of the enemy, owing partly
to the treacherous beha vior Of some,
were very heavy. In addition to those,
Is officers and 500 men were captured
uninjured, including numerous recruits
of the class of 1916
ION the hills east of the Meuse and
in the Woevre sector the artillery was
very active on both sides.
On Hilsen ridge, south of Sonder-
mach, in the Vosges, a small German
detachment came upon an advanced
French position, the occupants of
which were killed. with the exception
of 81 men who were captured. The en-
emy's trenches were blown up.
Eastern front: Russian attacks
Friday were limited to a narrow front
in the sector south of Narocz lake.
They were repulsed easily.
Balkan front: There is nothing to
report
Heavy Firing on British Front
The British official statement issued
tonight reads:
Last night and today there has been
some mining activity about the HUI
luch quarrles, Givenchy and southeast
of Rcclineourt. There was artillery ac-
tivity today on both sides about Roc
Ilncourt Bellecourt, Souchez, Lorette
Ridge and Wulverghem.
About st. Eloi (south of Ypres), tha
enemy shelled our trenches heavily this
afternoon. We retaliated."
Today's Petrograd bulletin tells NJ
e Russian corcentric rre on the sectors
near llloukst in the Dvinsk regior
Four Russian mines destroyed a Ger
man blockhouse and trenches. Tie
German artillery displayed great ac-
tivity in the regions facing Postavy
and Lakes. .Miadziol an6 Noracz. Some.
times using shells containing poison
Gus matter.
The Austrians attempted an otfen-
sive with considerable force on the
Middle Stripa, east Of Podgacie, in Ca
'icia. but retired hurriedly before |
our position under threat of |
'ur counter attack it is asserted.
In the Caucasus coastal region
Wednesday night the Turks attempted
@ cross to the right tank Of the Kara
lere river, but were forced to retire
oy the Russian guns and 4rsnades.