The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-08
Big FRENCH GUNS
CHECK GER MANS IN
new VERDUN DRIVE
Powerful Attack Launched
After Violent BOmbardmcnt
Of Several Hours.
ATTEMPTED ADVANCE
FROM HAuCOURT FAILS

.r,cidi Cabie Despatch TO THE SrN.
r,rIs, .Arril THE herman forces
shir', occupied tho village OF Haucoutt.
,u., south Of MalaDcour,. OH The west
hank of the Mouse. on Wednesday night
made "A determined effort to-day to OK
,,rd tho advance by attacking the
French positions. which run south of
IN. village aud turn north along its east
,rr outskirts. the whole front of at
tack extending about one and one-quar-
ter niles.
The attack was Thoroughly prepared.
9th several hours Of heavy lombard
r.ui. and - powerful assaulting force
vas used. In spite of the preparations
aud the yigor of the assault. the Ger
mans we're compelled to stop when they
conquered the curtain of fire lowered
by tho 7is. aided by the sweep of the
rtr,illcuses and soon reiterated TO thc.f
trenches. leaving their dead OH the field.
Meanwhile the French, euiploying
s-epadc lighting, recovered some OF the
trenchcs taken by the Germans last
night IN an attack between Bethincourt
aud I'm 26j on the Bethincourt-Cumi-
s-es road.
Tie official communiaue issued by
the French War Onice tonight fol-
low.
In Belgium our heavy artillery OK
scy'.l /, destructive fire on the Ger
M, organizations at Middclkcrke and
LSngcWnrck.
West OF the Meusc. after n violent
homhardment which lasted several
hours. the enemy launched u powerful
attack against our positions south and
at the eastern extremity OF the village
cf Uaucourt on a front Of about two
Kilometres tone n onc-Quafter
mles). Stopped by our "~barrage' fire
and the intense fire of our mitrail-
ieuscs, the Germans were unable to
reach their objective and returned to
their trenches. leaving numerous dead
on tho field.
southeast OF Bethincourt we made
some progress by grenade fighting In
t5c communication trenches and sec
tons of front line trenches taken last
night by the enemy between Beihin-
eour, and Hin 265.
There was a bombardmen Of some
violence on lie Mort Homme and the
village Of Cumieres.
EaS, Of the Meuse and in the
Woevre there was artillery fighting in
tho course OF which our batteries were
very active and dispersed several
groups of enemy troops.
There was the usual carnonadc on
the rest of the front.
Last nights attack was a move in the
general operations against lie Mort
Honme. southeast of Bethincourt. The
road between Bethincourt and Cumieres
runs across Hin 265. a lower elevation
northwest of lie Mort Homme. and the
German line crosses the northeastern
slope OF this Hill 2S5. Every gain on
tire road means that much advance In
the struggle for Hill 2S5. possession OF
which nv the Germans would render
'ha, much more difficult the holding by
the French of lie Mort Hoimne further
to the southeast. and another umm
o. the same ridge, the Cote de role.
In addition to the consideration OF the
positions on lie Mort Honme the Ger.
man attack of last night on the Bethin.
o0ur-Cumieres road. coupled will the
attacks at Hauroourt. appear to denote
~ attempt by the Germans to pinch al
both sides the salient now formed with
Rethincourt as its apex in an efor,
I, make the salient untenable ant
rra'gthen the line from the Bels Avo.
court 10 Hin e65. sue an elimination Of
the B~ethlncourt salient would bring the
Germans in a better position TO threaten
Hi 800. to the southwest OF lie Moni
lIomme, an artillery position which Il
4, present one of the greatest obstacles
l, further German advance on this side
Q. the Meuse.
The French afternoon communicate
We a. follows:
Last of the Meuse there has been
su'pat attack delivered after "a violent
preparatory bOnbardment against our
POSITIONS between Bethincourt and Hill
.ej, German forces made their way
into a French trench of the first line
o. the highway between Bethincourt
and C~hattancourt. We at once made
Scounter attack. which drove the Ger
mans back from the greater part Of
TIE possessions they had been able to
kellc, Al the present time the enemy
holds only certain advanced sections
s'uns a front Of about 800 yards.
East Of the Meuse there has bene
On Intermittent bombardmenI and we
have continued to make progress in the
communication trenches of the enemy
located southwest OF the fort of Dou-
sumout.
There have been sonie artillery en-
changes in the Woevre, but the night
S"ug the remainder OF the front
passed quietly.