The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-04-13
Crown Prince HurIS Two Army
Corps Against Foes on 49,
Mile Front - Town of
BethinCourt Cut Off.
TERRIFIC BATTLE RACES
Petain's Troops Repel Assaults
at All But Two Points
Paris Says Germans Lost
Half of Effectives.

London. April lin a desperate
struggle for possession Of Dead Mans
hill, the French lines were penetrated
last night for a distance of about 500
yards in the vicinity Of the height.
Paris announced this today in report
Ing battle which ragged in the verdun
region along a 13-mile front north Of
the stronghold. Elsewhere the French
lines stood the test Of the average at
tacks of the Germans.
Berlin, (via London), April 1.-THE
war office announced today that in the
lighting near Bethincourt in the Yer
dun region, the town and two fortified
points to the southwest Of the fort
were isolated. The French were cut
off, losing TIA prisoners, two guns and
10 machine guns. The losses Of the
French in killed or wounded were con-
siderable.
Paris. April 1.-THE failure of the
latest great hammer stroke Of the Ger
mans at Verdun has ENCOURAGED the
French press and public and confirms
still further the general confidence felt
IN the ability of the high command.
The attack Is stated to have been one
Of the most determined Of the great
blows delivered since the battle began
20 days ago and yet 1t yielded the least
results OF any Of them, although tha
crown prince started two whole army
corps against the French along a 10
mile front.
AS Bethincourt formed a dangerous
Ialient, Its evacuation had been expect
ed for some time and many military
observers long ago criticised its reten-
ton. General Petain's unerring iudg-
nenC In letting 1t go at exactly the
light moment Is now highly praised.
While Of little value to the French 10
Is Of almost no value to the Germans,
as 1t Is located in hollow, commanded
by French guns on all sides, out OF
which 1t Is practically impossible for
them to debouch.
Return to Mass Attack.
Abandoning the new open formation
and the lately established practice Of
night attack, the Germans yesterday
engaged two army corps in dense
northwest Of Verdun, between Avocourt
and Cumieres. Forces, numbering
at least a division and a half.
charged the line between Avocourt
and Bethincourt. They approached
within 100 yards Of the French trenches
and seemed insensible to the fact that
hundreds Of their men were falling by
the way; but, Notwithstanding their
courage and the weight Of their masses.
they were stopped. There was a dead
line beyond which they could not pass.
When the attacking columns were
thinned out by artillery and machine
gun fire, so that a reformation became
necessary the order to retire was given.
Twice they were obliged to fill up the
gaps in their ranks, but none OF their
three onslaughts shook the French line,
which had been considerably strength
In hn narinr NF OF iNn 1wt HrE
withdrawal Of forces from dangerously
exposed salients to commanding posi-
lions behind the village
Check Furious Attacks.
Two fresh divisions attacked Dead
Mans hill while the assault was in
progress on the Bethincourt line, other
forces at the same time trying to slip
through the ravines near Cumleres. To
check the maneuver, an attack was ST.
multaneously made on the east bank OF
the Mouse in the region Of Champneu-
Vile Vacherauville. The few hundred
men who had succeeded In pentrating
the ravine were left on thu field after
the action proved unsuccessful.
A third attack at the same time was
delivered on a position strongly organ
lied by the French. northeast of Avo-
court. the object seemingly being to
drive in the French line far enough to
turn Hill No. 304 which lies. 800 yards
terized as the Gibraltar in the French
lines in that district. This attack met
with more success than the others; but,
after the Germans had succeeded in
getting a footing at some points in the
first trenches, the French counter at
tackled, and the net result for the Ger
mans was an increase In their losses
from French bayonets. 1t Is stated
that at the close of the day the French
held exactly the same positions as at
the beginning of the attack.
on these operations was given out to-
day:
Lieut. Gen. Sir Percy Lake. COM
The German losses are aga" said to
have been on the basis Of 80 per cent
Of the electives engaged, and these in
clude considerable portion of the Ger
man reserves.
The Germans continued their attacks
last night in the Verdun region east
and west of the Mouse over a front
10 miles long from Hill No. 304 to Fort
Douaumont. The war Offices announce
ment today says that, in the fighting
west Of the river for possession Of
Dead Mans hill, the Germans were re-
pulsed, except on a front of 500 yards,
near Hill No. 295. Fast Of the river.
the German assaults gained no appre-
ciable results.