The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-20
CROWN PRINCES
PLAN SPOILED BY
FRENCH ATTACK
Arrangements For "Great
Summer Harvest Fooled
By Activity at Souian.

French Front, Nov 2O.-One Of the
dlsapp o1ntments which the German
crown Prince has suffered since the
utter defeat Of his great efforts to
capture Verdun has just been brought
to light in documents found on Ger
man prisoners. From these it appears
that while the French were inf1icting
their smashing blow on the German
troops still menacing Verdun on Au-
gust 20 last-when the Crown Prince
not only lost some valuable ground
put about 5000 OF his selected men
were taken pr1soners-the, Germans
were carefully preparing an attack
On a grand scale from a point about
mile to the east Of Auberive to the
Soua1n height. French activity in
front OF the fortress of Verdun upset
the Crown Prince to put off for an
indefinite period any attempt to carry
out an offensive movement in this re-
gton.
Details Of the projected attack, as
a result Of which the German COM
mander had hoped to gain possession
Of an important tract of territory on
the Champagne front, show that the
chief Part in the operation was to be
played 10y the First Bavarian Di-
vision, which was brought up to full
strength for the purpose and had en-
joyed a. period Of repose and special
training for the task. It was to be
supported by two other divisions on
it's right and left TANKS respectively.
The Bavarian division had received
orders to prepare to furnish twelve
sections of chosen shock troops, each
section composed of one officer and
At men. Behind these shock troops
| were to follow II 'sbooty squads and
IL obstruction Squads" each COM
posed of temporary acting officer
| and 80 men.
In the success Of the intended blow
at the French was so great that he
had ordered II teams of six horses
each to be ready to gal1op off with
the captured French cannon, while an
officer and 80 men of the engineer
corps were to stand by prepared to
destroy gun positions and guns that
could not he carried off.
| It had been arranged that an ex-
treme1y dense cloud Of gas should be
emitted over the French infantry and
artillery positions during Is minutes
fbefore the shock units advanced to
the attack. Batteries of field guns
were to be stationed in immediate
|
planes were to fly low and participate
| in the infantry work. The whole op-
Grafton was, according to arrange
ment, to result in what was called in
German orders, "a summer harvest"
1t was fixed for August 1917.
On August 16 the French troops fur
ther east in the vicinity of Verdun
started movement on their own ac-
count, for on that date they opened
their artillery preparation for their
intended attack on August 20. The
menace to the Germans holding the
lines before verdun became so great
that the Crown Prince was obliged
4 to send the two divisions which had
been ordered to support the Bavarians
in the attack in Champagne to the
help Of the troops at Verdun and to
I fill their places by two other divisions
which had just suffered terrific losses
l. in a Flanders engagement and which
were in consequence not in the best
condition for severe fighting. AT the
same time even the elements were
contrary to the Germans.
| Later orders show that the German
commander was obliged first to put
the attack off till September 1. Be-
fore that date arrived he had evil
dence in the shape OF French artillery
and infantry attacks in the Cham
payne sector that a surprise was out
| of the question. Finally the French
fire became SO severe that on Sep
TENDER 10 the Crown Prince decided
to give up the idea of an offensive in
this section and began to withdraw
to the rear his guns troops and other
material which had been intended to
help in the reaping of an abundant
| L. % ~, yrf
considerable strip of territory.
| Once more the French had been
able to impose their will on the enemy
and to make him fight just where and
when they wanted him to do SO.