The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-11-22
Plans of Crown Prince
frustrated by Verdun Attack

spondence of The Associated Press)
One of the disappointments which the
German Crown Prince has suffered
since the utter defeat of his great eff
forts to capture Verdun has just been
brought to light in documents found
on German prisoners. From these it
appears that while the French were
affecting their smashing blow on the
Grman troops still menacing Verdun
on August 20 last-when the Crown
Prlre not only lost some valuable
grouh but about 5000 of his selected
men Nere taken prisoners-the Ger
mans ''re carefully preparing an at
tack ON grand scale from a point
about lille to the east of Auberive
to the SCUM height French activity
in front of We fortress of Verdun up
set these plas completely and caused
the Grown Pnce to put off for an
INDEFINITE peril any attempt to car
ry out an otfenve movement in this
region.
Details of the ,ojected attack. as
a result of which he German com.
mander had hoped gain nossass;on
of an important trac If territory on
the Champagne front, how that the
chief part in the opera n was 70 bo
played by the First Ba ,;.n D;vis
ion, which was brought - r. FIJI,
, strength for the purpose 8, had on
joyed a period of repose a, .noc;.,
training for the task. 1t W - ho
= supported by two other divisio. IN ire
S right and left hanks respectiv
s The Bavarian division had rec. ,.od
e orders to prepare to furnish tW %
= sections of chosen shock troops, e.,
: composed of one officer anl fort J
d seven men. Behind these shock troop
h were to follow twelve "booty squads
:. and twelve "destruction squads" eac
h composed of temporary acting office
: and thirty-two men.
: The confidence of the Crown Primo
S in the success of the intended blow &
e the French was so great that he ha
+ ordered twelve teams of six horse
: each to be ready to gallop off wit
the captured French cannon, while a
officer and fifty men of the enginee
a corps were to stand by prepared
= destroy gun positions and guns tn;
is could not be carried off.
e 1t had been arranged that an e!
tremely dense cloud of gas should
n emitted over the French infantry ar
q artillery positions during fifteen mi,
20 utes before the shock units advance
to the attack. Batteries of field gul
lie were to be stationed in immedia
~ support of the shock troops. Al
= planes were to fly low and participa
in the infantry work The whole O,
', Grafton was, according to arrang
:. ment, to result in what was called
the German orders, "a summer ha
p vest 1t was fixed for August, i
1917.
h On August 16 the French troor
further east in the vicinity of Verdu
o started a movement on their own q,
: count, for on that date they ooene
their artillery preparation for thei
intended attack on August 20. Th
menace to the Germans holding th
lines before Verdun became so orc,
that the Crown Prince was oblire
to send the two divisions which ha
been ordered to support the Bavarian
IN the attack in Champagne to tn
help OF the troops at Verdun and t
NIL their places by two other division
which had just suffered terrific losse
IN FLANDERS engagement and whjcI
In consequence were not in the bes
condition for severe fighting. At tn,
same time even the elements wer,
contrary to the Germans.
Later orders show that the Ger
man commander was obliged first r.
put the attack off till September !
Before that date arrived he had evi
dence in the snaps of French artillery
activity and infantry raids in the
champagne sector that a surprise was
out of the question. Finally the
French fire became so severe that nm
September 10 the Crown Prince de.
cided to give up the idea of an Of
fensive in this section and began to
withdraw to the rear his guns, troops
and other material which had been in
tended to help in the reaping of an
abundant harvest of prisoners and the
gam OF a considerable strip of ter
tory.
once more the French had been able
to impose their will on the enemy and
to make him fipht iuct ,rhouo