The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-21
The Disappointments The
Grown Prince Suffered

man 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 German prisoners. From these 1,
appears that while the French were
inflicting their smashing blow on
the German troops still menacing
Verdun on August 20 last-when
the Crown Prince not only lost some
valuable ground but about 5000 of
his selected men were taken prison
'ers-the Germans were carefully pre-
pairing an attack on a grand scale
from point about a mile to the east :
!ot Aubeive to the Souain height.
French activity in front of the fort
ress of Verdun upset these plans
completely and caused the Crown |
Prince to put off for an indefinite pc
riod any attempt to carry out an Of
frnsive movement in this region.
| Details of the projected attack, as
a result of which the German COM
n,ander had hoped to gain possession
or an important tract of territory
or the Champagne front, show that
the chief part in the operation was
to be played by the First Bavarian
Division, which was brought up to
full strength for the purpose and had
enjoyed a period of repose and spec
ia, training for the task. 1t was to
be supported by two other divisions
on it's right and left f1anks respect
lively.
The Bavarian division had received
lorders to prepare to furnish twelve
sections of chosen shock troops, each
section composed of one officer and
forty seven men. Behind these shock
. troops were to follow twelve "booty
, squads and twelve destruction
: SQUADS, each composed of a tempo.
. rary acting officer and thirty-two
q men.
q The confidence of the Crown Primo
: in the success Of the intended blow
9 az the French was so great that he
had ordered twelve teams of six
horses each to be ready to gallop off
w'tl the captured French cannon,
"a'le an officer and fifty men Of the
engineer corps were to stand nv nra.
pared to destroy gun positions and
Guns that could not be carried off
II IL mad been arranged that an ex
'emely dense cloud of gas should h,
ei'iSted over the French infantr,
anu artliiery positions during fiftear
minutes before the shoak units ao
,ahced to the attack. Batteries -
"e'o guns were to be stationed in i'm
nhedlate support of the shock troons
A'rplanes were to fly low and mart,
oipate IN the infantry work. rh,
"hoie operation was, according 70 ar
rensement, to result in what wa,
caiied IN the German orders 90 snr,
'ier harvest 1t was fixed for Auens
= 1917. us 10
- oh August 16 the French troon.
horther east in the vicinity NJ var
G!n started movement on their ou,r
account, for on that date they omen ed
their artillery preparation for tbei,
Jihtended attack on August 90 The
tnenace to the Germans holding the
hihes before Verdun became so great
tnat the Crown Prince was oblieed
TO send the two divisions wbio,, bo
ceeii ordered to support the Bavar-
lans in the attack in Champagne tc
to fill their places by two other di.
visions which had Just suffered ter.
riiic losses in Flanders engagement
and which were in consequence not
in the best condition for severe fight
ing At the same time even the ele
ments Were contrary to the Germans
Later orders show that the Ger
man commander was obliged first t.
put the attack off till Sept |. Be
fore that date arrived he had evi
dence in the shape of French artil
ler% activity and infantry raids il
tie Champagne sector that a sur
prise was out of the question Final
ly the French fire became so sever
that on Sept. 10 the Crown Primo
decided to give up rhe idea of an of
fensive in this section and began t
withdraw to the rear his guns
! troops and other material which ha
been intended to help in the reapin
an abundant harvest of prisoner
and the gain of considerable stri
Of territory.
Once more the French had bee