GERMAN BATTALIONS PRACTICALLY WIPED OUT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 88, 12 April 1916, Page 5

GERMAN BATTALIONS PRACTICALLY WIPED OUT.

THE GERMAN CROWN PRINCE’S EVIDENT RESOLVE. i ENDS IN FUTILITY AND CARNAGE. ONE FORCE YIELDS, THE OTHER SLAUGHTERED. ; ATTACK ON BETHINCOURT A COMPLETE FAILURE. (Reed. 9.35 a.m.). 1 PARIS, April 11. The moment the Germans, on Sunday, leapt from their trenches, in a rush against the Avocourt and Bethincourt sector, French artillery opened a furious fire against their dense formation, and the enemy came tlMpugh the woods, over the plateau, along the ravines, dropping in hun<l®6. . Almost immediately they reformed and returned to the charge, thrice they were repulsed and thrice they returned, and the only results were futility and carnage. Even more violent was the simultaneous struggle around the village of Bethincourt, where the Crown Prince had evidently resolved to carry Morthomme at any cost. His 30,000 men were here divided into two sections, the stronger attacking frontally, the remainder trying to force a passage between Cumieres-and the Meuse. Both attacks developed into a desperate hand to hand contest; both sides fighting like madmen. Frenchmen again proved their superiority. When the conflict subsided the Germans yielded while the battalions attempting the flank movement by Cumieres was practically -wiped out. General Petain’s strategical withdrawal from Bethincourt heightened the enemy’s hopes of finding a vulnerable point, and the enemy was so confident that he reA erted to the attack in close formation in broad daylight. This gave the French artillery a splendid opportunity to break the advance before it became dangerous, and French artillery in their ne-w positions covered the ground whenever the enemy advanced. Ther e were three attacks, each one on a grand scale, failed.