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Show uu ONE BATTALION urn n hfriwk fi a vU jLiii' "UlJLj a nil HI III l French Maintain Salient Against Enemy Force Outnumbering Out-numbering Them Twenty-Times, Twenty-Times, Until Surrounded. Sur-rounded. REPEATED ASSAULTS Mass Attack at Deadman's Hill Gives Teutons Possession Posses-sion of First Line Trenches. Paris, April 1, 11:40 a. m A single battalion of French infantry held the salient comprising the village of Mal-ancourt Mal-ancourt in the Verdun region west of the Mouse, against German forces twenty times their number In the attack at-tack of Thursday night, until surrounded sur-rounded on three aides they were compelled to choose betweeu retirement retire-ment and capture. Three German brigades attacked just after dark. The column attacking attack-ing in front mot with such sustained fire that It was thrown back before reaching a house of the village. Tho assaults wero renewed repeatedly at Intervals of a few minutes, tho German Ger-man ranks growing thinner with each rush. Germans Bring Up Fresh Troops. At about 11 o'clock the Germans brought up a fresh brigade and attacked at-tacked furiously on all aides but were again thrown back by rifle fire and bayonets. At one o'clock another charge was made. It was directed principally against the flanks, and the column operating- on. tho Jeft-ofter bein&mro pulsed several tlirieV, succeeded n mnking a breach in 'the defensive line of the French Being reinforced with more fresh troops, the Germans were able to hold the ground. Tho French battalion still held out and fought from house to house until dawn. Then the ever-increasing German Ger-man reinforcements overwhelmed what remained of the defending forces for-ces By that time nothing was left of the village but a pile of smoking ruins. The Germans remained quiet along that part of the line during the day, but made heavy attacks against tho advanced French positions In the region reg-ion of Deadman's Hill. After preparation prepar-ation with a veritable storm of shells, German infantry attacked In mass formation for-mation and penetrated the first line of the French trenches at some points. Tho French infantry counter attacked attack-ed with the bayonet aud drove back the Germans In disorder. |