attack or defence and Rupprecht replied that a counter-attack was not feasible. Next day, two regiments of the 117th Division were added to I Bavarian Reserve Corps to protect Neuville and reinforcements arriving to re-establish the OHL reserve behind the 6th Army were taken over; part of the 15th Division was sent to Douai as a new OHL reserve and Falkenhayn suggested that a special headquarters be set up to co-ordinate counter-attacks. Two liaison officers arried from OHL to look into the possibility of a counter-attack by the two most endangered corps, which undermined the authority of the 6th Army HQ and Falkenhayn notified Rupprecht that a fresh corps en route should be used to counter-attack. Rupprecht took exception to this, inferring that it was a veiled criticism of Karl von Fassbender, the commander of the I Bavarian Reserve Corps. Rupprecht blamed Falkenhayn for ignoring warnings that the Bavarians needed reinforcing. On 13 June, Rupprecht repeated his orders to XIV Corps to hold Carency and Haenisch sent pioneers to dig a reserve trench behind the left flank of the 28th Division. French pressure on the Lorette Spur had eased and a regiment of the 58th Division retook trenches on the northern slope. No counter-attack was possible at Carency and the I Bavarian Reserve Corps concentrated on holding the line from Souchez to Neuville and St Laurent, which was attacked again during the afternoon. Gaps either side of Hill 123 were closed by counter-attacks but a gap between a depression known as , north of the Lorette Spur and Souchez could not be closed and Carency was almost surrounded. The defences to the west and south had been lost on 9 May and constant French attacks slowly overwhelmed the defenders. At on 12 May, a French bombardment of fell on the remaining German positions to the north of the village. The survivors were cut off and the village captured over the next two days. French attacks in the north began to diminish on 13 May, as rain storms turned the battlefield into a swamp but at on 15 May a hurricane bombardment fell on Souchez until but no infantry attack followed the bombardment. Late on 12 May Rupprecht created to control the units in the areas of the XIV and I Bavarian Reserve corps, to hold the existing positions and establish a defence line from Carency and Neuville. A counter-attack at