As many as 40 young teenagers savagely beat three other boys with pipes and bottles yesterday afternoon, sending the trio to hospital and leaving a Scarborough schoolyard covered in blood.

Toronto Police say staff at Cornell Junior Public School on Holmfirth Terrace -- southeast of Markham Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. -- called 911 after looking out the window around 3:45 p.m. and seeing dozens of youths involved in three violent brawls around the school grounds.

"It was vicious, very vicious," Sgt. Jim Gibson said at the schoolyard, a large chunk of which was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape last night.

He said it was too soon to know exactly who was fighting who or what the dispute was over, but one youth had his ear partially severed and two other boys suffered head wounds.

"I've been doing this job for 28 years, so not a lot surprises me any more, but this was just so vicious," said Gibson, who was also troubled by the young age of those involved in such horrific violence.

GLASS BOTTLES

"They wiped the snow with these kids," the veteran officer added, pointing out two areas in a field on school grounds where the snow was stained crimson with blood and a third spot where a boy's blood-soaked winter coat lay on the paved ground of the schoolyard.

Based on the amount of blood and the way it was splattered all over the schoolyard, Gibson said it appears the attackers chased the three victims, pounding on them and striking them with glass bottles as they tried to get away.

"There were 30 or 40 kids going at it pretty good for quite a while," he said.

All of the students are in their mid- to late-teens and do not attend Cornell. It's believed they are high school students from nearby Cedarbrae Collegiate.

When cruisers pulled up on the scene, the attackers fled.

"What was left was this poor guy with his ear hanging off, his two buddies who were left to pick up the pieces, and a few kids who were brave enough to stick around and tell us what happened," Gibson said, adding several beer bottles were also found in the schoolyard.

The victims were taken to Scarborough General hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Detectives were waiting to talk to them last night.

ONE ARRESTED

All but one of the attackers got away, Gibson said, explaining a boy believed to be 16 or 17 was arrested and taken to 43 Division.

His name can't be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Police are looking for dozens of teens following the violence, but had little to go on last night.

Anyone with information is urged to call 43 Division at 416-808-4300, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.