FRENCH LINE MOVES FORWARD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3032, 20 March 1917, Page 5

FRENCH LINE MOVES FORWARD

ON A FRONT OF 38 MILES CAVALRY IN EFFECTIVE ACTION The Hiph (.'cinimi.':-!"i]f'r rq»on>: - London, .March J.«. 3.30 p.m. A French official report stairs: "Unworn the Avrn and tlio Oiso m raado serious progresE during; Ilio night- All the, ground between our former lines and the road from Jloyo to Noyon. bci.we<-n Dameiy and the, I<agny height, is now in our possession." London, March 11, f.30 a.m. A Kronen official dispatrh slate.-.: ' Vrnin t,ho. Avro to the Aisnc, on ;i front, of more than sixty kilometres (3i 5- miles), our forward march was continued. North of the Avro our cavalry entered Xosln. \Y« immediately advanced our patrols towards the Soramc, and ,cavo biitllr> to detachments of rearguards, which feebly resisted. "North-east of Lassigny m have realised up to the present, an advance nF moro than twenty kilometres (i'.'J miles') in depth, in the direction of Ham. More in the south our cavalry and ligjil' detachmenls, the valley of the Oise, occupied Noyon. This morning, between Ihc. Oise and Koissons, the wh;ile of tlie German first lines, aud ihe village? of C'arlp.*pont. Morsain, and NoHvron-Vinfrre, have- fallen inio our hand?. We gained a footing nn th" plateau northwards of Soissoup, and occupied Orouy. "In the region of Kei/,, wo <.'asily repulsed :i. sudden atiadi towards l.a Fompello and Champagne. A German attack on mir trenches in the region of C'hambrettes was Mopped dead by «ur harniKe." GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT KVACrATIOX "'K AnnoRDANrK WITH PLANS." London, March 1?. A German official mcf-sago stairs: ■R.-tßr.nn Arrae. and Iho Oise thcBritibb and French occupied, sections »f our former positions, includiug Bapaume, Rove, iinrl Noyon, which we cvaciialed m accordance -with our plans. Our covering -troops inflicted heavy losses. French attacks north, of CHmnretteK failed. The enemy lo?r Inontv-nvo aeroplanes. Wβ lost three." Aus.-NZ. C»bl« AsMi.-l?eni,-T. (Rcc March .1?, 0.1/ i p.m.) London, Maroli 1!). A German official slater: "In sections of the territory we voluntarily waniiW, between Arras a.nd tlie Aisnc, thorn has only been fighting at a few points between our eovorinsr. troops and the enemy's cavalrr and In-f3nlry."-Ans.-X.Z. Table. Assn.-^uier. VON HINDENBUBC ON GERMAN MORALE LESSONS OF THE VEBDUN FAILUBES. CRec. March ]!), :i.-(0 p.m.) London, March 18. Th«> "Paily Chronicle's" correspondent, aI. the French front quotes von Hindonburg's memorandum to commanding officers, in. which ho. refers to tlio lessons of tlio Verdun failures. Von Hindenburß says that the ostraorrlinary number of German prisoners who gave up without serious resistance phoned, that the nioralo of certain troops ivas bad. "Eea6ops sLoald be nought. Tho old spirit of tho German infantry must be revived.' Fortified zones must be constructed, enabling positions to be held. Deep underground shelters in advanced trenches are- forbidden. They lire were man-traps." Von Hindenburp emphasised tho importance- of an artillery climax immediately prior to the infantry attack. "Considerations of economy in muntious must- then bo ignored." Us concludes by insisting that the war has confirmed Iho superiority of massed formations in attack over other formations.

LATEST NEWS OF THE ADVANCE IN SIGHT OF ST. QUENTIN AND CAMBRIA. (Rec. March' 20, 0.40 a.m.) London, March. 19. Events on the Western froufc are moving with bewildering rapidity. "Well-known lines on the maps are changing every hour, and there is bo longer doubt that a serious breach has teen made in Germany's wall of steel. The breach extends from Monachy, south-west of Arras, to tie Noyon plateau, a distance of about ono hundred miles, as trenches go. All the German armies in. this sector are falling bacl; towards the Belgian, frontier, with the Anglo-French cavalry pursuing. Naturally there is no question of a_ general German collapse, but the retreat is certain to have ft demoralinc influence on the harassed Germans, especially as the main direction of tho Anglo-French offensive- will threaten the most vital part of tie German lino, and likewise strikes at their communications. Tho Allies are now withiu eight miles of St. Quentin and d sve miles of Camhrai.—Reuter.