IN FRANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1917, Page 5

IN FRANCE

esc EVENTS IMMINENT. . ENEMY'S POSITION INSECUIIE. LONDON, March 13. Mr. Philip Grbbs adds : “we are on tlie eve of important movement*. 'ine enemy is nuliKely to avoul severe damage, even it be escapes disaster. 1 eau'r say more at present, STILL RETIRING. ENEMY’S WEAK RESISTANCE. LONDON, Maivli 13. Mr. Philip Oibbs, reportnr; truin headonarters on the 13th, states that the enemy Ims made another ini port anr retreat. Loupart Wood was heavily bombarded yesterday, but to everybody’s surprise the Germans surrendered the wood without a great struggle. Our men are now .around Grevillers, whence the Germans have been driven except a lew ■ machine gun teams and snipers.

Lonpart Wood was a dom matin?, position, giving observation over a great stretch of country, but the capture of Tries made the position untenable Our terrible concentration of

"itnfire made the enemy decide to re treat before the garrison was aunihi luted.

The Germans are still holding Bueqnoy and Ac-hitle Petit, but further south, they are actually behind their ln«8t defensive system on Bapanme ridge.

ADVANCE ON BAPAUfvIE. ?\I ATX DEFENCES A BANDON KT). LONDON. Ma veil 13. Fiekl-Mavsli.il Sir Douglas Haig reports : < Kving to <iiu' bombardment Die enemy lias abandoned the main tiefences along lite forward crest of the . r i,:.jrp westward of Bapaume on a three ami a half miles front. We drove back the rearguai'ds in this area to a depth of a mile. We occupied Grevillers, and Loupart Wood, and also processed eastward and north-eastward of (tommecourt on a frontage of a mile. A raiding party reached our trenches south-west nt' Neuve Chapelle. A few British are missing. Hostile raids elsewhere were repulsed. Hostile raids were repulsed during the night in the neighbourhood of Neuville Saint Vaast. Souchez and Armentieres. In each care the enemy failed to reach our trenches. He succeeded in reaching our trendies south-westward of Neuve Chapelle and a few of our guns are missing. FRENCH PUSHING OH. (JERMAaS lose- heavily! [AUSTRALIAN AND S.'i.. CAHI.K ASSOCIATION.] Received this da- at 12.50 pan. Enoch Official: Between Butte de Mcsnil and Maison de Champagne the German.: delivered two violent coun-ter-Attacks against works which we captured to the left t f the sectorThe enemy were unable to reach our portions anywhoie mid sustained heavy losses. Throughout the nigh:. ,'ie o'hs.titiaie grenade struggle eontin-llt-d hetwien Kill IS.") and Maison de ('liainpa'j'iie, where we captured morn livnche .. Between the Moise and Aprciuord mir troop:; penetrated the German trenches at four points, reach\w>v ...j :> eo;id line aiad capturing pri. tfonelh. THE GERMAN FRONT. WHY IT SHOI'LD BE SHORTENED [AUSTBAUAK AND N. 7.. CABLE ABSOCIATIOH.] Received this dav at 12.45 p.m. AMSTERDAM, 'March H. Major Moraht has: just returned front a visit to the German headquarter,-'. He publishes; a sensational article in the Tageblatt, insisting on the advantage if Germany's Western front was considerably shortened. He adds: Let Un remember the battle ui (lie Masurian Lakes.. General llindenburg sliowed the Russians that, despite his voluntary retreat, he had not. abandoned the initiative.