IN FRANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 March 1917, Page 5

IN FRANCE

THE BKlTiSri ADVANCE. EUIiTHEK GKOUXD CAPTUIJED. LONDON. March 17. Field-Marshal bir Douglas. Haig report!*: Uui' advance northward ot the Suunue has continued. Nearly —-' whole of St. Pierre Vaast Wood, and also trenches extending a thousand yard:! southward and two thousand wirds. northward, have been taken. \\'u beat oh' an attack north-east of Gonimeoourt, and carried out sueces;'i'ul raids; hi the Arras;. Smichez, and Vcrmelles neighborhoods, iidlicting many casualties. PEROMNE CAPTURED. FCJUMIKH ALLIED ST7C." (JESSES." Tim High Commissioner reports as follows : LONDON, March 18, o-ll) p.m. The capture, ot.' Pcronne is (.•onfirmed. CQURGELLETES THREATENED. GAINS IN Aim AS DISTRICT[ACSTRALIAN AND V.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.] Received this day at 0.15 a-m. PARIS, March 18. Sir Douglas Hair's successes are considered the prelude to the capture of the important junction of Croisslles. The Germans are expected to yield considerable ground in the Arras district. GERMANS FALL BACK. INCREASING FRENCH SUREIAUSTIUUAN AND S.Z. CABLK ABSOOUTIOV.) Received this day at 12.55 a.in. A French communique states: On the whole front between Audechv and the Oise. the enemy. refusing .battle, abandoned under our pressure, powerfully and scientifically fortified lines that he occupied at Beinnium. Our advance to-day continued rapidly. Our patrol entered Rove pursuing the enemv, who blew u\t the cross roads and streets. Eight hundred inhabitants, whom the Germans had no time to remove, ovated the troops- We also occupied Lassigny and reached and passed north-east thereof on the PoyeNoyon road- At several points prisoners were taken during Ihe pursuit, but they have not yet liocn counted- There was severe itrtillerying in tho Champagne on the right of (lie Mouse- As a reprisal for the burning of 13apnumo, a French aeroplane today bombed Kraukfurl on the main line.

BAPAUME FALLEN. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, March 17. Headquarters announces that, Bapaume has been taken. ' BAPAUME OESTnOYEO. OKI!MANS' FINAL ACT. Received Hi is day '»' ] ! :1 -'"- LONDON, March IS Sir Douglas llaig reports: Ha paume was captured after stiff lighting with the German rearguards, 'ilin town was systematically pillaged by !he enemy, who destroyed private In.use;; and public buildings and ear■:."l oIT or burnt everything of value. Our advance proceeded rapidly 10-day. We are astride of. the Sonime south,l ~i ■ nver. We entered the enemy's positions on a sixteen miles' i ■., i am, occupied Frosoes, Uortiiiy, Villers, Carbonnel, Barlcux, Kterprigny. iiuid La Maisonette northward : of the river. In addition to Papaume we bold Le Transb.y, BiefviUers Bihucourt, Aehiet le Grand, Achiet le Petit, Ablainzeville, Bucquoy. Fssnrts. and also Quesnoy Farm. Fifteen buntired yards-north-eastward of the lastnamed we gained the western defences of Monehy au 15 >h;. We carried out successful raids eastwards and nort'iwards of Arras, reaching the support line. THE WEATHER IMPROVING. BRITISH ADVANCING RAPIDLY. Received this -lav at 9.50 a.m. • ' LONDON, March 18. Headquarters Reports: The rapid hardening of ihe ground and the line weather were responsible for activity on the Somine and the Ancre. There was much lighting to-day, our patrol pressing the enemy reaij.uards everywhere. Tlie sharpest conflict was at J3apauine. where the British fell upon the encinv btlore they could clear their covering troops. They began to withdraw immediately. We advanced with rapidity. Their retirement showed that the German main army has fallen back a considerable distance. The fall of Pennine is impending, the place being quite untenable by the enemy.

FRENCH SUCCESSES. ENEMY DRIVEN OUT. [AUSTRALIAN AN» ■•*• CABLE ASSOCIATION.] Received this day at 11 a.m. LONDON, .March 17. A French communique states: Our detachments are continuing vigorously to press the enemy, and we progressed north of Avre and between Avre and the Ou:;e on a front of more than twenty kilometres to a depth at certain places of more than four kilometres. A German attack uoithwest of Berry Au Buc was smashed by our fire. Some enemy fractions which succeeded in entering a portion of our trenches were driven ou 4 .. immediately with the bayonet. We made substant'nl progress by means of grenades. In the legion west of Maison de Champagne we captured several portions of trenches. Lively artiller.ving continues throughout this sector and in the direction cf Aubelive. A brisk struggle developed east of the Meuse. In the region of Ferae <"es C'hamboclies several enemy attempts on o'ie of our trenches were finally repulsed after a series of advances and retiie« ments. The Germans sustained appreciable losses. We made several successful raids west of &he Meuse in Cheppy Wood,

Bois le Pietre, and near Hemenouve.ie, \>uot ol i'oiiL uu iUoaaaoa, aiao ut ouue.kopt, in iUsaco, ana iouk pP.doners. Jn uuinoroiifi air ngiits oiyot enemy aeroplanes were brought down, • FRENCH PftuORESS. Li\ELY' AKiIi.LEUY DUEL. LONDON, March 10. A French communique states; our light detachment nave occupied |. units in front ol our lines between ihu Oise and the Aviv linalL. ih.ru hi lively artillery lire in the Kga.ni ot Alaisons de Champagne. An enany coup de main on our small posts in the' neighborhood of tfolirures. Wood and Chambrells farm, on the right bank of the Mouse, failed. There have been patrol encounters in the Lorraine and Alsace sectors "t Euros and Ceppoi.s le Plant.