WESTERN FRONT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17428, 15 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

TOWARDS BAPAUME.

- BRITISH TAKE GREVILLERS. ,

GERMANS CONTINUE RETREAT.

Australian and. N.Z. Civblo Association and

Renter. (Received March 14, 7.45 p.m.)

LONDON, March 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports .'—Owing to our bombardment the enemy abandoned his main defences along the forward crest of the ridge westward of Bapaume l on a three miles and a half front. Wo drove back rearguards in this area to a depth of a mile and occupied Grevillers and Loupart wood. ,We also progressed eastward and north-eastward of Go mm ©court on a frontage of a mile. A raiding party leached our trendies south-west of Neuvo Chapelle. A few British are missing. Hostile raids elsewhere were repulsed. (Grevillers is a mile and a quarter west of Bapaume.)

Tho High Commissioner’s message also states that enemy raids were repulsed iii the 'neighbourhood of Neuvfile St. Vaast, Soucbez and Armentieres. ; >

ENEMY RESISTANCE. NOT SE- ' VERB. Anutrslian and N.Z. Gcblc Association. • (Received March 14, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. • Mr' Philip Gibbs, writing from tlio British headquarters on March 13, says:—The enemy has made another imoorfarib retreat. Loupart wood was heavily, bombarded yesterday, and, to everybody’s surprise, the Germans surrendered the wood' without a great struggle. Our men are llow around Grevillers, whence the Germans have been driven except for a few machinegun teams arid t snipers. Loupart wood was a dominating position, giving observation over a - great stretch of country, but the capture of Iriys made the position untenable. Our terrible concentration of gunfire made the enemy decide to retreat, before the garrison was annihilated. The Germans are’still holding Buequoy and Aeliiet lo Petit, but further south they are actually behind the last' defensive system of the Bapaume ridge. We are on the- eve of .important movements. The enemy is not likely to avoid severe damage even if he escapes disaster. I cannot say more at present. „ '

WITH THE FRENCH.

THE CHAMPAGNE FIGHTING. SOISSONS STILL BEING SHELLED. Australian and N.Z. Cabl# Association and Ron tar. LONDON, March 13- '* A French communique sayn^-H 10 Germans west of Maison do , a rF'‘ pagne yesterday evening „ V J° , oounter-attaeke.d. at Hill VBS- V®* barrnge and machine-gun fire stoppea them. We maintained all our posit.sn2ts» .... +l.^, 11 The enemy's coup-de-matn m “j, region of Louvemont, on the ngi bank of the Meuse, was easily repulse#Wo launched three cmips-de-mam yesterday evening on German tveu.cnls between the Avre and tho Aisne, w 10 our fire tvrecked. ,ri , , Germans continue to bombar S6issons. Enemy attempts to. , r ®\ our lines on the Crouy road and in i region of Beulenchiyy, farther easward, failed. There is lively artnl y fire in the sector at Troyon. ._

GERMAN MOVEMENTS.

TROOPS MOVING TOWARDS

FRANCE

Australian and N.Z, Cable Association. AMSTERDAM, March 13. Frontier reports indicate that a continued stream of Germans -towards France and the Belgian frontier con- 4 tinues. A report ■ states that von Falkenhayn has reached Tillcmont, near Louvain.

EN£MY CLAIMS.

ALLIED ATTACKS FAIL % * LONrON, Maprii 13. A wireless German official message says.•—The English attacked on a wide front southward of Arras, but failed with heavy losses. There is lively fighting along the Ancre and' on both banks of tho Meuse!: Our fire turned back a French advance northward of tho Avre- We stubbornly defended Hill 185 against an attack by superior forces. The French, by sanguinary sacrifices, captured a narrow stretch on the southwestern slope.