REMARKABLE FRENCH ADVANCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9614, 21 March 1917, Page 5

REMARKABLE FRENCH ADVANCE

By Telegraph—Pres* Association — Copyright. Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association and Router. (Received March 20, 10.45 p-ni.) LONDON, March 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— Our pursuit of the- enemy is being continued. Our cavalry advanced guards are driving back tho rearguards. (The (new) ground wo have gained represents a depth of from two to eight miles. Forty more villages have been taken. Our trenches were raided in the neighbourhood of Loos and A pres. A few British soldiers arc missing. Our aeroplanes, co-operating with tho infantry, did much valuable work. A GREAT WORK ACHIEVED ON SOMME 170 VILLAGES’ TAKEN, 11,000 INHABITANTS FREED. Reuter’s Telegrams. (Received Maroh 20, 10.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 19. / The Somme advance has liberated 176 villages, 1250 square miles of country, and 11,000 inhabitants. WONDERFULLY RAPID ADVANCE Reuter’s Telegrams, (Received March 20, 11.33 p.m.) LONDON, March 19. A Reuter correspondent at the British front writes: Tho most striking illustration of the rapiditv of the advance during tho past two days js the fact that our patrols got astride the railway and road between Arras and Bapaumo at various places without encountering resistance. Tho groat Lo Transloy-Hcbiitcrne-Arras salient has disappeared. The railway road is much damaged, but communication can be quickly restored. Wo aro now practically holding tho lino General Joffro chose m Ins attempted unsuccessful French stand during tho great retreat. , Tho latest nows shows that tho Arras and Peronne front is swinging round liko tho alteration of tho clock's hands from five to four-thirty. Tho Gormans have' fallen back behind Hendecourt, nearly ten miles southeast of Arras and only two miles from tho main road to Cambrai. % OPERATIONS ON FRENCH FRONT

100 BOROUGHS AND VILLAGES CAPTURED IN THREE DAYS. High Commissioner’s Cable. LONDON, March 10, 4.5 a-m. A French official report states: Our troops continue progress eastwards of Nesle, having reached the Ham-Neslo railway. Northward of Noyon they have occupied Guiscard, .and. are patrolling the St Quentin road. In the last three clays we have (captured abtfut a hundred boroughs and villages. RUNNING BEFORE THE FRENCH SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION AND BRUTALITY, Router’s Telegrams. (Received March 20, 8.15 p.m.), V LONDON, March 19. Reuter’s correspondent at French Headquarters states that the enemy is falling hack more rapidly before tho French than the British j . All the roads bdhind the fleeing too are closely packed day and night with transport columns and guns, while everywhere on. the horizon smoke clouds tell of preparation for further retreat. The destruction as proceeding systematically. For example, in the village of Candour the enemy burned farm wagons and destroyed machinery and everything useful. The Germans carried off hoys approaching military age, besides the Mayor and Deputy Mayor They not only seized all the people’s produce, hut took American relief supplies. They are forcing everybody to work in return for threequarters of a pound of bread daily. SMALL TEMPORARY ENEMY SUCCESS FRACTION OP FRENCH LINES PENETRATED NEAR AVOOOUBT. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received March 20, 6.25 p.m.) LONDON, March 19. A French communique states: After a violent bombardment the Germans last night powerfully attacked the Avocourt and Mort Homme front, but our barrage and machine-gun fire smashed the waves of assault on tho greater nart of the front before reaching Our linos, and inflicted heavy losses in the direction of Hill 304 and tho edge of Avooourt Wdod, where enemy parties succeeded in penetrating our lines on a front of about two hundred metres. There was lively haud-to-hand fighting, and the enemy was partly driven out. FURTHER ADVANCES AND CAPTURES ABOUT 30 ADDITIONAL TOWN'S TAKEN. Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received March 21, 12.00 a.m.) v LONDON, March 20. The latest French communique states, During tho day our troops advanced beyond xiam on 'ilio oomme, and Chauny oi“ tho Oise. We hold numerous localities between both places. Our cavalry operating several kilometres north of Ham captured a convoy returning in tho direction of St. Quentin. Our advance at this point has attained a depth of thirty-five kilometres Our detachments south of Chauny reached tho lino trom Aidotto to Soissous and entirely relieved the enemy pressure north-east of Crouy. Our advance* elements progressed along tho Maubeugc road. About twenty villages and small towns wore liberated during tho day. Before retiring tho enemy laid waste the country. Fruit trees were edit down or torn up by the roots, fields were destroyed, mines laid on the roads, and bridges demolished, while numerous villages were burned. The shelterless and starving inhabitants were fed by the French troops. Violent artillcrv operations are proceeding in Champagne. Wo recaptured almost all tho trenches on the left bank of the Meuse which the enemy had penetrated. Fighting continue*.

SHAMEFUL DEVASTATION AND PILLAGE FRENCH TROOPS WELCOMED BV VILLAGERS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, March 19. A French communique, referring to tho liberation of the French villages, savs- “The enomv has shamefullv devastated and pillaged many localities. Thousands of inhabitants, whom'the Germans were unable to drive away, welcomed our troops-’’ THE RECONQUERED TERRITORY NO EFFECTIVE OPPOSITION OFFERED. Bv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, March 19. Tho “Morning Post’s” correspondent writes: —Nowhere in tho reconquered territory have the British encountered effective opposition or serious delay. Tho new British front swung round with almost startling speed, and was still advancing on Sunday night beyond villages which the day before were well ahead of the battle front. The British cavalry went through the breach at Achiet le Grand on Saturday, and bivouacked at nightfall miles beyond tho limit of the British bombardment in the, Somme battlo. The Gormans o-t J3apaumc,main/fcaiiied a semblance of resistance until the infantry charged no the slopes outside of tho town. The defenders scampered away, and at the same time tho German cavalry hovered in. tho fields beyond Bapaume to cover their escape. AUSTRALIANS FIRST TO ENTER BAPAUME Australian and Now Zealand Cable Assnrintioo. LONDON * March T 9. Mr W. H. Long (Colonial Secretary), speaking at the Junior Constitutional Club, said that tho Australians -were tho first soldiers to enter Bapaume. CONGRATULATIONS FROM SIR DOUGLAS HAIG Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association. (Received March 20, 10.45 p-m.) MELBOURNE, March 20. Tho Colonial Secretary has cabled to the Minister for Defence General Haig’s congratulations that the first Ansae corps captured Bapaume. The casualties wore very slight, r but ho hopes the steady flow of reinforcements will bo maintained. • ' , VOLUNTARY ABANDONMENT OF TERRITORY A GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. i LONDON, March. 19. A Gorman official massage states: In sections of the territory we voluntarily evacuated, between Arras and Aisne, there lias only been fighting at a'few points between our covering troops and the enemy’s cavalry and infantry. RETREATING ENEMY HARD PRESSED

HIS SCHEMES FORESTALLED. United Press Association. —Copyright. Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, March ID. Renter’s correspondent at Headquarters, writing on Monday, states:— We continue to press the retreating enemy hard. Whatever the Gormans’ tactical scheme is, it is certain that we have forestalled him, and are hustling him to a. degree, ho did not anticipate. Our patrols have crossed the Arras-Bapaumo -road'and railway at many points, and although we cannot yet claim to dominate those important roads, the Germans are certainly oft them; in other words, the groat salient has practically gone. LONG PREPARED FOR RETREAT WHAT A GERMAN REPORT SAYS Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Router. (Received March 20, 6.25 p.m.) LONDON, March 19. A wireless German official message states; Our evacuation of the tract between Arras and Aisno was long prepared, and carried out without disturbance or hesitation despite the pursuing enemy. We destroyed the traffic establishments in the evacuated regions, and provided five days’ food for the population left behind. Wo stormed trenches of 500 to 800 metres frontages south of Dois do Milaaoourt and on the sldpe of Hill 30-1.