THE VIMY RIDGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14579, 1 June 1916, Page 3

THE VIMY RIDGE.

The Vitny ridge, where the Jiritish have Jo.. .1. 00 yards of trenches, has been tho scene of many a hot tight. It is nearly a year since tho French, following their line work on the plateau of Notre Dame 'le Burette., ami their brilli.i'it success further souii) in the famoi's Labyrinth, captured _cuv;lle and cLiuuienceu to'light; their way up the ridge east of them. Por mouths the communiques had ten. ant references io the stniggle lound La Polie farm. Ha Pol. has disappeared from the reports, probably b.i.i .o the farm buildings long since, ceased to adorn the landscape, but U is pro! a!, ye-e-

twien the old farm, and Bittle Vimy that 'he ho!test struggle <>t the hill has occurred. The. German success was attained further, norm, between Pa Folic and Hill Pit), or between Hill \.-W and (iivenchy.

Between Souche/. and Givenc.hy-en-(loheile rises Hill 1.19. which is really the northern end of the ridge that has come to be known by the name of Vimy, a village just beyond the crest of it, east of the Asms-Lens road. Hill 14.0 is part of this ridge. La Folie Farm is between Vimy and NeuviJl. St. Vaast, on the western slope, and the British lines turn, south at the larm, running across the Hens-Arras road to I'oclincourt and the eastern suburbs of Arras itself. The farm may be indicated l.iv reference to any map, for it is rouii-iily half-way between Lens aud Arras," and Hill PH> is about a mile northwest of it.

'there is an extraordinarily strong Gorman salient, with its apex at Civeach v, the enemy's lines enclosing a

series of mining villages like Angers and Lievin, with industrial buildings, railways, mining works, engineering shops 'and suchlike obstacles crowded thick ami affording ampel cover for troops and ample opportunity for intense fortification. It was this salient that held up the French when they carried Souche/. and again when the British captured Lens and Hulluch. If the Vimy ridge were in possession of the British the problem of reducing the German defensive positions west o( Lens would be simplified, though the task will always bo ono of imnfense difficult v. Over "the Vimy ridge there P comparatively easy country, and except for small and rather isolated villages the British would be clear of the industrial district Sir Douglas Haig has been endeavouiing to improve, his position on the ridge by raids and minelighting, and lately he has been able to claim some success, but the German advance now reported is comparatively a large one, though its cost is likely to have been heavy.