THE WAR.

Western Star, 20 March 1917, Page 3

THE WAR.

COUNTERACTING SUBMARINING. NEW YORK, March 15. The “New York Tribune’s” Washington correspondent states that the Government Shipping Board is considering an expendi--uoo oqq no s.iL’[[op uoijjtui jfyjlj jo 0.111? struction of a fleet of 2000-ton wooden cargo boats of standardised design to counteract the effect of submarinings. Representatives of nineteen shipyards are conferring with the Shipping Board as to the time that would be required to build a thousand ships. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. LONDON, March 15. Russian official: The enemy during tire night attacked and occupied portion of a trench south-west of Brezezany, in Galicia, but our counter-attack drove him out witlr great losses. We are pressing the retreating Turks in the direction of Sakkis and approaching Bana. We occupied Kermanshah after an obstinate two days’ battle. SMASHING THE GERMAN LINES. LONDON, March 15. Mr Philip Gibbs states: —On Wednesday evening the enemy were still holding out at Achiet-le-Petit and Bucquoy, though he will be forced to leave in • a hurry. A visit to the battlefields shows the devilish torments the enemy has suffered. The ground is a wild chaos so turned up by shell fire that one’s gorge rises at such an obscene mangling of mother earth with bodies half buried by the high explosives. The ravine beyond Miraumont is a shambles for the German troops. They had machine gun emplacements and deep dug-outs under cover of earth banks but our guns found them out and the entire garrison was killed. I counted dead hereabout 850 bodies and 700 were Germans. Our gun fire leaves nothing alive and makes rubbish heaps of the machine gun casements, breaks hundreds of rifles into matchwood. This discloses the secret of the German retreat —it is to save themselves from another such shambles. They are falling back to new lines.

THE FRENCH COMMUNIQUE.

LONDON, March 15. The French communique states: We had a coup-de-main in the region of Moulins-au-Stouvent, east of the Oise, and took prisoners. Several German attempts on our small posts in the neighbourhood of Tingre, west of Navarian, and in the Argonne failed. There is fairly active artillery Are in the region of Maisons-dc-Champagne, but no infantry action. LONG SERVICE IN FIRING LINE, LONDON, March 15. The Army Council is considering introducing a distinguishing mark for soldiers who have served for long periods in the firing line. VEGETABLES VERSUS HOPS. LONDON, March 15. The Press Bureau'says that Mr Prothero has circularised hop-growers recommending a reduction to half the acreage, which will be sufficient for the year’s brewing, and to plant as substitutes potatoes' and vegetables. URGENT NEED OF MEN. LONDON March 5. The Director-General of National Service, Mr Neville Chamberlain, speaking in the Whitfield Tabernacle, London, on Sunday, said: — “We have recently taken over from the French an additional section of the line, consequently we need more troops. We are now beginning forward movements in consequence of the German retirement, and we must find hundreds of thousands of men during the next six months if we are to maintain our armies at full strength and give Sir Douglas Haig the amount of support on which he is counting, in order to clench our victory. The enemy is wavering. Now is the time to hit our hardest.”

In a speech at New Cross the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Dr Maenaraara, appealed for volunteers for national service. “This grim struggle,” he said, “can only be carried to victory if everybody helps. Otherwise, the words ‘in * vain’ must be written on the grave of every fallen Britisher. I recognise that the enrolment will hamper business, but this is a time for sacrifice. Volunteers will work as far as possible in positions similar to their present occupation, and near their homes.”

ADVANCE IN MESOPOTAMIA. LONDON, March 16. Mesopotamia official: After establishing posts on the left bank thirty miles up stream, General Maude attacked the Turkish rearguard on the right bank fifteen miles northward of Baghdad after night marching on Wednesday, and drove them back three miles. The Turks continued to go back at- dusk. We occupied portion of the town of Bakubah, on the right bank of the Diala. Our machine-guns caused a fire on a small Turkish steamer attempting to cross the Tigris on Tuesday night, and she drifted down the river and was captured witli a quantity of ammunition. BAPAUAIE TAKEN. LONDON, March 17. Headquarters announces that Bapaumo has been taken. OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. LONDON, March 18. Sir D. Haig reports; Bapaume was captured after stiff fighting with the German rearguards. The town was systematically pillaged by the enemy, who destroyed private houses, public buildings, and carried off or burnt everything of value. Our advance proceeded rapidly to-day astride the Somme. Southwards of the river we entered the enemy’s positions on a sixteen-mile front, and occupied Frosnes, Horguy, Yillers-Carbanncll, Barleux, Eterpigny, and La Maisonette. Northwards of the river, in addition to Bapaume, we hold Lo Transloy, Bieivillers, Behucourt, Achict lo Grand, Aeliit lo Petit, Ablaiiizevillc, Bucquoy and Los Essarts, also Quesnoy Farm, fifteen hundred yards northeastward of the last-named village. Wo gained the western and northwestern defences of Monchy Aubois, and carried out successful raids eastward and northward of Arras reaching the enemy’s support line.

CONTINUED PROGRESS. LONDON, March 17. Sir Douglas Haig reports Our advance northward of the Somme has continued, and wo now hold nearly flic whole of St. Pierre Vaast Wood, also the trenches extending 1000 yards to the southward, and 200 yards (« the northward. Wo beat off an attack north-east of Gomecourt, and carried out successful raids near Arras, Souchez, and Vcnnelles, inflicting many casualties. CAPTURE OP DAP VT.ME. LONDON, Bareli 18. Sir D. Haig reports: Uapnumo was c jptnred, after st-ig \n'-l

German rearguards. The town was systematically pillaged by the enemy, who destroyed private houses, public buildings, and carried off or burnt everything of value.

ENEMY YIELDS GROUND. PARIS, March 18. Sir Douglas Haig’s successes are considered a prelude to the capture of the important junction of Croiselles. The Germans are expected to yield considerable ground in the Arras district. GERMANS RETREATING RAPIDLY BRITISH CAVALRY IN PURSUIT. LONDON, March 18. Mr Philip Gibbs states that the Germans are in full and rapid retreat to new lines many miles to the rear of the abandoned position. They are laying waste villages and the entire countryside, poisoning wells with arsenic, burning bridges, and mining roads. Our cavalry patrols have gone far away and the infantry are pushing forward.

The correspondent at Western headquarters states: Favoured by fine weather and the drying ground we are everywhere pressing the retiring Germans. The scenes of activity behind the lines eclipse the busiest days of Somme offensive. The spirit of the troops is one of demonstrative enthusiasm.

FRENCH ARMY’S PROGRESS. LONDON, March 18. The French communique states: Important progress was made between the Avre and the Oise. We secured the whole of the ground between the old lines and the Roye-Troyon road from Damedy to Lagny height. The pursuit continues north of Troyon road. Wo downed ten enemy aeroplanes. THE MESOPOTAMIAN SUCCESSES. LONDON, March 18. Mesopotamia official; Fighting on the right hank of the Tigris on Wednesday the Turkish rearguard was driven to a position covering the railway station at Mitshaide. We captured the position early on the morning of Thursday. By Friday the whole enemy force—the remnants of three divisions —was in full flight towards Samara. LATEST NEWS. GREAT FRENCH PROGRESS. The High Commissioner reports, under date 19th March, that the French have made great progress, and are patrolling St. Quentin road. During the past three days they have captured and occupied about 100 towns and villages.

ANOTHER. DESTROYER RAID. KENTISH COAST BOMBARDED. The High Commissioner reports, under date 19th March: Destroyers approached the Kentish Coast this morning and a number of shells, were fired on coast towns. There were no casualties, and the damage was light.

THE BRITISH ADVANCE,

LONDON, March IS

Sir Douglas Haig reports : We occupied Nesle, Chaulnes, and Peronne, and pressed back the German rearguard. We advanced several miles during the 2-1 hours to a, maximum depth of ten miles on a front of 45 miles, from southward of Chaulnes to the neighbourhood of Arras. . AVo also occupied besides the towns mentioned, over sixty villages. Two German raids reached our trench north-east of Vermelles. There has been great aerial activity.

THE GREAT ADVANCE.

LONDON, March IS)

Air Philip Gibbs, wiring on Sunday, states that the British entered Poronno to-day. That statement alone is sensational enough, but it does not stand alone. The whole old German line south of Arras, which is one vast fortress, built by the labour of millions of men, with thousands of machine guns in redoubts, forests of barbed wire, has been swept away. The enemy is now in rapid retreat to new lines many miles away. They are laying waste the countryside as they go. Scores of villages north-east of Bapaume, and east of Peronne, are burning. The town of Athies is like a flaming torch, visible for miles. Other towns are just smouldering ruins, from which volumes of smoke roll. 'No homesteads or farms remain, only the black ruins of devastation. The enemy is adopting war’s malignancy to the utmost. v They have poisoned wells to prevent the cavalry from drinking. - A number of wells have been tested and found to contain arsenic. Bridges over the waterways have been burnt, and mines laid beneath cross-roads, which opened up enormous craters. High explosive traps have been scattered in the path of our patrols.