GREATEST BRITISH VICTORY

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15873, 12 April 1917, Page 7

GREATEST BRITISH VICTORY

THE DAY.

BRITISH BAYONETS;

ALLIES' GREAT HAUL IN

AND GUNS.

EXPERTS.

TANKS OF A NEW TYPE

RUSSIA AND PEACE.

(Jr* YlA*—2sstfa DAT.)

THE WESTERN THEATRE. BATTLE OF ARRAS. GREATEST BRITISH VICTORY. GALLANTRY OF CANADIAN [ TROOPS. (By Cable —Preee Association —Cdpyright.) ' (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received April 11th, 11.60 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. Mr Philip Gibbfl, telegraphing on April 10th states that the battle of Arras is tho greatest victory tho British have yet gained, and is a staggering blow to the enemy. _ I As the Germans are retreating our j guns are smashing them along all the roads. The Canadians during the night won j Hill 145, the last point of th« Vimy ; Ridge, inhere the Germans held out in j a pocket with machine-guns. , By morning the whola ridge was in : our hands. The Canadian attack on Monday was astoundingly successful. It was carried out by high-spirited men. with joyous confidence in victory. They marched out at dawn cheering and laughing through the mud and rain. They followed closo upon the artillery barrage, aind by 6.30 a.m. had taken the goal, including the front line of the system above Ncuvillo St. Vaast, from La Folio Farm to Thelus, where the resistance was fiercest.

Hundreds of Germans were hiding in deep tunnels pierced through the hill. As the Canadians surged up with bayonets fixed the Germans screamed, running forward like a landslip. Their chief desire was to escape the barrage of their own guns, which was falling fiercely on the trenches, though too late to damage our men, who wore already beyond it. The German prisoners were glad to pay for the gift of life by carrying back the Canadian wounded. The Canadian escorts had to guard such enormous numbers of men that the prisoners themselves directed later comers to the barbed wire enclosures. The officers were bad tampered because their men had bolted and loft them in the front trenches. TTin officers admitted th© horrors of the bombardment. Some had been without food for four days, because they were boxed in by our barrage. The Canadians on Tuesday occupied the Lens railway embankment. \ The pursuit of the enemy continues. ,

THE PRESENT POSITION. HINDENBTTRG'S line turned. WHOLE DEFENSIVE SYSTEM BROKEN. (Received April 12th, 12.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 10. Mr Beach Thomas, the well-known war correspondent, says the great hattie continues without cessation. Describing the advance of the British, Mr Thomas says: "No shell pitched among them, so clean was the heavens swept iby arerial observers, and so muddled were the German gunners. We saw our field guns galloping into enemy villages, and a little later spare horses coming in the opposite direction with German guns. We sa-w the Germans literacy hoist by their own petard, as our liquid" fire, descending like gilded rain on their heads, terrified the enemTAs the prisoners came down the good-natured Tommies, filling waterbottles, jokingly enquired after Kaiser Bill and Hindenburg. "All records of the curtain of fire j

CANADIANS THE HEROES OF

GERMANS RUN SCREAMING FROM

MEN

BRILLIANT SUCCESS ASTONISHES

OPERATE IN BATTALIONS.

were excelled at Vimy. Our airmen reported that trains and lorries were hurrying forward strong enemy supports for a counter-attack. Quickly every available hearvy gun -was directed at the new 'target. An unique spectacle followed. The advancing Germans, cut off by our fire curtain, were no more seen or heard of. "The' present position is that -we are up against Hindenburg's line from south of Arras to St. Quentin. We have turned his lin© east of Arras, and we have broken his whole defensive system north-east of Arras and abovo tho Scarpo river. The enemy is retiring to his reserve line before Douai."

| BIG OFFENSIVE | CONTINUES. DEPTH OF FIVE MILES | GAINED i j big haul of enemy guns. I ' I (Anctialia.il and Cubic Association.) (Reuter'o Telegram®.) ' (Received April 11th, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Operations have been energetically continued despite heavy snowstorms. We have reached the outskirts of Moneliy lo Preux, five miles eastward of Arras. Wo cleared the Farbus Wood. After hard fighting this afternoon at the northern end of the Vimy Ridge wo gained further prisoners and important positions. We have advanced our line northward of Louverval. Enemy counter-attacks at different points were unsuccessful. The number of prisoners captured since yesterday morning, exceeds 11,000 including 235 officers. We have captured over 100 guns, including a number of heavy guns lm to eight inches, 60 trench mortars, and 183 machine-guns. Valuable aeroplane work has been carried out. In many cases our machines dropped bombs on hostile reinforcements and bombed expeditions. A' largo railway station was also bombed, and three trains were hit. A German official report states: British attacks, after strong artillcrying on the south bank of the Scarpe, failed*

NEW INVENTIONS. TANKS WORK IN BATTALIONS. SUCCESS OF NEW SHELLS. (United Service.) (Received April lltli, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. An extraordinary feature of the fighting is the use of the variety of new inventions, including tanks of a new model, whiolx are considerably faster than the older type, and move in battalions instead of singly. The brilliant success of the opening day of the offensive astonished experts' but it would bo a mistake to regard it as easily won. We had a most valuable superiority in heavy guns and those new shells to which reference has previously been made were more devastating than the Germans expected. But much of tbo success was due to the heroic Canadians. Experts pronounce the capture of the Vimy Ridge as the greatest British victory so far.

NEW ZEALANDERS NOT ENGAGED. (Received April 11th, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON. April 10. The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massoy states that the New Zealanders did not participate in the big offensive.

RHEIMS BOMBARDED. CIVILIAN EVACUATION PROBABLE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received April 11th, 7.5 p.m.) PARIS, April 10. The Germans fired 8000 shells into Rlieims on Sunday, causing 25 outbursts of fire. The bombardment continues, and civilians have been warned to prepare for evacuation. EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS. (Received April 11th, 8.5 p.m.) PARIS, April 10. Franco has decided not to employ prisoners within thirty kilometres of the firing-line. Germany has agreed to similar treatment. FIGHTING CONTINUES. ALONG THE WHOLE FRONT. ENEMY'S FUTILE COUNTERATTACKS. LONDON, April 11 (1.20 p.m.). The High Commissioner reports: — Sir Douglas Haig's report states: — "During the night there was severe fighting at the northern end of Vimy Ridgo, where the enemy retained a footing. He was ejected, and attempted a counter-attack, which failed to materialise. "The eastern slope of the ridge has been cleared of the enemy. All counterattacks were repulsed.. "We seized the village of Fampoux, ana the neighbouring defences north and south of the Scaiyo. "The number of prisoners taken yesterday exceeds 9000, and over 40 guns were captured. "In the neighbourhood of St. Quentin the enemy has been driven out of the high ground between Le Verguier and Hargicourt. "Fighting continues on the whole battle front. , "After an intense bombardment, tine enemy made a strong attack at night on a narrow front south-eastwaras and westwards of Ypres, and succeeded in reaching our support line. He was, however, immediately ejected, leaving several dead." 1-2,000 PRISONERS TAKEN. PARIS. April 10. "Le Petit Parisien'' says that by Monday evening the British had taken over 12,000 prisoners.

A SPLENDID ACHIEVEMENT KING CONGRATULATES TROOPS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (lieuter's Telegrams.) LONDON, April 10. The King telegraphed the following message to Sir Douglas Haig:— "Tho "whole Empire will rejoice at yesteraay'e successful operations. "Canada will bo proud that the coveted Vimy Ridgo has fallen to her troops. "X heartily congratulate you and all who have taken part in this splendid achievement." A HERO AVIATOR. AMONG THE MISSING. LONDON, April 10. Amongst the missing aviators is Flight-Lieutenant William Robinson, tho first man to bring dowji a Zeppelin in' Britain, for which feat, performed Jn September last, ho was awardeu the V.C. and £3500. WHOLE BATTALIONS SURRENDER. HOW VIMY RIDGE WAS AVON. PARIS, April 10. The "Petit Parisicn," describing the Canadians' 6Ucces6 at Vimy, states that tho British .artillery put up a tremendous barrage in front of the assaulting troops, also cxtonding their fire curtain to the enemy's rear and isolating tho Germans, who, realising that escape was impossible, did not offer any prolonged resistance. ,Wholo battalions surrendered, although thero was a fierce struggle to tho death at cortain points, especially at Haniu-sur-Cojeul and Telegraph Hill. The British caught several hundreds of tho enemy on tho banks of the Scarpo. and cut down those who refused to surrender. The Canadians rested momentarily on the elopes of Vimy Ridge after the capture of the first two lines, and then dashed for the summit, and tho Germans threw down their arras, M. Marcel Hutin, tho well-known French journalist, eays that, according to the accounts of prisoners, tho rapidity of tho British advance surprised tho Germans. Prince Rupprecht expected that tnb attack would oe delayed for at least ten days. the german" version. A reverse admitted. Admiralty per Wirekns Prees. PARIS. April 10. A German official report states: — The battle of continues. The English, after several days of artillery activity, attacked on Monday, after a violent increase in tho volume ajf fire, on a front of 20 kilometres. The result was that after hard fighting they penetrated our positions on the roads radiating from Arras. ; They failed to break through two of I our positions,, where our divisions suffered considerably, after stubbornly resisting the onslaught of superior numbers of the enemy. W® penetrated beyond tihe third English line south-eastward of Yj>res. A French attack «t Laffaux failed. ON THE FRENCH FRONT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Renter's Telegrams.) LONDON, April 10. A French communique says:—The enemy artillery has been less active north of the Oise. South of the Oise we progressed east of the lower forts of Kouoy. There was a fairly lively artillery struggle in the region north-east of Soissons, principally in the Laffaux sector.

THE TTtTJNCH OFFENSIVE. ENEMY DEFENCES BOMBARDED. (Australian and N.Z. Cab 1 ® Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) (Received April 12th, 12.40 a.m.) / LONDON, April 10. A French communique states: — "North of the Oise there has been reciprocal artillerying. South of the Oise wo destructively bombarded German organisations east of Coucy and south, of the Arlette. Wo violently bombarded German positions at Neuville sur Margival.