DRIVEN FROM THE BAPAUME RIDGE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3028, 15 March 1917, Page 5

DRIVEN FROM THE BAPAUME RIDGE

BRITISH CUNS TOO HOT FOR THE GERMANS GERMAN REAR-GUARD PUSHED BACK By Telegraph-Press "Association-Copyrisiht (Rec. March 14, 7.45 p.m.) London, March 14. Sir DoiHaS Haig reports: "Owing to our bombardment, tbo enemy abandoned his -main defences along tho forward crest of the ridge westward of Bapanme, on a. 31 miles of front,. We drove hack the rearguards in this area to a depth of a mils, and occupied GroviJlnrs and Loupart Wood. Wo also made progress east and north-east of Gommecourt on a front of a mile. A raiding party reached our trenches sou th-west of Neuvo Cbapelle. A few of, the British aro missing. Hostile raids .elsewhere wero repulsed."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutov. MR. PHILIP GIBBS'S ACCOUNT (Rec. March 14, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 14. Mr. Pliilip Gibbs, in a dispatch from headquarters in France, dated March 13, says'. "The enemy has had to mako another important retreat. Loupart Wood was heavily bombarded yesterday, and to everybody's surprise tho Germans surrendered the Wood without a great struggle. Our men aro now around' Grevillers, from where tho Germans have, all been driven, oxcopt a few machine-gun teams and snipers. lioupart Wood was a dominating position, giving observation over a great, stretch of country, but tho capture of Irles made the position untenable. our terrible concentration of gunfire decided the enemy to retreat before tho garrison was annihilated. i "The Germans are still holding Bucquoy and Achitlegitit, hut further .south they aro actually behind the la-st defensive system on tho Bapaimio Ridge. Wo are on the eve of important movements. Tho enemy is uot likely to avoid severe damage, oven if he cscape disaster. I cannot Bay mure at present."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. COUNTER-ATTACK AT MAISON-DE-CHAMPAGNE EASILY REPULSED BY THE FRENCH. London, March 13. A French official communique states: "The Germans west of Maison-de-Ohampagne yesterday evening violently counter-attacked on Hill 185. Our barrage and machine-gun fire stopped the enemy. Wo maintained all our positions. An attempted German coup de main in tho region of Louvomont was easily repulsed. We made three coups do main yesterday evening on Gorman trenches between the Avre and the Aisne, which our fire wrecked. The enemy's attempts to reach our lines on the Crouy road and in tho region of Beulenchivy, farther eastward, failed. There is lively artillery work in tho Troyou seotor. Tbe Germans continue to bombard Soissons." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aseb.Reuter. . GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. I London, March 13. Wireless, per Admiralty Press: A German official message states: "An English attack on a wide front south of Arras failed, with heavy losses. There is lively fighting on tho Ancro and on both banks of tho Men so. Our fire turned back a French advanco northward 1 of the Avre. Wo stubbornly defended Hill 185 (in the Champagne) against an attack by superior forces. The French, by sanguinary sacrifices, captured, a narrow stretch of the southwestern slope."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. I A GERMAN COUNCIL OF WAR (Rec. March' 14, 11.15 p.m.) London, March 14. Field-Marshal von Hind'euburg and General von Ludendorff aro conferring with tho Austrian von Hoctzerndorlf and von' Yonara at German Headquarters regarding impending operations on tho Italian and Western fronts." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. VON FALKENHAYN IN BELGIUM. Amsterdam, March 13. Reports' from the frontier indicate that there is a continued stream of Gormans towards France. The Belgian froritior continues to bo closed. General Palkcnhuyn has readied Tirlemont, near Louvain. —Aus.-N.55. Cable