BAPAUME CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3031, 19 March 1917, Page 6

BAPAUME CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH

ENEMY PILLAGED THE TOWN GERMANS SWEPT OUT OF FOURTEEN VILLAGES ~? (Rec. March 18, 5.5 p.m.) ! London, .March 17. Headquarters announces that Bapoume has been taken.—^Renter. The High Commissioner reports:— London, March 17, 4.40 p.m. British Official.—Bapaume's capture followed some stiff fighting:.. The enemy pillaged the town, private and public buildings were destroyed, and everything valuable carried off or burnt. The advance on both sides of the Somme covers sixteen miles of frontage, including the occupation of the villages of Freses, Hirguy, Villers, .Carbonnell, Barleux, Bterpigny, Maisonette, Transloy, Biefvillers, Bihnouoouft,. Achiets, Abbinzevelle, Bucquoy, and Essarts. It is also rumoured that Peronne has been captured. ST. PIERRE VAAST\WOOD IN BRITISH HANDS. (Rec. March 18, 5.5 p.m.) ■ ' " London, March 17. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our advance northward of the Somme has been continued. We are now holding nearly the.whole of the St; Pierre Va-a&t AVood, also the trenches extending for a thousand yards southward, and two thousand northward. _ We beat off an attack north-east of Gommncourt and carried out successful raids in the Arras, Souchoz. and Vermelles neighbourhoods, inflicting many casualties—Au's.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutcr. GERMANS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE FRENCH (Rec. March 19, 0.10 'a.m.) London, March 18. A French communique says: On the whole front, between Andechy and the Oise, Hie enemy is refusing battle, and has abandoned, under our pressure, powerfully and scientifically fortified lines he occupied at the beginning. Our advance to-day continued rapidly. Patrols entered Rove, pursuing the enemy, who blew up crossroads and streets. Eight hundred of/the- inhabitants whom the. Germans had no time to remove gave the troops'an ovation. We also occupied Lassigny, and reached and passed north-east thereof tbo Rove and Noyon road at several points. Prisoners taken during the pursuit have not yet been counted. There is severe artillery firing in the Champagne, and on the right of the Mouse. " As a reprisal for burning Bapaume, a French aeroplane to-dav monibed Frankfurt-on-Main.—Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assn .-Renter.

GERMAN WAY OF RECORDING THE DEFEAT. (Rec. March 18, 11 p.m.) London, 17. A wireless German official-message says:—English detachments between Sailly and St. Pierre Vaast Wood and French detachments between Bcuv-Taignes-and Lassigny established themselves in trenches abandoned according 'to our plans. A French advance westward of Tahucne failed.—Aus:-N.Z. Cable Assn.Reuter. FRENCH ACTIVITY AT SEVERAL POINTS (Rec. March 18, 11 p.m.) London, March 17. A French communiquesstates:—O r detachments are continuing to vigorously press the enemy.. We progressed north of the Avre and between the Avre and the Oise on a front of mor e than twenty kilometres and a depth at certain points of more than four kilometres. A German attack north•vest of Berry-au-Bac was smashed by o llr fire. Some enemy fractions which •succeeded in entering a portion of our trenches were driven out immediately with the bayonet. We made substantial progress by me ans of grenades in the region, west of Maison dc Champagne, and captured several nortions of trenches. Lively artillery firing continues throughout tin's sector and in the direction of Auberivo. A brisk struggle developed cast of the Meuse in the region of FermedcsChambnches, and several enemy attempts on one of our trenches were finally repulsed after a series of advances and retirements. The Germans sustained appreciable losses. We made several successful raids west of the Mouse, in Cheppy Wood, the. Bois le Pretre, and near Rcmenouvelle, west of Pont-au-Moussoh, also at Sudelkopf, in Alsace, and took prisoners. In numerous air fights eight enemy aeropanes were brought down.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. v OPERATIONS ON THE FRENCH SECTOR (Tiec. March 17, 7.45 p.m.) London, March 1.6. 'A French communique says: Our light detachments occupied points in front of our lines between the Oise and the Avre. There is fairly lively artillery work in the region of Maisor.s de Champagne. Enemy coups de main on onr small posts, in the neighbourhood of Caurieres Wood and Chambrettes Farm, on the right bank nf the Meuse, failed. There were patrol encounters in the Lorraine and Alsace sectors, Euros and Ceppoislehaut.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. March 18, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 17. A French communique says: AVe continued to progress on both banks of the Avre and took prisoners. There was severe artillery firing between Soissous and Reims. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

ZEPPELIN BROUGHT DOWN IN FLAMES BY THE FRENCH

The High Commissioner reports:— London, March 17, 3.55 p.m. French Official.—A Zeppelin has been brought down at Compeigni! in flames, and without doing damage. * HOSTILE ZEPPELIN IDENTIFIED AS L;', 9. !< r, '■ (Rec. Marcli 18, 11 p.m.) London, March ]7. A French communique states:— "At 5.30 o'clock this morning Zeppelin L 39, which had flown over the region nT Paris, was hit at a height of 3500 metres above Compeignc bv our anti-aircraft guns, and fell afire in the town Snrclenß. All the crew perished. Neither the fall of the airship nor the explosion of her bombs did any damage.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.