HAIG'S WINTER CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3116, 21 June 1917, Page 5

HAIG'S WINTER CAMPAIGN

PAVING THE WAY FOR VICTORY INTERESTING LIGHT ON BRITISH STRATEGY FORCING THE GREAT KETREAT

London,. June 19. Sir Douglas Haig's dispatch covering a roview of the operations from Novouibor 18, 1916, to the commencement of tho present offensive affords a connected litory and a valuable historical record which elucidates much that has hithorto been obscure. It reveals tho strategic plans behind tho apparently isolated attacks and raids which continued throughout the winter, and shows thorn as all fitting into a comprehensive and systematic scheme, in order to preparo a favourable situation for tho spring advance. Owing to the Battle of the Somme, tho enemy in tho region of tho Ancre Valley had been forced into a pvonounced salient between tho Ancre and tho Scarpe Valleys. Therefore, a further short advance would give command ot the Beaumont-Hamel. spur. Accordingly, an attack was delivered against the defences overlooking the villages ot Jys and Grandecourt on November lb. J.no object was to advance within assaulting distanco of tho Le Transby-Ixmpart line. Five thousand yards of valuable positons were acquired. Tho weather then held up operations until January, when the whole spur was captured, and wo advanced a thousand yards up the Jieaucourt Valley with exceedingly light casualties, owing to tho close and skiltul co-operation of the infantry and the artillery and the fine work of the aircraft. ' Tho possession of the high ground opened [ up an extensive field for the artillery, and further successes on lebruary i and 4 gave us an important section ot tho German second line north ot tno Ancre, making the evacuation ot Grandecourt inevitable. . The next task was to drive the enemy from the Beaucourt Valley, which operation began on February 10. The capture of 1500 yards of trenches lying at tho southern foot of Serro Hill made tho village of Sorro a pronounced enemy salient, and further progress m the Ancre Valley would make it untenable. Therefore a larger operation was begun, with tho view of acquiring the northern extremity of the Morval-Thiepval Eidge, which commanded the southern approaches to Pys and Miraumont, and the observation of the Upper Ancro \ alley. Simultaneously, a smaller attack was designed to capture a sunken road north of tho Ancre. which controlled tho western'approach to Miraumont. During tho night of February 17 tho assaults were delivered, despite heavy ground and thick mist and an alert enemy, who sent over a barrage. The troops assaulted with great gallantry, and we succeeded in completely gaining the desired observations and also tho command of tho enemy's artillery positions in theium>ei Ancre and his defences Pys and Miraumont. Our subsequent bombardments, as anticipated, forced the evacuation of Pys and Miraumont on lebruary 24. Un i the Mowing day the positions from the north of Gueudecourt to -the west ot Serre were captured. 'The weather lavoured tho enemy's retirement. A thaw broke up the roadsides, trenches collapsed, and th» acnuired ground became a quagmire of the worst description. On tho other hand, tho roads behind the enemy improVed tho further he withdrew, and a succession of misty days prevented a Tapid pursuit. Consequently it is greatly, to the credit of all ranks that constant touch with tho enemy was maintained. Our continuous and systematic advances drove out the enemy from successive positions until March -, when wo reached tho Le Transloy-Lou-part line except at Irles, which formed a salient. Sovon days were then devoted to improving our communications and bringing up guns; and on March 10 Irlcs was captured. Our casualties wore less than the number of prisoners, who totalled 289. The way was thus opened for attacking the T.e Transloy-Loupart lino, which was shelled so effectively on March 11 and 12 that Mio enemy fell . back to parallel lines, whereupon Urebvillers and the Loupart Wood were occupied, and methodical operations were begun for attacking tho next line.