THE WAR.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 1 March 1917, Page 3

THE WAR.

MONDAY.

Progress on the Ancre— lmportant Positions Taken—Fighting the Submarines—British Advance in Mesopotamia.

As the result of unceasing pressure by the British, the enemy has. vacated important positions on the Ancre. The British progressed considerably, and entered the village of Petit Miraumont. They also advanced south of Serre.

In Mesopotamia the British secured and consolidated two lines of enemy trenches at the southern end of the Sannaiyat position.

On the Italian front the enemy seized an outpost at Coldilana, but were driven out, prisoners being captured.

The Messageries Maritimes liner Athos has been sunk in the Mediterranean by a submarine. An American missionary to China was killed. Of those on board, including Senegalese riflemen and colonial labourers, on the way to France, 1450 were saved.

TUESDAY Unopposed Advance — Germans Abandon Positions — Raid by Auckland Men — Neutrals in a Critical Position. A. strategic retreat by the Germans in the Ancre region is described by Mr Phillip Gibbs. He states that important strongholds, ' which it was expected would be won only by heavy fighting, have been abandoned. On Saturday fires were seen burning in the German front lines. The enemy batteries have been expending an abnormal amount of ammunition. The village of Serre and other important points have been oc" cupied by the British. An effective raid on German positions was made on February 21 by men of the Auckland Battalion, supported by intense artillery bombardment. Fortyfour prisoners were taken, and between 150 and 200 Germans were killed. The -battalion received the high honour of congratulations by the Commander-in-Chief. It is now reported that of the seven Dutch vessels attacked off Falmouth, a fourth, the Bandoeg, was sunk, in addition to the three previously reported.

WEDNESDAY Ancre Positions Won — Further British Advance — Recapture of Kut-eUAmara — Cunqrd Liner Torpedoed—Skirmish off English Coast. The British have continued their progress on the Ancre, and the advance now extends over a front of 11 miles east of Gueudecourt to south of Gommecourt, by a depth of two miles. l^ut-el-A^nara, in Mesopotamia is again, in the ha.nds qf the British. Recent operations had won the whole of the enemy positions from Qannaiyat, on the Tigris, to Kut-el-Amara. German destroyers shelled the open towns of Broadstairs and Margate, on .the coast of Kent, shortly after midnight. A woman and child were killed, and two children seriously injure^. The British rj'a/v.'a} rqr.pes iii the' attempted' to cut oif the enemy, who, however, escaped. A British destroyer patrol encountered various enemy ships the same night. The British suffered no iqss.^ hut the effect qn. the energy- c,qu}d not be ascertained owing to the darkness. The Canard liner Laconia, of 18,099 tons, was torpedoed without warning on her voyage from New York to England. Practically all were saved, but two American women are i6]jqrte"d, missing: '"• '- "' l ;-

THURSDAY Fiirthec British Qaii^s—^dyance ohj Ancre T:Eon^— fet^iij qi\ The British have made further progress on both banks of the Ancre, have captured the village of Le Barque, and have established themselves in the western and northern defences of another i | village. —-X ■' M-**-" flic British ai-e pursuing the Turks up the River Tigris west of Ku'c-el-Amara. Dutch reports state that allied aeroplanes heavily bombarded Zeebrugge harbour and depots. The glare of fires v.'as seen from I Holland. ' ' • •"'•"■■' ' ll ' '' \.n Italian airship dropped, a ton" of'explosives oh Bo^aj th.c Austrian hayar^ase.' ' "The s,inkius of Gur^ardj lin,er I,ac6nia has "created, a. demancl in A.m.erio.a for action I against (j-erm.an.yt