THE WAR.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 March 1917, Page 3

THE WAR.

MONDAY, - Capture of Bapaume — Thirteen Villages Taken—Duma's Complete Triumph — Army Accepts New Regime—Zeppelin Destroyed in France. Bapaume and thirteen villages have been captured by the British. Seven of the villages are in the Bapaume region; the others are near Peronne. The French have advanced on a twelve-mile front to a depth of two miles and a-half miles between the Avre and the Oise, south of the Somme. The French brought down a Zeppelin in flame at Compiegne, 22 miles south of Soissons. The German Ambassador at Pekin has received his passports. China has seized German shipping at Shanghai, and has suspended all Germans employed in State Departments. The Czar has issued a proclamation of abdication on behalf of himself and his son in favour of his brother, the Grand Duke Michael. The command ot the armies has been transferred to the Grand Duke Nicholas.

TUESDAY German Retirement—From Arras to Soissons—British Troops enter Peronne — Russian Advance in Armenia. The Germans are now retiring on a front of over 80 miles in the west, on both sides of the great angle which has been a feature of the line since trench warfare commenced. The British have captured Peroane, Chaulnes, and Nesle, and over 60 villages. The Russians have captured "Van, in Armenia, 140 miles south-east of Erzeroum, and ha^ve gained ground in Persia. The British are still pursuing the Turks up the Tigris. Enemy destroyers approached the coast of Kent early on Sunday morning, and fired a number of shells. There were no casualties and the damage was insignificant. Three American ships have been sunk by German submarines, no notice being given. Thirty-two Americans are missing. The Provisional Government in Russia has issued a- statement specifically pledging itself to the Pact of London, which binds the allies not to conclude peace | separately. j WEDNESDAY Advance Continued—Close Pursuit of Germans—Forty Villages taken by British—Fighting North of Verdun. The allied advance in the west has been continued. The British who are in close pursuit of the enemy, have a distance varying from two to eight miles, and have captured 40 more villages. Australians were the first to enter Bapaume. The enemy are falling back even more rapidly before the French. They are systematically destroying villages and carrying off everything useful. The Somme advance has already liberated 176n> villages, 1250 square miles of France, and 11,000 inhabitants. The German destroyers which made a raid, qn the English coast early- on Sunday morning shelled the undefended town of Ramsgate. They engaged and sank a British destroyer-, ancj damaged, I but not seriously, another which was engaged in rescue work. THURSDAY March on St. Quentin—French four Miles Away — British Qaiti 14 Villages—Gales Delay AdvanceAmerican Naval Preparations. The German retreat and the allied advance in the west are being delayed by equinoctial gales. ' "" . ' "-.■••■ The British have cleared the enemy from another fourteen : villages,. The French have reached Ronpy, only a little over four miles south-west of St. Quentin, Reports oome from Switzerland that the Russian revolution has created an agitation in German working-class circles which culminated in serious demonstra tions and strikes in Leipsic. No specific declaration o,f war. hag Keen prov.oked by the sinking, of'three American freight yesseis, by German submarines,