FORWARD!

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1917, Page 5

FORWARD!

PI.'SHING TOWARDS BAPAUME. (Delayed cable) London, February 10. The capture of Grandcourt, a long straggling village two miles north of Thiepval Plateau, and two Anere gains are the result of steady January pressure on both sides of the river. *The advance east of Bearcourt, on February 4, made a salient untenable, and the increasing pressure enabled us to capture the outlying trenches on Feb. 8, compelling the Germans to evacuate the powerfully organised Grandcourt on the 7, thus straightening the British line. The advance continues on the high ground dominating the Anere valley between Beaumont Hamel and Bapaume. When the intervening ridge is captured Bapaume must fall-. 'lt will be the key position to many other places which must be evacuated, and the retreat to Mons may shortly be re-enacted in the reverse order. The operations were a triumph for British tactics, culminating at Grandcourt.

Ihe west front fighting is putting the I'iitish troops in (lie finest fettle despite the bitter cold. The army service is constantly providing hot foods and drinks. The quickening activities on the west front indicate progressive developments of hostilities.

The French communiques show that the French are slowly advancing towards the point at which fightin" becomes general, and the British are now menacing with their guiis the enemy's first, and second lines, north of Ancre. The west front has been covered with snow for three weeks. Deep drifts are everywhere. The white wilderness lias an unearthly loveliness in the moonlight, and is covered with swarms of ciows in the dnytime—a black and white study./ A Britisher taken prisoner and sent to the rear escaped and recrossed no-man's land .unseen, because his uniform was covered with the ice. ifc reached the British lines and fell senseless with cold. He was treated and recovcred. The Australians stand the cold wonderfully. Their health has generally improved. Australian raiders nre wearing white overalls. General iirdwood warmly congratulated the raiders on Feb. 5, when sixty prisoners were taken. Many of the Germans ran round the trenches demoralised and crying, following a half hour's intense bombardment. An" important French trench, captured and recaptured often is now in the possession of the Australinns. Prisoners reported that the trench was unoccupied, and the Australians walked in unopposed. The raids have shown that the German front lines are very thin. VI hen they lose a trench they endeavour to bombard the British out.

The hardness of the /ground has greatly lessened the percentage of unexploding German shells. Artillerymen assert that the Australian horses are standing the weather better than the British. .Australians from Somme report that German aviators arc active. The latest machines seem large and fast, but rarely descend sufficiently low to effectively observe. The policy of worrying the Germans is maintained day and night by bombardment and raids. German snipers are active. The latest prisoners seem well fed and ignorant of American developments.