WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

GOMMECOURT ABANDONED GERMANS FEAR COMING OFFEKSIVE. DETAILS OF ADVANCE. London, March 1. Mr. Cibbs, telcgtapluni'' on the iSlh. [ ( says that the Germans abandoned Gommecourt during the night and \vu t , took possession of a salient which fob (: lows the line of tho park surrounding r the famous chateau. w Our entry into Gommecourt was ] strange, remembering how the waves L of London men on July 1, I'.Hli, as- /) ■auited the almost impregnable position o mid held the lines with the highest \ valor until forced back by massed gun- v lire, which threatened them wjth an- w liiliilation. v In order to make the present re- i treat possible strong posts of wcnuans ( with lnachine-guns held out in the I neighboring woods till the last. Through- 1j out the the enemy kept up a heavy c fire with high explosives upon Serre, j. Fliraumont and Grandecourt, using up :: their reserves of ammunition. i' Many lieavy guns remain on the rail- t way mountings behind Bapaume and 1 are doing double duty by quick-firing. >'■ After the capture of Thilloy the * enemy retired to Loupart Wood, Aehict- ' le-Petit and Baequoy, which are strong I ly defended by thick belts of wire. '■ Evidently the German retirement is due to the fear that, if they stayed on s the old line, our attack in the spring ' might break his armies. They were ' lucky to have foggy weather to aid the ' retreat. Beyond Bapaume the German,? ' hold the countrv by scattered strongholds in the villages and woods, and will find themselves in trouble unless very quick to escape. London, March 1. A correspondent at the British head- . quarters states that nothing is left oi . Gommecourt except the foundation ot the chateau where enormous subterraiv , can rooms had been dug, each sufficient ! to house half a battalion. . The German rearguards consisted oi , selected men, including the Guards, each regiment in the sector contributing 30 to 50 men with half-a-dozen noncommissioned officers under one officer. There was stiff street fighting at I Puisieux, but the ' Germans were unequal to hand-to-hand fighting with our men. , There was also a stern conflict in the , Nightingale Wood, where the men ' fought from tree to tree. The initiative and resource of the north countrymen caused serious losses to the Ger- i mans.

BAPAUME DOMINATED. ITS FALL APPEARS IMMINENT. •HINTS AT DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS. Received March 3, 12.35 a.m. London, March 2. Router Service. The headquarters' correspondent with the army around Ligny telegraphs:— We are now upon ground that is actually higher than Bapaume, and it is only a question of advancing our guns in order to dominate Bapaume and render it untenable. The correspondent hints at developments of a most dramatic nature if the weather holds. ■THE RECORD FOR FEBRUARY. STILL MOVING FORWARD. ' ENEMY RAID REPULSED. Received Mareli 2, 8.55 p.m. London, March 2. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig report I ::—During February we captured 2133 prisoners, including 36 officers. The enemy continues to retreat. W« advanced our line northward of Miraument, a distance of COO yards on a front of \\L miles. We discharged gas southward of Souchez and made a raid. We also entered the trenches north-east of C'ivenchy. The enemy raided our trenches near Ablincourt and Raiiicolrt, but were ejected. ARTILLCRYING ON FRENCH FRONT. Received March 2, 8.55 p.m. London, March 2. , A French communique states that there has been fairly violent artillerying at Chanacerettes, on the Bexonvaux front. THE GERMAN LIE DIRECT. Received March- 2, 8.55 p.m. London, March 2. German official.—A strong English attack east of Souchez failed. THE FOOD PROBLEM IN FRANCE. Received March 2, 7.35 p.m. Paris, March 1, The Food Minister is issuing bread tickets, and is arranging for the distribution of milk, with preference to the needs of the wounded and sick-, infants and the aged. GERMAN EXPLANATIONS. ■London, March 1. A wireless German official message fays:—We voluntarily evacuated out foremost portions on both banks of the Ancre, and took another deefnsive line. The enemy remains in ignorance of our movements. Rearguards compelled the enemy to fight for the possession of the destroyed country. While retreating before superior attackers our weak detachments inflicted sanguinary losses. British attacks at Le" Transloy and Sailly failed, with the exception that two narrow positions were captured. BUN CRUELTY TO BELGIANS. A HEAVY INDICTMENT. Received March 2, 5.5 p.m. , Zurich, March 1. According to a German legal paper, the Germans have sentenced M3;092 Belgians to various penalties during the war period, including 100 to death, 01 to' hard labor,, 11,090 to imprisonment, and 501 to deportation,