100 MILES BREACH.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1917, Page 5

100 MILES BREACH.

IN GERMANY'S WALL OF STEEL GERMAN ARMIES FALLING BACK. TO BELGIAN FRONTIER. Router Service. Received March 20, 12.40 a.m. London, March 10. Events on the Western front are moving with bewildering rapidity. The well-known lines on the maps are changing hourly. There is no longer doubt of a serious breach having been made in Germany's wall of steel. The breach extends from Monachy, south-west of Arras, to the Noyon plateau, a distance of about a hundred miles as the trenches go. All the German armies in this sector are falling back towards tho Belgian frontier, with the Anglo-French cavalry pursuing. Naturally there is no question of a general German collapse, but the retreat is certain to have a demoralising influence upon the harassed Germans, especially as the main direction of the AngloFrench offensive threatens the most vital part of the Germans' line. Likewise it strikes at their communications, The Allies are now within eight miles of St. Quentin, and five miles from Carabrai.

THE ENEMY IN RETREAT. COUNTRYSIDE AFLAME. BBITISH CAVALRY IN PURSUIT. Received March 19, 0.15 p.m. London, Marcli 19Mr. Pliillp Gibbs, wiring on Sunday, says:—The British entered Peronne today. That statement alone' is sensational enough, but it does not stand alone. The whole of the old German lino soutli of Arras, a strong one, n vast fortress built by the labor of millions of men, with thousands of machine guns and redoubts, forests of barbed Wire, slipped away, whilst the enemy is now in rapid retreat to new. lines many miles away, laying waste the countryside as he goes. "Scores of villages north-east oi Bapaume and east of 'p'eronne are burning. The town of Atheis is like, a flaming torch, being visible, for miles. Others are smouldering ruins, whence volumes of smoke roll. No homesteads or farms remain, only black ruins and devastation.

"The enemy is adopting war's malignancy to the utmost. Poisoned wells prevent the cavalry from drinking. A number were tested and found to contain arsenic. Bridges over waterways were built with mines beneath. Crossroads opened with enormous craters containing high explosive. Traps ■were scattered in the path of our pat-' rols.

"It is impossible to give our exact line. At the present moment our cavalry patrols are over the hills far away, whilst our infantry patrols are pushing forward. Only aeroplanes know the exact whereabouts. We have gone beyond Eosquenes, Bancourt, Favrieul, " and Sapignics. Our cavalry worked beyond Logeast Wood and penetrated east of Achiet-le-Grand, turning the Gorman line,

"Our cavalry also reconnoitred the crossing of the canal at Dunord, above Peronne. Anglo-French cavalry patrols are far south, near Nesle. The Germans are employing cavalry as a screen behind their rearguards. They were seen on Saturday north of Bapaume and south of Boye. Our troops this morning passed Eterpripny, and also readied Misery Man-halpot.

"There was -some fighting on Saturday night around Peronne. Our patrols, despite snipers and machine guns and some shelling, penetrated Mont St. Quentln, the chief defence of Peronne, which was entered with other neighboring villages in the morning. Later in the day our mounteds entered Peronne. The enomv had gone, their dug-outs burning. A portion of the town was smouldering, but Peronne was not utterly destroyed' Many houses stand. The enemy seems to have quitted his positions on Saturday night at an appointed time, the whole lino firing heavily until 10. Thereafter there was not a shot. He had abandoned the great defensive works of the famous Bapaume ridge.".

HAIG'S GREAT ADVANCE,

MAXIMUM DEPTH OF TEN MILES

IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

ON A FBONT OF FORTY-FIVE MILES

Received March 19, 0.5 p.m.

London, March 18. General Sir Douglas Haig 'lias occupied Xesle, Chaulnes, and 'Peronne, and pressed back the German rearguard. Ho advanced several miles during 24 hours to a maximum depth of 10 miles on a front of 45 miles from southward of Chaulnes to the neighborhood of Arras, and also occupied over 00 villages. Two German raids reached trenches north-east of Vermelles. There is great aerial activity.