New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-18
Drive North of La BaSSee
ROuts Germans from
Last Positions.
INVADERS FORCED
OVER USER CANAL
French Press Foe Across Water
way Around Villages of Het
Sas and Steenstraete.

London. May T.. The British troops
in Northern France near the Belgian
border have now swept past all the Ger
man trenches on two-mile front lying
between IL Bassee and Richebourg-
VAyoue. a village 10 the uorthwart.
This was announced tonight in an Of .
fetal communication from Sir John .
French. commander in chief Of the .
British forces on the western front. .
According 70 to-night's French Off .
cial communiquc. 1000 prisoners we're /
captured IN this rush, while the BRUSH
statement says that $50 have reacned
the lines Of communication, with more 4
TO follow. Several hundred Germans /
while irving 20 surrender we're caught I,
between tho crosshre of their own ar 3
til!ery and the machine guns OF the !
british and the detachment was prac-
tically wiped out.
Germans Admit Loss.
Berlin officially admits the French
claim that the Germans have lost thelr
positions on the western bank OF the
User Canal around Stecnstraete and
Het Sas and have retired TO the oppo-
site side. -,
Further 30 the right Of tho allied
lire, Paris says, in an engagement NJ
Tille-sur-Tuurbe. the French took 4OV
nrisonere. ard in an attack at the Ally
wood carried >everal German WORKS
ard captured 2jo prisoners.
The British movement north OF la
Bassee gives indication % being as IN
portart IN the matter Of territory won
a was the recent French advance. Inc
capture Of the entire series OF German
trenches along the two-mlle front
shows that the British are now in pos,
session of considerably more ground
than the mile claimed b. Sir Jonn
French in his report Of yesterday. Will
'.ary commentators here regard the
British advance a. genuine break o.
IA. Ge..r-r lire, which. Il maintalred,
nus mean . retreat Tor c considerable
..stio. u thc invaders forces.
Crossfire Hits Germans.
Sir John French's report on the Brit
.sh victor. say:
"The First Amy has gained further
successes south o. Ricnebours-'Hyoue'
and all the German ,rencnes or a front
of two miles were captured.
"This morning severa! bodies Of Ger
mans surrendered voluntarily TO our
+roons. who continue TO fight with great
gallantry and determination. One OF
these bodies, while trying 20 surrender
vas caught by German artillery FIRE
and practically annihilated.
"The exact number of prisoners has
not We, been ascertained, but $50 have
been cleared to the lines Of communica-
ton"
1000 Prisoners Taken.
The French War Offices statement OF
the progress of the fighting says:
"In Belgium the enemy, threatened
by our successful attacks Of the pre-
ceding days with a complete envelop-
mont evacuated last night the posi-
tions which he had occupied to the west
Of the User Canal We have, on our
part. maintained all our gains on the
east bank.
"To the north Of La Bassee the Brit
ish troops, who were very strongly
counter attacked during the night OF
Sunday Monday, are VIGOROUSLY con-
tinung the fighting. To-day they car
ried several German trenches and IN
ficted on the enemy very heavy losses;
zone contingent Of several hundred
Germans. caught between the nre OF
the British machine guns and that OF
their Own artillery, vas almost entirely
cxterminated under the cro5sfre. Our
allies have taken LOCO prisoners ana
some machine guns.
"To the north OF Arras a thick mist
has prevailed all day, preventing any
innortant action on either side. New
ertheless. the struggle continues very
active. on the slopes of Lorette espe-
cially There we have repulsed all the
u tar
AT Ville-au- Bots, near Berry Bac,
the enemy made an attack on our
trenches. which was Immediately ar
rested. The lumber of unwounded
prisoners taken by US on Sunday IN the
affair at Ville-surT ourbe was 800, be-
sides 90 wounded.
Advance in ALLY Wood.
This morning, at break Of day, re
carried out az attack in the Ally wood,
occupying several German works. We
also took three machine guns and 200
prisoners, among whom were several
officers.
an the outskirts of the forest of lie
Pratre two German battalions made
three attempts TO sortie from their
trenches, but our fire held them up
short"
Following j. the German army head
quarters official version, admitting a
German loss:
North Of Ypres and to the west OF
the canal near Steenstraete and Het
Sas the Germans yesterday gave up
their advanced positions and. to avoid
losses from the strong artillery fire OF
The enemy. they drew back their small
err forces 20 the main positions on the
eastern bank Of the canal.
South Of Neuye Chapelle the Brit
ish still hold parts Of the front trench
taken May 10. The fghting continues
rorth of Arras Near Abiain and Neu-
Vile French attacks yesterday were re-
pulsed with heavy losses for the en-
envy"
The French Ministry Of War to-day
reported that when the Germans at
poirt near Bailly. on the OIse, appar.
ently in an effort 10 draw the FIRE OF
French sharpshooters, displayed
Turkish flag the African troops re
sponded az once with rife IRE when
brought the flag 20 the ground
sharp shooter, the announcement SAID
-,,Lsccuarflv went out and brought the