The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-01
BRITISH TAKE 7 :
MORE VILLAGES
Push Forward Toward St.
Quentin Along a Front
of Five Miles.
FRENCH CONTINUE GAINS
Germans Twice Driven Back
At Most Vulnerable Point
in the Line.

LoSpoS, March s1.-The British line
Uss pushed closer to St. Quentin north-
,rs.t of that city to-day by series OF
attacks in which six villages on 'front.'
of Ave miles were captured or occupied
,u.r some lively fighting. Further north
. ayenth village fell to the British i'll
separate engagement. The French con-
,nued to creep forward In their nanking
oYens,ye northeast of scissors.
0ir Douglas Haig's troops advanced
along the valleys OF two little rivers be-
tween St Quentin and Cambria. the omig-
pon and the Cologne. In the Omignon
Valley one of the villages occupied was
,hs important road junction and railroad
point Of vermand. which had before the
var q considerable population. The same
coiumn took Marteville and Soyecourt.
establishing itself six miles northwest Of
e. Quentin, astride the Omignon.
In the Cologne Valley the British
,ook the villages Of Jeancourt. Her.
Willy and Heudecourt. approaching close
10 the strong ridge at Hargicourt. where
il 10 believed the Germans have strong
and permanent positions. The British
position here, trife southeast OF
Ro,sel. is ten miles northwest OF st.
Quentin.
Dsttish storm, Two German Posts.
The seventh village taken is Heude-
court -les-C Cagnicourt, which Is twenty
miles northwest Of this fighting. and
thirteen miles northwest Of Cambria.
Near by the British stormed two German
posts, killed or captured the whole gar
rison and withdrew with prisoners and
machine gun.
On the French front fighting took the
same course as in recent days. offensive
TO the south. defensive on the north
Gen. Nivelle continued his thrusts at the
now dangerous German salient where
the new line joins the old. pushing ahead
from the Margival-Vregny front and tax
INK several German points of support.
The official statement says this was "im-
portant prcsTess' on this most vulner-
able point Of the German line. The
surest proof IL that the Germans counter
attacked the lost positions twice later In
the day. Both attempts failed.
In the Champagne also there was
sssne heavy fighting. The Germans
returned to the attack Of the lost posi-
tions west of Maisons de Champagne.
and versions differ as to the result.
The French statement says the Germans
counter attacked five times with great
violence, but failed utterly. with heavy
losses, TO make progress. The German
statement says the French stayed in
our trenches for some hours" but were
cleared out again.
Text Of OmciaI Statements.
The official statements follow:
Brt!sh-Heudecourt was captured
~ our troops yesterday evening. Con-
siderable progress has since been made
eastward Of the village and a few ad-
litional prisoners and machine guns
fell into our hands.
We also gained possession of the
villages Of Marteville. Vermand and
Soyecourt with little opposition from
the enemy and forced his troops to
retire from st. Emile under the fire
Of our artillery. We then occupied
the village.
To-day our advance was resumed
along the valley OF the Cologne River,
and the villages Of Jeancourt. Hervilly
And Heudecourt were captured by our
troops.
Further north We carried two hostile
st. Mein, in spite Of considerable re-
sstance. Other posts held by the en-
smy west OF Henin-sur-Cojeul were
rushed by a small party Of our troops.
who, after killing or capturing the
whole garrison, withdrew with their
prisoners and hostile machine gun.
We carried out successful raids this
morning and during the night north
east OF Neuville-St. Naast. east Of
Loos and north Of Ypres. Several
dugouts and machine guns were de-
stroyed and prisoners were taken.
Early this morning a small hostile
raiding party in the neighborhood OF
Neuville-St Vast failed to reach our
trenches
Successful work was carried out by
our airplanes yesterday in spite Of un-
favorable weather. One hostile ma
chine was driven down out Of control.
Two OF our machines are missing.
Two Teuton Attacks Fail.
French Night Statement-North
and south OF the Oise there was slight
artillery activity.
North ot Scissors the enemy di-
rect"d two counter attacks against the
positions which We occupied north
east OF Nregny, but both attempts were
stopped short BY our fire.
On the left bank of the Meuse our
artillery shclled the German organiza-
tons on Hin 3O4. The day was COM
parat'vely calm OH the rest OF the
front
German airpldnes last evening
cropped bombs in the region OF Dun
hlrh Two civilians were killed and
thrce wounded
Boigian--The Belgian artillery car