The sun., 1917-03-02
ERMANS YIELD
BAPAUME LINE
Fall of Town Now Immi-
nent. According to French
Dispatches.
BERLIN ADMITS RETIRING
British Forces Gain 600 Yards
on Front to North Of
MiraumOnt.

from France SAY that the Germans have
Allsn back behind Bapaume. and the
~ Of that town Is imminent. the off, !
aAl report to-day from Sir Douglas Haig !
Indicates that the German retreat on the |.
Ancre has slowed down. for the time .
A least. Berlin in It's official statement |
> sdmits the retirement along the Ancre.
The British infantry is still pushing !
ahead. but the advance announced to- |
day is slish,er than on any day since !
he retreat began. The enemy con- !
tinues 10 yield ground on the Ancre."
says the report. North OF Miraumont
tsssr line advanced to-day an average
distance Of 900 yards on front Of one
End a half miles
Berlin makes ut last an announcement
end a partial explanation Of the retreat
n statement saying that "for special
rsasons" part Of the German advanced
position was voluntarily evacuated and
ne defence placed In another prepared
line, the whereabouts of which IL not
gwen German rear guards are doing
veil the work Of delaying the BritiAh
aAvance, the statement says.
Line Behind Bapa1ne.
A despatch from Paris says that mill
tery circles there learn that the new
German line runs along the road from
1apaume to Peronne. some distance to
~ rear OF Bapaume. II that Is the
<se It would appear that the strong
pasttion. at lie Transloy is to be .ur-
Nndsred.
Henry ". Foster. Financial Secretary
ef the War Once. cautioned the House
Of Commons to-day that. while the Ger
man retirement probably would have a
had moral effect on the Germans them
selves, II Is likely that II is ordered 10
save the strength of the Germans for a
great blow on one or another Of the
Vailed fronts.
"There is every Indication that the
snemy will make a supreme effort to
end the war in his favor this year." he
said, IAN effort which can be met only
by corresponding determination on the
part of Great Britain and her allies
+ Gen. Maurice Director OF Military OPP
~ srations at the War Once. spoke Of the
German retirement as follows:
How far they will retire l cannot say,
but they will not retire beyond the point
which they are forced to leave either by
the economic necessity of saving their
losses or from the position which our
superior location prevents them holding"
Germans Lay Traps.
During their retirement the Germans
have systematically destroyed their dug
outs and provision depots and rendered
their trenches useless. says despatch
from France. All manner Of tricks and
traps have been tried to cause loss OF
life among the advancing British. For
example. an Australian patrol found In
one place a chain stretched across a
ravine. and discovered In time that II
vas connected with mines at either end
| The British statement tonight an
hounces that 2.133 Germans. of whom 36
were officers. have been taken prisoners
during February. This total includes. OF
course all parts OF the British front and
many operations besides the pursuit OF
the Germans. The statements follow:
v British-During February we cap
tured 2.l33 German prisoners includ-
Ing thirty-six officers. The following
villages also were either captured or
surrendered to us by the withdrawal
o. the Germans: Ligny. Thilloy. Le-
oarQue Warlencourt, Pys. MiraumOnt,
Petit Miraumont, Grandcourt, Pui-
Aeux-au-Mont. Serre and 0ommecourt.
4 The enemy continues to yield
ground on the Ancre. North Of Mirau-
mont our line advanced to-day An
average distance Of 500 yards on .
front OF one and q half miles.
south Of Souchez. followed by a raid
n which we took some prisoners. A
British raiding party also entered Ger
man trenches northeast of Givenchy,
Lens and La Bassee and captured
eight prisoners.
Under cover Of heavy artillery
bcmbardment o hostile raiding party
succeeded last night In reaching our
trenches near Abiaincourt and RAN
court. In both cases the enemy was
s5ected by our counter attack. A few
nen are missing.
Germans Admit Retiring.
0erman-On both banks OF the
Ahcre several days ago. for special
easons. part OF our advance posi-
uons was voluntarily and systemati-
eally evacuated and the defence has
oeen placed In another prepared line.
Our movement remained concealed
nom the enemy. Rear guard posts.
acting carefully. hampered his troops.
which only with hesitation groped
Forward. occupying without lighting
NE strip Of land which was abandoned
y US and which IL lying In ruins.
Yielding In the face of n numerically
superior attack. as had been ordered.
taese minor detachments inflicted con-
SIDERABLE sanguinary losses upon the
enemy. and up to now have captured
: eleven officers and 174 men and four
~ machine guns. and to-day still domi-
nate the field In front OF our positions.
After strong artillery fire In the
morning hours of yesterday the Brit
ish attacked near lie TranslOy and
SALLY. The attack near Le Transloy
failed before our barricade, and also
near Sally, where the attack was re-
peated at night In hand to hand hght-
fns The enemy. who had entered. was
elected by counter-thrust and lost
1enty men In prisoners. At two
a, CowttsSsd o. FsUSsa Pses.