Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-03-09
BIG RETREAT
BY KAISER
HAS BEGUN

London. Feb. 27-Reuter's CORES
%spondent at British headquarters in
Franc sends Il description OF how the
are shortening their line in
The Ancre valley. He says the decision
to do this was evidently arrived at
some time & and that the recent Ger
man activity during the long spell OF
hard frosts meant that the Germans
We're s%tcalthily withdrawing their guns
and breaking up their
dumps near the front lines.
The correspondent adds that ppa
entity me German retreat was carried
on TO Il depth of about three miles, ano
that they employed o~bscuratlve tactics
without reSorting to rear guard actions.
Staff CORRESPONDENT Associated Press.
British Headquarters in France, Feb.
"a, (via London), Feb. 26.-On one
portion of the British front at least
the war ;oday became a war of move
ment. Under cover of fog and mist.
which have been particularly heavy in
the As hours, the Germans car
rled out the greatest retirement they
nave made on the west front in the
last two years and the British have
Miraumont and Petit Miraumont, in
Guiding the famous Boutte in Warlen-
cou, which has been the scene of some
of he iercest fighting of the war, and
IN places is deep with the bones of the
dead men.
Ready TO Force Bapaume.
The exact extent of the German re-
tlrement is not known tonight, but it
is estimated that it approaches a depth
OF three miles at some points. British
patrols are out in all directions. har-
RAISING the Germans and keeping in
touch with their movements. Until
they report it will not be possible to
saw inst whnrn tho Carv, "a, Ia N.Y. f1n-
termined to fix their next line Of re-
s%istance.
1t car be stated thai the British
now. or soon, will be in a position pos
sibly to force the evacuation of Ba-
paume, which has been the key to the
the battle of Somne The points which
already have fallen into the British
hands have stood out in the history
of the fighting ON this front and ave
been most %stubbornly defended. Only
a week age when the British attacked
M%iraumont n Pyst, the German re-
sistance was bitter and the high ground
desired was Won only after desperate
hand to hand encounters and the talk
ing of more than 500 German prisoners.
Trench Ougouts Fired.
The British had been waiting for a
clearing of the foggy weather before
- sSAA NAtS wv
it is apparent that the German high
command decided to retire, without any
further fighting. to strengthen posi-
tions prepared we'll into the rear. Fri
day night fires We're observed in the
German front line trenches. They were
only dimly visible through the thick
I mist of the black night. but it was dis
covered that the flames issued from
burning German dugouts. Patrols sent
forward reported the evacuation of the
German OutpOsts. Similar reports
came from north of the Ancre. and by
nightfall yesterday the British had es-
tablished themselves in Petit Miramont
and advanced all along the line, meet
ing only with sniping resistance here
and there.
Today the British patrol pressed for
ward, keeping in close contact with the
Germans, who had reiterated a further
1000 yards during the night. Thus the
way was opened which for months had
been contested.
Shot Up Ammunition.
There were bursts of stiff resistance
from German obstructing parties which
had been scattered in the rear of the
retiring columns. EARLY today a big
of Miraumont just before the British
advance patrols entered. 1t is evident
now that the Germans. taking advan-
tage of the last days of the recent
heavy frost and hard grounds, moved
a great many OF their guns forward to
keep up a show of resistance. This they
had been valiantly doing for the past
three or four days, firing more rounds
han any German guns in recent
months. The reason for this is consid-
cred as probably a desire to shoot VI
stores of ammunition, which there was
not time to remove. The foggy, mis-,
weather was ideal for the beginning OF
( the German retirement, as it complete.
ly hid the purpose Of the movement
from the prying eyes Of airplanes
which otherwise would have dali,
searched out the German positions.
Germans made prisoner today said
they had been left behind to walk abou
and fire their rifles and make as much
noise as possibly they were delighted
to be relieved from their thankless
task.