The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-16
AGGRESSIVE BRITISH
CAMPAIGN ON AXCRE
Numerous Activities Indicate That
General MoTerr< mt May BE short
iy Anticipated
SEr~AW ON RtMANIAN
FRONT Is REPORTED
French Patrols Very Active All Along
Their Line--AuStriaD Forces show
New Life on North Italian From
tier
By MAJOR EDWIN W. DAYTON.

By MAJOR EDWIN W. DAYTON.
New York Feb 1.-THE aggres-
sive British campaign along the Ancre
and TO the north continues to develop.
Southeast of GrandCourt another
small advance was made and a few
prisoners taken. Fifteen miles fur
Their north, in the region of Arras.
they penetrated during a raid into
German defenses a depth of $50 yards
and reached the third line positions.
Machine gun empla dement's We're de-
stroyed and forty prisoners carried
back by this raiding party. which did
not attempt to hold the position.
Directly below Arras the British
line has for a long time bent rather
abruptly westward on curve which
bends back toward the east in the
Ancre region. British superiority in
numbers and in artillery will mos,
prohA bly, be used TO gradually push
this curve over the other way. Still
further TO the north the Germans
were active on the east front OF Ar
mentieres. but they failed to gain an,
ground in the face of the strong Brit
ish defense.
Germans Expelled.
Six miles above, near Messines a
German detachment fought its way
into British trenches. but was expelled
by vigorous counter-attack.
From the character of fighting all
along the British front in Northern
France, 1t is evident that the Germans
are holding with strong forces their
lines which protect the approaches
TO the more important cities in this
region. The largest of these cities is
Lille. and the British lines have been
only about Ave miles away for cou-
pie of years The nearest point Is
-aH-the IA!le-Armentieres road. and in
that region the Germans are usual,
the more aggressive. although their
efforts are confined 10 raids They
have not attempted to add to their
holdings in this area since their great
attacks nj Ypres failed,
French Are Active.
French patrols continue their ac-
tivities all along the lines. Near Sois-
sons and in Champagne, as well as
far down IN Alsace cast Of Mctzeral.
they were aggressive. but only In re-
connaissance without developing real
attacks anywhere. In Lorraine nenr
Raccarat. the Germans organized for
local attack, which was prevented
hy strong French artilery FIRE.
There has been noticeable In
crease In German mir raids I'm the
North and evidently the aviators are
WatNHitlE chreIullN the mann t"ntetS
Of supply and transportation back OF
the British front Yesterday bombs
were dropped In Dunkirk and several
civilians killed and wounded. Dun
KIRK and Fumes are the. two impor-
tant railway centers in the North and
since t-hoat activities made il de
sirable. the tendency viii be to land
British reinforcements at Dunkirk,
Src-saw in Kumania.
Iust north of the Rumanian iron
tier the Germans on February IL
made an Important attack with strong
forces on hoth sides OF the facoBeni-
kimpolung high road and after Sc
we're battle won a hill position east
OF Jaeohenf Monday light the Riss-
SLAMS returned III strong force. recap
t,ired the hill ana took so German
prisoners Tuesday the Germans re-