Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-26
Bapaume, Long the Goal of
Drive Against German
Lines, Now Almost With
in the Grasp of Field Mar
shall Haig.
VICTORY IN SIGHT
AFTER TWO YEARS
Retirement of Grown Prince
Rupprecht's Forces from
Stronghold Expected Soon
- Territory Six Miles
Square Already Given UP.

With the British Armies Aficld, Feb.
26.-Bapaume, on which the Germans
lavished great defensive works ana
which they have often declared would
fall only after tine greatest price ever
paid by victorious army is nov di-
rcctly thrcatenei 10y the greatest Ger
man retirement since stationary war
fare began moic ihan two years ago.
Exulting in their newly-won POSI-
ton Of such historic towns as Mrau-
mont, Petit Miraumont and Pys. the
British forces were today exploring the
exact limits of the German retreat.
GERMANS HARD PRESSED.
The movement backward by the enc
my may not be ended. Patrols are
nut in all directions. The, are press
ing the Germans. who only week ago
offered the most SIT oborn resistance
but who, not responding to their high
.r command decided. 20 retire without
further fighting.
The newly occupied ground opens
many possibilities for the British
forces.
BIGGEST GAIN SINCE MARINE.
The greatest gain Of territory since
the battle OF the Marine, with its ter
rible sacrifices of troops, has just
been achieved by the Britsh--and with
practically no losses. Field Marshal
Sir Douglas Haig's men now have Ba-
paume almost within their grasp. The
troops of Crown Prince Rupprecht
have abandoned a section of territory
of probably six square miles extent
Retirement by the Germans from
Bapaume, an important strategic point,
Is now confidently predicted here. For
two years British troops have pounded
INCREASINGLY toward this position.
Even winters SHOWS and frosts have
not stilled the methodical British bonn
bardment on German positions. Haigs
men have worn away the German NOR
ale and battered the enemy trenches.
SENSATIONAL DRIVE.
One week ago the british drove for
ward sensationally northwest of lie
Sars and near Petit Miraumont. At
that time it was pointed out that the
Germans strategic position after this
fresh British advance was such that a
retreat was likely. II was not expect
ed, however, that the retreat would
be carried out without a desperate Of
fort b! the enemy to st.aighten out the
'kink" in the lire put there by the ad :
vance of Feb. Il.
But front dispatches today indicated
withdra wal with hardly a blow
struck. A few machine gun squads
we're left with snipers, to harass the
advancing forces but these were quick
ly stilled. Preliminary information
isclose2 that British forces are now
within four miles of Bapaumc.
ADVANCE HAS BEEN COSTLY.
Butte de Warlencourt. of bloody
memory. Serre, Pys, Miraumont and
Petit M!raumont--are all in British
hands. All have witnessed some Of
the most bloody fighting on the west =
ern front.
One othe. advance by British forces
was the cause of rejoicing here to-
day. kut- El-Amara, memorable as
the spot where General Townshend and
his 5000 British troops early in the
war. held out so long before the Turk
'sh forces, before they were starved in
to surrender. is now almost encircled
BY the British Mesopotamian forces
The Turkish garrison appears to be
trapped. in much the same fashion
that Townshend was caught.