The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-03-22
BRITISH WIN MORE
THAN SIXTY TOWNS
Bapaume and Peronne Among
Those Captured.
LOSS ADMITTED BY BERLIN
London Declares English Troops En-.
tered Teuton Positions to Depth of
Ten Miles on Forty-Five-
. Mile Front.


London, March 19.-Bitish troops
continuing their rapid advance ON the
heels of the retiring Germans, have oc'
cupied the important towns of Nesle
Chaulnes and Peronne, says an Off
ciaI report issued here. 4
Along a front of about As miles they
have entered the German positions to
Il depth of ten miles in places. In adj
dition the British have taken more
than GO villages.
Berlin Admits Loss Of Towns.
Berlin officially admitted the loss
of the above strongholds, rs well as
Bapaume and ROye. -s .
The Germans are still retreating
and fighting rear-guard engagements.
While, the allies are sweeping for.
ward in pursuit of the Germans a
gigantic battle of warplaneS is in
progress for air mastery on the
Franco Belgian front. German avia-
tors have shot down % allied planes,
while the French claim the destruction
of nine hostile machines. .
. British Enter Peronne.
The capture of Peronne by British
troops Is announced in Reuter- dis
patch from British headquarters in
France. -,
1.-THE German retreat has been con-
tinuous throughout the night, and
the area covered by it has spread very
widely" says the dispatch. "News has
just been received of our troops enter
ing Peronne.
Favored by fine weather and dry
ing ground. our columns everywhere
are pressing the retiring enemy.
"The scenes of activity behind the
enemy lines eclipse even the busiest
days of the SOmme offensive.
THE spirit of the troops is one of
demonstrative enthusiasm"
Peronne Was German Stronghold.
[PerOnne was one of the stronghOlds
of the Germans on the Franco-Bel-
gian front. 1t is a town of about
1000 on the Somme, and is of str;.
tegicaf Importance on account of its
railway and high road connections
IL was invested on three sides and the
retirement of the Germans to the
north and south made the abandon
ment of this town inevitable. From
Arras to the Disc, where Berlin re-
ports the withdrawal is being made. is
about 30 miles. The capture of Ba-
Saturday. NOyOn is a town Of about
5000, 81 miles northeast of Parish
Germans Abandon Towns.
Berlin, March 19.-Systematic re-
tirement of the German troops be
tween Arras and the Disc on the
French front is announced by the war
office. PerOnne, NoyOn, Bapaumc,
ROye and several other towns have
been abandoned by the Germans.
a. The official report says 30 allied air,
planes were shot down yesterday by
the Germans.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg has
report on the situation to Emperor
William.
French Continue Drive.
Paris, March 19.-The withdrawal of
the Germans is still proceeding rapid
~ over a wide section of the French
front. The official announcement says
the French defeated the German rear
guards and continued to advance.
They ahve occupied all the ground
between the old lines and the ROye-
Noyon road. from Damery as far as
the Lagny Height, and are continuing
pursuit of the Germans north of the
Noyon road.
Captain Guynemer, the famous
French aviator brought down his
thirty-fifth German airplane yester-
day. .........
[Damery is three miles northwest
of Roye and II miles northwest Of
Lagny.l