New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
v;uv and Givenchy Fall in
Drive on Front OF
Il Miles
c.rtiyes Total $4,000;
1865 Guns Captured
c.rman Defences Crumble
BEFORE Onslaughts of
Haig's Army
n, cable 70 To- Tribune J

,.,dop. April 19.-The great British
r.,,;ve north and south of Arras
$50 renewed momentum to-day on
-. 81 tventy-one miles. Field Mar
-, Haig's fighters achieved the most
lila success they have won since the
sc, dash on Monday morning, strad-
r;,, the Hindenburg line and obtain
.nceesses which will compel Ger
retirement to the Drocourt-
-. Inc. five miles further east.
rearing through the German de-
,.r,s. on a twelve-mile front from the
Nth hank Of the River Scarpe to the
.,,h systems just south of Loos, the
p.;,i.b divisions drove ahead and
..,,ured six villages-Angres, Given
.hv yimv, Petit-Vimy, Willeral and
p.;,sul South Of Bailleul the line
-. buleed back clear to the Scarpe.
rro Of these towns, Vimy and Given
civ we're fortified by systems which
,bs Germans considered impregnable.
British Straighten Salient
Further victories were recorded south
-. Arras. Strengthening out the Ger
nan salient. which projected into their
,,o, between Monchy and the Cojeul
piver Haig's men stormed Wancourt
- on a snur east of the village OF
Vsrcourt. and, according TO to-nights
os.isI report. "have advanced astride
.bs Hindenburg line as far as point
.ovsr miles southeast of Arras." The
communicates Of the British War Office
had not hitherto mentioned the linden
burg line. :,
This celebrated defensive system had
bsen proclaimed by German military
synerts As a sort of great wall Oh
china which would keep the unkultured
bordes of the Allies out OF German
bsld territory. Other European critics
were inclined to think it was myth
svolved TO hearten the German people.
pr, tho British General Staff has been
ware that there actually was definite
Hipdenburg line upon which the Ger
mans we're basing their defence, and
have known exactly where 1t was
drawn.
Smash Nine-Mile Line
But success did not stop here. To the
southwark during the day the British
battalions progressed on a iront OF
about nine miles between Metz-en.
Coutre and point to the north OF
Hargicourt. The captured positions IN
cude Sart Farm, Gauche Wood, Gou-
zeaucOurt, straddling the road TO Gam
brIa. and the wood near the village.
throughout the length Of this inter
linked chair Of advances the fighting
was Of the utmost ferocity. Many
prisoners and guns were sent to the
rear. According TO the official report
tonight there are now more than 49,
600 German prisoners in the BRUSH
cages back OF Arras, and the number OF
captured guns has reached l66.
For the first time in the war the
British are making sharp drives ana
smasheS, every one of which contains
force enough 20 have been consldered
3 major attack in the history OF other
wars. More men are now actuaiiy
AGhIng imam at any PtAiVu s4HNS
first days Of hostilities, and in places
the attack has shaken loose from the
trenches and is being delivered along
the lines Of the old Napoleonic strate-
gy. Probably not less than two million
British and German soldiers are
battling between Loos and st. Quentin;
With an equal number Of French and
Germans about to crash together some
vher south Of the burning city on the
Somme.
Canadian Fire Irresistible
The British captures Of Vimy and
Givenchy are victories which cannot
be minimiZed, and are looked upon here
as equal 70 the storming Of the Nimy
Ridge With this line of hills firmly
in the hands Of the Canadians, they
hauled their heavy guns up to the sum-
nit with extraordinary speed and have
ever since been battering to pieces the
powerful defenees of Vimy, while they
made continual thrusts down the east
srn slopes.
In 1915 Vimy was for time held
by the French under General Foch,
but they were shouldered out with
-