Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-18
GIVE Up POSITIONS
IN VICINITY Of SERRE:
Germans Admit Evacuations.
British Advance on
S0mme Front.
CANADIANS IN BIG GAIN

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN, January Is. by wireless to
Sayville.-Evacuation of German posi-
tions near Serre. on the Somme front
was announced by the war Office today
A British attack near Loos was re-
pulsed after violent fighting The state
ment reads:
Western front: Army group of Crown
Prince Rupprecht: The explosion of a
British mine near Loos was followed by
enemy. who had advanced. was speedily
repulsed in violent hand-to-hand fight
ing.
After engagements near Serre. por-
tions of an advanced position held by
US were evacated in an orderly manner
on the night of January 1918 without
molestation by the enemy. Since then
each day a heavy fire had been directed
against the abandoned empty trenches.
Yesterday a British attack upon them.
which was expected by US. was launched
into the air. causing severe losses to
the enemy
British Occupy Positions.
LONDON, January Is, 1888 a.m.-The
report from British headquarters in
France issued last night reads:
after a heavy preliminary lombard
ment Wednesday morning We occupied a
line of enemy posts north of Beaucourt-
Sur-Ancre. The whole of our objectives
were galn.d on frontage of some G0c
yards, with few casualties. The posi-
ton gained considerably improved our
observation in this area.
This afternoon an enemy counter at
tack was broken up with heavy loss by
our artillery barrage. The consolida
tion of the new position is proceeding
We had complete success yesterday AMI
today in the neighborhood of Lens.
Infiict Many Casualties.
Late in the afternoon yesterday the
German positions south of Cite CaIonne,
west of Lens. were entered under cover
of a heavy bombardment. Our troops
reached the enemys support line and
bombed and destroyed dugouts and in
hicted many casualties. Our losses
were small We successfully blew a
mine in connection with this operation
This morning another very success
full daylight raid was carried out by
Canadian troops northeast of Cite Ca
lonne. The attacking parties entered
the enemy'S trenches on a front of sew
en- hundred yards and penetrated to a
u
his second line. Here also heavy losses
were inflicted on the enemy and all his
dugouts were completely wrecked We
captured one officer and ninety nine
other ranks, two machine guns and a
trench mortar. Our artillery and ma
chine guns co-operated very effectively
with the infantry. Our casualties were
again slight
Charge of Canadians.
From a Staf CORRESPONDENT of the Associated
Press.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
FRANCE. January Il, via London. Janu-
airy 1S.-In the gray half light of late
mid-winter dawn and in the swirl of a
cloudlike snowstorm which had lasted
through the night Canadian contingent
of the British troops raided nearly a
thousand yards of the German trenches
north of Arras this morning. Besides in
1ictng heavy losses. they came back with
100 prisoners. one of them being a COM
pany commander and former assistant
professor of chemistry at Stra ssburg.
A. n raid today's attack establishes a
record for the proceedings in the Somme
sector in the last week, which netted 300
prisoners in what have been claSsed in
the official communications as minor
operations In addition to a big haul OF
prisoners. the booty today included two
machine guns. which were found chained
to the ground. and one trench mortar
The Germans have been using these NOR
tars in lively fashion against the Cana
dams recently. and while it required a
great effort to drag it back over the snow
covered no mans land the capture of this
particular weapon gave the greatest sat
iSfaCtion.
Guns Go for Eight Days.
This was the second daylight raid
carried out north of Arras by the
Canadians, the first resulting in the
capture of sixty prisoners. 1t was
marked by many of the same features
that characterize all such daring and
successful undertakings. except in this
instance there was no marked increase
in the preliminary bombardment, for
the guns. which had been going stead