THE BRITISH FRONT IN THE WEST, ) FEBRUARY, 1917. ON the 24th February, for the first time in this area. alone. Our gains had been since the commencement of trench warfare 0n achieved at the expense of losses Which were the Western front, the enemy began a move- never more than moderate and frequently were ment of retreat, which at the moment of writing remarkably light; while on the other hand, is not yet completed, without the immediate from all the evidence which it has been pos- impulsion of attack. The area of ground sible to obtain, the enemy’s casualties were yielded by him is already great. Our troops consistently heavy. It is only reasonable to now hold a fl'ontexteudiug in an approximately suppose that our continued successes demon- straight line from southeast to north-west strated t0 the enemy that any further attempt between LE TRANSLOY exclusive and Gonna- to defend the positions into which we ha! COURT inclusive, a distance of 12% miles ; and thrust our way could only result in further have advanced to a greatest depth of 2% miles losses in men and material, and that he accord- from the positions occupied by us oh the let ingly decided to take advantage of the difficult January of this year. This advance has given conditions of ground produced by the thaw to us ll fortified villages, namely, THILLOY, withdraw to a more favourable line of defence. LIGNY—TUILLOY, LE BARQUE, WARLENCOURT, At the end of January our line south of the EAUCOURT, PYS, MIRAUMONT, PETIT MIRAU- ANCRE was established in a commanding MONT, GRANDCOURT, SERRE, PUISIEUX—AU— position on the northern slopes of the main MONT, and GomiECOURT. We have also TlIlEPVAL RIDGE, overlooking the river valley gained many miles of elaborate trench systems, from MIRAUMONT to GRANDCOURT. From a and anumber of strong points, such as LUI- point in the COURCELETTE-MIRAUMONT road : SENHOF FARM, the BUTTE DE WARLENCOUKT, about a. mile south of the ’village pf _PETI’1‘W BEAUREGARD'DOVECOURT,'th’6 VVUN'DT-‘WERK‘; ~ MIRAUMON'I‘" our front ran-fséutbwestwardsvto " PENDANT COPSE, Box W001), STAR WOOD, a point on the ’l‘aIEPVAL—GRANDCOERT road LA LOCVIERE FARM and NAMELESS FARM. rather less than a mile south of the latter Without attempting to analyse the enemy’s village. It then turned northwards, along motives or intentions, the explanation of this what is known as BATTERY VALLEY, and movement can readily be found in the events crossed the river about 500 yards west of that have taken place in the ANCRE VALLEY GRANDCOURT to BOIS D’I‘IOLLANDE, at that during the past two months. These events time the most easterly point in our line north were made possible by the overwhelming of the ANCRE. The enemy’s trenches stretched advantages of position secured by the battle of east and west below us, except for about 1,000 the ANCRE in November of last year, and this yards of the old German main second line success in itself was the direct result of our system, which ran southwards from GRAND- advance on the Somm. COURT to our front line. A short account of what we accomplished From B015 D’HOLLANDE our line north of in January has already been given. The pro- the ANCRE continued nortlrwestwards to a. gress made by our troops north of the ANCRE point on the BEAL'COUItT—PUISIEUX-AU-MO‘ST in that month was continued during February on road about 1,000 yards north of BEAUCOURT, both banks of that river with steadily increas- and then westwards for about a. mile to the ing success; until by the 18th February, we crest of the BEAUMONT l’IAMEL spur, which it had realised ah advance which, both in extent of followed in a north-westerly direction to our territory won hack to France and in the number old front line in the neighbourhood of the of prisoners taken from the enemy, could stand SERRE road. On our right, opposite B013 comparison with many of the achievements of D’IIOLLANDE, the enemy’s main second line the great days of last summer. At that date system extended northwards from the river to on a breadth of some 4712- miles from point to l’UISIEUX-AU-MONT; along the forward crest point we had penetrated the enemy’s position of the blunt-headed spur which shuts in the ustritle the ASCRE to a greatest depth of nearly l’UISIEUx road valley and guards the 1; miles and had captured over 1,750 prisoners approaches to MIRAL'MONT. On our left a 2 THE BRITISH FRONT IN THE D‘EST. FEBRUARY, 1917. powerful trench system known as TEN TREE of prisoners, bringing our total for this series ALLEY ran north-westwards from the BEAU- of operations to over 300. COURT-PUISIEUX road to the point where the During the next few days our new front SERRE road crossed the old German front line ; adjoining the river was strengthened and or- following the course of the valley and skirting ganised ; but meanwhile the enemy was allowed the foot of Serum HILL. no rest. On the evening of the 10th February The month was opened by our occupation on the remaining portion of TEX TREE ALLEY at the night of the 3lst January/lst February of the foot of the SERRE HILL was attacked on two enemy posts overlooking the western end a front of three-quarters of a mile. All our of TEN TREE ALLEY. As the result of this objectives were at once taken and held; with advance our troops were able to establish them- the exception of two strong points where the selves three nights later in the western portion enemy maintained himself with great deter- of TEN TREE ALLEY without encountering mination. The danger which threatened his 0pp05ition. stronghold of SERRE was too obvious to be On the night of the 3rd/4th February a neglected, and in the nexttwo days he launched larger operation was undertaken further south. three eounter-attncks in a vain endeavour to re- The enemy’s second line system east of B013 cover this important line of defence. In each D’HOLLANDE was attacked on a front of three- case his efforts broke down under our barrage quarters of a mile northwards from the river, and rifle fire, and two days later, on the 14th and captured together with over 150 prisoners February, the more easterly of his two strong and three machine guns. The enemy did not points was reduced. Over 250 prisoners were yield this important position without a struggle. taken by us in the course of the fighting of Six counter-attacks were beaten off by our these days. artillery and machine gun fire during the two We were now ready to renew our attack days following our attack; while on the left further south; and on the 17th February of our advance small parties of Germans clung operations were undertaken on both banks of desperately to strong points in their line until the ANCRE on a more considerable scale than the morning of the 5th February, by which date anything that had been attempted since last the whole of our objectives had been gained. November. North of the ANCRE we were now established Just west of the village of COURCELETTE, on a high ground directly overlooking GRAND- spur of high ground runs northwards from COURT, the making the position of the enemy in that main THIEPVAL RlDGE towards IRLES; divid- village a very unenviable one. In consequence ing at its northern extremity the villages of he now began to evacuate the whole of his Prs and MIRAUMONT, and commanding defences the in and around GRANDCOURT. 0n the approaches to these villages from the south. morning of the 6th February our patrols reported Our object was to carry our line forward along that the double line of trenches west of GRAND- this spur to prepare the way for an attack cot‘n'r, on being the last part of the old German these two villages. At the same time our second line system between the SOMME and the front south of the railway was to be advanced ANCRE which had not yet fallen into our hands, eastwards towards PETIT MIRAUMONT; while had been abandoned. These trenches were north of the ANCRE a further portion of the occupied the same morning by our troops, and Sunk Road leading northwards from BAILLES- patrols were sent out during the day into the COURT FARM was to be seized on a front of village itself. Our patrols were rapidly followed about half a mile, so as to give us command of by stronger bodies of infantry, and by the morn- the approaches to MIRAUMONT from the west. ing of the 7th February we had established a The attack was launched before dawn and, line without serious opposition along the eastern in spite of the fact that the night was particu- edge of GRANDCOUKT; while further south, larly dark and that the thaw had made move- between that village and our old front, we had ment difiicult, resulted south of the ANCRE in seized a length of hostile trench and brought an advance on a front of a mile-and-a-half to our line forward to the east till it was once within a few hundred yards of the village of more level with our positions north of the river. PETIT MIRAUMONT; while north of the river That night we again attacked north of the our troops established themselves firmly in the AkaE and captured BAILLESCOURT FARM, Sunken Read.