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Show Successful Operations on Both Banks of the Ancre; Enemy Positions Posi-tions Captured on a Front of a Mile and a Half at One Point and 1000 - Yards at An-other. An-other. ENGLISH DEFEAT TURKS ON TIGRIS Drive Moslems From Strong River Positions Near Kut-el-Amara; Half-hearted Counter-Atiacks Counter-Atiacks Repulsed; Two Thousand Prisoners Are Taken. LONDON, Feb. 17, 10:30 p. m. British Brit-ish troops today captured German positions posi-tions on a front of about one and one-half one-half miles, penetrating the German defenses de-fenses to a distance of about 1000 yards, and coining within close range of the Petit iliraumoi.t, which lies to the northeast of Grandcourt, on the Ancre front, in France. Another important German position also was carried along a front of about 1000 yards, according to the official report from headquarters tonight. The text of the official statement reads: Successful operations on both banks of the Ancre were undertaken under-taken by our troops this morning. Very considerable further progress was made south of the river. Tho enemy's positions opposite the val-lages val-lages of Miraumont and Petit Miraumont were attacked and captured cap-tured on a front of about one and one-bait miles. We have penetrated more tliau 1000 yards into the enemy's ene-my's defenses and advanced our Hue to within a few hundred yards of Petit Miraumont. Win North of Ancre. North of the Ancre an important enemy position on the upper slopes of a spur north of Bailies Court farm was carried on a front of about 1000 yards. Hostile counterattacks counter-attacks were successfully driven off. In addition to heavy losses inflicted inflict-ed on the enemv 26S prisoners including in-cluding five officers, have passed through the connecting stations. We carried out two raids this morning, south of Neuve Chapelle and northeast of Pioegstcert, where our troops reached the enemy's second sec-ond line. Large numbers bf Germans Ger-mans were killed and manv du"-outs du"-outs and machine guns were destroyed. de-stroyed. We capture. I a few prisoners pris-oners in each case. Several Successful Raids. Hostile raiding parties west of Lens and east of Givenchy were repulsed re-pulsed with loss. We blew up two mines last night with good results west of La Lassee. In the course of the air fightin" yesterday one German airplane was brought down in our lines and two others were driven down damaged-one damaged-one of ours is missing. " ' BRITISH CAPTURE 1995 PRISONERS ON TIGRIS RIVER LONDON, Feb. 17, in:in p. ,n.-sv. ral important gains against the Turks n Mesopotamia are recorded in the of-l.'ial of-l.'ial report made public tonight. In iM.iitfn to forcing the Turks back ou he Tigri.- river, ihe Finish captured 90.1 prisoners. The text of the report reads. Mesopotamia: Tin1 fi'fensi- against the Tu"-ks on the right bank of the Tigris was resumed Thursday. An important tactical point in front of the enemy's riefIT. was first sob'od. An attae); mi right center followed, resulting in the securing nf nor nhieetive on a front of 7''U yards. This was afterwards after-wards extended lv bombing to a depth of nH'l vards nn a front of loOO yards. The half heart, , Turk- (Conttotted on Paje Two.) BRITISH II FIGHTS ll EUROPE AND ASIA (Continued from Page One.) ish counter-attacks were easily repulsed. re-pulsed. Some hours later an assault was launched against the enemy's left center, securing our objective on a i front of S50 yards. ! During the night the enemy were cleared out of small areas they held on the river bank. By dawn Friday all the ground in the Dahra bend was in our hands. The prisoners taken numbered eighty-nine officers, including two regimental and three battalion commanders, com-manders, and 1906 other ranks. We captured five machine guns, 2500 rifles and a large quantity of ammunition, am-munition, equipment and stores. A further advance of 1200 yards was made Friday south nf the Shum-ran Shum-ran loop. Our advanced troops now hold the southwest corner of this bend. |