Show POWERFUL POWERFUL SMASH ON I V HINDENBURG LINE IS Ifs I ONE VITAl EVENT 1 HILE HIL t the e allies have suffered W VI reverses on other fronts the 1 Y V V V year ear 1917 in France and amI Belgum Bel- Bel j jj gum glum has been more than en- en encouraging f to the enemies of Germany Early In the year General Halg's por poli pol- pol i attrition brought about the tho r i icy of of the to the ther V V great reat retreat at 7 r M Hindenburg line in which thousands 4 French Frendl territory of of square plies miles surrendered and many hundreds were I. I of towns and villages recaptured V Outstanding features of 1917 on the tho I q western front are the Hindenburg retreat to victory the arrival of r American troops in the trenches In i France the marvelous surprise at attack attack at- at P tack by the forces of the En English General 4 General B Byng ng in which no artillery artillerY's s 's preparation took place and md in which r f r F. F and the tle ther I tJ l' l tanks played a large part J failure r of a renewed German Germa drive on i Verdun rind and a n. new German drive li V ag t Calais the French channel I po V nh Every indication leads to the conclusion con con- con I lt that the allies ames have ave the mastery mastery mastery mas mas- tery on this front Despite the fact I that in hi the latter part of the year they Were were compelled to send heavy reinforcements reinforcements rein rein- l I to the distressed Italians l' l the allies aIlles were still able to hold the the offensive in France and Belgium The Thel l much heralded Hindenburg line lne has V been proved not to be Impregnable by f any means having been broken at several sevi sev sev- i V V f eral cral p points ints at different times tinie No Gelf German German Ger Gel f man action of any note took place at any time during the year on the west- west I front T f k em ern i P i The month of January 1917 saw only minor operations In France Prance fris February marked the beginning of fV V the great German strategic retreat V r t J with further evidence e of German 1 If military fri frightfulness in the deportation deportation de- de of civilians the destruction b in the surrendered terr territory ter- ter ff of f all objects i r it even to the cutting rutting down of ot cl k fruit trees The Hindenburg retire retire- v k j ment pent extended over over into March 1 Evi- Evi y dence clence of the strength of the allies i t fF 3 was given g when just as the retreatIng retreat- retreat y 1 Ing 1 Germans reached their prepared I. I V 1 V V line General Haig Halg commenced an ant t offensive in the Arras sector followed shortly after by a strong offensive by ff General Nivelle In the vicinity o of the It V rV V January y 3 Strong Stron Strong attack by the thel l- l armies of the crown prince against c V Verdun repulsed k I February 20 Reports 20 Reports of raiding t J parties and aviators indicate Germans i i preparing some sort of extensive re- re V l j V February 2 25 Germans 25 Germans begin great r i retreat to the Hindenburg line Indications Int In In- t are that it Is to become the greatest retreat on the western front V f since the battle of the Marne ff r In a L dense fo fog three miles of or f t trenches on the are surrendered n w dered to the British The British the towns of Petit Miraumont occupy f. f Pys Serre and Butte de V February 26 26 retreat i t to o victory c twenty five square miles of French territory be being be- be 1 lug ing surrendered to the allies March l 1 Germans 1 fall back from i Bapaume line Capture pf of city by lay British Brit Brit- I V ish is threatened C March 17 Following 17 a of in inactivity inactivity in- in I f a activity In which the British organize in-I in V their new lines In the th occupied terri tern territory IV- IV Jr tory the Germans again commence terri terri-I an V j j extensive retiring movement on a front fi Pl jJ V V. V of thirty-five thirty miles varying in depth from two to four miles The allies r V encounter no resistance In accordance accord rd- rd r. r V alice ance with the German military policy iJ V all surrendered Of 91 frightfulness V t territory is left a barren ban waste The civilian populace p is moved to behind German lines Jines All houses andi and i bridges are destroyed every ar article cle of gf V value is either removed or de do- do Wells Well are poisoned and trees Of f every description are arc cut down March IR 18 German erman retreat continues The ruined city of Peronne is occupied L t t pied by the British without opposition Germans evacuate the entire Noyon V miles to a depth of twelve miles The I i French occupy p the he towns of 11 and Nesle both smoking smoking- ruins The i cerman evacuate the entire Noyon fc s salient falling falling- back to the strongly and fortified Hindenburg I i Jine I twenty-five twenty miles in the rear of J 1 1 el former former positions position I l F l March larch arch 19 More lore More than han ban 1300 square I v miles les of ot territory have have hate been evacuated i yby b- b th the Germans since the beginning of Hindenburg the retreat to victory More than towns and villages ore are arc occupied b by the the British British and French V March 20 German 20 German retreat with pol- pol V Idy of destruction continues althou although h hal al V ft aj many points they have reached the oJ ind r line and are aTe making a af f JV stand s nd Fourteen more villages are oc- oc oc V c by the tile allies H March 21 Germans 21 German reported to have hav i almost reached the line V t ft at 1 all aU points Fifty one more villages 1 az arc occupied by the allies I V j. j t Aril April 4 Advance 4 guard of f French Frencht t troops enter the city of f St. St Quentin LV L. street fighting taking place v April 6 6 The Germans eOJ ir e j retirement z 10 to the me HIndenburg line the allies consolidate th thel h new newy y 2 positions The British begin a great V ofen iye on fl a twelve mile front frontin In the V V VV vJ of Arras Arms penetrating Geri Gerr Ger- Ger r i an positions to a depth of two to toi i il ree miles The most Important de der det development de- de t v r lop e t of this offensive i f Is t the e capture capture capture cap cap- ture of Vimy Ridge one of the most 5 i fortified positions on en n the W w western tern front Thirteen thousand pris- pris d guns ind nd large numbers of 1 d' d r machine guns are captured T. T April 13 General 13 General Haig reports that h he h. is astride the Hindenburg V line r V Simultaneously with another thrust by w- w British troops north of Arras General Generali i 1 Nivelle starts a strong offensive e on ona J a a. a front t of twenty five miles between if t. t S Soissons and Rheims penetrating the II I. I first and second line trenches April 15 French lEi French capture the heights hIghts overlooking over the Aisne by storm The I I rj use use use- of If large larae numbers of of t- t reserve serve ser Droops by th the Germans fails fail to td stop il 1 0 French offensive The Germans I t tV are aie re driven out of three villages village near 4 S. S V j May 4 General 4 N veJle In iii ia D i great storms tho largo own of V Craonne giving French Fren-ch entire Control of of that sector I ay 5 General 6 a s' s V troops troop 1 ve lve d a mile four-mile salient into the Ger Gerline n line near Laon taking large numbers num num- fV 1 V bers of prisoners f May One 7 One of the most remarkable lI tV V S V I operations of the war waris is carried out bythe by bythe the the capture of the tho German German Ger Ocr I man salient at overlooking overlook overlook- ing Ypres supposed to be impregnable I and held by the Germans against all attacks for two years Operation is preceded by terrific mine explosions herd heard In London June Tuno 11 General ll-General General Plumer smashes I the Hindenburg line on a mile front in tho vicinity of Messines l July 4 French 4 French repulse terrific at attacks attacks attacks at- at tacks by German shock troops of the German crown prince at Verdun July 9 French 9 French I troops by a brilliant I c on the Aisne front recapture two miles of trenches Germans commence offensive In Belgium Del Bel gium evidently intended as a drive on Calais July 19 Terrific 19 Terrific series of attacks launched by the Germans on almost the entire French front are repulsed July 31 Three 31 Three weeks of terrific bombardment in Flanders Flander results in a smashing advance by the British and French on a twenty-mile twenty front capturing capturing cap cap- turing ten towns and 35 O prisoners The is crossed at many points A August gust 1 Strong l-Strong Strong German counter counterattacks counterattacks attacks against the new allied positions positions positions In Flanders are repulsed the village vii vil recapture August British 3 I lage of St St. Julien northeast of Ypres August Canadians IG-Canadians Canadians capture hill No 70 70 which has been considered impregnable impregnable im impregnable im- im pregnable and amI regarded as a key ley to Lens S British VV and French troops in Flanders Flanders Flanders Flan Flan- ders drive forward on a nine mile front carrying all objectives British I capture the village of i August Aug 20 French 20 French at Verdun break the German lines Unes on an mile eleven i front capturing prisoners August 24 French 24 French capture hill No at Verdun London announces al allies allies al- al lies on all fronts have captured prisoners since April 9 9 September 20 British 20 British resume offensive offensive offensive of of- In Flanders advancing over an mile eight front taking 2000 2009 prisoners and driving a wedge a mil mUG mile deep into the German line Une October 4 4 British British capture prisoners prisoners prisoners pris pris- in advance east of Ypres October 9 British 9 British and French ad advance advance advance ad- ad vance In III Flanders threatens German submarine bases on the Belgian coast October 22 More 22 More than ers and twenty-five twenty heavy field pieces are captured by the French in a brilliant brilliant brilliant bril bril- offensive north of the Aisne The German line on a a. front of six miles is pierced to a depth of 01 more than two miles l V November 21 21 British British troops under General Byng open a surprise attack on the Hindenburg line Une extending over oven overa ovena a a. front of two thirty-two miles The French attack simultaneously to the south and make gains creating a di diversion dl- dl version which apparently mystifies Germans as to point of real offensive Byng drives tremendous wedge into German line toward toward- important city of ot Cambrai driving driving- Germans back five miles taking prisoners and many guns For first time in history of great war tremendous offensive is be begun begun beun be- be gun un without artillery preparation Hundreds Hundred of ot tanks are used instead of artillery to to V tear passages through barbed wire entanglements and subdue subdue subdue sub sub- due blockhouses and concrete in- in General Pershing wit wit- nesses the attack November 22 22 British British push on In I Cambrai offensive capturing prisoners Eight stubborn German counter attacks are repulsed The villa vil- vil I la lage e of Fontaine Notre Dame three Tee miles from Cambrai is taken but later recaptured bv by the Germans December 2 German 2 attacks in tre- tre force at Cambrai force torce the British to yield the village of 1 11 Mas- Mas as- as V |