Show BRITISH CONFIRM I TAKING OF KEY FORT BAPAUME i Capture of Gibraltar Marks Mark Greatest Victory at Smallest Small Small- est Cost in West By United Press LO LONDON DON 1 March farch 17 Field Field Marshal Sir Douglas tonight formally announced announced announced an an- an- an tho the taking of Bapaume by hy British h forces LC L Transloy was WuI also t Iso taken he 8 said 1 Bapaume Is the city which FI Field d Marshal von on dubbed dubbe the Ute Gibraltar of or the th western front It Its HE occupancy by Field Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- Halg's t troops ops completes a sweep forward which began a month ago aso when the Germans first began finding their positions on the tho tendered untenable by the tho terrific hall hail of or fire Ir which tho the British have poured unceasIngly unceasingly on that terrain It marks tho the greatest advance a at the smallest cost in men that has hag been achieved l on the western front since the Germans made the advances at the out outset et of at the war l Because of ot the strength and peculiar position of oC the new position at Bapaume and the old position around Arras Arrn which project out like lite twin arms England looks look fora for n a tener general further further further fur fur- ther retirement b by the tho Germans of oC the whole Arras Bapaume line to avoid an nn encircling movement b by the British That would add some sonic twelve square miles of or new territory to the British gains ahead already registered Begun Besun a n month a ago o with a a. retirement retirement retire retire- I ment that was heral heralded Cl tJ by scarcely carcel an any resistance to the British advance I tho the German retreat during during- the last few days day ha has developed Into a n. retirement under el bitter ti fighting The Germans German fought back fiercely Oh On Thursday at time the front reported British outposts within a a. few hundred d yards ards of at the Bapaume defenses De Detail f De-f I tail tails of oC the victorious fighting which carried the British troops over o th these so last t obstacles were eagerly awaited II here tonight Stiff tI fighting h ln with ith the German rear rearguards rearguards r guards l' l prece preceded ed tho the taking of or Bapaume Bapaume Ba Ba- reported The city was wa found systematically lIy pillaged and all buildings J public and private were destroyed de- de d 01 all valuables heln being carried can off oCL |