intense preliminary bombardment
which preceded the raid had proved so destructive that the New
Zealanders found the German support lines filled with dead. The raid
resulted in the capture of forty-four prisoners. In an attack
southeast of Ypres the British, advancing on a front of 500 yards,
reached the German support line after desperate fighting. They
destroyed dugouts and mine shafts and took 114 prisoners, including an
officer and a number of machine guns.

The steady pressure of the British on the German positions along the
Ancre since the beginning of the month brought results that surpassed
Field Marshal Haig's most sanguine expectations. The Germans were
forced to abandon their front on the Ancre, escaping to a new line of
defenses along the Bapaume ridge. Their retreat covered about three
miles and the British were able to occupy a number of German
strongholds which they expected to win by hard fighting. Serre, the
two Miraumonts, and Pys were occupied without a struggle. The Germans
succeeded in saving their guns during the retirement, but were forced
to destroy ammunition dumps and military stores. In the night of
February 24, 1917, British troops, advancing south of Irles and toward
Warlencourt, occupied the famous butte which had been the scene of
intense fighting in the previous month.

The foggy, misty weather which prevailed at the time in this region
had greatly facilitated the German retreat, as the keen eyes of the
British airmen were unable to study their movements. It was surmised
that some important operation was under way owing to the reckless
expenditure of shells which had been going on for some days. The
Germans were shooting up stores of ammunition which they found
impossible to take with them in their retreat.

During February 25-26, 1917, the British continued to harass the
retiring Germans, pressing forward over the newly yielded ground and
forcing back the rear guards of the enemy. In these actions the
Germans depended chiefly on their heavy guns mounted on railway
trucks, which in case of necessity could be rushed away at the last
moment.

Early in the morning of February 26, 1917, heavy explosions were heard
in the direction of Bapaume, where the Germans were engaged in
destructive work to prevent the British entry. Along their lines of
retreat large trees had been felled across the roads, forming lofty
barriers, on the other side of which great mine craters had been
opened up.