The British losses were: three battle cruisers ("Queen Mary," "Invincible," "Indefatigable"), three armored cruisers ("Defense," "Black Prince," "Warrior"), and eight destroyers, the lost tonnage ag gregating 117,150. The Germans thus re ported their losses: (they were believed to be much greater) one battle cruiser ("Liitzow"), one battleship ("Pom mern"), four light cruisers and five de stroyers, or 60,720 tons. The total per sonnel lost was: British 6,105; German (acknowledged) 2,414. The losses were regarded as less favorable to the Ger mans than appeared on the surface. As effective units the three lost British armored cruisers were of no military value and were caught in the battle by mischance. They aggregated more than 40,000 tons, and reduced the effective ton nage lost by the British by that much. The "Liftzow" offset the "Queen Mary". The "Pommern," which was believed to be a new and powerful dreadnought, not an old pre-dreadnought as the Germans claimed, offset the loss of the "Invincible" and "Indefatigable". As far as effective ships were concerned, accepting the Ger man statement regarding the "Pommern" as being an old vessel, the British only lost one more than the Germans, and that was largely offset by the loss of the four light cruisers the Germans ac knowledged. Only on the destroyers did the advantage lie with the Germans. The belief that the German losses were much more than was admitted was strength ened by the fact that the Kaiser's fleet never again ventured out to fight the British. A great controversy arose over Admiral Jellicoe's tactics in permitting the Germans to escape in the darkness after, as he himself reported, his fleet had maneuvered into an advantageous position between the German vessels and their base.
1917 British Advance on Bapaume.—Severe winter weather made any major military operations extremely difficult along the whole western front during the early part of 1917, and as a consequence both sides were satisfied to confine their ities to trench raids and local attacks of minor importance. It was not till the first week in February that offensive operations began, and then the British began to prepare an advance on both sides of the Ancre river. On Feb. 6, 1017, the Germans felt compelled to evacuate Grandcourt. The capture of their heavy guns with them, though they were compelled to abandon large amounts of ammunition. Meanwhile heavy rearguard actions were fought, but the British pressed steadily forward. By the end of February the British were less than a mile from Bapaume.
On March 1, 1917, the British War Office announced that 2,133 prisoners had been captured since the beginning of the offensive along the Ancre and eleven villages had been taken. Some of the positions captured were of first impor tance, as was evident from the deter mination with which the Germans de fended them. The Germans had retired on the Ancre on a front of twelve miles and a depth of two miles. On March 2, 1917, the Germans, having reached their this village was considered of some im portance, marking, as it did, a notable advance for the British on the forts of Miramont and Grandcourt, which covered Bapaume from the W.
After occuping Grandcourt, the British began a steady advance up both sides of the Ancre. At the same time the French began to take the initiative on the Verdun front, as well as in the Ar gonne, carrying on a number of success ful raids.
Slowly the Germans gave way to the British pressure, retiring to a new line along the Bapaume Ridge. The ground thus surrendered covered about three miles and the British were able to occupy a number of strong points at very little cost. Fortunately for the Germans, the weather was misty and covered their operations, so that they were able to take second line, began to stiffen their re sistance.
The British, however, continued their advance with no lessening of energy. On March 3 they gained two-thirds of a mile along a two-mile front, E. of Gomme court.
On March 8 the French won a decided victory in the Champagne region. In spite of the deep snow, French forces operating between Butte de Mesnil and Maisons de Champagne carried German positions along a front of a third of a mile, ground which the Germans at tempted desperately to retake, but with no success and heavy cost.
By March 12, 1917, the British were advancing along a front of four miles to the W. of Bapaume, on which date they reached a line N. of the Ancre valley, and on the following day they took the important ridge overlooking Bapaume from the N. W.
On March 15, 1917, the French in the Champagne sector intensified their at tacks, and the Germans were forced to abandon their whole line of about fifteen miles from the Oise to Andechy, giving up positions which they had held for two years against repeated attacks. Two days later they drove the Germans out of Roye and took it. N. and N. E. of Lassigny the French made further gains, occupying the town and consider able territory beyond. On March 18, the Germans were in retreat over a front of approximately eighty-five miles from the S. of Arras on the N. to Soissons on the Aisne, evacuating numerous towns and villages, including the important towns of Peronne, Chaulnes, Nesle and Noyon. At this latter point the French and British together pushed on to a depth of twelve miles. The famous Noyon sal ient, marking the nearest point of ad vance toward Paris, was now a danger of the past.
Of still greater importance, however, was the occupation of Bapaume by the British, for here the Germans had erected defensive works of the most elaborate description. Still the advance continued. The French, under more favorable con ditions, were able to push onward at a faster rate than the British, advancing twenty-three miles during three days. Over 120 towns were recovered by the French alone. During the following week the whole department of the Somme was cleared of the invaders. On April 1, 1917, the British were within three miles of St. Quentin.