Belgian MOD

“ On the nights of the 28th to 29th of October, on the 3d and 4th of November 1917, detachments of the 5th and 6th of the line regiment crossed the Yser with magnificent spirit. The South and North trenches of the flour-mill were cleaned out 53without great difficulty, but when the detailed group attacked the flour-mill, there was a reaction, and a painful one which cost the life to many a brave man, a reaction which proved once more, the power of inactive and inert substance against which courage is nothing. ”

“ The name of Castel Britannia was given to the place occupied by the enemy’s batteries which oppressed up till 631917 our positions of the sector of Steenstraat. Thick concrete masses protected them. They served under the Belgian occupation as observation-posts and battle posts.
The cross road of Hoekske is situated at the crossing of Steenstraat to Dixmude road with the road of Merckem. It marks nearly the centre of the subsector which bears its name, and is celebrated by the numerous bombardments it has been subjected to. Heavy pieces of german artillery have been sunk in its vicinity. ”

“ The Death Trench is a sacred spot, sacred by the acts of courage and heroism that were accomplished there, and sacred by the blood that was shed here, it is the tomb of hundreds of brave heroes.
14.—Company commander’s post near the Yserdam, at Dixmude, in front of the canal of Handzaeme (leftbank) .
16.—Concrete dug-out south of the railway bridge at Dixmude (left bank) . These two shelters mark out the portion of the Belgian front which suffered the most by German bombardment with trench-mortars shells and bombs. ”

“ Before going into the description of the war sites along the Belgian sea-coast, it is important to cast a general glance on the defences established there by the Germans.
Admiral Schröder was given the task of the organization of the sea-front. To do so he had at his disposal: the German Marine Army Corps, a coast artillery altogether powerful in number as well as in the caliber of the guns, a flotilla of patrolers, torpedo-boats, destroyers, submarines and a few squadrons of aeroplanes and seaplanes. ”

“ Through their invisible loop holes and under the thick armour of their shelters immersed in concrete, the few occupants of the flour-mill soon overpowered the will and determination of our troops, who were forced to retreat taking away with them their dead and wounded. ”

“ As regards the moral point of view, the victory of the 17th of April in which our regiments had overthrown whole divisions of enemies, revealed to the General Staff, the offensive worth and power of our army and gave to it the full due, of its conscientiousness and strength and the ardent desire to go forward.
From the 17th of April, our soldiers at Merckem felt themselves masters of the sector. Patrols and audacious raids were undertaken, sometimes on Kloostermolen, sometimes on the trenches of the Kwaebeek position or on the Little-son and on Italy, Portugal and Epernon farms. ”

“ The group of houses on the southern side of the wind mill and the wind mill itself were carried out at the first jump, thanks to the fighting spirit of the men and also to the efficient artillery fire of No 26th Belgian Field Battery, which, in spite of a hurricane of machine-gun bullets had been brought as far forward as the Pelican bridge.
The fighting ground being of a very close nature permitted but a very slow progression of the wings. ”

“ Hundreds of brave soldiers were torn to pieces by the bursting of German trench mortar shells, the effects of which were 43so terrible that in falling they dug craters of 10 meters diameter, thus smashing up the strongest shelters, and crushing and burying under the ruins all those who had taken refuge there. After the storm calmed down (and it was only calmed when our mortars arrived, affording us then the opportunity to juggle with those of the adversary) , the Belgian soldiers with their habitual tenacity, undertook to rebuild their defensive works. ”

“ He cannot untrim the bank of the Yser which will have to face the attack if continued, and endeavour to bar the crossing of the river.
And that is why under the pressure of numbers and after several hours of bloody struggle, the defenders of the bridge-head were forced to concentrate themselves in the corn-mill and in the trench preceding it. During several hours it is a resistance, where the resolute and determined courage of a few men, held the head to a numerous enemy which was struck down in heaps. ”

“ It is important to note the powerful organizations of the enemy, facing the “Death Trench”, notably the enormous concrete of German sap-heads on the leftbank of the Yser, 42with their iron-plated loopholes and firing ranges, overlooking all the surrounding districts.
The Rider is a work of the greatest interest. It may be considered as a small museum concerning the trench warfare. In the minimum space it utilized in a most judicious way all defensive and offensive implement such as accessory defences and all kinds of liaison systems, which were coordinated to bring the highest efficiency. ”

“ The night was spent in carrying out violent musketry fire, and to goad the enemy several reconnaissances were pushed in the village while a section of a French and Belgian bridging company was erecting a foot bridge on the Ramscappelleleed. The artillery kept hammering the enemy’s defences into ruins.
At dawn of the 31th of October, the german resistance weakened and a general attack carries the village up bringing in one jump the assaulting troops right up the railway line, scattering the remaining defenders and pushing them back toward the river Yser. ”

“ Was the No “One” enemy trench not presenting itself to us in a similar way as our “Death Trench” to him? In fact, we were on the bridge-head on the right bank. The attack and destruction of that line was decided.
On July 18th 1916, after that several reconnaissances had made during the preceding nights, and thorough destruction fire switched on to the trench, a detachment of no 4 company of the IVth Bat. of the 2nd line Regiment, under the command of Lieutenants Loyse and Desenfans stormed it. ”

“ The “Cavalier” in itself presents two different and parallel lines, the first one on the level with the ground, to serve the purpose of round way and communication line, the second, above level thus dominating the whole region. The latter trench is the firing one, the overlooking position of which permitting to carry out enfilading and plunging fires upon the two banks of the river Yser as well as in the Death Trench itself, and on the enemy’s organization round kilometer no 16. ”

“ In 1916 the organization of the “Cavalier” completes itself and becomes a real redoubt. The two flights of the work is provided with offensive and defensive weapons, as well as with liaison material of the most diverse nature. Concrete shelters for the men have taken the place of those built with logs, which so often were bombed to ruins by the enemy. A post of visual signalling was placed so as to maintain a constant contact with the commander of the sector.
May 1916 was to be a tragic month for the kilometer 16 sector. ”

“ The old tower of Oud-Stuyvekenskerke has not been able to resist to the amount of projectiles poured upon it by the Germans, throughout the whole campaign. Its emplacement however, and the concrete bloc which has taken its place are interesting as marking the extreme advance of the enemy in the region, it also brings back to memory the terrific bombardments and fights which that corner of Flanders witnessed. ”

“ During the night of the 21st to the 22d of December 1914, a night cold and dark, the group crossed the river in two places and managed to instal itself on a position uniting the little wood of the peninsula of kilometer 19.500 with a bend to the North, facing the cemetery of Dixmude. The enemy being taken by surprise, could not till dawn offer an efficient resistance: but already our troops had organized the ground and maintained their positions in spite of firing, counter-attacks and severe bombardments. ”

“ The battle of Merckem which had not procured to the Germans one atom of land, nor advantage, cost them many dead and wounded, eight hundred prisoners and the loss of numerous material, which was left in the hands of the 3d army division. The order of Leopold was granted to the 9th regiment of the line and to the 1st jagers.
The inscription of “Merckem” on the regimental Colours of the 3d army division, and on those of the 13th and 19th of the line (4th army division) and also on the shields of the guns, rewarded the bravery of the troops who won the battle. ”

“ In 1916, the naval forces anchored in the Flanders base were considerably increased in number, but it was particularly in the year 1917 that the Germans multiplied their submarines, thus turning the harbours of Ostend and Zeebrugge into real haunts. Shelters were built to protect them against air raids and the numerous bombardments carried out by the British Fleet. ”

“ To avoid the weakening of our resistance, our front having been thus considerably lengthened and the occupation having become very thin, the G. H. Q. decided to stretch a further inundation which allowed to gain up several outposts.
At Nieuport, the Redan became the front line. It was hooked North by the “huitrière” (oyster-pond) , fronting the West bank of the channel, and South at “Dupuis and de Luc” trench.
Those three points d’appui formed an important point of resistance: they were covering the locks. They were garrisoned by a battalion; its duty was to hold at all costs and it did it. ”

“ Seeing those provoking works, the German indeed did not remain inactive, they frequently 38ruined our works with their artillery and minenwerfers, inflicting to our troops awful losses.
The close of 1915 marked the end of the grounding of the accessory defences. The emplacements for trench mortars, machine-guns pits were rising little by little, the dug-out for the officer in Command of the “Cavalier” sector, was gradually coming to shape, and the shelters were rising from out the soil. ”

“ The line was organized since the early days of its occupation, then was gradually improved to become during the last years of war a model of stabilized trench warfare area.
Even the station itself, where an artillery observation-post had been constructed, was wedged in a powerful stronghold whose solid concrete shelters for machine-guns were forming the bastions. ”

“ This raid is the most striking instance of military valour and devotion to duty. We feel as though we must emphasize the glorious conduct of the British sailors and the best way is for us to oppose the straight forwardness of the British sailormen to the sly and underhanded methods of the Germans, who only feel apt to sink, without being seen, defenceless boats, thus bringing death on to harmless people.
3.—German battery “Deutschland” at Breedene. The battery “Deutschland” is situated near the Jacobinessen farm.
Armement: Four 15 inch guns firing at 55 kilometers a shell 2 meters long. ”

“ As for the part of the German column which had not been able to cross the bridge, this was taken under the fires of the guns, and was, as we have already said, dispersed in all directions, endeavouring to seek refuge in the houses at Dixmude. The reserve garrisoned in the flour mill, awaken by the noise of the fighting and being at once acquainted with the situation, remained in place, ready to intervene. ”

“ From up the 26th of October 1914, date at which our troops were compelled to leave the Beverdijk, the Dixmude railway track outlined in front of Pervyse our first front line.
On the 30th of October meanwhile the foe was rushing for Ramscappelle he hurled detachments against the Pervyse station. That attack miserably failed under the violent rifle firing of the 1st Battalion of the 12th line Regiment which had been swiftly reinforced by few sections of the 2d Bat. ”

“ Rijkenhoek and Beverdijk, particularly famous as kick off points for the numerous attacks and raids of our troops against the Violette and Terstille farms.
That line offered numerous and well constructed shelters affording to our men relatively comfortable dwellings. Here and there, at places offering good field of fire or permitting to sweep main-traffic passages concrete machine pits (such as the one at the station) were built. In the hut of the railway guard an artillery observation-post was also constructed. ”

“ The allied counter-battery work was fairly active, mainly in 1917 and 1918. The pivot of that counter-battery fire was formed of French 12 inch guns, mounted on railway; these were firing from round Coxyde.
On July 16th 1917 the French gunners were rather successful, several of the guns servants were killed, shelters were destroyed, and the men were scattered. The guns themselves were hit by shell splinters. The top of the gun pits were then strengthened with a bursting layer thick of one meter of concrete, and the battery resumed its action on the 22d of the same month. ”

“ In order to parry, as might be the case, to a more accurate enemy counter-battery, the railway battalion built or layed out sucessively several sites for heavy artillery firing. It is so, that two sites on the switch point of Eggewaertscappelle, a third at the station of Moerhoek and a fourth on the point of Isenberghe, served as reserve, and were occupied in turns.
The Leugenboom heavy gun entered in action the 27th of 68June 1917. Between 5 and 10 o’clock, it bombarded Malo-on-sea and Dunkirk. This first action made numerous victims. The shells were of 380 mm. ”

“ Unfortunately, at a few cable’s lengths from the ports the wind suddenly swerved due South-West, cleaning away the smoke cloud, disclosing at once the “Gallant British Fleet”. It was then 11.56 p. m. Like lightenings, all the guns and machine-guns, raised as though by magic power, roared their rapid rounds.
In front of Ostend, the lights guiding the boats towards the coast were hit by shellfire and put out of action. Unable to be driven, the attack failed. H. M. S. Sirius and H. M. S. Brilliant were sunk at 3 kilomètres East of the harbour’s entrance [1] . ”