“ On the right of the Ypres-Roulers Road, the British encountered a very strong resistance. The ground, more broken than that on the other part of the battle-front, and also intersected with woods, enabled the Germans to keep several points d'appui. Despite the fiercest fighting, it was impossible to drive them out of part of the second position on the right wing. Nevertheless, an advance of about a mile in depth was made in this sector, and the village of Hooge and Sanctuary Wood were captured. ”

“ Passing by a few ruined houses—all that remain of the hamlet of Haubourdin—a fork is reached, where take the Neuve-Eglise-Messines road on the right. British cemetery on the right. Cross the Douve river, then the railway (l. c.) . Turn to the right at the first ruins of Wulverghem, then go through the village, passing in front of the cemetery. Next cross the Steenbeck, by the St. Quentin Bridge. The road now rises sharply to the crest on which Messines used to stand. Numerous small forts are seen to the right and left. These machine-gun nests are all that now mark the site of the village. ”

“ The road leads to Fournes, the outskirts of which are crossed by Rue Pasteur. Pass an avenue of fine trees leading to the Château of Comte d'Hespel, accidentally burned down.
At the cross-roads there is a bandstand erected by the Germans. A crude painting on the back of the stand represents a tug-of-war between a German and British, French and American soldiers, in which the German wins apparently with ease. Italy, depicted as a monkey, is seen clinging to the rope. ”

“ The town of Ypres lies in a sort of natural basin formed by a maritime plain intersected by canals, and dominated on the north, north-east and south by low wooded hills.
These canals, of which the Yser Canal is the most important, follow a general direction south-east—north-west. A number of streams flowing in the same direction also water the plain. In addition, there are the Dickebusch, Zillebeke and Bellewaarde ponds. ”

“ The British, covered on the north by the Belgians, began a turning movement in the region of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing. Houthulst Forest, the crests of Passchendaele and Gheluvelt, and Dixmude were carried with fine dash. Crossing the Lys on the following days between Wervicq and Comines, the British now drew near to Menin. On October 1, the Germans were in full retreat on a wide front north and south of the Bassée Canal, all their positions between Armentières and the south of Lens being now abandoned. ”

“ BÉTHUNE. RUE D'ARRAS—WHAT THE GERMAN SHELLS LEFT OF IT (see above)
[129]
DESTROYED BRIDGE ACROSS THE BASSÉE
For four years the fighting never ceased in this region. Leave the Festubert sector on the right. Throughout the struggle, the Canadians fought so bravely that one of their recruiting posters was dedicated to the heroes of Festubert, with this inscription:
"Oui, vous avez raison, c'est hideux le carnage,
Oui, le progrès blessé recule et se débat,
Notre siècle en fureur retourne au moyen âge,
Mais sachons donc nous battre, au moins, puisqu'on se bat." ”

“ The British operating on the right of the French rapidly attained their first objectives, then vigorously following up this first success, they took by assault the village of Langemarck and its strong defences, advanced 800 yards beyond the village and captured the whole system of trenches.
To the south, along the Ypres-Menin Road, the struggle was more stubborn, the Germans resisting desperately. A series of furious counter-attacks enabled them finally to preserve their line practically intact in this district. ”

“ The increasing activity of the Germans did not in any way prevent the British from preparing a fresh offensive. On the morning of October 4, English divisions, supported by Welsh, Scottish and Irish battalions, attacked along a front of ten miles, between Tower Hamlet and the north of Langemarck. The Germans, disconcerted and surprised by this unexpected attack—they were themselves preparing to attack with five divisions—fell back from the beginning of the action. ”

“ This castle had been in existence since the 8th century, but only the ruins had survived Norman invasions.
The town, favourably situated in the centre of the maritime plain with its rich grassy meadows intersected by canals, prospered exceedingly. A numerous population sprang up of merchants and artisans, whose chief sources of wealth were the manufacture and sale of cloth.
As early as the 12th, but especially in the 13th and 14th centuries, Ypres, thanks to important privileges granted by the Counts of Flanders, became a considerable town, and possessed 4,000 looms. ”

“ The front line trenches to the north of Hooge were lost; but on the 13th the valiant Canadians, who had previously recaptured the original positions abandoned on June 1, resumed the offensive, and re-established the lines from the southern part of Sanctuary Wood to a point 1,000 yards north of Hill 60.
Throughout the days of June 26 and 28 there was an extremely violent bombardment, to which the British guns replied effectively. The Germans, whose losses from the attacks and this artillery fire were very heavy, declared: "Belgium will be our grave." ”

“ Battles were fought south of Meteren, at Merris, Vieux-Berquin and on the eastern outskirts of Nieppe Forest. To the east of Bailleul, Neuve-Eglise (an important cross-road) was fiercely disputed. After changing hands many times on the 14th, it was finally abandoned the same night.
The loss [40] of Neuve-Eglise led to that of Wulverghem, and the British were forced to fall back to the eastern slopes of Kemmel Hill, the first high point in the chain of hills called the Heights or Hills of Flanders. ”

“ After being driven from the outskirts of the château by a gas attack on August 7, they retook the lost ground on the 8th and advanced beyond it.
Towards the middle of September there was a rather severe bombardment near Steenstraat and Ramscappelle, while Ypres received 300 more shells.
During the latter half of August an Order of the Day to the German Armies in Flanders stated: "Our work is practically finished in the East, and we are on the point of beginning in the West; peace in October is certain." ”

“ Almost directly opposite the Cloth Hall is the Rue de Lille, in which, on the right, is the Hospice Belle (photos, p. 94) .
This asylum for aged women was founded about 1279 by Christine de Guines, widow of Solomon Belle, Lord of Boesinghe, and rebuilt in the 17th century. The façade of the chapel, which faced the Rue de Lille, contained twin doors, surmounted by a large stained-glass window set in a radiating flamboyant framework. ”

“ The Germans had fortified these positions very strongly and withdrawn their main line of defence to the eastern edge of the plateau, i.e. opposite the side by which the enemy must attack. This line protected the village of Zevenkote and the western edge of Polygone Wood, leaving in front the woods of Nonnes, Glencorse and Inverness, and Herenthage Park, the eastern edge of which latter it followed. The woods were strongly fortified, and the British had twice previously (July 31 and August 16) vainly endeavoured to capture them. ”

“ The defence on both sides consequently centred around the woods, villages, and numerous farms, which were converted into redoubts with concrete blockhouses and deep wire entanglements. The slightest bits of rising ground here played an important part, and were fiercely disputed. The crests which dominate the basin of Ypres were used as observation-posts—the lowering sky being usually unfavourable for aerial observation—while their counter-slopes masked the concentrations of troops for the attacks. ”

“ At about 6 a.m. the infantry assault began in a dense fog north and south of Kemmel Hill.
North of the Hills the "Sieger" divisions, marching west to east, had orders to capture Kemmel Village, and then, via the Valley of the Kemmelbeek, join up at Locre with the Eberhardt Divisions, which were attacking from north to south in the direction of Dranoutre.
On the left of the attacking front, the village of Kemmel was taken by the Germans, in spite of a heroic defence. Step by step the British 9th Division was driven back into Kemmelbeek valley and on Dickebusch Pond. ”

“ From the Arras sector to La Bassée the whole line was ablaze as far as the Lys. While, in the first German offensive the British right had suffered severely, it was against the left wing of the same army that the new blow was struck. ”

“ Further north, on the Yser Canal, the enemy took advantage of the disorder caused by the gas to cross at Steenstraat Bridge, and reached the village of Lizerne near Zuydschoote, where they strongly entrenched themselves. But Zouaves, aided by Belgians, counter-attacked in force, retook Lizerne, and advanced along the canal. ”

“ The battle extended northwards and the IVth Army (Von Arnim) attacked between Armentières and Ploegsteert with the Eberhardt, Marschall and Sieger Corps.
The push continued on the 11th, and Armentières, outflanked on the north and south, smashed by the shells and drenched with gas, had to be evacuated.
On their left, the Germans, after crossing the Lawe, north of Locon, two miles from Béthune, captured Neuf-Berquin and Merville. ”

“ The marshy ground, almost at sea-level, is further sodden by constant rain and mists, and forms a spongy mass, in which it was impossible to dig trenches or underground shelters. Water is found immediately below the surface, so that the only possible defence-works were parapets. ”