The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-30
Battle of Ypres and Events
Leading Up To 1t. Told By
British General
Allies Cooperate
Well In Fighting
Pays Tribute To General Jofre
and Then Launches into vi.
vid Description of Terrific
Struggles

London, Nov. 2a.--The war Office
gave out tonight a long dispatch dated
November 30 from General Sir John
French. detailing the operations in
Flanders. which is described as the
battle of Ypres-Armentieres. and
which. at the end of the dispatelI, -
says. is possibly in it's last stages.
At the opening oe the dispatch
General French discusses the situa-
aon early in October, when. he says,
be became impressed with the neces-
sity cf bringing the greatest possible
force to bear to support the allies
northern flank, with view to out
Ranking the enemy, and compelling
BIN To evacuate his positions, as the
enemy on the Aisne had been weak
hned by continual ahortive. futile at
lacks. After paying u tribute ~ the
effective cooperation of General Jof-
IRE and HIS STAFF, General French con-
anucs:
Began October II,
The great battle may be said TO
have commenced on October II. when
tie0eral lIoughs cavalry first came
into contact with tho enemy. who
Naa holding The woods north--..T lie
ihune and tho Asre Canal. These were
cleared after which car men joined
hands with the sixth Division OF cav
alry in the neighborhood of Haze
broue}. simultaneously the right o.
tie Secoad Cavalry Division connect
60 ~.3h tho left of the Second Corps
AFTER crossing The canal"
General French then describes va
Nous linking operations which were
net bY corresponding extensions OF
the German liTe, incidentally mea-
tioning th~ dlfIicuit nature nf the
&foGrd. which VAS covered with min
Ing works and factories. II is re-
2f r. Int
military support is most difficult, 1T
Wan then the OBJ tect." saws General
Frencss. sfsa set sa@sEa&e the Id Has~
gHELsfie Read In the neighborhood
OF Furn and so threaten the flank
and rear of the euenny's position on
the high ground sonth of La3assee.
t. The position at La BaSsee through
out the battle defted all attempts to
capture either by the French or Brit
ish''
The dispatch goes on TO say that on
October s General Smith Dorrien
Lad made only little progress. The
Dorsstshre regiment suffered heavily,
80 being killed. including the com
rnander. Major Roper, but II main
iained its hold. General Sir Hubert
Hamilton, the commander of the
Third Division. was killed on Octo-
Der IL. The following day the Third
Division foueh, splendidly and after
crossing on planks the dykes with
which the country is intersected.
drove the enemy from one e1trenched
position to another in the loopholed
Villages till they had pushed the Ger
mans off the EstairesLaB assee Road,
Severe Losses.
General French then goes into de-
tail in describing a long series OF al
lacks and counter-attacks in which
there were severe losses on both sides,
and various positions were taken. but
often there was little or no progress.
The largest scale map would alone
enable one To follow the operations
in and around the numerous villages
which are mentioned.
General French pays a tribute to
the operations OF General Sir Henry
Eawlinson in the noighborhood of
Client and Antwerp, in protecting the
withdrawal OF the Belgian army in
the middle of October.
The force OF General RawHnson,
which had to encounter very superior
forces and rendered most signal SER
vices, showed great gallantry. Gen
cral Rawlinson's left flank was Sc
Sercly threatened on October Is. His
force was not strong enough to cap
ture Menin as he had been directed.
and the enemy remained In possess
sion
On October 10. General French
says. ii question Of vital importance
arose. The enemy was greatly SUI
perior In strength on the Lys and the
second, Third and Fourth Cavalry
Corps were holding a much wider
front than their numbers warrented.
Considering these facts alone l.;
would have seemed wise TO send the
First corps to strengthen The line,
but tlis would have let the country
asst and north of Ypres and the
spres Canal open to wide turning
movement by the German fcice which
was known to he IN that region, while
It was also known that the Germans
were bringing large reinforcements
from the east which could only be
opposed for several days by two or
three French cavalry divisions. some
French, territorsals and the Belgian
army.
B-lSiann Exhausted.
After their hard fgiating. con-
tinued General French. "the Belaians
were not In condition to stard such an
attack unsupported ard unless sub
stantinl resistance could he offered 10
this threatened turning movement the
allied flank must be turned and the
channel ports laid bare 10 the enemy.
I Judged that successful movement
OF this kind would be fraught with
such consequences that the risk Of
operating on so extended a front must
he undertaken. and directed General
Sir Douglas Haig to move with the
First corps to the north OF Ypres,
From the the best information at
my disposal ! Judged that the con.
sCort,rned on SIKH Pagel
pEsT FOR DySiNESS ON PLEASURE.