Evening star., 1917-10-14


Messines and Wytschaete really created
tho Ypres salient. Henceforth the Ger
mans. from the highest ground in thu
whole region, looked down upon the
rear and commanded the communica
tions of the British in and east OF
Ppres. After November 1 the battle OF
Ipres. After November ] the battle OF
up to November IL. when the Prussiau
guard made its celebrated attack. TEN
porarily pierced the British line be
Menin road. and was thereafter ami
Inflated.
British Army's Great Feat.
The eleven days between October II
and November are the days of the
great stress on the British front. and IN
this time that portion of the British
expeditionary army which fought about
Ypres was practically exterminated.
The 7th Division alone lost 356 out OF
900 officers. and 1864 out of 1900 rank
and file. At Ypres alone the British
losses were 10000. The German loss
has been placed as high as 250.oo0. and
probably exceeded the loss at the
Marne. For three weeks the British
fought an enemy five times numer-
Gus and equipped with heavy artillery
weapons were lacking to the British in
any useful number. Probably so per
cent-perhaps more-of the British
army were killed, wounded or captured.
but in the end they still held Ypres and
the lines before It. For such an achieve
nent all praise is inadequate. And at
fpres Britain's professional army per
ished. but its tradition became hence
forth imperishable. Unlike the Spar
tans. who died in defeat, the British
army had held its gate.
The close of the first battle OF Ypres
saw the allies holding one of the most
remarkable positions in all the front
from Belfort to Nieuport. Pushed east
ward from Ypres was a sausage-shaped
salient or bulge. extending north-north-
east to Its greatest depth at Gravensta-
fel. six miles from Ypres. The base ot
this salient was the Ypres -Comines-Yser
canal. and between the two points where
the German line touched the canal.
north and south OF Ypres. was barely
seven miles. South of this canal DOS
session of the Messines and Wytschaets
nils gave the Germans direct observa-
tion and splendid artillery sweep of the
whole rear of the salient But north OF
the canal the British still clung to the
western slope Of the ridge, from the
vicinity OF Gheluvelt to a point east of
Lonneoeke. and from Zonnebeke west
ward they held both the GravenstafeI
ana Ptlkem ridges as far as the western
limits or Langemarck. Between Lange-
marck and the canal at Steenstraete a
DIVISION OF French colonials was i'm line
In April. 1915, the British were pre-
paring Tor their subsequent offensive
southwark, near La Bassee The French
nad recalled their best troops from this
front to participate in Foch's great Ar
tois operation and most of the few
neavy british guns had likewise gone
south. There was no expectation of auy
considerable German operation in th,
fpres sector. and allied journals were
heralding the coming of the spring Of
tensive. which was to throw the Ger
mans out of France and Belgium. To-
ward the last of the third week in ApriI
an attack, preceded by the explosion OF
4 mine. mad given the British brief
hoid on Hill No. 80. a mound near tho
point where the Ypres-Comfnes canal
crossed the battle front. Heavy attack
ana counter attack on this point occu-
next few days.
First Use of Gas Warfare.
But April % came one of the mo.e
dramatic and terrible episodes of fhs
war reward evening the Germans sud-
denly ioosed vast quantities of chlorine
gas against the French colonial division
stanoinE between Langemarck and the
fpres- User canal at Steenstraete. The
result was natural and Inevitable
panic. The black troops fed south and
ives, West toward fpres and across the canal,
Wltnin q brief period the allied front
was broken, and for four miles between
and the canal there was a
gap. The German road to Ypres was ar
last open. % a.
East Of the colonials were the Cana
dians When the French troops fled the
Canadian flank was left In the air.
while the troops were Themselves. er.
posed TO gas fumes. and suffered severe
losses from this cause. Yet DESPITE ALI
the circumstances. the Canadians hung
On. they drew back their left flank.
forming In a half circle, and fought ON
holding up for many hours the onrush
u u tne Germans Here. on this front. the
canadian contingent won their title to
rank with the old British army which
mad held the fpres position in the au-
sumn. ana with their Anzac brethren.
iallipoli.
The next morning. Friday, April %.
the situation was critical in the ex-
sreme. The Germans had forced the
:rossing OF the User canal, between
boesinghe and Steenstraete, and taken
Lizerne. while they were in possession
of Langemarck and Pilsem and crowd
ns down the roads from these towns
toward Ypres itself. Could they push
On for but three miles more Ypres
would be in their hands and all the
:roops in the salient east of Ypres
would be caught like rats in a trap.
rhat they did not do this can only be
,narged in part to the bravery of the
sanadians and their British supports
Vi point OF fact, the true explanation
appears to be that the Germans had not
so tremendous a success and
acked reserve at tho decisive point of
he favorable moment. better chance
han the British had had at Neuve
shapelle therefore slipped through their
ingers.
Beautiful Buildings Destroyed.
In the next few days the situation
lowly improved. although it remained
,rlticai during the first days of May
FIRST the French threw the Germans
JACK to the east bank of the canal At
he Same time the British brought up
roops from all points OF their line and
losed the gap between the canal and
he flank of the Canadians. Even the
5eIgians from their side OF the User
ime, German heavy artillery destroy.
ID the beautiful buildings of Ypres,
o far little injured. and the British
rmy suffered from shellhre as II had
lot suffered even in the first days OF
he battle about Ypres in the preceding
ear. To this heavy gunnre 1t had
either the artillery nor the ammuni-
ion to make answer
By the LIST of May, the day on which
he Germans were to win their great
tctory of the Dunajec it was plain
hat the old Ypres salient could no
onger be held. 1t had become a
ectangle three miles wide by six long,
hrust forth into the German lines.
iessines Wytschaete ridge, the Ger
,ans had now q sweep over British
Accordingly, In the
econd week Of May the British sui