The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-22

and skill It had been my hope 70 see
him in command Of an army. Tor Whicn
feel sure he was thoroughly quallneo'
blu, my withdrawal from France preTen-
I'd my carrying out my Intentions win
regard to him.
His conduct Of the operations which l
am just about to describe WAS cnArac-
tcrized by his customary skill bofdness
and decision. The great results Whlch
accrued from the first battle OF fpes
NAV be fairly traced back to his initial
leading of the Third corps in the series
of successful advances which were the
most prominent and important among
the opening phases Of that great COM
! bat.
On reaching Hazebrouck. about four
D. m. an the 1oth. was told that the
| Third corps was engaged with the en-
cmy some miles cast Of the town. Re-
| pairipg with all speed In that direction,
( came up with the rear Of the Sixth al.
vision, which had been heavily engaged
almost UP TO that moment. but now was
preparing to advance. Ny car got hope
| lessy blocked amid ammunition wagons
and all manner Of traffic. and in trying
to extricate It we found ourselves badly
| begged in a ploughed field.
! Leaving the motor to struggle back.
tried to see what was going on from
some high ground close by. Rain was
falling heavily, and the atmosphere was
| foggy and misty. I watched as best l
| could for some little time what was go
ling forward. until I felt assured that the
| tide Of battle was flowing very favor
| ably for us. then got back as quickly
| as possible to headquarters at St Omer,
| where reports were awaiting me l
| learned that the town had been heavily
bombed by hostile aircraft during the
day Much damage was done to build
ings and several soldiers and civilians
had been killed and wounded. It was
somewhat unpleasant welcome for US
but the effect Of il WAS completely
| wiped out BY the news I received from
Pulteney Of the victory he had attained.
The enemy opposed to him consisted OF
one or two divisions OF cavalry at least
q division Of infantry (Ninetccnth
corps) and several JAEGER battalions.
Pulteney found them posted in strong
position covering Bailleul, with their
left resting on Bleu, close to Vieux Ber-
ouin. and their right on Berthen. The
British attack opened at 1880 p. m, ana
by nightfall the Sixth division had cap
tured Bailleul and Mcteren. whilst the
Fourth division captured and occupied a
strong position facing east one mile 10
the north of tho Sixth division. ..
This was an excellent days work per-
formed by the Third corps, and the ZAP
tured ground was Of great value in the
subsequent operations.
About noon on he 18th the Third corps
continued the advance, and after some
kconsiderable fighting secured. by p. m.
the line Blcu. east Of Bailleul-NeuVe
Egise.
| On the 18th I directed Pultency to
make good the river Lys between. Ar
mentieres and Sailly-sur-la-Lys, and en-
deavor 10 gain touch with the Second
corps.
By nightfall the Third corps had made
the line Sally-Nieppc.
Between the 18th and the. 18TH the
Fourth corps. under Rawlinson. was
constantly engaged in assisting and COW
cring tho retreat Of the Belgian army.
During this time the German forces from
Antwerp were concentrating westward
in ever increasing strength. The Scv-
cpth division under Capper. retired sue
cessivcly from Client to Aeltrc, thence 10
Thiclt from Thiclt to Roulers and from
Roulers 10 the south and east OF Ypres.
The Third cavalry division, under
Byne, was at Thourout on the 11th, al
Roulcrs on the 18th, at fpres on: the
18th. and on the 18th connected up WIN
Coughs Second cavalry division in front
of KENNEL. which position the two cav
airy divisions captured and secured.
On Tho 18th the Seventh division was
cast Of Ypres with the Third cavalry
division we'll out in advance OF them IN
Tho direction Of Menln and Courtrai.
Ehc capture Of the high ground about
KENNEL proved to be OF the .tmost I'm.
portancc to US throughout the battle OF
Ypres.
On the 18th the Belgian army assem-
-
blcd in the area cnd-DiNmuoe-fu rhes-
Nicuport. but on the 18th withdrew en-.
,ircly behind the User to the norm Of
Yprcs.
The French naval. division and other
troops which had been covering inc
Belgian retreat were at DiHmude and
Nicuport. 4 French territorial division
from Casscl had been moved 20 fpres'
| On tho l4th 1t was reported that about
on thousand German troops from Ant.
worn wcrc moving on Brugcs and Roul'
org and that another German division
from Antwerp had reached Courtrai.
On the 18th the enemy strcngthchcc
their line on the Lys. where part OF 'he
Nineteenth and Twelfth German core
were reported to be, with their right on
Mcnin. and finally. the Germans were
said to bc advancing in four columns tc
the line Ghistclles-Roulers.
! r now turn to the operation OF the
Second corps, which. It will DO remem'
bcred. was on the right OF the British
forces 10 the cast Of Bcthune
visited Snith-Doricn at his head.
quarters almost every day between the
18th and 18th. On each occasion Was
! more and more impressed BY the e1c"p'
= tionally difficult nature. Of the country
in this part OF our field Of operations.
, IF VIC draw a line on the map stating
:. from Lens on the south and following
] north and through Levin. La Bassee.
9 Frnmelles. Armcnticres, almost to the
valley Of the River Douve on the north.
the whole terrain for several miles to
the cast and west of that line strongly
resembles the English black country
l North of LEVIN the ground Is very fat
whilst mining works. slaG heaps. facto-
rics ard mining villages completely
over the surface in all directions.
There is a large mining population
D whose tnnements (somctimes single
: houses. sometimes separate rows Of cot
tageSl cover the whole area There arc
/ also towns Of some size. such as Beth
unc. Noeux-les-Mines. Nicppe and Ar
incntirres.
Tho ground. moreover. was OF such n
character AZ to render effective artil-
| lery supportlto an infantry attack most
n difficult. The roads were rough narrow
badly paved and very slippery In Wet
Y weather, which caused movements by
n motor to be work Of time and diff
h Guilty. particularly in the case OF the
r heavy motor transport supply depnts.
D This marked defect in the roads applied.