Ypres and the Battles of Ypres Part 6

For this new offensive five fresh divisions from Alsace-Lorraine were brought up, of which two--the IVth Bavarians and the Alpine Corps--were picked troops. These troops joined the four divisions already in the sector. The artillery was also considerably reinforced.

During this concentration small local attacks occurred on both sides.

On April 22 and 23 the Germans endeavoured to improve their positions north of Bailleul, but without appreciable result.

The French, on their part, sought by attacks and raids to impede the preparations for the coming a.s.sault.

At that time the firing line, from west to east, ran as follows: from Meteren (held by the Germans) it pa.s.sed north of Bailleul, then crossed the crest of Lindenhoek at Dranoutre, east of Kemmel, and skirted Groote Vierstraat and St. Eloi on the east.

The five French divisions which defended the Hills occupied the following positions:

The 133rd before Cats Hill; the 34th Infantry (Sabatier) before Locre; the 154th Infantry (Breton) from Dranoutre to the Pet.i.t-Kemmel; the 28th Infantry (Madelin) before Kemmel Hill, its left linking up at Lindenhoek with the British 9th Infantry Division. The Cavalry Corps was held in reserve on the Hills.

At 2.30 a.m. on April 25 the attack began with a heavy bombardment, in which the proportion of gas sh.e.l.ls was far greater than previously.

At about 6 a.m. the infantry a.s.sault 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 d.i.c.kebusch Pond.

In the centre the enemy storm-troop waves, after several repulses, finally reached the summit of Kemmel Hill, where a fierce hand-to-hand encounter took place. In spite of their great heroism, the 30th Infantry Regiment, outnumbered and almost surrounded, was forced to abandon the position, but only after a das.h.i.+ng counter-attack by a battalion of the 99th Infantry had failed to extricate them. On the right, the German Alpine Corps, by a daring manoeuvre, made possible by the fog and the broken nature of the ground, succeeded in reaching the artillery positions, which were at once attacked by machine-gun fire. The French and British batteries, under a storm of bullets, were obliged to retreat, saving what material they could and blowing up the rest.

The Germans thus reached the village of Locre, which changed hands several times during the day.

Finally, after a counter-attack, the 154th Infantry Division remained masters of the village, although the Germans succeeded in holding the "hospice" at the southern end.

The situation was now critical and the enemy advance had to be checked at all costs. On the night of the 25th the Allies were reinforced by the 39th Infantry Division (Ma.s.senet) at the very moment a fresh German offensive was being launched. The timely arrival of these troops effectually stayed the German thrust.

On the evening of the 26th, after much sanguinary fighting, the enemy paused, exhausted. The French took advantage of the respite to consolidate new positions.

The 27th was marked only by a violent attack on the extreme left at Voormezele, where the Germans succeeded in obtaining a footing, only to be driven out by a vigorous British counter-attack.

As a result of these various battles the new line was as follows: from Locre Chateau it ran south of Locre Village, followed Kemmelbeek Valley, pa.s.sed in front of La Clytte Village, then south of d.i.c.kebusch Pond and Voormezele Village, joining up with Zillebeke on the south-east.

It was against this new front that the Germans were now preparing a new offensive.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ON APRIL 29, THE GERMANS LAUNCHED A LAST FURIOUS ATTACK AGAINST THE HILLS, AND FAILED. EXHAUSTED, THEY THEN ABANDONED THEIR PLANS FOR TAKING YPRES]

=THE LAST GERMAN ATTACK= (_April 29, 1918._)

After an artillery preparation lasting all night, the attack began at 7 a.m. on April 29, along a front about eight and a half miles in length, extending from the Chateau and Park of Locre to d.i.c.kebusch Pond. This attack, by no less than 120,000 enemy troops, resulted in a crus.h.i.+ng defeat for the Germans.

Both ends of the front stood firm: the British on the left, between La Clytte and Zillebeke, and the French on the right, in the Chateau and Park of Locre. All attacks were vigorously repulsed, and the Germans did not even reach the Allied lines.

More fortunate in the centre, they succeeded in taking the village of Locre, and advanced beyond it as far as the cross-ways on the Westoutre Road, half-a-mile north of Locre. Their success was but short-lived, however, as a vigorous counter-attack by French Dragoons drove them back, and at the end of the day all that remained of their gains was a slight salient near Brulooze Inn. Exhausted, they did not renew their attack.

The Hill offensive was over. The Germans had destroyed Ypres, but could not enter the ruined city.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

=THE ALLIES' VICTORY OFFENSIVE OF AUGUST--OCTOBER, 1918=

After the German setback of April 29, the initiative pa.s.sed into the hands of the Allies.

On April 30, the French 39th Infantry Division reduced the Brulooze Inn salient. During the following week numerous local engagements enabled the Allies to recapture several fortified farms and _points d'appui_, and generally to consolidate their positions. An attack by the British, on July 19, to the north of the Lys, advanced their lines two and a half miles, and gave them the village of Meteren. Then followed a lull, which lasted until the speeding-up of Foch's offensive rendered the German positions untenable and forced the conquered enemy back towards the Rhine.

After the Allies' victorious counter-thrust had flattened out the "pocket" made by the German Spring offensive near Amiens, the battle quickly spread over the whole front, including Flanders.

East of Nieppe Forest and Hazebrouck, the British, pressing forward towards Armentieres, advanced beyond Vieux-Berquin in the direction of Merville. On August 18, they joined battle between Vieux-Berquin and Bailleul, on a front of four miles, and captured the village of Outtersteene. The next day they entered Merville.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GERMAN POSITION NORTH OF YPRES, CAPTURED BY BELGIAN TROOPS ON SEPT. 8--9, 1918]

On September 1, the British had reached the line: La Ba.s.see, Laventie, Steenwerke, Neuve-Eglise and Wulverghem, on both sides of the Lys. On the following day, Estaires was outflanked south of Lens, and the famous Hindenburg line pa.s.sed. Noreuil, Villers-au-Flos (south of Queant), Le Transloy, Sailly-Saillisel and Allaines (south of the Bapaume-Cambrai Road) were next captured. Further south the storming of Queant by the Canadians, who then advanced beyond, and approached Marquion, opened the road to Cambrai.

On September 4, the British reached the Ca.n.a.l du Nord, and crossed it at several points. On the following day, they regained possession of their old lines on both sides of the Lys, from Neuve-Chapelle to Givenchy, and captured Ploegsteert Village. On September 10, south-west of Cambrai, Gouzeaucourt Wood and the old line of trenches dominating Gouzeaucourt Village, as well as the outskirts of Havrincourt Wood were occupied.

The general offensive was to be launched a few days later, in co-operation with the Belgian Army and some French units.

On September 28, the Belgian Army and the British Second Army (General Plumer), commanded by King Albert, marched against the army of Von Arnim. 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 Pa.s.schendaele 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 Ba.s.see Ca.n.a.l, all their positions between Armentieres and the south of Lens being now abandoned.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DESTROYED BRITISH TANK SUNK IN THE MUD AT THE ENTRANCE TO POELCAPPELLE]

On October 9, the Canadians of the First Army occupied Cambrai. On the 13th, the British reached the gates of Douai and occupied the banks of the Haute-Deule Ca.n.a.l from Douai to Vendin-le-Vieil.

Elsewhere, the British Second Army, after capturing Menin and Wervicq, obtained a footing on the right bank of the Lys, then crossed the river between Menin and Armentieres, thus forcing the Germans to abandon the line of the Haute-Deule, and taking the Lille-Tourcoing in the rear.

The British army and some French units occupied Lille--capital of the north--on October 17, and the same days the Germans evacuated Douai.

Roubaix and Tourcoing were liberated the next day, and Denain, Marchiennes and Orchies on the 21st and 22nd.

The Western suburbs of Valenciennes were fiercely disputed, being finally retaken on November 2 by the Canadian troops under General Currie.

A few days later the Armistice was signed, and the victory of the Allied armies sealed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIRST ITINERARY FOR VISITING THE BATTLEFIELD]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GERMAN OCCUPATION OF LILLE. TROOPS PARADING IN THE GREAT SQUARE _From the Michelin Guide: "Lille, before and during the War."_]