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THE STORY OF THE GREAT WAR
Neuve Chapelle
Battle of Ypres
Przemysl
Mazurian Lakes
VOLUME V
[Illustration: _A great French siege gun in action near the
much-contested battle field of Arras. During the terrific explosion
the gunners cover their ears_]
P. F. Collier & Sons, New York
CONTENTS
PART I.--THE WESTERN FRONT
CHAPTER
I. PREPARATIONS FOR AN OFFENSIVE
II. BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE BEGINS
III. OPERATIONS FOLLOWING NEUVE CHAPELLE
IV. BEGINNING OF SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES
V. THE STRUGGLE RENEWED
VI. OTHER ACTIONS ON THE WESTERN FRONT
VII. CAMPAIGN IN ARTOIS REGION
VIII. BRITISH FORWARD MOVEMENT--BATTLE OF FESTUBERT
IX. SIR JOHN FRENCH ATTEMPTS A SURPRISE
X. ATTACKS AT LA BASSÉE
XI. OPERATIONS AROUND HOOGE
XII. FRANCO-GERMAN OPERATIONS ALONG THE FRONT
XIII. CAMPAIGN IN ARGONNE AND AROUND ARRAS
XIV. BELGO-GERMAN OPERATIONS
PART II.--NAVAL OPERATIONS
XV. THE WAR ZONE
XVI. ATTACK ON THE DARDANELLES
XVII. GERMAN RAIDERS AND SUBMARINES
XVIII. ITALIAN PARTICIPATION--OPERATIONS IN MANY WATERS
XIX. STORY OF THE EMDEN
XX. SUMMARY OF THE FIRST YEAR OF NAVAL WARFARE
XXI. FIGHTS OF THE SUBMARINES
XXII. SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA
PART III.--THE EASTERN FRONT--AUSTRO-RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
XXIII. THE CARPATHIAN CAMPAIGN--REVIEW OF THE SITUATION
XXIV. BATTLE OF THE PASSES
XXV. BATTLE OF KOZIOWA--OPERATIONS IN THE BUKOWINA
XXVI. FALL OF PRZEMYSL
XXVII. NEW RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE--AUSTRO-GERMAN COUNTEROFFENSIVE
PART III--THE EASTERN FRONT--AUSTRO-RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN--_Continued_
CHAPTER
XXVIII. CAMPAIGN IN GALICIA AND BUKOWINA--BATTLE OF THE DUNAJEC
XXIX. RUSSIAN RETREAT
XXX. AUSTRO-GERMAN RECONQUEST OF WESTERN GALICIA
XXXI. CAMPAIGN IN EASTERN GALICIA AND THE BUKOWINA
XXXII. RUSSIAN CHANGE OF FRONT--RETREAT TO THE SAN
XXXIII. BATTLE OF THE SAN
XXXIV. RECAPTURE OF PRZEMYSL
XXXV. CAPTURE OF LEMBERG
PART IV.--RUSSO-GERMAN CAMPAIGN
XXXVI. WINTER BATTLES OF THE MAZURIAN LAKES
XXXVII. THE RUSSIANS OUT OF GERMANY
XXXVIII. TIGHTENING OF THE NET--REPORT OF THE BOOTY
XXXIX. BATTLES OF PRZASNYSZ--BEFORE MLAWA
XL. FIGHTING BEFORE THE NIEMEN AND BOBR--BOMBARDMENT OF OSSOWETZ
XLI. RUSSIAN RAID ON MEMEL
XLII. GERMAN INVASION OF COURLAND--CAPTURE OF LIBAU
XLIII. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE FROM KOVNO--FOREST BATTLES IN MAY AND JUNE
XLIV. CAMPAIGN IN SOUTHERN POLAND--MOVEMENT UPON WARSAW
XLV. BATTLE OF KRASNIK--CAPTURE OF PRZASNYSZ
XLVI. GRAND OFFENSIVE ON THE WARSAW SALIENT
XLVII. BEGINNING OF THE END
XLVIII. WARSAW FALLS
PART V.--THE BALKANS
XLIX. DIPLOMACY IN THE BALKANS
PART VI.--ITALY ENTERS THE WAR
L. ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE WARRING POWERS
LI. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CENTRAL POWERS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FRENCH GUN BEFORE ARRAS
APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID FIRE
MOROCCAN TROOPS IN CAMP AT ARCY
BELGIAN SOLDIERS RE-FORMING FOR A FRESH ATTACK
CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS AT BAYONET PRACTICE
GERMAN SOLDIERS LIVING IN A CAVE IN FRANCE
COMPLETING AN UNDERGROUND SHELTER
FRENCH SOLDIERS LEAVING THEIR TRENCH FOR A CHARGE
ARMORED AUTOMOBILE INTERCEPTING A TROOP OF CAVALRY
SUBMARINE MAKING OBSERVATION ON SURFACE
PRAYER IN A FRENCH CHURCH IN USE AS A HOSPITAL
FRENCH SOLDIERS CARRYING WOUNDED MEN TO AMBULANCES
CARING FOR A WOUNDED RED CROSS DOG
DEATH OF A TRAITOR TO FRANCE
NEW BRITISH MONITOR NEAR OSTEND
SINKING OF THE FALABA
LUSITANIA DISASTER
GERMAN GUNNERS AIMING AT A RUSSIAN AEROPLANE
RUSSIAN FLOATING MINE WASHED ASHORE ALONG THE WEICHSEL
GERMAN SOLDIERS ON THE SANDS OF SKATRE
OBSERVATION STATION IN A TREE NEAR THE MEMEL
GERMAN CRUISERS NEAR MEMEL
DISINFECTING CLOTHING IN A PETROGRAD HOSPITAL
GERDAUEN, EAST PRUSSIA, BURNED IN THE RUSSIAN INVASION
SERVICE IN A WAYSIDE CHAPEL IN GALICIA
AUSTRIAN TELEPHONE STATION
TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF AUSTRIAN UHLANS INTO PRZEMYSL
RUSSIAN BRIDGE DESTROYED IN THE RETREAT TOWARD WARSAW
JAPANESE GUN AND AMMUNITION NEAR GRODNO
TEMPORARY BRIDGE ACROSS THE DRINA
AMERICAN DOCTORS IN SERBIA
SERBIAN DEAD IN THE PLAGUE OF TYPHUS
EFFECT OF TEUTON SHELLS ON THE FORTS AT PRZEMSYL, GALICIA
LIST OF MAPS
POLAND AND THE RUSSO-GERMAN FRONTIER (_Colored Map_)
WESTERN BATTLE LINE, JANUARY 1, 1915
NEUVE CHAPELLE, BATTLE AT
YPRES, GAS BATTLE OF
FIGHTING IN ALSACE-HARTMANNSWEILERKOPF
ARTOIS, BATTLES IN
GERMAN SUBMARINE WAR ZONE
EMDEN LANDING PARTY, CRUISE OF
CARPATHIAN PASSES AND RUSSIAN BATTLE LINE
PRZEMYSL, DETAIL MAPS OF THE FORTS OF
GALICIAN CAMPAIGN FROM TARNOW TO PRZEMYSL
GALICIAN CAMPAIGN FROM PRZEMYSL TO BESSARABIA
RIGA, GERMAN ADVANCE ON
WARSAW, GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO REACH, IN 1914
WARSAW, ADVANCE AND CAPTURE OF
NORTHERN ITALY, SHOWING THE WHOLE ITALIAN-AUSTRIAN FRONTIER
AND THE PART OF AUSTRIA DEMANDED BY ITALY
PART I--THE WESTERN FRONT
* * * * *
CHAPTER I
PREPARATIONS FOR AN OFFENSIVE
During the greater part of the winter of 1914-15, the fighting
along the western front had been almost constant, but had resulted
in little that either side could justly assert to be a success.
The rigors inevitable in such a mode of warfare had become almost
beyond human endurance, and commanders on both sides looked forward
to a more active campaign.
An immense amount of ammunition had been stored by the French in
and around Perthes in anticipation of a forward movement; and, by
the second week of February, a quarter of a million men of the
French army had been assembled near that place. They were opposite
a section of the German trenches which was about twelve miles long,
extending from Ville-sur-Tourbe in the Argonne to the village of
Souain. Early in the year this section had been held by only two
divisions of Rhinelanders. These two divisions had suffered severely
from the heavy gun fire which the French had directed against them
by means of the successful work of the French aviators. The French
infantry also had done effective work in the short rush which they
had been making, gaining on an average about twelve yards a day.
Following the concentration of French troops, the German commanders
brought up reenforcements to the number of 80,000. Some of these
were taken from La Bassée, and others from a contingent which had
been intended for a northern offensive movement.
Because of the chalk formation of the soil in this section of the
front, the excessive moisture of this season of the year drained
rapidly, leaving exposed an undulating section on which were small
forests of fir trees. The nature of the ground made it an easy
matter to move troops even in winter. General Joffre took advantage
of this fact, and assembled a quarter of a million men against the
German lines in Champagne. This caused the German commanders to
mass troops just in front of Perthes. The concentration continued
until there were 220,000 German soldiers packed there in close
formation. The French attacked, and quickly a rain of more than
a hundred thousand shells fell upon the Germans.
The Germans sought to reply by bringing up twenty-two batteries of
heavy guns and sixty-four field batteries; but the French gunners
kept command of the field. In the twenty days' battle--from February
16 to March 7, 1915--the French won scarcely a mile of ground;
but they found and buried 10,000 German dead. The French staff
estimated that 60,000 German soldiers had been put out of action.
The German staff admitted they had lost more men in this action
than in the campaign in East Prussia against the Russians, where
fourteen German army corps were engaged. The French lost less than
10,000 men.
In the last week of February, 1915, it had been learned by General
Joffre that General von Falkenhayn of the German forces had withdrawn
from Neuve Chapelle, and the section north of La Bassée six batteries
of field artillery, six battalions of the Prussian Guard, and two
heavy batteries of the Prussian Guard. These had been withdrawn for
the purpose of checking the supposed French advance at Perthes, as
already narrated. Hence, it was known that the English, in command
of Sir Douglas Haig, at Neuve Chapelle, were opposed by a thin line
of German troops who were making a demonstration of force for the
purpose of concealing the weakness of their line.
[Illustration: THE WESTERN BATTLE LINE, JANUARY 1, 1915]
The British officers in the region of Neuve Chapelle received complete
instructions on March 8, 1915, in regard to an offensive which they
were to start on the 10th. These instructions were supplemental to
a communication which had been sent on February 19 by the British
commander in chief to Sir Douglas Haig, the commander of the First
Army. Neuve Chapelle was to be the immediate objective of the
prospective engagement. This place is about four miles north of
La Bassée at the junction of main roads, one leading southward
to La Bassée, and another from Bethune on the west to Armentieres
on the northeast. It is about eleven miles west of Lille. These
roads formed an irregular diamond-shaped figure with the village
at the apex of the eastern sides, along which the German troops
were stationed. The British held the western sides of this figure.
The land in this part of France is marshy and crossed by dykes;
but, to the eastward, the ground rises slowly to a ridge, on the
western border of which are two spurs. Aubers is at the apex of
one; and Illies at the apex of the other. Both of these villages
were held by the Germans. The ridge extends northeast, beyond the
junction of the spurs, from Fournes to within two miles southwest of
Lille. Along the ridge is the road to Lille, Roubaix, and Tourcoing,
all of which are among the chief manufacturing towns of France.
The occupation of the ridge was a necessary step to the taking
of Lille; and Neuve Chapelle was at the gateway to the ridge. If
the Allies could take Lille they would then be in a position to
move against their enemy between that point and the sea.
The River Des Layes runs behind Neuve Chapelle to the southeast;
and, behind the river, a half mile from the straggling village,
is a wood known as the Bois du Biez. Almost at right angles to
the river, on the west, the main road from Estaires to La Bassée
skirts Neuve Chapelle. There is a triangle of roads north of the
village where there were a few large houses with walls, gardens,
and orchards. At this point the Germans had fortified themselves
to flank the approaches to the village from that section. These
trenches were only about a hundred yards from those of the British.
The Germans had machine guns at a bridge over the river; and they
had another post established a little farther up at the Pietre
mill. Farther down the stream, where the road into the village
joins the main road to La Bassée, the Germans had fortified a group
of ruined buildings which was known as Port Arthur. From there was
a great network of trenches which extended northwestward to the
Pietre mill. There were also German troops in the Bois du Biez,
and in the ruined houses along the border of the wood.
[Illustration: RUSSIAN-GERMAN FRONTIER, POLAND AND THE BALTIC PROVINCES]
The German trenches were in excellent positions, but were occupied
by only a comparatively few soldiers; it was the German plan to
keep large bodies of troops in reserve, so that they might be sent
to any sector where the need seemed most likely. They have asserted
they had only four battalions in the front line here; but that
statement is denied by the British.
The British plan of attack embraced a heavy bombardment to demoralize
their enemy and prevent reenforcement. This was to be followed
by an infantry attack. It was expected that the Germans would be
surprised to such an extent it would be impossible for them to
make much resistance. Units of the First Army were to make the
main attack, supported by the Second Army. The support included
a division of cavalry. Among the large force of heavy artillery
for the opening bombardment were a number of French guns manned
by French artillerymen.
* * * * *