but thanks to the progress made, it was possible to carry out the
operations of the 26th on a larger scale than originally intended.
In order definitely to consolidate the captured positions, it was still
necessary to take the village of Passchendaele, which stands on the high
ground dominating the plain of Flanders to the east of Ypres and from
which Roulers is visible.
A fresh offensive was accordingly begun at dawn on October 26.
In the French sector, the troops, after wading through the St. Janshoek
and the Corverbeek streams with the water up to their shoulders, stormed
the village of Draeibank, Papegoed Wood, and many fortified farms.
The next day fresh progress, to a depth of more than a mile, was made on
both sides of the Ypres-Dixmude Road, along a front of two and a half
miles. The villages of Hoekske, Aschhoop, Merckem, and Kippe were
captured, and the western edges of Houthulst Forest reached.
On the 28th, the advance continued on the left, in co-operation with the
Belgians. The French took the village of Luyghem, and the Belgians
Vyfhuyzen.
The British, on their part, advanced in the direction of Passchendaele,
as far as the southern slopes of the village, capturing a whole series
of positions east of Poelcappelle.
On October 30, British and Canadians continued their attacks, and in
spite of the enemy's desperate resistance, reached the first houses of
Passchendaele.
[Illustration: FRENCH TROOPS PASSING IN FRONT OF THE RUINS OF YPRES
CLOTH HALL]
On the following days they improved their positions. The struggle at
this juncture was very bitter, Hindenburg having shortly before issued
an order stating: "_Passchendaele must be held at all costs, and retaken
if lost._"
On the morning of November 6, the British resumed the offensive. The
Canadians, after bloody engagements to the north and north-west of
Passchendaele, captured the hamlets of Mosselmarkt and Goudberg, and
finally carried Passchendaele.
On the evening of November 6, Ypres was completely cleared; and from the
top of the Passchendaele Hills the valiant British troops could see,
stretching away to the horizon, the Plain of Flanders, which had been
hidden from the Allies since October, 1914.
[Illustration: PREPARATION OF THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF APRIL 9, 1918. THE
OBJECTIVE]
[Illustration: SCHERPENBERG HILL]
=The German Offensive of 1918=
The front was quiet during the winter of 1917--1918, but 1918 opened
darkly for the Allies.
The Treaty of Brest-Litowsk had sealed the defection of Russia, while
Roumania, reduced to her own resources, was forced to sign the Treaty of
Bukarest. Lastly, invaded Italy was only just recovering from the
disaster at Caporetto. Already, in spite of the terms of the
Brest-Litowsk Treaty, huge masses of troops, guns and stores were being
despatched to the Western Front. The blow fell on March 21, 1918.
The objectives, three in number, were the smashing of the British right
wing at its junction with the French; the separation of the two Allied
army groups; the driving back to the Channel coast of the two British
armies, after they had been surrounded on the south. The long-coveted
road "_Nach Paris_" would then at last be open.
But in spite of their colossal efforts the Germans were held.
By March 31, the German Imperial forces were exhausted, and General Foch
was able to say: "_The wave has spent itself on the beach._" The peril
seemed to be averted.
But the respite was only a short one. The German attack before Amiens
was scarcely stayed (April 6) when the battle suddenly broke out again.
From the Arras sector to La Bassee the whole line was ablaze as far as
the Lys. While, in the first German offensive the British right had
suffered severely, it was against the left wing of the same army that
the new blow was struck.
The new offensive, although quickly prepared, was even more violent than
the first.
On April 9, when the attack began, the German battle-front between the
Lys and La Bassee was held by twenty-one divisions in line and six in
reserve, under the command of Von Quast (VIth Army).
Of these twenty-seven divisions only seven were in line on March 28.
Ten divisions were hurriedly brought up from the Belgian front (IVth
Army--Von Arnim), which was holding the sector from the Lys to the
Channel. Five others were despatched from the Artois front, and, lastly,
five divisions were taken from General Ludendorff's general reserve.
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote 1: French: troupes des comtes = county regiments.]
[Illustration: ON APRIL 9--20, 1918, THE GERMANS BROKE THROUGH THE
ALLIES' FRONT, SOUTH OF YPRES, AND ADVANCED TO NIEPPE FOREST AND THE
CHAIN OF THE FLANDERS HILLS]
=THE BATTLE OF THE FLANDERS HILLS=
=The Break-Through=
(_April 9, 1918._)
The Germans began the attack on the morning of April 9, after an intense
bombardment with gas shells, and under cover of a dense fog reached the
first machine-guns. The sector was held by Portuguese troops, wedged in
between the British, from Bois-Grenier to Neuve-Chapelle.
On the whole length of front attacked, between La Bassee and
Armentieres, in the Plain of Flanders, the only natural obstacles are
the rivers and canals. From the beginning of the battle the Portuguese
were thrown into disorder by the extreme violence of the attack.
The twenty-one German shock divisions attacked in five columns: to the
south, the first column in the direction of Givenchy; the second
(General Kraevel), in front of Festubert; the third (Von Bernhardi)
marched against La Couture and Richebourg-St.-Waast; the Carlowitz
Corps, forming the fourth column, advanced against Estaires in the
direction of Laventie; further north, the fifth column attacked in the
direction of Fleurbaix, outflanking Bois Grenier and Armentieres on the
west.
Under the pressure of the attack, a depression was formed in the line.
Fleurbaix, Laventie, Richebourg-St.-Waast and Neuve-Chapelle were lost,
and the Germans reached the Lys between Estaires and the St. Maur Ferry.
To the north of the pocket the Allies resisted successfully at
Fleurbaix; to the south, Givenchy, after a desperate struggle, remained
in the hands of the British.
On the following day the German troops, continuing the push towards the
centre, succeeded in crossing the Lys between Estaires and the St. Maur
Ferry.
The battle extended northwards and the IVth Army (Von Arnim) attacked
between Armentieres and Ploegsteert with the Eberhardt, Marschall and
Sieger Corps.
The push continued on the 11th, and Armentieres, outflanked on the north
and south, smashed by the shells and drenched with gas, had to be
evacuated.
On their left, the Germans, after crossing the Lawe, north of Locon, two
miles from Bethune, captured Neuf-Berquin and Merville.
Givenchy, held by the British 55th Division, resisted all attacks and
remained in their hands.
On the right, Nieppe and Steenwerk had to be evacuated. The German
advance to the south of Armentieres becoming more pronounced, the
British straightened their front, to avoid too sharp a salient, and fell
back to the Messines-Wytschaete Crest.
On the 12th the fighting continued furiously. Advancing along the
Lille-Hazebrouck railway, the Germans reached the outskirts of Nieppe
Forest. South-west of Merville they captured Calonne, and, further
north, approached Bailleul.
North of the Lys, under pressure of Von Arnim's army, the
Messines-Wytschaete Crest, with the wood and village of Ploegsteert, had
to be abandoned. The British line was withdrawn to Neuve-Eglise and
Wulverghem. In these few days the gains of the Allied offensive of the
last five months of 1917 were lost.
The 13th marked the culminating point of the battle in the central
sector. Foch made his dispositions promptly, and French reinforcements
were despatched to the critical points.
Von Bernhardi crossed the Clarence at Robecq on the 13th. On the same
day Von Gallwitz made a strong push northwards between Hazebrouck and
Bailleul, with the object of outflanking the line of the Flanders Hills,
already attacked on the east and north-east by the IVth Army (Von
Arnim).
Battles were fought south of Meteren, at Merris, Vieux-Berquin and on
the eastern outskirts of Nieppe Forest. To the east of Bailleul,
Neuve-Eglise (an important cross-road) was fiercely disputed. After
changing hands many times on the 14th, it was finally abandoned the same
night.
The loss of Neuve-Eglise led to that of Wulverghem, and the British were
forced to fall back to the eastern slopes of Kemmel Hill, the first high
point in the chain of hills called the Heights or Hills of Flanders.
From east to west this chain consists of Rouge Hill (flanked on the
north-east by Scherpenberg), Vidaigne Hill, Noir Hill, Cats Hill, and
lastly by the western bastion of Cassel.
After taking Neuve-Eglise on the night of the 14th, the Germans decided
on a fresh and still more powerful effort.
Three picked divisions were hurled against the hills of Lille and
Ravetsberg, to the east of Bailleul, which fell. The Germans entered
Bailleul, pushing on thence to Meteren, which they also captured. The
next day they tried to develop this success, but instead of the
exhausted British, the Germans now found themselves faced by fresh
French troops. In three days (April 12--14) Petain had brought up
without a hitch five French divisions and one cavalry corps, which
stayed the German rush at the foot of the hills.
[Illustration: ROUGE HILL, SEEN FROM SCHERPENBERG HILL]
On April 16 the Germans made their first attempt to turn the Flanders
Hills from the south-west in the direction of Hazebrouck.
The French 133rd Infantry Division (Valentin), supported by the British
34th Division, vigorously repulsed the attack.
On the 17th a fresh and more powerful attack was made simultaneously
from the north-east, towards Poperinghe, and from the south, on the
Bailleul-Neuve-Eglise front.
At the same time an independent operation--which failed completely--was
undertaken to the north of Ypres on the Belgian front. The Belgians
repulsed the Germans and took 800 prisoners.
To the south three British divisions (34th, 49th, 19th) stayed the
German advance.
A last effort, starting from Wytschaete, also broke down before the
French 28th Infantry Division (Madelin).
[Illustration: THE GERMANS ATTACK THE CHAIN OF HILLS WHICH PROTECT
YPRES]
=The Capture of Kemmel Hill=
(_April 22--28, 1918._)
A period of comparative calm followed, during which the Germans prepared
a fresh mass attack, in view of the capture of the Hills.
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 assault.
At that time the firing line, from west to east, ran as follows: from
Meteren (held by the Germans) it passed 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 Petit-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 shells was far greater than previously.
At about 6 a.m. the infantry assault 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 Dickebusch 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 dashing 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 (Massenet) 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,
passed in front of La Clytte Village, then south of Dickebusch 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.
[Illustration: 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 Dickebusch Pond. This
attack, by no less than 120,000 enemy troops, resulted in a crushing
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.
[Illustration]
=THE ALLIES' VICTORY OFFENSIVE OF AUGUST--OCTOBER, 1918=
After the German setback of April 29, the initiative passed 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.
[Illustration: GERMAN POSITION NORTH OF YPRES, CAPTURED BY BELGIAN
TROOPS ON SEPT. 8--9, 1918]
On September 1, the British had reached the line: La Bassee, 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 passed. 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 Canal 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 Passchendaele 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 Bassee Canal, all their positions between Armentieres and
the south of Lens being now abandoned.
[Illustration: 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 Canal 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.
[Illustration: FIRST ITINERARY FOR VISITING THE BATTLEFIELD]
[Illustration: GERMAN OCCUPATION OF LILLE. TROOPS PARADING IN THE GREAT
SQUARE
_From the Michelin Guide: "Lille, before and during the War."_]
VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD
A visit to Ypres Town and Salient requires two days, and may be made
most conveniently by taking Lille as the starting-point.
_First Day_: Visit Messines, Wytschaete, Houthem, Zondvoorde, Gheluvelt,
Becelaere, Zonnebeke, Passchendaele, Langemarck, Ypres, Zollebeke and
Hooge, spending the night at Poperinghe.
_Second Day_: Visit the Hills: Scherpenberg, Vidaigne, Rouge and Kemmel;
then, after re-crossing the French frontier, those of Cats and Noir,
returning to Lille for the night, via Armentieres, Estaires, Bethune and
La Bassee.
=FIRST DAY: LILLE--YPRES=
(_See Itinerary, p. 47._)
Starting-point: The Grande Place, Lille.
_Take Rue Nationale to the end, go round Place Tourcoing, take Rue de La
Bassee on the left, then the first turning on the right (Rue de
Turenne), Canteleu Gate, and Rue Lequeux. Cross the bridge over the
Haute-Deule Canal, and turn to the left into N. 42._
_At Canteleu follow the tram-lines leading to Lomme. At the end of the
village, cross the railway (l. c.). Go through Lomme by Rue Thiers,
leaving the church on the right_ (transept greatly damaged).
On the left are the burnt ruins of a large spinning mill. In the fields:
numerous small forts of reinforced concrete, which commanded all the
roads into Lille. The road passes through a small wood, in the
right-hand part of which are the ruins of Premesques Chateau, of which
only the facade remains. Further on, to the left, is Wez Macquart, whose
church was badly damaged. Trenches lead to the road, while in the
fields, traces of the violent shelling are still visible.
_Pass through Chapelle d'Armentieres (completely destroyed). After
crossing the railway (l. c.), a British cemetery is seen on the right._
=Armentieres= _lies on the other side of the next level crossing._
_After entering_ =Armentieres=, _and immediately beyond the railway,
take Rue du Faubourg de Lille, leaving the Church of St. Roch on the
right. After passing a public washing-place, turn to the right into the
Rue de Lille, then cross the Grande Place._ Here will be seen the
Hotel-de-Ville, completely ruined. _Take a few steps along Rue de
Dunkerque, then turn into the first street on the right, which leads to
the Place de l'Eglise St. Waast._
=Armentieres=
Armentieres suffered in many wars, being taken by the English in 1339,
by the French in 1382, by the Calvinists in 1566, by Marshals de Gassion
and De Rantzau in 1645, and by the Archduke Leopold in 1647.
[Illustration: ARMENTIERES (_ancient engraving_)]
Occupied by the Germans in August, 1914, it was retaken in September.
Nearly four years later (April, 1918) it again fell into the hands of
the enemy. On October 2, it was finally liberated by General Plumer's
army.
Until the later war, Armentieres had preserved its 17th century belfry
of chimes, its church of Notre-Dame, and another church dedicated to St.
Waast--patron saint of the town.
This personage, to whom many of the churches in this district have been
dedicated, was Bishop of Arras in the 6th century. While still a priest,
he is said to have cured a blind beggar in the presence of Clovis. This
miracle was one of the causes which led to the conversion of the king,
to whom St. Waast acted instructor in the Faith.
The town also possessed a national technical school, dating from the
previous century.
[Illustration: VIEW OF ARMENTIERES (_before the War_)
THE RIVER LYS AND ST. WAAST CHURCH (_Cliche LL._)]
Belfry, churches, schools and houses are all in ruins.