ATTACKS ON LA BASSEE AND ARRAS
While the engagement on the Yser was in progress in October, 1914,
fierce fighting was kept up in the second section of the battle front,
pivoting on Givenchy to the south and running east to the north of the
La Bassee-Lille road. In this section the forces of the Crown Prince of
Bavaria opposed the troops under the command of General Smith-Dorrien.
From October 1 to 3, 1914, considerable fighting went on in the flats
east of Arras between Lens and the River Scarpe. This resulted in the
retirement of the Allies on the 4th. The Germans began to bombard Arras,
keeping it up until the 6th, when their attempt to take the city next
day was successfully repulsed. On October 8, the Germans, then holding
Douai and Lens, were shelling Lille, then held by the British
territorials. For the next two weeks artillery duels alternated with
trench fighting and skirmishing.
The main attack at La Bassee covered fully ten days, lasting from
October 22, 1914, to November 2, 1914. The first severe fighting came as
has already been mentioned, on October 22, 1914. The British were driven
out of the village of Violaines, which is situated on the road between
Lorgies and Givenchy, and General Smith-Dorrien was compelled to retreat
to the village of Faugissant, to the south of Lavantie.
On October 24, 1914, the Germans attacked heavily along the entire line,
and the First Gordon Highlanders were driven out of their trenches. For
three days the most savage fighting continued, resulting in the capture
of Neuve Chapelle by the Germans on October 27, which was defended by
East Indian troops. The fighting was desperate on both sides and became
much confused, as units here and there had succeeded in breaking through
their respective opponents' lines. All of this day and the next, October
28, this struggle continued, but the Germans maintained the ground they
had won, forcing the allied forces to retire in order to re-form their
lines.
On October 29, 1914, the Germans attacked at Festubert, and gained
several of the allied trenches after a severe struggle lasting
throughout the day. Again the Germans maintained their new position,
compelling the Indian troops to retire to the defense of the La Bassee
gate, where they were joined by several British brigades and the Second
Corps Artillery.
October 30, 1914, was consumed in continuous artillery duels, which held
the lines while the troops enjoyed much needed rest.
On October 31, 1914, the Indian forces were again savagely attacked by
the Germans whose machine guns enfiladed them in their trenches. This
attack has become noted for the great loss of British officers
commanding the Hindus.
Concurrent with this fighting the Germans also made the most savage
onslaughts further south, with the object of capturing Arras. The main
attack against this important French city began on October 20, 1914, and
lasted six days until the evening of October 26. The Germans in having
possession of Lens had a great advantage, as they were thereby enabled
to threaten the allied left center, which was stationed to the west of
Lens; for, just south from the town, ran a railway which connected with
the main line three miles east of Arras, called the Arras--Douai--Lille
line. This gave the Germans a perfect system of lateral communications.
The German general, Von Buelow, commanding the Prussian Guard Corps led
the attack on October 24, 1914, when he pushed his forces, fighting for
every inch of the ground, to within gun range of the city of Arras. All
day the most desperate fighting continued and had not General Maud'huy
received the reenforcements which hurriedly came up just when needed the
northern gates of Arras would have been gained by the Germans, who were
held back in a position near enough, however, to subject Arras to
another bombardment and the shell fire from this position rained upon
Arras to the end of the month and some six days into November.
From the date of the entry of the French into Alsace on August 7, 1914,
the battle front in France extended from the Swiss frontier, north
through western Alsace, thence in a northwesterly direction to a point
where the line met the front of the German forces advancing on Paris.
On October 1, 1914, this battle front extended in an unbroken line from
Switzerland to the city of Douai in northeastern France. The Crown
Prince of Bavaria commanded in the first section from Alsace to midway
between Nancy and Verdun; the Crown Prince of Prussia directed the
Verdun section reaching from west of Thiaucourt to Montfaucon; the Duke
of Wuerttemberg to Massiges; General von Hausen thence to Bery-au-Bac;
General von Buelow to a point directly north of Soissons; General von
Kluck in a northwesterly direction to a point west of Noyon and onward
to the north and northeast to Douai, which is about fifteen miles
northeast of Arras, from which point north the campaign has been
described. The French army opposing this German front was under the
supreme command of General Joffre. The commanding officers in the
various sectors of this front were being continually changed, making it
difficult to name the commanders in each sector, except when some more
or less noteworthy engagement had taken place along the line. The battle
front here described did not materially change throughout the months of
October, 1914, to February 1, 1915. Continual engagements took place
along this entire front--a gain of a few yards here balanced by a loss
of a like distance elsewhere.
Both belligerents had securely intrenched themselves. The pickax and
spade were far more in use than the rifle, so that now cold weather
coming on, the soldiers on both sides of the front were able to make the
trenches quite comfortable. In many instances they laid down plank
floors and lined the walls with boards, put up stoves, constructed
sleeping bunks and tables, stools and benches, and even decorated the
rooms thus evolved with anything suitable for the purpose. Pictures and
photographs from home were the favorite decorations. All this was
impossible for their brethren in the north and in Flanders, where the
activities of the conflict subjected the soldiers to continual changes
and removals.
The main objective of the Germans was the French fortresses Belfort,
Epinal, Toul, and Verdun, for these obstructed the march to Paris. The
continual onslaughts and counterassaults made upon this line left it
practically unchanged during the month of October, 1914, in which time
no engagements worthy of the name "battle" occurred. The fighting in the
north had been so desperate that it completely obscured the activities
on the entire line to the south.
The net gains during the months of October and November, 1914, for
either belligerent were practically nil. From Belfort in the south to
Arras in the north the advance or retreat in any given section was but a
matter of yards; a ridge, a farm, a hill, or other choice gun position,
the farther bank of a rivulet or stream or canal occupied or
captured--here by the French, there by the Germans--generally proved to
be but temporary possessions and wasted efforts.
It was incidents such as these that made up the record of events along
this line. During all this time the military aeroplanes were busy
dropping explosives upon the enemy's lines, and extending their
operations far to the rear, circling above the larger towns and cities,
doing considerable damage in many places. But this was not the only
purpose of these daring sky pilots; for the principal object in flying
over the adversary's country was to make observations and report
movements of troops. In this respect the aeroplane had done immense
service throughout the campaign.