4. It was at the commencement of the second battle of Ypres on the
evening of April 22, referred to in paragraph 1 of his report, that
the enemy first made use of asphyxiating gas.
Some days previously I had complied with General Joffre's request to
take over the trenches occupied by the French, and on the evening of
the 22d the troops holding the lines east of Ypres were posted as
follows:
From Steenstraate to the east of Langemarck, as far as the
Poelcappelle Road, a French Division.
[Illustration: The British battle line in Flanders, Belgium.]
Thence, in a south-easterly direction toward the
Passchendaele-Becelaere Road, the Canadian Division.
Thence a Division took up the line in a southerly direction east of
Zonnebeke to a point west of Becelaere, whence another Division
continued the line southeast to the northern limit of the Corps on its
right.
Of the 5th Corps there were four battalions in Divisional Reserve
about Ypres; the Canadian Division had one battalion of Divisional
Reserve and the 1st Canadian Brigade in Army Reserve. An Infantry
Brigade, which had just been withdrawn after suffering heavy losses on
Hill 60, was resting about Vlamernighe.
Following a heavy bombardment, the enemy attacked the French Division
at about 5 P.M., using asphyxiating gases for the first time. Aircraft
reported that at about 5 P.M. thick yellow smoke had been seen issuing
from the German trenches between Langemarck and Bixschoote. The French
reported that two simultaneous attacks had been made east of the
Ypres-Staden Railway, in which these asphyxiating gases had been
employed.
[Illustration: The Arras region, showing battle line and scene of
fiercest battle in recent months.]
What follows almost defies description. The effect of these poisonous
gases was so virulent as to render the whole of the line held by the
French Division mentioned above practically incapable of any action at
all. It was at first impossible for any one to realize what had
actually happened. The smoke and fumes hid everything from sight, and
hundreds of men were thrown into a comatose or dying condition, and
within an hour the whole position had to be abandoned, together with
about fifty guns.
I wish particularly to repudiate any idea of attaching the least blame
to the French Division for this unfortunate incident.
After all the examples our gallant Allies have shown of dogged and
tenacious courage in the many trying situations in which they have
been placed throughout the course of this campaign it is quite
superfluous for me to dwell on this aspect of the incident, and I
would only express my firm conviction that, if any troops in the world
had been able to hold their trenches in the face of such a treacherous
and altogether unexpected onslaught, the French Division would have
stood firm.