"The right of one brigade was broken about 10.15 A.M.; then its
centre, and then part of the left of the brigade in the next section
to the south. The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry,
however, although suffering very heavily, stuck to their fire or
support trenches throughout the day. At this time two battalions were
moved to General Headquarters second line astride the Menin road to
support and cover the left of their division.
"At 12.25 P.M. the center of a brigade further to the left also broke;
its right battalion, however, the 1st Suffolks, which had been refused
to cover a gap, still held on, and were apparently surrounded and
overwhelmed. Meanwhile, three more battalions had been moved up to
reinforce, two other battalions were moved up in support to General
Headquarters line and an infantry brigade came up to the grounds of
Vlamertinghe Chateau in corps reserve.
"At 11.30 A.M. a small party of Germans attempted to advance against
the left of the British line, but were destroyed by the 2d Essex
Regiment.
"A counter-attack was launched at 3.30 P.M. by the 1st York and
Lancaster Regiment, 3d Middlesex Regiment, 2d East Surrey Regiment, 2d
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment. The
counter-attack reached Frezenberg, but was eventually driven back and
held up on a line running about north and south through Verlorenhoek,
despite repeated efforts to advance. The 12th London Regiment on the
left succeeded at great cost in reaching the original trench line, and
did considerable execution with their machine gun.
"The 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the 1st East Lancashire
Regiment attacked in a northeasterly direction toward Wieltje, and
connected the old trench line with the ground gained by the
counter-attack, the line being consolidated during the night.
"During the night orders were received that two Cavalry Divisions
would be moved up and placed at the disposal of the 5th Corps, and a
Territorial Division would be moved up to be used if required.
"On the 9th the Germans again repeated their bombardment. Very heavy
shell fire was concentrated for two hours on the trenches of the 2d
Gloucestershire Regiment and 2d Cameron Highlanders, followed by an
infantry attack which was successfully repulsed. The Germans again
bombarded the salient, and a further attack in the afternoon succeeded
in occupying 150 yards of trench. The Gloucesters counter-attacked,
but suffered heavily, and the attack failed. The salient being very
exposed to shell fire from both flanks, as well as in front, it was
deemed advisable not to attempt to retake the trench at night, and a
retrenchment was therefore dug across it.
"At 3 P.M. the enemy started to shell the whole front of the center
Division, and it was reported that the right Brigade of this Division
was being heavily punished, but continued to maintain its line.
"The trenches of the Brigades on the left center were also heavily
shelled during the day and attacked by infantry. Both attacks were
repulsed.
"On the 10th instant the trenches on either side of the Menin-Ypres
road were shelled very severely all the morning. The 2d Cameron
Highlanders, 9th Royal Scots, and the 3d and 4th King's Royal Rifles,
however, repulsed an attack made, under cover of gas, with heavy loss.
Finally, when the trenches had been practically destroyed and a large
number of the garrison buried, the 3d King's Royal Rifles and 4th
Rifle Brigade fell back to the trenches immediately west of
Bellewaarde Wood. So heavy had been the shell fire that the proposal
to join up the line with a switch through the wood had to be
abandoned, the trees broken by the shells forming an impassable
entanglement.
"After a comparatively quiet night and morning (10th-11th) the hostile
artillery fire was concentrated on the trenches of the 2d Cameron
Highlanders and 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at a slightly
more northern point than on the previous day. The Germans attacked in
force and gained a footing in part of the trenches, but were promptly
ejected by a supporting company of the 9th Royal Scots. After a second
short artillery bombardment the Germans again attacked about 5.15
P.M., but were again repulsed by rifle and machine-gun fire. A third
bombardment followed, and this time the Germans succeeded in gaining
a trench--or rather what was left of it--a local counter-attack
failing. However, during the night the enemy were again driven out.
The trench by this time being practically non-existent, the garrison
found it untenable under the very heavy shell fire the enemy brought
to bear upon it, and the trench was evacuated. Twice more did the
German snipers creep back into it, and twice more they were ejected.
Finally, a retrenchment was made, cutting off the salient which had
been contested throughout the day. It was won owing solely to the
superior weight and number of the enemy's guns, but both our infantry
and our artillery took a very heavy toll of the enemy, and the ground
lost has proved of little use to the enemy.
"On the remainder of the front the day passed comparatively quietly,
though most parts of the line underwent intermittent shelling by guns
of various calibers.
"With the assistance of the Royal Flying Corps the 31st Heavy Battery
scored a direct hit on a German gun, and the North Midland Heavy
Battery got on to some German howitzers with great success.
"With the exception of another very heavy burst of shell fire against
the right Division early in the morning the 12th passed uneventfully.
"On the night of the 12th-13th the line was reorganized, the center
Division retiring into Army Reserve to rest, and their places being
taken in the trenches by the two Cavalry Divisions; the Artillery and
Engineers of the center Division forming with them what was known as
the 'Cavalry Force,' under the command of General De Lisle.
"On the 13th, the various reliefs having been completed without
incident, the heaviest bombardment yet experienced broke out at 4.30
A.M., and continued with little intermission throughout the day. At
about 7.45 A.M. the Cavalry Brigade astride the railway, having
suffered very severely, and their trenches having been obliterated,
fell back about 800 yards. The North Somerset Yeomanry, on the right
of the Brigade, although also suffering severely, hung on to their
trenches throughout the day, and actually advanced and attacked the
enemy with the bayonet. The Brigade on its right also maintained its
position; as did also the Cavalry Division, except the left squadron,
which, when reduced to sixteen men, fell back. The 2d Essex Regiment,
realizing the situation, promptly charged and retook the trench,
holding it till relieved by the cavalry. Meanwhile a counter-attack by
two cavalry brigades was launched at 2.30 P.M., and succeeded, in
spite of very heavy shrapnel and rifle fire, in regaining the original
line of trenches, turning out the Germans who had entered it, and in
some cases pursuing them for some distance. But a very heavy shell
fire was again opened on them, and they were again compelled to retire
to an irregular line in rear, principally the craters of shell holes.
The enemy in their counter-attack suffered very severe losses.
"The fighting in other parts of the line was little less severe. The
1st East Lancashire Regiment were shelled out of their trenches, but
their support company and the 2d Essex Regiment, again acting on their
own initiative, won them back. The enemy penetrated into the farm at
the northeast corner of the line, but the 1st Rifle Brigade, after a
severe struggle, expelled them. The 1st Hampshire Regiment also
repelled an attack, and killed every German who got within fifty yards
of their trenches. The 5th London Regiment, despite very heavy
casualties, maintained their position unfalteringly. At the southern
end of the line the left brigade was once again heavily shelled, as
indeed was the whole front. At the end of a very hard day's fighting,
our line remained in its former position, with the exception of the
short distance lost by one cavalry division. Later, the line was
pushed forward, and a new line was dug in a less exposed position,
slightly in rear of that originally held. The night passed quietly.
"Working parties of from 1,200 to 1,800 men have been found every
night by a Territorial Division and other units for work on rear
lines of defence, in addition to the work performed by the garrisons
in reconstructing the front line trenches which were daily destroyed
by shell fire.
"The work performed by the Royal Flying Corps has been invaluable.
Apart from the hostile aeroplanes actually destroyed, our airmen have
prevented a great deal of aerial reconnaissance by the enemy, and have
registered a large number of targets with our artillery.
"There have been many cases of individual gallantry. As instances, may
be given the following:
"During one of the heavy attacks made against our infantry gas was
seen rolling forward from the enemy's trenches. Private Lynn, of the
2d Lancashire Fusiliers, at once rushed to the machine-gun without
waiting to adjust his respirator. Single-handed he kept his gun in
action the whole time the gas was rolling over, actually hoisting it
on the parapet to get a better field of fire. Although nearly
suffocated by the gas, he poured a stream of lead into the advancing
enemy and checked their attack. He was carried to his dug-out, but,
hearing another attack was imminent, he tried to get back to his gun.
Twenty-four hours later he died in great agony from the effects of the
gas.
"A young subaltern in a cavalry regiment went forward alone one
afternoon to reconnoiter. He got into a wood 1,200 yards in front of
our lines, which he found occupied by Germans, and came back with the
information that the enemy had evacuated a trench and were digging
another--information which proved most valuable to the artillery as
well as to his own unit.
"A patrol of two officers and a non-commissioned officer of the 1st
Cambridgeshires went out one night to reconnoiter a German trench 350
yards away. Creeping along the parapet of the trench they heard sounds
indicating the presence of six or seven of the enemy. Further on they
heard deep snores apparently proceeding from a dug-out immediately
beneath them. Although they knew that the garrison of the trench
outnumbered them they decided to procure an identification.
Unfortunately in pulling out a clasp knife with which to cut off the
sleeper's identity disc, one of the officer's revolvers went off. A
conversation in agitated whispers broke out in the German trench, but
the patrol crept safely away, the garrison being too startled to fire.
"Despite the very severe shelling to which the troops had been
subjected, which obliterated trenches and caused very many casualties,
the spirit of all ranks remains excellent. The enemy's losses,
particularly on May 10 and 13, have unquestionably been serious. On
the latter day they evacuated trenches (in face of the cavalry
counter-attack) in which were afterwards found quantities of equipment
and some of their own wounded. The enemy have been seen stripping our
dead, and on three occasions men in khaki have been seen advancing."