The 1st and Indian Divisions south of Neuve Chapelle met with no
greater success, and on the evening of May 10 I sanctioned Sir Douglas
Haig's proposal to concentrate all our available resources on the
southern point of attack.
The 7th Division was moved round from the 4th Corps area to support
this attack, and I directed the General Officer Commanding the First
Army to delay it long enough to insure a powerful and deliberate
artillery preparation.
The operations of May 9 and 10 formed part of a general plan of attack
which the Allies were conjointly conducting on a line extending from
the north of Arras to the south of Armentieres; and, although
immediate progress was not made during this time by the British
forces, their attack assisted in securing the brilliant successes
attained by the French forces on their right, not only by holding the
enemy in their front, but by drawing off a part of the German
reinforcements which were coming up to support their forces east of
Arras.
On May 15 I moved the Canadian Division into the 1st Corps area and
placed them at the disposal of Sir Douglas Haig.
The infantry of the Indian Corps and the 2d Division of the 1st Corps
advanced to the attack of the enemy's trenches which extended from
Richebourg L'Avoue in a south-westerly direction.
Before daybreak the 2d Division had succeeded in capturing two lines
of the enemy's trenches, but the Indian Corps were unable to make any
progress owing to the strength of the enemy's defenses in the
neighborhood of Richebourg L'Avoue.