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 Bassée-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 Bassée 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
Bassée 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 Bülow, 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 Württemberg to Massiges; General von Hausen
thence to Bery-au-Bac; General von Bülow 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.
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