The Story of the Great War, Volume VII (of VIII)

and night on October 1, 1917, against the British lines. Every assault was smashed by the British artillery, rifle, and machine-gun fire. Not since fighting began in this area ha

won, but otherwise the Bri

the German lines east of the Ypres, gaining territory at the most advanced po

th of Tower Hamlets, a height south of the Ypres-Menin highroad. The very important system of defenses along the

jects from Passchendaele Ridge on the west, and broke through Zonnebeke-Broodseinde Ridge of bloody memory. The crest of the ridge

tle field. The advance made into the enemy country was preceded by a heavy barrage, which, breaking in a fiery flood over th

rning. Three German divisions here were ordered to take the line the British had captured the previous w

to a depth of 2,500 yards, carrying important defenses. South of the Ypres-Roulers railway the British troops could now overlook the slopes of the main ridge, and in some places had pushed their way into the valley below. Along the Strombeek River, on the left, the advance was slow owing to t

the Germans had eight strong concrete redoubts. The fighting here was close and heavy, but in the end the German resistance bro

more killed than the number of their wounded and prisoners combined. On one section of the Australian f

ts that were thrown out promiscuously along the whole battle front. The German artillery work, too, was weak and showed imperfect planning. A great number of Germans were caught in British barrages,

was attempted by them on the following day, and the British were f

it was quickly beaten off by British artillery and machine-gun fire. During the day a heavy rainfall had turned the battle ground into a morass; every shell hole became filled to the brim, and for the time any military operation of i

ces in the Ypres area launched an attack north and northwest of

the advance reached the southern edge of Houthulst Wood, seven miles to the north of Ypres. From the south the British pushed northeast from Gravenstafel Ridge to a point about 1,000 yards southwest of the village of Passchendaele to the heights of that name. Between the Ypres-Roulers railwa

into a quagmire, and many formations of the Allied troops having been without s

t to take possession. Before they could realize the situation the French had dashed in among them, and, killing a great many, dispersed the others in every directio

o the depth of half a mile on a front of about a

nd prisoners were captured during the push. The French had gained about 1,200 yards in

quish a few of their advanced posts, but in the main

e early in the morning of October 12, 1917, along the entire front in Flanders. In less than three hours his assaulting troops had gained ground to an average depth of 800 yards, which brought them within 500

must pass before the boglands that constituted the battle area could dry up and admit of any important infantry operations. The Germans indeed ve

ating position on the Craonne Plateau, which was taken by the French October

17, and near R?ux, east of Arras. On the Aisne front the French were successful in repulsing

were attempted. But each day, and often through the night, the guns on both sides were seldom silent, and raids, cou

e southern part of Houthulst Forest, north of Ypres. Southeast of Poelcappelle the British stormed and occupied valuable positions, and further north, aided by French troops, a series of fortified farms and defenses

er a six-mile front, they smashed the German lines north of the Aisne and seven miles northeast of Soissons. This swift and dashing attack, one of the most brilliant of the war, resulted i

with a terrific barrage fire preceding them, swept over the first German positions, driving out or destroying the defender

th precision and dispatch, were as follows: In the first dash the French captured the line indicated by the quarries of Fruty and Bohéry, and somewhat later Malmaison Fort was

ch the Germans only yielded after a violent struggle. It was in this area that the greatest advance of the day, two and a fifth miles, was

iators distinguished themselves aloft by showering machine-gun bullets

etween the Aisne and Ailette Valleys; an unrivaled observation point commanding the Laon plain. In gaining it the

almaison and Ch

in the fortified farms of St. Martin and La Chapelle Ste. Berthe were occupied. On the front between Mont des Singes (Monkey Mountain) and Chavignon French troops made further progress and reached Rohay Farm. The Germans counterattacked at various points on the fighting front, b

aarbrücken. West of this place naval machines dropped three and one-half tons of explosives on the Burbach works, and other factories as well as railway communi

olen. The other assault was on both sides of the Ypres-Menin highway along the Gheluvelt Ridge toward the town of that name. Bellevue Spur, west of Passchendaele, was crowded with machine guns, but the British entered it an hour after the attack began. The Germans concentrated a heavy artillery fire on Bellevue, while the Britis

nes forward north of Chevregny. In the Champagne area French trenches at Maisons de Champagne were heavily bombarded. Two surprise attacks attempted by the Germans were crushed. On the Flan

etreat, for beyond the Ailette Valley fruit trees had been cut down and farms destroyed, just such des

e town of Filain. French guns could now enfilade the German positions in three directions: northwestward of Anizey-le-Chat

nt French advance had been without food for three days and complained bitterly of thei

, fresh divisions were rushed up which had recently arrived from Galicia. The reenforcements reached the battle field only to fall under the murderous f

right the French gained the western outskirts of Houthulst Wood, capturing the villages of Verbrandesmis, Aschoop, Merckem, and Kippe, and also a system of strongly fortified farms. Again the French had to wade through morasses into whic

Spur. The Germans had endeavored by repeated counterattacks to force them out of this dominating height, and there were anxious moments for the Canadians, when, as the res

of intense violence. The German infantry pressed forward impetuously in the face of a blasting fire from rifles and machine guns and penetrated French positions north of Cour

ngly manned, and the struggle that developed here was fierce and bloody. The place was only won by the individual cunning of the Canadians, who hid among the shell craters, dashing forward separately and in groups whenever there was a slight pause in the enemy's fire. I

in the face of a heavy machine-gun fire. By dogged persistence they won the position, and quickly turning the captur

y the Canadians passed a quiet night in their new

ating the newly won positions went forward rapidly. German gunfire, which continued during the day, was especially intense in the territory between Schaopbaillie and P

non, and along the new French positions in the region of Froidmont. German detachments, which attempted to storm French posts north of the Loivre and to the northwest of Rheims, were dri

captured over 12,000 prisoners, of whom 237 were officers. Large