Battle of the Lys

The Battle Opens.

At about 4 A.M. on April 9 the battle opened with an intense bombardment of the whole front from Lens to Armentieres, with both gas and high-explosive shell. The front trenches were subjected to a rain of high explosive, while battery positions, cross roads, headquarters and railheads far in rear were treated with both gas and high explosive. Armentieres itself and the British position south of the La Bassee canal were deluged with mustard gas. The foggy morning made observa tion difficult, and, according to German accounts, the counter bombardment was ineffective. Between 8 and 9 A.M. nine German divisions were launched against the two British and one Portu guese divisions. In the centre the weight of the attack of the German XIX. and LV. Corps overwhelmed the Portuguese 2nd Div., and both corps advanced steadily towards their objectives. The right of the Bavarian II. Corps was held firmly by the 4oth Div., but the left of the Bavarians succeeded in advancing past the right flank of that division. On the British right the 55th Div. held stoutly on to Givenchy and north of that place withdrew slowly from the outpost position to the main line of resistance which ran just east of Festubert.

All available British reserves were hurried up; the reserve brigade of the 55th Div. was employed to form a defensive flank facing north, from Festubert to the Lawe. The i ith Cyclist Bn. and King Edward's Horse were rushed up to Lacouture and Vieille-Chapelle, and by their heroic resistance effectually pre vented any extension of the break through to the south. The 51st and 50th Divs. were moved up from the back areas to the river Lawe and the neighbourhood of Estaires respectively. Mean while the 55th Div. continued to hold its position at Givenchy and Festubert throughout the day and in counter-attacks against ele ments of the enemy, which had penetrated into their position, captured over 75o prisoners. The magnificent fight put up by this division completely broke the attack of the Prussian IV. Corps. On the northern flank of the battle, the Bavarian II. Corps suc ceeded eventually in occupying the forward posts of the right battalion of the 40th Div., and gradually worked their way north wards. By noon the division was forced back by pressure in front and flank to a position facing south from Bois Grenier through Fleurbaix to Sailly-sur-Lys. Owing to the rapid advance of the German centre the 5oth Div. was unable to gain touch with the the right flank of which withdrew across the Lys at Bac St. Maur early in the afternoon. The remainder of this division, reinforced by troops of the 34th Div., successfully maintained their line covering the approaches to Erquinghem and Armen tieres from the south, till the evening.

The Saxon XIX. Corps had rapidly followed up the right of the 4oth Div. and about 3 P.M. succeeded in passing small bodies of troops across the Lys at Bac St. Maur. During the night the Germans established themselves firmly on the north bank, in the gap between the 4oth and 50th British Divisions.

On April 10 the attacks were renewed all along the line. Prac tically no progress was made by the IV. Corps on the left. It was only just bef ore nightfall that the LV. Corps succeeded in gaining a footing on the west bank of the Lawe between Lestrem and Vieille-Chapelle. At Estaires the soth Div. defended itself with great gallantry and inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy in the street fighting which continued all day. It was only at nightfall that this division was forced to withdraw to a pre pared position north and west of the town. East of Estaires the German Corps, which had now got up artillery in support of its infantry and machine guns, pushed back the thin British line to a position north of Steenwerck, where the arrival of reinforcements for a time effectually held up the German advance.

Extension of the Attack.

Meanwhile, after an intense pre liminary bombardment of the British positions between Freling hien and Hill 6o north of the Ypres-Comines canal, the German IV. Army about 5.3o A.M. attacked the British VIII. Corps. The outposts of the 25th and i9th Divs. were driven in and under cover of mist the German X. and XVIII. Res. Corps worked their way up the valleys of the Warnave and Douve rivers on the flanks of the British positions in Ploegsteert Wood and Messines. By midday the village of Ploegsteert, the south-east corner of the wood and Messines had been captured. During the afternoon the German attack succeeded in capturing the outpost position as far north as the Ypres-Comines canal, but was held up on the crest of the Wytschaete ridge and in front of Hollebeke by the 9th Division. The South African brigade of the same division retook Messines during the afternoon. This further success of the Ger mans, combined with the progress made by the right flank of the German VI. Army, gravely imperilled the situation of the 34th Div. which was holding the original line east of Armentieres and had not been attacked. A withdrawal to the north bank of the Lys_ was therefore decided on, and was completed by 9:3o P.M. when the Lys bridges were destroyed.

On April II the attack was continued. The German IV. Corps again failed to make any progress between Givenchy and the Lawe river. North of Locon the British 51st and 50th Divs., weakened by continuous fighting, were slowly pushed back by the German LV. and XIX. Corps. The British divisions fought with the greatest gallantry, but bodies of German infantry worked their way through gaps in the attenuated line and by nightfall they had reached Neuf-Berquin and were in occupation of Mer ville. Further east progress was checked by a counter-attack of the 31st Div., which had arrived from the southern battlefield, but the Bavarian II. Corps pushed forward through Nieppe to Steenwerck. Slight progress was made by the German IV. Army between Nieppe and Messines.