Battle of the Lys

Renewed Attacks.

During April 12 the arrival of reinforce ments, mostly from the southern battle front, began to have its effect. The right flank of the British still held firm, but the Ger man LV. Corps, attacking before dawn in the mist, broke through the left centre of the 51st Div., and reached Riez du Vinage, where their progress was checked by two batteries of artillery. The British 3rd Div. had come into action about Locon, which village was lost to the German LV. Corps, but the German advance was checked. The right flank of the same German Corps was checked in Calonne by the 61st Div., which, like the 3rd, had arrived from the Somme battle area.

Meantime the Bavarian II. and German XIX. Corps attacked between Vieux Berquin and Steenwerck. In spite of the gallant defence put up by the 29th and 31st Divs. they succeeded in forming a gap south-west of Bailleul, which enabled them to penetrate to and seize Merris. This gap was eventually blocked by a brigade of the 33rd Div. reinforced by a party of cyclists, a pioneer battalion and every available man from the local schools and reinforcemeat camps. Further north the 25th, 34th and 49th Divs. maintained their positions against all attacks.

During April :2 headquarters of Prince Rupert's group of armies issued orders for the continuance of the attack by the inner wings of the two armies, with the dual objectives of Haze brouck and the range of hills north of Bailleul. The VI. Army was also to prepare to continue the pressure of their left wing towards Bethune. On April 13 the German attacks north of the Lys were continued with great vigour. On the left, elements of the LV. Corps, which had penetrated into the outskirts of the Nieppe forest, were driven back by the British 5th Div., which finally checked the German advance in this area. In the centre the German XIX. Corps continued to attack the 29th and 31st British Divs., now greatly diminished in strength by continuous fighting. Except at Vieux Berquin, which was captured by the Germans, who brought up guns to point blank range, those divi sions carried out their instructions to hold their positions at all costs and cover the detrainment of the Australian 1st Division. The arrival of the Australians in the evening definitely closed the approach to Hazebrouck. Further north a succession of heavy attacks was repulsed.

Early on the morning of April 14 the British troops withdrew without interference to a new line in front of the Ravelsburg heights between Bailleul and Neuve Eglise. The latter village,

after intense fighting all day, was finally captured by the Ger mans by midnight. Elsewhere all attacks were repulsed, and the British 4th Div., coming up, recaptured Riez Du Vinage. On April 15 the German attacks were renewed. By this time their troops had been reinforced by the Guard Res. Corps on the left wing of the IV. Army. The IX. Res. Corps had come in on the right of the IV. Corps, and the Bavarian III. Corps had replaced the Bavarian II. Corps. Heavy attacks developed during the day culminated in the capture of Bailleul and the Ravelsburg Ridge.

British Withdrawal.

On the night of April 15-16 a with drawal of the British troops from the Ypres salient to a line east of Ypres through St. Julien and along the Westhoek and Wyt schaete ridges was completed without interference. This move had been commenced on the night of the 12-13 by direction of British G.H.Q. in order to set free additional troops, and to forestall any plans the Germans might be entertaining for the extension of the battle front to the north. The withdrawal was well timed, as the Germans were preparing an offensive from the Houthulst forest, and the preparations were almost complete when the British withdrawal took place.

On April 16 strong local attacks were made at various points on the Meteren-Wytschaete front, all of which were repulsed by the 25th, 34th and 49th Divs., except on the extreme flanks, where both villages, after intense fighting, eventually fell into German hands. On the following day determined efforts to take Mt. Kem mel and to advance on the Meteren-Merris front were repulsed, and the Belgian army achieved a notable success in defeating a powerful assault against their right flank about the Ypres-Staden railway.

Meantime the Germans had been preparing to renew the attack on the British right flank, and on the i8th, after a very intense bombardment, the IV. and IX. Res. Corps advanced to the assault of the British positions about Givenchy-Festubert and Mt. Ber nenchon-Hinges. On the British right they penetrated at certain points, but were thrown back by the ist Div. which had relieved the 55th. Everywhere else they failed to obtain even an initial success. For nearly a week the battle died down. In the left centre of the British front French troops, which had been brought up from the south, relieved some of the wearied British divisions, and by the morning of the 21st had taken over the sector between Meteren and Spanbroekmolen.