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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4
+(of 10), by James Edward Parrott
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)
+
+Author: James Edward Parrott
+
+Release Date: February 28, 2011 [EBook #35386]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDRENS' STORY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Marcia Brooks, Ross Cooling and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Canada Team at
+http://www.pgdpcanada.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: cover--THE CHILDREN'S STORY OF THE WAR
+
+By Sir Edward Parrott, M.A., LL.D.]
+
+THE CHILDREN'S STORY OF THE WAR
+BY
+SIR EDWARD PARROTT, M.A., LL.D.
+
+Author of "Britain Overseas", "The Pageant of English Literature", etc.
+
+VOLUME IV.
+
+The Story of the Year 1915
+
+TORONTO
+THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd.
+London, Edinburgh, and New York
+1916
+
+    "_How sleep the brave, who sink to rest
+     By all their country's wishes blest!
+     When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
+     Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
+     She there shall dress a sweeter sod
+     Than Fancy's feet have ever trod._
+
+    "_By fairy hands their knell is rung;
+     By forms unseen their dirge is sung:
+     There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,
+     To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
+     And Freedom shall awhile repair,
+     To dwell, a weeping hermit, there!_"
+
+                               WILLIAM COLLINS
+
+
+[Illustration: The Sinking of the Bluecher--January 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CONTENTS.
+
+
+        I. Setting the House in Order                      1
+       II. The Loss of the "Formidable"                   17
+      III. The Battle of the Dogger Bank                  23
+       IV. The Turkish Descent upon Egypt                 33
+        V. Winter Warfare on the Western Front.--I.       44
+       VI. Winter Warfare on the Western Front.--II.      49
+      VII. Stories from the Battlefield                   58
+     VIII. The German Success at Soissons                 62
+       IX. Winter Fighting in Champagne, the Argonne,
+             and the Vosges                               65
+        X. The Submarine Blockade begins                  77
+       XI. The Sinking of the "Lusitania"                 81
+      XII. Stories of Submarines                          90
+     XIII. More Stories of Submarine Warfare              97
+      XIV. Winter Fighting in Poland and East Prussia    105
+       XV. A Battle of the Middle Ages                   113
+      XVI. The Fall of Przemysl                          117
+     XVII. Stories from Eastern Battlefields             126
+    XVIII. The Battle of Neuve Chapelle                  129
+      XIX. Soldiers' Stories of Neuve Chapelle           145
+       XX. The Dardanelles                               157
+      XXI. Ships _versus_ Forts                          161
+     XXII. How we failed at the Narrows                  170
+    XXIII. The Story of Hill 60                          177
+     XXIV. The Poisonous Cloud                           188
+      XXV. The Battle Glory of Canada                    193
+     XXVI. Days of Struggle and Anxiety.--I.             205
+    XXVII. Days of Struggle and Anxiety.--II.            209
+   XXVIII. Heroes of the Ypres Salient                   217
+     XXIX. The Battle of the Artois.--I.                 222
+      XXX. The Battle of the Artois.--II.                225
+     XXXI. The Battle of Festubert                       229
+    XXXII. The Heroisms of Festubert                     237
+   XXXIII. The Gallipoli Peninsula                       241
+    XXXIV. The Battle of the Landing                     245
+     XXXV. Heroes of the Landing                         257
+    XXXVI. Battering at the Barriers                     266
+   XXXVII. A Splendid Failure                            273
+  XXXVIII. The Storm bursts                              289
+    XXXIX. Stories of the Great Retreat                  305
+       XL. From Storm to Calm                            310
+      XLI. Midsummer on the Western Front                321
+     XLII. In Champagne                                  337
+    XLIII. The Battle of Loos.--I.                       347
+     XLIV. The Battle of Loos.--II.                      353
+      XLV. Bravest of the Brave.--I.                     364
+     XLVI. Bravest of the Brave.--II.                    369
+    XLVII. The War in the Air                            377
+   XLVIII. Heroes of the Air                             382
+     XLIX. The Coming of the Zeppelins                   385
+        L. The Overrunning of Serbia                     391
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration:
+THE
+CHILDREN'S
+STORY OF
+THE WAR
+
+VOLUME IV]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER I.
+
+  SETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER.
+
+
+In this volume I am going to tell you the story of the war as it
+unfolded itself during the year 1915. It was a year of life-and-death
+struggle, during which two other nations were swept by the seething
+whirlpool into the waters of strife, and eight out of ten persons in the
+continent of Europe were living under war conditions. It was a year
+during which the three greatest empires of the world, and seven other
+Powers, fought fierce and bitter combats on five different battle fronts
+in Europe alone. It was a year in which some millions of men fell on the
+stricken field, and yet the issue of the vast and terrible struggle
+remained undecided.
+
+It was a year in which the Allies, who were quite unready when war was
+forced upon them, strained every nerve to set their military houses in
+order; to enlist and train for the field their reserves of manhood; and
+to furnish themselves with those weapons and munitions in which they
+were deficient. It was a year in which millions of hard-earned money
+were spent every day, and the combatants piled up mountains of debt for
+future generations to pay off.
+
+It was a year during which the Allies had good cause to thank God for
+the long years of peaceful industry which had given Britain great
+riches, and for the splendid navy which maintained for her the freedom
+of the seas. Britain's vast reserves of wealth enabled her to raise
+plentiful money for carrying on the war, and thanks to her navy her
+merchant ships were able to carry the products of her mines, mills, and
+factories to other lands. Great Britain alone of all the combatants was
+thus able to produce wealth in time of war, and to assist her
+sorely-hampered friends with timely loans.
+
+[Illustration: The Modern Pied Piper.
+
+(_From the picture by A. C. Michael. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+You remember Browning's poem about the Pied Piper who drew the children
+after him by the magic of his music. This picture shows the pipers of a
+Highland regiment drawing men after them to the recruiting offices. "I
+rejoice in my Empire's effort," said the King, "and I feel pride in the
+voluntary response of my subjects all over the world. . . . The end is
+not in sight. More men and yet more are wanted to keep my armies in the
+field, and through them to secure Victory and enduring Peace."]
+
+During 1915 the British nation for the first time began to organize
+itself for warfare on a vast scale. It found itself forced to raise an
+army thirty times as great as it had ever marshalled before, and to
+equip millions of men with every weapon known to the science of war.
+Moreover, it had to do this while the small forces which it had already
+placed in the field were struggling to maintain themselves against
+terrible odds. It was a work that called for every ounce of energy and
+determination that the Empire possessed, and it could never have been
+done at all had not the British people, as a whole, given willing
+support to their leaders.
+
+The year was not many months old when it became evident that we could
+not hope to hold the enemy in check and drive him from his strongly
+fortified trenches unless we had an almost unlimited supply of big guns
+and high explosive shells. Early in the struggle the French had set
+their gun and ammunition factories working at high pressure, and they
+had taken good care that they should be fully manned with skilled
+workmen. Britain, on the other hand, had far too small a number of
+factories for manufacturing the vast supplies of war material which she
+needed, and many of her skilled workmen had been allowed to enlist and
+proceed to the front.
+
+Committees were formed to organize all the workshops in the country
+capable of making weapons and ammunition, and vast supplies of machine
+tools, guns, and shells were ordered from the United States and Canada.
+While this was being done, a strong feeling gained ground that the
+government of the country should no longer be in the hands of a
+particular political party, but should be composed of the best men of
+all parties in the State. In May a National Government was set up, and a
+minister was appointed to devote himself wholly and entirely to the
+business of speeding up the production of munitions by every possible
+means in his power. Mr. Lloyd-George filled this post, and forthwith
+flung himself with great zeal and energy into the work. His first duty
+was to convince the nation of the great and crying need for more
+munitions. He pleaded with workmen to realize the danger, and to ally
+themselves with brothers in the trenches by working early and late and
+at the very top of their energy. Great posters appeared all over the
+country, showing a soldier and a workman clasping hands. Behind the one
+was a battery of big guns, and behind the other the smoking chimneys of
+a munition factory. Above was the legend, "We're both needed to serve
+the guns," and beneath the cry, "Fill up the ranks! Pile up the
+munitions!"
+
+Unhappily, even in this time of great national danger, there were labour
+troubles. Masters and men quarrelled about rates of wages and hours of
+work, while their sons and brothers were dying at the front for lack of
+shells with which to keep down the fierce bombardment of the enemy. Not
+until laws were passed preventing masters from making undue profits out
+of the nation's needs, and punishing workmen who kept bad time, was the
+strife allayed. The Trade Unions were persuaded to relax their rules,
+and gradually most of the difficulties were removed. Slowly but steadily
+the supply of arms and ammunition increased, until in the latter part of
+the year the shortage was overtaken, and it was possible to meet the
+enemy on more than equal terms. A well-known public man who visited the
+trenches in November was able to say, "For every shell which the Germans
+throw to-day, we are throwing five." "Mr. Lloyd-George's compliments,"
+said a British gunner to the shell, as he closed the breech of his gun,
+"and there's plenty more where that came from."
+
+Britain had not only to supply the needs of her own army and navy, but
+to help her Allies as well. Before the year was half over, the Russian
+supply of rifles and shells almost gave out. Russia, as you know, is far
+more an agricultural than an industrial country. She has no great number
+of machine shops that can be turned into munition factories, nor has she
+anything like the number of skilled workmen required to furnish her with
+the enormous supplies of war material which she needs. In May, when the
+Germans brought against her a tremendous force of artillery and machine
+guns, her shortage was so great that she could not resist, and was
+obliged to make a long retreat from Poland and Galicia. Many of her
+recruits had no rifles at all, and at one time the artillery of her
+Second Army could only reply to the incessant fire of the enemy with two
+shells a day!
+
+The Russians strove manfully to increase their supply of munitions, and
+Great Britain and Japan gave them much help. By November they had
+increased their supplies to such an extent that they were able not only
+to resist the enemy, but to attack him. Some idea of the spirit shown by
+the Russian munition workers may be obtained from the following message
+which was found written on an ammunition box: "Do not spare the shells;
+there are plenty more coming, comrades. We are working hard to keep you
+supplied. Cheer up!"
+
+Poor little Serbia had all along to struggle against a great lack of war
+supplies. Her factories were never able to give her more than a tithe of
+her needs. You will remember that, but for the ammunition which the
+Allies sent to her in December 1914, she could not have driven the
+Austrians from her country. In December 1915, when the Serbian army was
+driven into Albania,[1] it became entirely dependent for food and
+supplies upon Britain, France, and Italy.
+
+Great Britain had not only to produce weapons and other munitions for
+herself and her friends, but she had to enlist and train more and more
+men to fill up her ranks and to repair the wastage of war. While every
+other nation engaged in the struggle could force men to serve in the
+army, she alone used no compulsion, but left each man to decide for
+himself whether he would take up arms or remain in civil life. Great
+efforts were made to persuade sound men of military age to join the
+army. Every blank wall was covered with posters calling upon men to
+serve their king and country, and recruiting meetings were as the sands
+of the sea for number. But though the response was wonderful, it was
+felt that some better method of securing men was needed. Many people
+thought that all suitable men should be compelled to serve, but the
+Government was reluctant to change the system which had served the
+country's needs so well in former times.
+
+[Illustration: The Minister of Munitions introducing the Munitions Bill
+in the House of Commons, June 23, 1915.
+
+_From the drawing by S. Begg._
+
+"Three millions of young men have offered their services for their
+country; it depends upon us at home to support them with skill,
+strength, and every resource of machinery and organization at our
+disposal, so as to drive the conviction into the heart of nations for
+all time to come that those governments who deceive their neighbours to
+their ruin do so at their peril."]
+
+At the end of June a law was passed which enabled the Government to
+discover exactly what resources of men and women the country contained.
+All persons, male and female, between the ages of fifteen and sixty-five
+were required to fill up a form stating their names and ages, the number
+of those who were dependent on them, whether or no they were married,
+and what was the nature of their occupation. Early in October Lord
+Derby, who had shown great energy in raising recruits in Lancashire, was
+appointed Director of Recruiting for the whole country, and speedily he
+put forward a new plan for bringing in men. The registration forms were
+sorted out; those men who were engaged in Government work were
+"starred"--that is, they were not to be considered as available for the
+army--and the names of all other men between the ages of nineteen and
+forty-one were placed on cards, which were handed over to joint
+committees of the political parties, in order that a great national
+canvass might be conducted.
+
+The canvassers used all their powers of persuasion to get men of
+military age and sound health to enlist in one or other of forty-six
+"groups," which were arranged according to the ages of the men, and
+whether they were married or unmarried. Men were permitted to enlist in
+their respective groups, and remain in civil life until their own
+particular group was called up. Courts were set up, before which
+enlisted men could appear and ask to be "starred" or transferred to some
+later class. Only those persons without whose services the business of
+the country could not be properly carried on could claim to be
+"starred." While the canvass was in progress the Government gave notice
+that unmarried men would be called up before married men, and that if
+the unmarried men did not come forward in sufficient numbers, they would
+be compelled to do so. The canvass was successful--it resulted in the
+enrolment of very many recruits; but whether compulsion could be staved
+off by this system remained to be seen. Late in November it was said
+that Britain would have four million men in arms by the following March.
+
+Money, as you know, is "the sinews of war." Without money, and a great
+deal of it, armies and navies cannot be arrayed, or kept in the field.
+The British Empire, according to the statement of the Prime Minister,
+has a yearly income of £4,000,000,000. This sum is vast, but so was the
+cost of the war. In March we were spending five millions of money a day.
+If you work out a little sum, you will see that one year of war at this
+rate uses up not far short of half the total money earned in a year by
+the whole British Empire. Of course, in war time the Empire cannot
+produce as much wealth as it can in times of peace. Large numbers of men
+are taken away from their work, and, instead of being producers, they
+have to be kept and fed by the nation. Thousands of factories are
+engaged in making war material for the Government, and they do not,
+therefore, add to the national wealth at all. Our overseas trade falls
+off greatly, because we need many of our merchant ships for transport
+and supply, because we cannot produce such large quantities of goods for
+export, and because we cannot trade with enemy countries at all.
+
+In time of peace the goods which we get from other countries are paid
+for by the goods which we send to them, by the money which we receive
+from foreigners for carrying goods to all parts of the world, and by the
+interest which comes to us from money which we have invested abroad.
+Usually these three items not only pay for our imports, but give us a
+large profit as well. In time of war, however, we are in quite a
+different position.
+
+At all times we must import much material from abroad. We are always
+obliged to import the greater part of our food and the raw materials for
+our factories. During the present war we have also been obliged to
+import large quantities of machinery and munitions from the United
+States. Our imports of goods always exceed our exports of goods in
+value, but in time of war the imports soar up to a great height, while
+the exports sink. For example, the excess of imports over exports during
+the first nine months of 1914 was 99 millions, while for the same period
+of 1915 it was 256 millions.
+
+Thus you see that, while the war lasts, our exports, the profits on our
+shipping trade, and the interest which we receive from foreign
+investments are not sufficient to pay for our imports. In order to make
+up the balance, we must either draw on our national savings or run into
+debt. If we draw on our savings, we shall have so much the less money
+left for the expenses of the war. If we run largely into debt, we shall
+find ourselves heavily burdened when the day of peace arrives.
+
+By the end of May the Government was seriously considering the
+all-important question of money, and before long was urging on the
+people the necessity of being as thrifty as possible, and of saving
+every penny that they possibly could. Speakers went to and fro pointing
+out that householders must avoid waste and stint themselves of foreign
+goods if the nation was to have sufficient money with which to carry on
+a long war. Those who saved money, and gave up the use of such things as
+had to be imported from abroad, were doing a patriotic service, and were
+casting the "silver bullets" with which the war was to be won. In many
+thousands of homes these wise words were taken to heart; but, on the
+other hand, many people who were earning high wages showed but little
+desire to save. Something was also done to lessen the enormous sums
+wasted on strong drink in this country every year, by restricting the
+hours during which public-houses might be kept open, and by confining
+the sale of spirits to certain fixed times. The King set a splendid
+example, which was largely followed, by banishing strong drink from his
+table altogether.
+
+Probably you think that all this talk about exports and imports, and the
+necessity for saving, is very dull, and you are eager to hear of
+stirring deeds by land and sea. We shall come to them in good time; but
+I must claim a little more of your patience before I begin the story of
+the year's fighting. Always remember that when the money which a nation
+possesses, or can borrow, gives out, it must cease to fight, and must
+make peace with its foes. That nation wins which has money to continue
+the struggle when the resources of its opponents are exhausted.
+
+How do we obtain money with which to carry on the war? There is only one
+place where it can come from, and that is from the pockets of the
+British people. In time of peace the money for carrying on the
+government is raised by various kinds of taxes. People with incomes
+above a certain sum per year have to pay to the Government so much money
+for every pound which they earn or receive from investments. Those who
+have a lesser income do not pay what is called income tax, but you must
+not suppose that they go scot free. Spirits, beer, tea, coffee, tobacco,
+sugar, cocoa, dried fruits, and other things have to pay a duty--that
+is, a certain sum is added to their price, and this sum goes to the
+Government.
+
+In time of war, when the expenses of the Government are much greater
+than they are in time of peace, the old taxes are raised and new taxes
+are imposed. In September 1915, for example, the taxes were raised some
+40 per cent. Money is also raised from the savings of the people. They
+are asked to lend money to the State at a certain rate of interest, with
+the promise that the sum which they lend shall be paid back again in
+full at the end of a certain period. Of course, this interest has also
+to be provided by the taxpayers. Three hundred and fifty million pounds
+were borrowed in November 1914, but by June 1915 it was found necessary
+to borrow more money, and a loan of nearly six hundred millions--"far
+and away beyond any amount ever subscribed in the world's history"--was
+placed at the disposal of the Government. One feature of this loan was
+the attempt to get persons of small means to participate in it. Vouchers
+for 5s., 10s., and £1 were issued, and working men, and even school
+children, were encouraged to buy them. Unfortunately only about five
+millions were raised in this way, and later in the year other
+arrangements were made, in the hope of bringing in more money from the
+savings of the working classes. In September the people of the United
+States lent the British and French Governments one hundred millions, and
+this money was used to pay for some of the munitions and other things
+which we were buying from America.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+War brought about many changes in our national life. We became a soberer
+people, and we refrained largely from those sports which are so dear to
+us in time of peace. Expensive entertainments were frowned upon,
+holidays were shortened or given up altogether, and many men beyond the
+military age spent their annual weeks of leisure in munition or farm
+work. Special constables were enrolled to take the place of the police
+who had joined the colours, and volunteer corps sprang up everywhere.
+
+[Illustration: Women's Volunteer Reserve on a Route March in London.
+
+_Photo, Alfieri._]
+
+From the moment the war began, British women played a noble part. Not
+only did thousands of them qualify as nurses, and offer their services
+in the hospitals at home and abroad, but many of them became munition
+workers, ticket collectors, tram conductors, motor-car drivers, farm
+servants, and letter carriers. In every town and village there were work
+parties busily engaged in making socks, mufflers, mittens, etc., for the
+men in the trenches or for the wounded in the hospitals. The neglected
+art of knitting wonderfully revived, and women were seen plying the
+needles everywhere, in trams and trains, or at lectures and concerts.
+When the Germans first used poison gas against our troops, and the War
+Office asked for half a million respirators, wagon-loads of them arrived
+the next day. Girls' schools, women's societies, groups of friends and
+families buckled to, and in a remarkably short time the War Office was
+able to announce that no more respirators were needed.
+
+Thousands of charitable societies made appeals for almost every war
+purpose imaginable. There were flag days in every town, and singers,
+actors, and lecturers gave their services in every good cause. The
+British Red Cross Society received the most generous support, while the
+many Belgian refugees in Britain were carefully tended, and, wherever
+possible, provided with work. Money was freely given by the public in
+every part of the Empire to set up hospitals and send nurses, doctors,
+and ambulances to France, Belgium, Russia, and Serbia; and even wounded
+horses were not neglected. One notable gift announced towards the end of
+November was the sum of £10,000 sent by the Canadian Government to
+assist in the upkeep of the Anglo-Russian hospital. In Great Britain
+many country houses were offered as hospitals and convalescent homes,
+and on the great sporting estates game was shot for the sick and
+wounded. Children gathered apples for the men of the Fleet, worked in
+the fields for short-handed farmers, and collected eggs and sphagnum
+moss[2] for the hospitals. There was no lack of ready and willing
+helpers for every good cause.
+
+At this time of stress and anxiety the British nation learned the noble
+art of giving. There was scarcely a British household in the world which
+did not practise some self-denial in order to be able to send small
+luxuries and comforts to the men at the front, or much-needed help to
+the prisoners in Germany. Remote cottages in the Highlands of Scotland,
+lonely farms in the North-West of Canada, outlying homesteads in
+Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were thus linked together by
+the same generous impulse.
+
+[Illustration: Queen Elizabeth of Belgium visiting a Hospital.
+
+(_Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._)
+
+Queen Elizabeth is patron of the Belgian Field Hospital, to which the
+readers and friends of _The Children's Story of the War_ have presented
+a motor ambulance.]
+
+While I am speaking of the noble way in which our people, far from the
+din of strife, ministered to the gallant men who were fighting their
+battles, I must not neglect the small but very useful effort made by the
+readers of these pages and their friends. While our third volume was in
+the course of serial issue, it was suggested that our readers should
+combine in some practical work of war charity. Then came the questions,
+Whom shall we help? and, How shall we help?
+
+It was well known that the story of how poor little Belgium had been set
+upon by the great bully, Germany, and how her gallant sons had fought
+and suffered and died for us, had strongly moved the hearts of children.
+For this reason it was decided that the Belgian soldiers who were still
+struggling bravely, in the last bit of their native land that was left
+to them, should be assisted. They were terribly poor, and they had no
+money with which to set up hospitals and buy ambulances for their
+wounded. A number of devoted British doctors and nurses had established
+a hospital for the Belgian soldiers who had been stricken down in
+battle. Their hospital--the Belgian Field Hospital--was the only one on
+a proper footing which was caring for the wounded soldiers of our noble
+little ally. What better and finer work could we do than set about
+collecting money to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance?
+
+As soon as the object of our effort was decided upon, a letter was
+written to her Majesty the Queen, asking her to permit the motor
+ambulance to be named after Prince George, to whom these pages are
+dedicated. The Queen, who nobly devotes herself to every good work, was
+graciously pleased to express her warm interest in our effort, and to
+permit us to inscribe Prince George's name on the ambulance. Then an
+appeal was printed and inserted in successive parts of _The Children's
+Story of the War_.
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance.
+
+Our readers will be gratified to see this photograph of the ambulance
+which they and their friends have presented to the Belgian Field
+Hospital. It is a 15.9 Whitlock Motor Ambulance Express, specially
+constructed for field service, and can be adapted either to carry four
+stretcher cases, or two stretcher cases and four sitting cases, or may
+be used as an omnibus for eight persons. Its cost complete with four
+stretchers is £418.]
+
+The appeal was issued on 4th September, and on 6th September money began
+to flow in. Our first contribution came from Prince George. Collecting
+papers were returned from every part of the United Kingdom and Canada,
+and even from Ferrol in Spain, and from the West Indies. Most of the
+money consisted of the pence and halfpence of the children themselves.
+An infant school in a very poor part of London sent 298 farthings as its
+contribution, while a school of poor little blind children sent a sum
+which represented much self-denial. Day-school and Sunday-school
+collections were taken up; one generous vicar gave a church offertory in
+aid of the fund; lectures were delivered to help it, and on no single
+day for many weeks did the tide of money cease to flow. Many of our
+collectors wrote letters expressing their pleasure at being able to
+help, and sending us best wishes for the success of the scheme. When it
+is stated that £450 were raised by more than 11,000 subscribers, it will
+be seen how small the individual contributions must have been.
+
+Towards the end of November sufficient money was in hand to warrant us
+in offering an ambulance to the Committee of the Belgian Field
+Hospital. The following reply was received:--
+
+    "_I am directed by Lord Sydenham and the Committee of the
+    Belgian Field Hospital to thank you most cordially for your
+    splendid efforts, which have met with so much success, in
+    raising funds to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance.
+    We most gratefully accept the gift._"
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance. Interior arranged
+for four Stretcher Cases.]
+
+Lord Sydenham, the president of the hospital, also wrote a special
+letter of thanks, in which he said, "_It is splendid of the readers of
+'The Children's Story of the War' to have subscribed so large a sum._"
+
+Our warmest thanks are due to all who have in any way helped to make the
+scheme a success. We know that we shall have the unspoken gratitude of
+many wounded Belgians; but we did not set about this work in order to
+win gratitude. We wanted to be a real help to those who have helped us.
+We know in our hearts that we have done a little act of mercy and
+kindness, and that is a reward which we are all entitled to enjoy.
+
+[Footnote 1: Wild and mountainous country of the Balkans to the west of
+Serbia, with its coast on the Adriatic Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 2: Sphagnum or bog moss occurs in large patches of a pale
+green or reddish colour on moors, and sometimes fills up small lakes or
+pools. The growth of bog moss has played a large part in the formation
+of peat. There are many varieties of bog moss, and some of them have now
+been put to practical use in our field hospitals.
+
+The story of the discovery of the properties of the moss is interesting.
+One day in a peat moss litter works some distance from Kiel a worker met
+with a serious injury. There were no appliances to deal with the case at
+the works, but the men did the best they could. They took a quantity of
+the article which they manufactured, peat moss litter, and laying it on
+the wounds tied bandages over it. The injured man was then conveyed to
+Kiel, and taken to a hospital. When the doctors undid the bandages, and
+found the dirty-looking moss litter in the wound, they were horrified,
+and declared that the injured limb would have to be cut off. Very soon,
+however, their horror gave way to surprise, and they said, "Ah, here is
+something which we do not know about!" They found that, far from the
+poisoning which they had expected, the injury had been beautifully
+cleaned by the rude dressing, and had actually begun to heal. With
+German thoroughness, they made further experiments, and so "discovered"
+sphagnum moss from the surgeon's point of view.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER II.
+
+  THE LOSS OF THE "FORMIDABLE."
+
+
+The new year opened with a naval disaster. On 31st December eight
+vessels of the Channel Fleet left Sheerness for a cruise in the English
+Channel, and by three o'clock on the morning of 1st January were
+crossing the fishing-ground not far from the Start Lighthouse. The ships
+were steaming at a moderate speed and in a single line, the rearmost
+ship being the _Formidable_, a pre-Dreadnought of 15,000 tons, and a
+sister ship to the _Bulwark_, which had been mysteriously blown up at
+Sheerness in the preceding November. The sea was rough, the moon was
+shining brightly, and a cold, piercing wind was blowing.
+
+Soon after three o'clock the dull roar of an explosion was heard on the
+starboard side of the _Formidable_, and was followed shortly afterwards
+by another. The ship shook from stem to stern, and a cloud of black
+smoke and coal dust arose. She had been struck fore and aft by two
+torpedoes discharged by a German submarine. At once she began to list
+heavily to starboard; there were gaping holes in her side, and it was
+evident that she could not remain afloat very long.
+
+There was not the slightest sign of panic on board the doomed ship.
+Captain Loxley, one of the ablest of our younger sailors, was on the
+bridge, setting an example to his crew of cool courage and utter
+forgetfulness of self. The water-tight doors were closed, the men were
+piped to quarters, and telephone bells were set ringing all over the
+ship to give warning of danger. Captain Loxley might easily have called
+upon his consorts to come to his rescue, but he knew that the submarine
+which had discharged the fatal torpedoes was still lurking hard by; so
+he signalled to his sister ships, "Stand off; submarines about."
+
+A bugle rang out, and the men below sprang from their hammocks and
+rushed upon deck, some of them only half clad. They fell into rank on
+the sloping deck, and Captain Loxley gave his orders as calmly as though
+his ship were riding at anchor in harbour. He was smoking a cigarette,
+and his favourite old terrier Bruce was standing by his side. He was
+heard to say: "Steady, men; it's all right. No panic; keep cool; _be
+British_." Everything of wood that might help the men in the water was
+flung overboard, and finally the captain gave the order, "Every man for
+himself!" A survivor saw him standing with folded arms as the ship went
+down.
+
+[Illustration: Captain Loxley giving his Last Order as the "Formidable"
+went down.
+
+(_From the picture by C. M. Padday. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)]
+
+As the _Formidable_ was listing badly to starboard, it was not possible
+to launch boats on the port side. Owing to the rough sea a cutter was
+stove in; but the men stuffed their jumpers into the hole, and bailed
+out the water with their boots. A barge fell perpendicularly from the
+davits, and threw the crew into the sea. Meanwhile, the stokers had
+drawn all the fires and had shut off steam, so that when the ship went
+down there was no boiler explosion. By this time it was clear that all
+could not be saved. Many of the crew knew that their last hour had come.
+One of the survivors thus described the scene on the decks as the
+_Formidable_ sank into the waves:--
+
+    "On one part of the ship where the men could see there was no
+    hope, all eyes were turned upward to the flagstaff, and then the
+    Old Jack was saluted for the last time. The last impression of
+    the scene left on my mind was a long line of saluting figures
+    disappearing below the sky-line. At least half of the men got
+    clear of the ship, but many must have been lost while waiting
+    for rescue. It was almost dark at the time, and the water was
+    icy cold."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Let me tell you how a bluejacket nobly gave his life for another as the
+ship was sinking. You shall hear the story in the words of the man who
+owed his life to his comrade's splendid generosity. "When everything had
+been done to save the _Formidable_, the boats came alongside and took
+off as many as possible. There were five boats, and two were swamped.
+All the boats had left the ship when the crew of one cried, 'Room for
+one more.' Two of us tossed for it, and the other chap won; but he said,
+'You have got parents; I haven't. Go on--jump for it.' I did so. I had
+to swim for it, but I was saved."
+
+The men in the leaking cutter, after being tossed and buffeted by the
+sea, drenched to the skin by the waves, and numbed by the bitter wind,
+were picked up by the Brixham fishing smack _Providence_ about fifteen
+miles from Berry Head. The _Providence_, which was owned and skippered
+by William Pillar, was running before the gale to Brixham for shelter,
+but off the Start found herself obliged to heave to owing to the force
+of the wind. Just then one of the crew noticed a cutter tossing under
+the lee. An oar had been hoisted, and from it a sailor's scarf was
+flying as a signal of distress.
+
+The cutter was drifting towards the smack, and every now and then was
+lost to sight amidst the heaving waves. Four times did the gallant
+smacksmen try to get a rope to the boat, while the skipper at the helm
+manoeuvred his little vessel with great skill. At last a small warp was
+thrown from the smack, and was caught by the men on board the cutter. By
+means of the capstan the rope was hauled in, and the cutter was brought
+up on the lee. The rescued sailors jumped on board; but even in the act
+of doing so they were in great peril, for the seas at times were rising
+thirty feet above the deck of the smack. The work of rescue occupied
+half an hour. Seventy-one men, including two officers, were thus saved.
+
+All were on board the smack by one o'clock, and a course was shaped for
+Brixham. Before long the _Providence_ fell in with a tug, which took her
+in tow and brought her safely to harbour. The residents of Brixham gave
+blankets, coats, and boots to the survivors, and provided them with
+comfortable quarters. Many of the men were utterly exhausted. For hours
+they had been battling with the heavy winter seas, which had almost
+continuously washed over them, and they had hoped against hope until the
+brown sails of the _Providence_ had providentially come in sight.
+
+One of the _Formidable's_ boats came unaided to the shore. After tossing
+about for twenty-two hours in a raging sea, it drifted with the tide
+into Lyme Regis, with forty men on board. Nine of her crew had died of
+exposure, and had been buried at sea. A light cruiser also picked up
+some of the _Formidable's_ men; but when the final reckoning was made,
+only 201 had been saved out of a ship's company of well-nigh 800 souls.
+
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The splendid seamanship of Skipper Pillar, and the great courage and
+devotion of his crew, greatly impressed the country. On 8th February he
+and his men attended at Buckingham Palace, where the King pinned the
+silver medal for gallantry on their breasts, and handed them the money
+rewards which had been bestowed upon them by the Admiralty. The King
+addressed them in the following words:--
+
+    "I congratulate you most heartily on your gallant and heroic
+    conduct. It is indeed a great feat to have saved seventy-one
+    lives. I realize how difficult your task must have been, because
+    I know myself how arduous it is to gybe[3] a vessel in a heavy
+    gale."
+
+Amongst the crew of the _Providence_ was Daniel Taylor, an apprentice.
+In reply to the King, he said that he had been at sea for just over
+twelve months, and that he was seventeen years of age. The King
+observed, "You are small for your age, but you have taken part in a very
+gallant deed, and I congratulate you." Some time later, Skipper Pillar
+was given a commission in the Royal Navy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I must not close this account of the disaster without dwelling for a
+moment upon the manner in which Captain Loxley went down with his ship.
+The history of the British navy is full of stories of cool, calm courage
+and selfless devotion in the face of death; and it is good to know that
+the sailors of our Navy are as true as ever to the spirit of those who
+built up its glorious fame in years gone by. On the very verge of doom,
+when men's courage is apt to fail them, Captain Loxley showed no sign of
+flinching. In his last moments he thought only of others. He strove
+manfully to save as many of his crew as possible, and he refused to
+endanger the lives of his comrades in the sister ships by calling them
+to his aid. He went to his death like the gallant gentleman that he was;
+and his last appeal, not only to his crew, but to you and me, was, "_Be
+British!_"
+
+How kind and thoughtful he was to others is seen from the following
+letter, which he wrote to his old nurse just before leaving
+Sheerness:--
+
+      "H.M.S. _Formidable_.
+
+    "My dear old Nan Nan,--I'm afraid that my Christmas present will
+    be a bit late. I meant to have sent it off yesterday, but
+    forgot. Anyhow, I hope it will arrive safely. My very best love
+    and best wishes to you and William for Christmas and the New
+    Year, and may we soon beat the Germans.
+
+    "We are having really quite a quiet time, but you never know
+    when anything may happen. I was out at Malta when war began, but
+    soon came home. Had three days' leave, and then came to this
+    ship, where I am likely to remain for the present.
+
+    "Peter [his son] has gone to school, and is just home for his
+    first holiday, which I expect he is enjoying just as much as I
+    did; but he was much braver going to school than I was. Every
+    one seems well at Gloucester, but I have only seen mother once,
+    for about ten minutes, during the last two years. With much
+    love, yours lovingly, Noel Loxley."
+
+One word more before I pass from this tragic story. The loss of the
+_Formidable_ clearly showed that the lessons taught by the sinking of
+the _Cressy_, _Hogue_, and _Aboukir_ had not been learned. Our Navy had
+not yet fully appreciated the fact that the only way to avoid the peril
+of the enemy submarines is for battleships to steam at high speed,
+frequently changing their course, and always accompanied by a flotilla
+of guardian destroyers. The eight ships that sailed down the Channel on
+the first day of the year 1915 steamed slowly in the bright light of the
+moon. They were thus a good target for the enemy's submarines, and were,
+indeed, courting disaster. As the year went by the Navy learned its
+lesson, and learned it well. Before many months had passed our sailors
+were more than a match for the under-water boats of the enemy, and the
+time was soon to arrive when the German submarines were fearlessly
+hunted and constantly trapped.
+
+[Footnote 3: To change from one tack to the other without going about;
+to shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side to the other when the wind is
+aft or on the quarter.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER III.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE DOGGER BANK.
+
+
+Up to the 24th of January 1915 squadrons of the German High Sea Fleet
+had adventured four times into the North Sea. The first occasion was on
+28th August, 1914, when the Battle of Heligoland Bight was fought, and
+the enemy lost three cruisers and two destroyers. On 17th October a
+squadron of German destroyers was encountered off the Dutch coast by a
+similar British squadron, and before long four of the enemy ships were
+sent to the bottom of the sea. Twice afterwards the enemy, greatly
+daring, left his fortified harbours and mine-fields; but on such
+occasions his object was not to fight, but to dodge the British fleet,
+and inflict "frightfulness" on more or less undefended coast towns. On
+3rd November he shelled Yarmouth beach; but was very uneasy during his
+ineffective attack, and scuttled homewards immediately he was warned
+that a British fleet was after him. Even on this occasion he did not
+escape without loss: the cruiser _Yorck_ ran on a German mine, and was
+sunk. This raid was followed by the attack on Scarborough, Whitby, and
+the Hartlepools, which I described at length in Chapter XXXV. of our
+third volume.
+
+Elated by their success in killing the defenceless townsfolk of
+unprotected towns, the Germans now prepared for another dash across the
+North Sea. We do not know exactly what their object was. Some tell us
+that an attack was to be made on the Tyne or the Forth; others say that
+the enemy hoped to get one or more of his battle cruisers round the
+north of Scotland, so that they might prey on British commerce. Whatever
+the object may have been, Rear-Admiral Hipper, who was in command of the
+Battle Cruiser Squadron detailed for the work, knew that he would
+probably have to meet a British fleet. If so, he intended to run for
+home without delay, and to lure the British ships into a trap. He
+enlarged the minefield north of Heligoland, and gathered there a large
+force of submarines. He fondly believed that he could entice our
+vessels into this dangerous area, where his submarines, together with
+the seaplanes and Zeppelins which were in readiness on the island, would
+make short work of them. Such was his plan. We are now to see how it
+failed.
+
+The night of Saturday, the 23rd, was foggy, and our destroyers scouting
+east of the Dogger Bank tossed all night on the waves, scarcely able to
+pierce the gloom for a hundred yards around them. Sunday morning,
+however, dawned sharp and clear; the wind had changed to the north-east,
+and had swept the mists from the seas. About seven in the morning the
+light cruiser _Aurora_ sighted the German squadron off the Dogger. At
+once she signalled the news to Admiral Beatty, and opened fire.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The German squadron which the _Aurora_ had sighted consisted of the
+_Seydlitz_ (which flew the flag of Rear-Admiral Hipper), the _Moltke_,
+the _Derfflinger_, the _Bluecher_, together with six light cruisers and
+a flotilla of destroyers. The first three of the vessels named had a
+speed of nearly 27 knots, and were armed with either 12-inch or 11-inch
+guns. The _Bluecher_ was an older and much slower vessel; she could
+steam 24 knots, and her main armament consisted of 8.2-inch guns. It was
+clear that in a chase she would have to be left behind, and thus would
+fall a prey to the enemy.
+
+To meet this force, Admiral Beatty had under his command the great
+battle cruisers _Lion_, _Tiger_, _Princess Royal_, and _New Zealand_;
+together with the _Indomitable_, four cruisers of the "town" class--the
+_Southampton_, the _Nottingham_, the _Birmingham_, and the _Lowestoft_;
+three light cruisers--the _Arethusa_, the _Aurora_, and the _Undaunted_;
+as well as two destroyer flotillas. His squadron was superior to that of
+the Germans in numbers, speed, and weight of fire.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Dogger Bank, off which the Germans were sighted, is a great shoal
+almost midway between England and Denmark, and extending to within forty
+miles of the Yorkshire coast. Its length from north to south is about
+160 miles, its breadth is 70 miles, and the average depth of water over
+it varies from ten to twenty fathoms.[4] South of the Dogger is a second
+and smaller shoal, known as the Well Bank. Still further south are
+deeps, such as the "Silver Pit," where the depth is as much as
+forty-five fathoms.
+
+The Dogger is the chief fishing ground of the North Sea. During the
+winter the waters above it are alive with trawlers, all engaged in
+reaping the rich harvest of the waters. Immense quantities of halibut,
+soles, turbot, brill, plaice, cod, haddock, and whiting are taken,
+packed in boxes--to be carried off by fish-cutters to the ports, or
+stored in ice until the trawler is ready to return home. Somewhere near
+the Dogger, probably on its north-eastern edge, the Germans were
+encountered. The naval battle which followed was not the first to be
+fought near the great shoal. In 1781 an English and a Dutch fleet met in
+these waters, and struggled fiercely; but the action was undecided, and
+the Dutch claimed a victory.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the _Aurora_ opened fire, Admiral Beatty's squadron, which was not
+far away, steered in the direction of the gun flashes. Immediately the
+German scouting cruisers perceived that a British squadron was after
+them they turned tail and fled to the south-east. Hipper did not wait to
+discover the strength of his opponents, but took to his heels at once.
+This seems to show that his real object was to lure the British ships
+into the position which he had prepared for them, and there engage them
+on his own terms. There were 120 miles of open sea to be crossed before
+the mine-fields were reached.
+
+When the signal was made, "Seven enemy ships--four battle cruisers and
+three cruisers with destroyers--to the south-west," there was fierce
+glee on board the British ships. Every man was agog for the fight; all
+were eager to avenge the women and children who had been murdered so
+brutally at Scarborough and the Hartlepools. Every gun was manned with
+men who had vengeance in their hearts, and down below the "black squad"
+were striving with all their might to get every knot possible out of
+their engines. A commander was heard to remark, "One would think this
+was a game of football, the boys are enjoying it so much." The _Lion_
+and _Tiger_ were soon racing ahead at thirty knots an hour, and were
+leaving the less speedy _Princess Royal_ and _New Zealand_ behind. At
+eight o'clock the situation was as follows: the Germans were moving
+south-east in line, with the _Moltke_ leading; followed by the
+_Seydlitz_ and the _Derfflinger_, the _Bluecher_ bringing up the rear.
+Their destroyers were on the starboard beam, and their light cruisers
+ahead. Close upon them were the British destroyers and the light
+cruisers, which now crossed to the port side in order that their smoke
+might not hide the big German ships from the British gunners. The
+_Lion_, _Tiger_, _Princess Royal_, _New Zealand_, and _Indomitable_ did
+not follow directly behind the German ships, lest the enemy should throw
+out mines, but held on a parallel course to the westward.
+
+By nine o'clock the _Lion_ was within 11½ miles of the _Bluecher_. She
+fired a shot which fell short, but when the squadrons were ten miles
+apart she got her first blow home. Do you realize what this means? At
+ten miles the _Bluecher_ appeared no bigger than a pin point, and she
+was moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour across the sea. You will
+agree that the British gunnery must have been superb for hits to be made
+under these conditions.
+
+Soon the _Lion_ overhauled the slow _Bluecher_, and in passing gave her
+a broadside which caused frightful damage. The _Lion's_ quarry, however,
+was further ahead; and as she began to engage the _Derfflinger_, the
+_Tiger_ began to hit out at the _Bluecher_. She also passed by, and the
+_Princess Royal_, the _New Zealand_, and the _Indomitable_ in turn
+turned their guns on the rearmost ship of the German line, while the
+leading British ships were engaging the foremost ships of the enemy. At
+half-past nine the situation was as shown in the diagram on the next
+page.
+
+As early as a quarter to ten the _Bluecher_ began to show signs of the
+heavy punishment inflicted on her. It was now evident that she was
+doomed. She had been abandoned by her speedier consorts, and her end was
+only a matter of time. By eleven o'clock the _Seydlitz_ and the
+_Derfflinger_ were on fire; the _Bluecher_ had fallen behind, and was
+being mercilessly pounded by the _Indomitable_.
+
+Meanwhile, the German destroyers had attempted an attack, but had been
+driven off by the British destroyers. Shortly afterwards the German
+destroyers got between the _Lion_ and the _Tiger_ and the leading enemy
+ships, and began to raise huge volumes of smoke, so as to screen the
+targets from the British gunners. Under cover of this smoke the Germans
+changed course, and made a half-turn to the north. Again the enemy
+destroyers attacked at close quarters, hoping to torpedo the _Lion_ and
+the _Tiger_. They were, however, driven off by the 4-inch guns of our
+battle cruisers.
+
+[Illustration: The Sinking of the German Dreadnought "Bluecher," during
+the Battle of the Dogger Bank, fought on January 24, 1915.]
+
+And now while the chase continues, we must return to the _Bluecher_,
+which had made a gallant fight, but was nearing her end. Ship after ship
+had turned its guns upon her with terrible effect: her upper works had
+been smashed to atoms, and practically every gun which she possessed had
+been put out of action. Shot and shell had rained upon her, and she was
+burning furiously.
+
+[Illustration: Battle of January 24, 1915--9.30 a.m.]
+
+    "We were under fire first in the action and last," said a German
+    survivor. "Almost every British ship flung shot and shell at us.
+    It was awful. I have never seen such gunnery, and hope that as
+    long as I live I never shall. We could not fight such guns as
+    the British ships had, and soon we had no guns with which to
+    fight anything. Our decks were swept by shot, and the guns were
+    smashed and lying in all directions, their crews wiped out. One
+    terrible shell from a big gun I shall never forget. It burst
+    right in the heart of the ship, and killed scores of men. It
+    fell where many men had collected, and killed practically every
+    one of them. We all had our floating equipment, and we soon
+    needed it. One shell killed five men quite close to me, and it
+    was only a matter of time when nothing living would be left upon
+    the ship, if she continued to float. When we knew that we were
+    beaten, and that our flag was not to come down, many of us were
+    praying that the ship would sink, in order that no more men
+    would be killed. We would rather trust to the British picking us
+    up after our ship had sunk than to their missing us with those
+    terrible guns so long as she kept afloat."
+
+About noon a British destroyer, the _Meteor_, torpedoed the _Bluecher_,
+and she began to sink. Here is an officer's description of the final
+scene:--
+
+    "She heeled completely over, and sank in eight and a half
+    minutes, hundreds of men clambering over her side, and standing
+    there, just as if it were the upper deck, waiting for the final
+    plunge. But there was no plunge. Slowly and slowly she sank, and
+    as she went down some were sliding into the sea, others taking
+    running leaps. A few seconds more, and there was no sign of her
+    left, except her dead and living clustered in the water
+    together. We were about three hundred yards away, and watched
+    her go down, and I was particularly struck with the ease and
+    slowness with which she sank. Not till the waves had almost
+    entirely closed over her did the bow heave slightly out of the
+    water, and she disappeared stern first."
+
+The _Bluecher_ went to her doom with her flag flying. Some of the crew,
+while waiting the order to leap into the water, sang "_Die Wacht am
+Rhein_." Officers were seen to shake hands and link arms together, and
+thus sink into their watery grave. Though the Germans had made no
+attempt to save the crews of the _Monmouth_ and the _Good Hope_ during
+the fight off Coronel, and though our men were furious at the fiendish
+work done by the German cruisers at Scarborough and the Hartlepools,
+they began the work of rescue at once. Torpedo boats and pinnaces rushed
+to the scene to pick up survivors, and light cruisers stood by to help.
+
+    "A cry of 'Jump!' went up from the deck of the _Arethusa_, and
+    in a few seconds the sea was dotted thickly with men swimming
+    for their lives. Most of them were equipped with a life-belt of
+    inflated rubber, and this supported them in the water until the
+    British boats were able to pick them up. Among them were men who
+    had been wounded. The faces of all were blackened with smoke,
+    and in some cases the nerve of the men had almost completely
+    broken down in face of the severe ordeal through which they had
+    passed. Their joy at escaping destruction found expression in
+    many ways. The officers, of whom eight were taken aboard the
+    _Arethusa_, offered their rings, watches, and money to the
+    British sailors. Our men wished for no reward for performing a
+    humane duty; but the officers pressed the gifts upon them,
+    saying, 'You have saved our lives; take these as little
+    mementos.' One of them, speaking quite good English, said, with
+    a sigh of relief, 'It's been a terrible time, and I am jolly
+    glad it's all over.'"
+
+About one hundred and twenty men were saved from the _Bluecher_, and more
+would have been picked up but for the German aircraft, which by this
+time had arrived from Heligoland. To the intense anger of our sailors, a
+seaplane and a Zeppelin now began dropping bombs upon the rescue
+parties. They were careful to give a wide berth to those vessels which
+were armed with the latest anti-aircraft guns, and confined their
+attacks to the destroyers, which promptly scattered and then proceeded
+to drive them off. The airmen, no doubt, thought that the _Bluecher_ was
+a sinking British ship, and this may have given rise to the absurd tale,
+which was readily believed in Germany, that one, at least, of our battle
+cruisers had been sunk.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We must now return to the leading ships of the British squadron. Shortly
+after the Germans had changed course, Admiral Beatty himself sighted the
+periscope of a submarine on the starboard bow of the _Lion_, and
+promptly turned to port to avoid it. At this time the flagship, though
+she had been under much fire, had suffered but little. At three minutes
+past eleven, however, she was struck in the bow by a chance shot, which
+damaged her feed tank. According to German accounts, the _Lion_ was then
+about seventy miles from Heligoland. The accident, for it was no more,
+disabled the _Lion_. She had to reduce speed and fall out of the line.
+Admiral Beatty at once called up the destroyer _Attack_, and in it
+proceeded full speed in pursuit of the German squadron.
+
+The _Lion_ moved away to the north-west, and in the afternoon her
+engines began to give serious trouble. The _Indomitable_, which had by
+this time settled with the _Bluecher_, took the _Lion_ in tow, and after
+some hours of great anxiety brought her safely to port. The towing home
+of the _Lion_ by the _Indomitable_ was a very fine feat of seamanship.
+She could only proceed at five knots an hour, and at this snail's pace
+was a fair target for submarines. None, however, dared attack her; for
+she bristled with torpedo defence guns, and was surrounded by
+destroyers.
+
+By twenty minutes past twelve the _Attack_ overtook the _Princess
+Royal_, on which Admiral Beatty hoisted his flag. He now discovered that
+his squadron had broken off the fight, and was retiring northwards. We
+do not know exactly why the enemy was not followed up; but as the
+British ships were then only forty miles from the minefield, it is
+probable that the admiral in temporary command thought that his vessels
+would be endangered if he proceeded any further. After orders had been
+given to clear away and make for port, the grimy stokers of the
+_Princess Royal_ swarmed on deck and greeted Admiral Beatty with a shout
+of "Well done, David!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Only by sheer good luck did any of the German ships escape. Had the
+_Lion_ not been disabled, or had the squadron included another battle
+cruiser, it is probable that none of the German ships would have reached
+home to tell the tale. There was much disappointment in Britain when it
+was known that only the slowest and weakest of the German Dreadnoughts
+had been accounted for. Our losses were few: only fourteen men had been
+killed and six wounded; no British vessel had been lost; the _Lion_ had
+been hit fifteen times, and the _Tiger_ eight times, but the damage was
+soon repaired, and when a party of journalists visited the ships in the
+following October they could not see the scars of battle until they were
+pointed out. The Germans lost the _Bluecher_; the _Seydlitz_ and
+_Derfflinger_ were very hard hit, and many of their crews must have
+perished.
+
+During the remainder of the year 1915 the German Fleet wisely remained
+in harbour. The German High Sea Fleet had become the Kiel Canal fleet,
+and nothing more.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+There was great excitement in the Forth ports when the good news was
+received, and thousands of eyes were turned seawards to watch for the
+homecoming of the battle cruisers. Shortly after four o'clock the sound
+of cheering was heard. A moment later ringing "Hip, hip, hurrahs!"
+echoed from vessels farther up the river, and from the misty dimness of
+the upper reaches. "Got 'em this time!" said a smiling old salt on board
+a mine-sweeper. "Hark to the boys!"
+
+A batch of about 280 prisoners, including the captain of the _Bluecher_,
+was taken to Edinburgh Castle. As they were marched through the streets
+of the city one of the men asked the officer in charge, "What place is
+this?" When he was told that it was the capital of Scotland, he smiled
+superior. "Oh no," he said; "Edinburgh is in ruins, and the Forth Bridge
+is destroyed."
+
+[Footnote 4: A nautical measure = 6 ft.]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The Suez Canal at El Kantara.
+
+(_Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._)]
+
+
+  CHAPTER IV.
+
+  THE TURKISH DESCENT UPON EGYPT.
+
+
+Two days after the Battle of the Dogger Bank we learned that a Turkish
+force was advancing upon Egypt. Why were the Turks about to invade the
+"Land of the Nile"? First of all, because they believed that the
+fellahin[5] of Egypt were ready to revolt and join hands with them
+against the British. The Egyptians are Mohammedans, and are therefore
+linked with the Turks by the bond of a common religion. For three
+hundred years Egypt was part of the Turkish Empire.
+
+As far back as the year 1517 Egypt became a Turkish province, and fell
+under the sway of the Sultan of Turkey. In 1798 Napoleon tried to found
+a great empire of the East, and invaded Egypt as the first step. He
+stormed Alexandria, and won the Battle of the Pyramids; but Nelson
+destroyed his fleet in Aboukir Bay, and he was forced to leave the
+country.
+
+[Illustration: Bedouin Arabs--Advance Guards of the Turkish Army which
+invaded Egypt in January 1915.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+The Turkish pasha who ruled Egypt soon afterwards made himself
+independent of the Sultan, and his successor, Ismail Pasha, became
+Khedive or Viceroy. The overlordship of the Sultan was, however, still
+supposed to continue, though it grew more and more shadowy as the years
+passed by. Ismail governed his country badly; and when it became
+bankrupt, Britain and France had to step in to protect the interests of
+those of their subjects who had lent money to the Egyptian Government.
+What was called the Dual Control was set up in 1879, and Britain and
+France became the real rulers of Egypt.
+
+The Dual Control lasted until 1882, when an Egyptian officer named Arabi
+Pasha raised a rebellion, with the watchword, "Egypt for the Egyptians."
+The French were unwilling to take part in quelling this revolt, so the
+British had to act alone. Alexandria was bombarded, and Arabi was
+defeated by Lord Wolseley at Tel-el-Kebir. Thus, the Dual Control came
+to an end, and Britain stood alone in Egypt.
+
+Right well has Britain borne the "white man's burden" in the land of the
+Nile. When she began her work in Egypt, the only notion of law in the
+minds of the fellahin was the unchecked will of the "strong man armed"--
+
+  "The good old rule, the simple plan,
+   That they should take who have the power,
+   And they should keep who can."
+
+It has been said that Egypt requires two things for her
+prosperity--water and justice. Britain has given Egypt both water and
+justice. The laws have been reformed, and fair dealing between man and
+man is assured to the people. The taxes are heavy, but they are not
+unfair, and Egypt now pays her way. Schools and colleges have been
+opened, and Britain has striven with all her might to make the lot of
+the people happier and better.
+
+Britain has been equally careful to give the country as good a
+water-supply as possible. She has strengthened and altered the great dam
+or barrage which was built across the Nile at the point where it divides
+into the Rosetta and Damietta branches, for the purpose of storing up
+water to irrigate the Delta regularly throughout the year. The whole
+canal system of the country has been overhauled and greatly improved. At
+Assiut, and higher up the river at Aswan, huge bars of solid masonry
+have been thrown across the Nile, and stretches of the river have been
+turned into vast lakes. These dams store up sufficient water to fill the
+"summer canals" of Upper and Middle Egypt. Never before has the
+cultivated area of the Nile Valley had a supply of water for the fields
+during both summer and winter. Further, by conquering the Sudan, Britain
+has gained control of the upper waters of the Nile.
+
+Though Britain has done so much for Egypt, we must not suppose that all
+the Egyptians are content with her rule. The great bulk of the people
+are quite satisfied to live and flourish under British control, but
+there are some pashas who long for the "good old days" when the people
+were at their mercy. Amongst these discontented persons German and
+Turkish agents have long been busy, trying to bribe them to rise against
+the British Government. By the beginning of the war they had won over
+the Khedive to their side, and in January 1915 they believed that the
+Egyptians were ready to take up arms against their rulers. As a matter
+of fact, the Egyptians as a whole had no intention of doing anything of
+the kind. They remained quite calm, even when the Turk was knocking at
+their gates. Very few of them wished to bring back the old days of
+Turkish tyranny and misgovernment.
+
+Another reason why the Turks prepared to descend upon the land of the
+Nile was that, on 17th December 1914, we announced to all the world that
+thenceforth Egypt was a British possession. The traitor Khedive had been
+deposed, and a new ruler who was friendly to the British Government had
+been set up in his place. Up to this time the British had recognized the
+overlordship of the Sultan of Turkey. Now they did away with it
+altogether, and the Turks saw that the last vestige of their hold on
+Egypt had vanished.
+
+In January our forces in Egypt consisted of Australians and New
+Zealanders, Territorials from Great Britain, Indian troops, and, of
+course, the regular Egyptian army. The Germans thought that, if the
+Turks made an attack on the country, Britain would be forced to keep
+large forces in Egypt, and that she would therefore be unable to
+strengthen her armies on the Western front. For these reasons, political
+and military, a Turkish expedition was prepared in Syria for the
+invasion of Egypt. It was 65,000 strong, and was led by Djemel Pasha,
+who cherished a deep hatred for Britain.
+
+To reach Egypt from Syria this force had to cross an almost waterless
+desert, which varied in breadth from 120 to 150 miles. Across this
+dreary tract of rock and sand there were three routes, all of them
+difficult. The first ran from El Arish, on the Mediterranean coast, to
+El Kantara, on the Suez Canal. It was 120 miles long, and except for a
+few muddy wells, there was no water on the road. If you look at the map
+below, you will see a road crossing the base of the Sinai Peninsula
+from Akaba, at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, to Suez, at the southern
+end of the Suez Canal. This road was the old pilgrim route from Egypt to
+the holy city of Mecca. It is 150 miles long, and there are but few
+wells by the way. From El Arish you will observe another road which
+strikes south, and meets the pilgrim's road about midway between Suez
+and Akaba. This road runs through a dry valley, in which it was possible
+to lay down a light railway. Only by these routes could the Turks reach
+Egypt from Syria.
+
+[Illustration: The Suez Canal and the Sinai District.]
+
+You will notice that before the Turks could set foot in Egypt they would
+have to cross the Suez Canal, which could not be turned, because it runs
+from sea to sea. If the Turks could seize the Suez Canal they would
+command our short route to India, and would be able to impede greatly
+the bringing of troops to Europe from the East. No doubt this was
+another of the reasons which led the Turks to make a descent upon Egypt.
+So important is the Suez Canal to the defence of the country that I must
+briefly describe it.
+
+The canal is nearly 100 miles long--76 miles of it actual canal, and 24
+miles of dredged and buoyed waterway through lakes. In all this length
+there is not a single lock! The canal varies in width from 80 to 120
+yards, and it is deep enough to float the heaviest of Dreadnoughts.
+Begun in 1859, it was completed ten years later, at a cost of
+£16,000,000. It is not the property of any one nation, but the United
+Kingdom is by far the largest shareholder: it holds 35 per cent. of the
+shares.
+
+Let us follow the course of the canal. For the first few hours the canal
+crosses the shallow arm of the Mediterranean known as Lake Menzala. Two
+long parallel embankments cross this so-called lake, which is very
+shallow, and is studded with rocks. When this section is passed, we have
+the red sands of the desert to right and left of us. Side by side with
+the canal runs a sweet-water canal. It is a simple ditch, and its course
+can everywhere be traced by the grass and trees which flourish along its
+margin. Except for this fringe of verdure, no vegetation but desert
+scrub can be seen.
+
+At the station of El Kantara there is a ferry, and here one may
+sometimes see caravans of Arabs with laden camels setting out on a
+journey across the desert to El Arish. Later in the day we cross Lake
+Balâh, pursuing our way between rows of buoys. Another stretch of canal
+follows, and we cross Lake Timseh, and see away on our right the town of
+Ismailia, from which a railway strikes off westwards. Then comes another
+long, straight channel, with high sand dunes on the left bank. We pass
+the signal station of Toussûm, set in a pleasing frame of trees, and two
+and a half miles further on is Serapeum. We now steam across the Bitter
+Lakes, which are said to represent an old arm of the Red Sea. After
+these lakes are passed we enter the last stretch of the canal, and
+finally reach Suez, beyond which lies the Red Sea.
+
+During our voyage we notice that the ground to the east of the canal is
+very flat, and that from the deck of our ship, or from the higher ground
+on the western bank, we can see far and wide over the desert across
+which the Turks would have to advance. Just south of El Kantara, and
+again between Lake Balâh and the Bitter Lakes, there are sand dunes; but
+elsewhere there is no cover for an attacker. The defenders of Egypt
+thought it probable that the Turks would make their descent upon the
+canal along the line of the sand dunes.
+
+By 28th January small advanced parties of Turks had crossed the desert.
+One party, marching by the direct route from El Arish to El Kantara, was
+met and driven back by Gurkhas; another party, advancing by the road
+from Akaba, suffered the same fate. On 2nd February the main attack was
+delivered by about 12,000 troops, who had marched along the valley from
+El Arish towards the Sinai Peninsula. When they were about four hours
+distant from the canal they divided into two columns, and proceeded
+westwards. One column moved towards the sand dunes opposite to Ismailia,
+while the second and much stronger column pushed on towards Toussûm.
+Small flanking attacks were also made against El Kantara and Suez.
+
+[Illustration: Fighting at the Suez Canal, February 2-4, 1915.]
+
+The advance of the enemy had been known for some days, and our troops
+were in position ready to meet it. They were full of confidence, and
+were quite sure that the Turks would never enter Egypt save as
+prisoners. As the sun sank in a flaming sky on 2nd February our patrols
+saw the enemy moving towards the hummocks of sand that fringe the canal.
+When night fell, the Turks pushed their main force through the scrub and
+dunes towards a gap which gave them an easy road to the canal opposite
+Toussûm. The Turks had dragged across the deserts in carts some
+twenty-five or thirty galvanized iron pontoons, each weighing about 850
+lbs. When they approached the canal, the pontoons were shouldered by men
+and carried towards the water. By means of these pontoons, and a few
+rafts made out of kerosene tins with a wooden frame, the Turks proposed
+to cross the canal.
+
+The first warning of the enemy's approach was given by a sentry of a
+mountain battery, who heard voices across the water. Soon the noise
+increased. The Turks were loudly encouraging each other by crying out in
+Arabic, "Brothers, die for the faith; we can die but once," and so
+forth. The defenders were on the alert, but they were in no hurry to
+fire. They did not even pull their triggers when the invaders were
+carrying the pontoons down to the canal. Not until numbers of the enemy
+were crowded together under the steep bank, and were pushing their
+pontoons into the water, did the machine guns and rifles of the British
+begin to rattle. Then the fire was deadly; the Turks were speedily mown
+down, and the pontoons, riddled with bullets, were soon at the bottom of
+the canal.
+
+[Illustration: The Turkish Attack on the Suez Canal.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+On the night of February 2nd, 1915, two Turkish columns, numbering about
+12,000 in all, moved towards the canal--the front and smaller column
+against Ismalia; the second against Toussûm. Our illustration shows the
+latter attack in progress. To the right, the Turks are seen advancing
+under heavy shell and rifle fire, and vainly trying to launch boats. To
+the left are the Punjabis resisting the attack. The Turks were driven
+back at this point, and an attempt to cross at Ismalia suffered a
+similar fate. The Turks retired in good order, and unfortunately were
+able to march back to Syria without much molestation.]
+
+The Turks now lined the banks, and redoubled their efforts to get
+across.
+
+    "They first tried to get men across by boats and by swimming, in
+    order to hold a place as a bridgehead. Five boats filled with
+    riflemen were rowed over; three sank with most of their
+    occupants, and two touched the western bank. One boatload
+    charged up the bank, but not a man reached the top. The crew of
+    the other boat jumped into the water, and getting ashore,
+    scraped holes in the bank with their hands to make a temporary
+    shelter trench. Most of them were shot, and a few survivors gave
+    themselves up as soon as it was daylight."
+
+A little torpedo boat, with a crew of thirteen, dashed to and fro,
+firing point-blank at the enemy, and smashing into fragments the
+pontoons which lay unlaunched on the bank. The duel continued through
+the dark, cloudy night.
+
+When morning dawned, the battle became general all along the canal. The
+enemy brought up field guns, and the British and French warships in the
+canal joined in the fray. A few Turks who had swum across the canal
+began to snipe our men from the rear, but they were soon disposed of.
+Those who swam across later were deserters eager to surrender.
+
+At about eleven in the morning two 6-inch shells from the Turkish
+batteries hit H.M.S. _Hardinge_, an old Indian marine transport. One of
+the shells fell with a terrific crash on the bridge, almost severing the
+leg of Pilot Carew. He calmly looked down at his mangled leg, and,
+gripping the rail, shouted, "Bring me a chair. I am going to take this
+ship into port!" During the battle Pilot Carew received no fewer than
+eighteen wounds. The guns of the warships began to fire salvos, and soon
+the Turkish batteries were silenced.
+
+Now that the pontoons of the enemy had been destroyed, the German
+commander had been killed, and the troops lying in cover had been
+shelled out of their hiding-places, the Turks realized that their
+attempt at invasion had hopelessly failed. Half-hearted flank attacks at
+El Kantara and Suez had been held up by our wire entanglements, and the
+time had arrived for our Indian troops to take the offensive. Excellent
+artillery and rifle fire cleared the greater part of the eastern bank,
+and by three o'clock in the afternoon of 3rd February the Turks were in
+full retreat. They had done nothing more than engage our outpost line.
+
+Early next morning the British troops crossed the canal in force, and
+began the work of rounding up the enemy. Many Turks were found in a
+hollow, and some of them held up their hands when our men approached. As
+a British officer advanced to take the surrender he was shot down. A
+sharp fight with the cold steel followed, during which one of our
+officers engaged a Turkish officer in single combat and ran him through.
+Some 400 dead were counted, more than 600 prisoners were taken, and the
+total Turkish casualties were probably well over 2,000. For days
+following deserters drifted in, and by 8th February there was not a
+single Turk within twenty miles of the canal.
+
+Unfortunately the bulk of the enemy, with baggage and guns, got away
+safely. A heavy sandstorm came on, and our Camel Corps were unable to
+follow up the beaten and dispirited enemy. Had this not happened, it is
+probable that the whole force would have been captured or destroyed. The
+Turks declared that their advance on the canal was merely for the
+purpose of discovering the strength of the enemy and the character of
+his defences. Whatever the object was, it was not repeated during 1915;
+Egypt remained unmolested for the rest of the year.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One incident which occurred during the fighting is worthy of special
+mention. An officer on board the torpedo boat which did such good work
+in harassing the enemy thus tells the story:--
+
+    "It was now 3 p.m., so we went back down the canal to finish off
+    some boats which the Turks had abandoned inshore on the east
+    bank. As the 3-pounder could not get on to these, we landed and
+    blew up two. To get at the third boat it was necessary to go up
+    a gully some fifty yards inland, where we could see the bow
+    sticking up. The enemy held this bank, so, of course, we were
+    under fire the whole time. I called for volunteers, and a
+    sub-lieutenant and a petty officer landed with me in a dinghy.
+    We left an A.B. in her, and darted up with our gun-cotton
+    charge. I went ahead and got up to the boat, when I saw five
+    Turkish soldiers on the other side about ten yards away. I
+    stepped round the boat to have a shot at them, and fell into a
+    trench full of Turks. You never saw any one so surprised in your
+    life as they were, and I myself confess to a certain
+    astonishment.
+
+    "I was too close to them to allow them to get their rifles on
+    me, and, realizing that every second was of value, I gave one
+    whoop and dived out of the trench. The sub-lieutenant shot a
+    fellow who stuck his head over to pot me, and all three of us
+    trekked back to the dinghy under a heavy fire at about thirty
+    yards range. The Australian and Indian troops holding the west
+    bank opened fire to cover our retreat, as did also the torpedo
+    boat. It really seemed as if the air was full of lead--one long,
+    continuous whistle overhead, and the sand all round flying up in
+    spurts. I was still laughing from the comic expressions I had
+    seen on the faces of the Turks in the trench; nevertheless, I
+    got over the ground like a two-year-old. We had thirty yards to
+    row to the torpedo boat, and, would you believe it? we all got
+    aboard untouched. I did not blow up that boat, as I saw it had
+    already been riddled with bullets from the other bank."
+
+[Footnote 5: Plural of _fellah_, an Egyptian or Syrian peasant.]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Men of "Princess Pat's" Canadian Light Infantry on the
+March.
+
+_Photo, Central Press._]
+
+
+  CHAPTER V.
+
+  WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.--I.
+
+
+Now we must return to the battle front in the West, and see how the
+Allies fared during the months of January and February. You will
+remember that when the year 1914 closed the rival armies were facing
+each other in trenches which extended over well-nigh 500 miles--from the
+North Sea across the flats of Flanders, through the coalfield of North
+France, along the ups and downs of the Oise Valley and the heights of
+the Aisne, through the Forest of Argonne into Lorraine, along every high
+valley of the Vosges, right through Alsace to within sight of Alpine
+snows. The cold and storms of winter had put an end to operations on a
+large scale, but scarcely a day passed without artillery duels and local
+attacks.
+
+When General Joffre was asked to describe his operations during the
+winter months he replied, "We are nibbling away at them." He was not yet
+strong enough to pierce the German lines on a large scale, even if the
+weather had permitted him to do so. His policy was to wear down the
+Germans by provoking attacks in which they were likely to lose more men
+than the Allies. You know that the Germans believe in attacking, and
+that they consider it the best form of defence. In modern warfare the
+attackers always lose more men than the defenders.
+
+Let us look for a moment at the position of the Germans in the month of
+January. They had overrun Belgium, and they held a very valuable part of
+North France; but otherwise they had made many mistakes, and had failed
+to accomplish what they had set out to do. They had aimed at Paris, but
+had never got there; they had flung away life like water to reach the
+Channel ports, but had failed to capture them; they had intended a short
+war, in which victory would be achieved before the Allies could meet
+them on equal terms, but they were now faced by a long struggle. Every
+day the Allies were bringing fresh troops into the field, and were
+making good their many deficiencies. Meanwhile the Germans, by their
+brutal treatment of the poor people who had fallen into their hands, had
+lost the sympathy of every civilized country.
+
+Germany was now at the very top of her field strength. It was calculated
+that she was losing some 260,000 men every month, and that as time went
+on she would be less and less able to bring up reserves with which to
+repair the wastage of war. Experts declared that by the end of the year,
+or by the end of the following January, the supply of German reserves
+would fail, and the armies in the field would then begin to decline in
+numbers and in quality. On the other hand, the Allies had not yet come
+anywhere near their possible strength. The new British armies, which had
+been under training since September, would be ready in the spring.
+France was forming at least three new armies, and the Russians hoped to
+be able to equip their third and fourth millions and put them in the
+field some time in April. Great efforts were being made by the Allies to
+increase their artillery, and it was expected that in the early summer
+they would be able to strike a decisive blow. In these circumstances it
+was to Germany's interest to strain every nerve to win during the early
+months of the year.
+
+It was thought by the Allies that the great German effort would be made
+in the West; but, as we shall see in later chapters, they were mistaken.
+The Germans launched their chief attacks against the Russians, who by
+the middle of the year were so woefully lacking in munitions that they
+were forced to retire eastwards from the Vistula for about two hundred
+miles; and owing to this misfortune the "big push" of the Allies in the
+West had to be postponed.
+
+Now let us see what actually happened in the West during January and
+February. You already know that, until the new armies of the Allies were
+ready to take the field and the British supply of big guns and shells
+was greatly increased, they could do nothing but worry portions of the
+German front.
+
+Such being the policy of the Allies, you will not expect to hear of big
+battles. The story of the fighting during January and February is the
+record of small things--"a sandhill won east of Nieuport, a trench or
+two near Ypres, a corner of a brickfield near La Bassée, a few hundred
+yards near Arras, a farm on the Oise, a mile in northern Champagne, a
+coppice in the Argonne, a hillock on the Meuse, part of a wood on the
+Moselle, some of the high glens in the Vosges, and a village or two in
+Alsace." A cartoon published in a German comic paper in January showed
+two French Staff officers measuring the day's advance with a footrule.
+No doubt the gains were small; but we must remember that our object was
+not so much to win ground as to take toll of the two million Germans
+holding the trenches, and by reducing their numbers bring the day of
+their exhaustion nearer.
+
+We will begin our story with the Belgian-French forces on the Yser. They
+then held the bridgehead at Nieuport and the whole western bank of the
+river. During January the Germans fiercely shelled the chief centres in
+the little bit of Belgium over which King Albert still held sway.
+
+The German right rested on the dunes fronting the sea, and their big
+guns amongst the sandhills had Nieuport at their mercy. On 28th January
+the Allies attacked the Great Dune, which lies just east of Nieuport,
+and managed to win a good position from which they could sweep the east
+bank of the Yser and protect their own left wing. Nothing else of
+importance happened in this section for the next two months.
+
+On the Ypres salient, trenches were taken and retaken during January and
+the first fortnight of February. On the last day of February, Princess
+Patricia's Regiment of Canadian Light Infantry distinguished itself in a
+brilliant little affair. This regiment, which consisted almost entirely
+of old soldiers, many of whom possessed medals for previous war service,
+had been equipped by Mr. Hamilton Gault of Montreal. Lieutenant-Colonel
+F. D. Farquhar was appointed colonel, and the founder of the regiment
+became second in command, with the rank of major. The regiment was named
+after Princess Patricia, the younger daughter of the Duke of Connaught,
+then Governor-General of Canada.
+
+[Illustration: Canadians on Salisbury Plain.
+
+_Photo, Sport and General._
+
+A portion of Stonehenge, the oldest monument in the British Isles, is
+seen in the background. It was ancient in the days when Boadicea called
+her kinsmen to arms against the Romans.]
+
+Princess Patricia embroidered colours and presented them to the regiment
+on August 23, 1914, when she wished the men good luck, and said that
+she should follow their fortunes with deep interest. In due course the
+regiment, which was generally known as "Princess Pat's," arrived with
+the Canadian contingent at Plymouth, and after training on Salisbury
+Plain, where most of the men had their first experience of the rain,
+sleet, and slush of an English winter, was dispatched to France, where
+the Christmas dinners were eaten within sound of the guns. By 26th
+January they had become inured to the hardships of the trenches, and had
+already suffered casualties. On the 28th of February, when they were
+holding a position not far from St. Eloi, about two miles south of
+Ypres, the regiment was ordered to capture a German trench. The
+following brief account of the affair is from the pen of a corporal who
+took part in it:--
+
+    "On the last day of February, just before dawn, our company was
+    ordered to attempt to force one of the German trenches. As we
+    climbed over the parapet the enemy, by means of their magnesium
+    flares, spotted us, and immediately opened up on us a withering
+    machine-gun fire. We lost men--some of my best friends and
+    comrades--but on we kept, plodding through a quagmire of mud,
+    and when we jumped over the enemy's parapet into their trench,
+    we had to tramp over dead men. The rest of the Huns, afraid of
+    cold steel, fled screaming like children or went down on their
+    knees and begged for mercy. This, in true British fashion, was
+    granted them."
+
+The attack was led with great dash and spirit by Lieutenants Crabbe and
+Papineau, the latter of whom received the distinguished Service Order
+for conspicuous gallantry on the occasion. He was in charge of
+bomb-throwers during the attack. He shot two of the enemy himself, and
+then ran along the German sap, throwing bombs into it. As soon as the
+news of the success became known, congratulations were poured upon the
+gallant fellows. They were the first of all Canadian regiments to come
+into prominence, and they had given ample evidence of that gallantry
+which was soon to be exhibited on a larger scale, and to thrill the
+Empire with pride.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+There were other similar successes on the Ypres salient, but the almost
+continual rain, snow, and fogs of the latter part of February made
+important attacks almost impossible.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The La Bassée Canal in Time of Peace.]
+
+
+  CHAPTER VI.
+
+  WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.--II.
+
+
+The heaviest winter fighting in the British section of the front took
+place in the neighbourhood of La Bassée. The German Emperor's birthday
+occurs on 27th January, and his soldiers were eager to present him with
+a success in order to commemorate the event. If you look at the map on
+page 52, you will see to the east of the hamlet of Cuinchy, south of the
+canal, a district marked "Brickfields." Still further east you observe a
+triangle of ground bounded by three railway lines. The British 3rd
+Brigade was holding a sharp salient in this district. Its left rested on
+the canal, its centre was pushed forward towards the "railway triangle,"
+and its right was on the road running from Bethune to La Bassée. All the
+ground was covered with old kilns and smoke stacks, and a few hundred
+yards behind our first line we had constructed a "keep" of bricks.
+
+On 24th January the Germans shelled our position, hoping to smash the
+canal lock, and so flood our trenches. About six o'clock next morning a
+German deserter came in to our lines and warned us that an attack would
+be made in about half an hour. Deserters had so frequently told similar
+tales that we took no notice of him. The man, however, had told the
+truth, and the half-hour had scarcely ended when a tremendous
+bombardment began. Our first-line trenches, which were held by half a
+battalion each of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards, were blown in,
+and before the damage could be repaired the Germans flung forward great
+numbers of men for an attack. After a severe tussle, in which our men
+used the bayonet with great effect, they were forced to fall back across
+the brickfields. The London Scottish and the 1st Camerons, with the
+remainder of the Coldstream and Scots Guards, were ordered up to hold
+the second line. These troops fought hard, and punished the Germans
+severely with rifle and machine-gun fire; but so numerous were the
+attackers that they managed to get in amongst the brick stacks and into
+the communication trenches on both sides of the "keep," and even to the
+west of it.
+
+Much-needed reinforcements were pushed forward, and at one o'clock a
+counter-attack was begun. Together with the French on their right, our
+troops moved forward in short, swift rushes, taking cover behind piles
+of bricks or lying close on the soggy ground. Good progress was made on
+the flanks, but the centre could not advance. Late in the afternoon
+another battalion was sent up in support, and the struggle continued
+throughout the night. By the morning of the 26th we had cleared out the
+enemy between the "keep" and our trenches, and had partially recovered
+the ground lost in the morning. The Germans had paid heavily for their
+trifling gain. Fifty-three prisoners were captured, and over a thousand
+German dead strewed the brickfields.
+
+[Illustration: The Fighting in Givenchy Village.
+
+(_From the drawing by Alfred Bastien. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+The mining village of Givenchy stands on high ground, and commands the
+highroad from Bethune to La Bassée. Our illustration shows the fierce
+fighting in the village on January 25, 1915, when our men in many cases
+fought with bayonets in their hands and even knocked out many Germans
+with their fists. In the above drawing, British troops, including
+Highlanders, are seen advancing from the left.]
+
+Meanwhile an equally severe fight was going on north of the canal. The
+Germans heavily bombarded the coveted village of Givenchy, which we had
+held ever since the second week of the preceding October. At 8.15 they
+swarmed out of their trenches, passed over our front trenches, and broke
+into the village, where a furious struggle raged in the streets and in
+the houses for more than an hour. "Our men," says Eye-witness, "in many
+cases fought with bayonets in their hands, and even knocked out many
+Germans with their fists. A story is told of one man who broke into a
+house held by eight Germans. He bayoneted four, and captured the rest,
+while he continued to suck at a clay pipe."
+
+Five separate times the Germans attacked the north-east corner of
+Givenchy, but each time they were driven back with great loss. "On the
+whole," continues Eye-witness, "the 25th January was a bad day for the
+enemy in this portion of their line." The German birthday gift to the
+Kaiser was a heap of his own dead.
+
+[Illustration: Sketch Map to illustrate the Fighting near La Bassée of
+the 1st Corps, January 25-26, 1915.]
+
+For the next ten days the struggle continued. On the 29th the Germans
+again attacked south of the canal, and tried to get into the "keep" by
+means of scaling ladders, but were beaten off with severe losses. On 1st
+February, very early in the morning, the Coldstreams were driven from
+their trenches south of the canal, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. As the light grew better, our artillery came into action,
+and so accurate a fire was kept up on the lost trenches that the Germans
+could not hold them. At ten o'clock fifty men of the 2nd Coldstreams and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, along with sappers carrying sand-bags and
+barbed wire, rushed forward, and not only recovered the lost trenches,
+but seized one of the enemy's posts on the embankment of the canal. It
+was during this attack that Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary won the
+Victoria Cross by a remarkable feat of gallantry which will be described
+in the next chapter.
+
+    "Our men," says Eye-witness, "were enabled to take in flank one
+    of the enemy's trenches to the south, and they fought their way
+    along it, throwing hand grenades, until they dislodged the
+    Germans from a considerable length. We thus established
+    ourselves firmly in a good position on the canal bank and in the
+    adjoining trenches. During the action we captured fourteen
+    prisoners and two machine guns, also many wounded. Our losses
+    were not severe, but the enemy suffered heavily, especially from
+    our artillery fire. . . . Our men were in excellent spirits
+    after the encounter, and on being relieved somewhat later,
+    marched back to their billets singing to the accompaniment of
+    mouth organs and the roar of guns."
+
+About 2 p.m. on the night of the 5th-6th February the British and French
+artillery turned their heavy howitzers on the "railway triangle," and
+began a fierce bombardment. The boom of the guns and the roar of the
+exploding shells were clearly heard twenty miles away, and to those near
+at hand the noise was terrific. One lyddite shell blew a house bodily
+into the air; while others, exploding amongst the brick stacks, wrought
+awful havoc amongst the enemy. At 2.15 a.m. an attack was launched at a
+strong position held by the Germans amidst stacks of bricks. Our
+storming columns rushed the position from three sides at once, and
+captured it with very little loss. Prisoners afterwards said that the
+noise of the bursting shells, and the thick clouds of dust which arose,
+prevented them from hearing or seeing our men until they were almost
+upon them. Other trenches were captured, and the next day the Germans
+tried hard to recover the lost ground. Our gunners, however, were too
+much for them, and succeeded in destroying one of their heavy batteries.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I have told you the story of these small fights to give you an idea of
+how the "nibbling" process was carried on. Dozens of similar encounters
+took place in various parts of our line, and in all of them the Germans
+lost more heavily than we did. You will notice that early in February
+our artillery was able to compete with that of the Germans. Every day
+more and more big guns and more and more shells were sent to the front.
+The time was soon to arrive when a big combined effort could be made to
+pierce the German line.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER VII.
+
+  STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.
+
+
+You are now to read some soldiers' stories of the fighting during the
+winter months. The first story tells how Algerian horsemen, by a skilful
+ruse, managed to get a footing in the Great Dune[6] between the Ostend
+road and the sea.
+
+One morning six fine Arab horses strayed, as though by accident, between
+the French and German lines. The Germans did not fire on the horses,
+because they hoped to capture them when they came sufficiently near to
+their trenches. The animals, however, wandered off again. Towards
+nightfall on the following day twenty-four Arab horses appeared on the
+same ground. In the half light the Germans could only just distinguish
+the forms of the animals, and perceive that they were unmounted. They
+were preparing to seize them when suddenly a sharp cry was heard, and
+the horses, kicking up their heels, galloped back to the French lines.
+
+Almost immediately twenty-four gray forms rose from the ground and
+dashed towards the German trench. They were Algerians, who had concealed
+themselves under the bodies of their horses, and had thus got close to
+the German line. They rushed upon the enemy, and a furious struggle took
+place. The Germans in the second line dared not fire for fear of
+shooting their own comrades. The Algerians managed to get a footing in
+the German trench, and shortly afterwards French infantrymen rushed up
+to their support. By ten in the evening a portion of the Great Dune had
+been won.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Sniping" went on almost continuously during the winter. A Canadian
+officer thus describes his adventures while scouting in front of the
+German trenches:--
+
+"Off I went, crawling through the sodden clay and branches, going about
+a yard a minute, listening and looking. I went out to the right of our
+lines, where the Germans were nearest. At last I saw the Hun trench. It
+was about ten yards from me. I waited for a long time, and then I heard
+some Germans talking, and saw one of them put his head up over some
+bushes behind the trench. I could not get a shot at him, as I was too
+low down. Of course, I could not get up; so I crawled on again, very
+slowly, to the parapet of their trench.
+
+"It was exciting. I peered through their loophole, but saw nobody in the
+trench. Then the German behind put up his head again. He was laughing
+and talking. I saw his teeth glisten against my foresight, and I pulled
+the trigger. He just gave a grunt and crumpled up. His comrades behind
+the bushes got up, and whispered to each other. There were five of them.
+They could not place the shot. I was flat behind their parapet, and
+hidden. I just had the nerve not to move a muscle and stay there; my
+heart was fairly hammering. They did not advance, so I crept back, inch
+by inch.
+
+"The next day, just before dawn, I crawled out there again, and found
+the trench still empty. Then a single German came through the woods
+towards the trench. I saw him fifty yards off. He was coming along
+upright, quite carelessly, making a great noise. I heard him before I
+saw him. I let him get within twenty-five yards, and then shot him.
+
+"Nothing happened for ten minutes. Then there were noise and talking,
+and a lot of Germans came along through the wood behind the trench,
+about forty yards from me. I counted about twenty, and there were more
+coming. They halted in front. I picked out the one I thought was the
+officer. I had a steady shot at him. He went down, and that was all I
+saw.
+
+"I went back at a sort of galloping crawl to our lines, and sent a
+message that the Germans were moving in a certain direction in some
+numbers. Half an hour afterwards they attacked the right in massed
+formation, advancing slowly to within ten yards of our trenches. We
+simply mowed them down. It was rather horrible. There were 200 of them
+dead in a little bit of our line, and we only lost ten.
+
+"Our boys were rather pleased at my stalking and getting the message
+through. All our men have started stalking now. It is quite a popular
+amusement."
+
+[Illustration: "The Three Musketeers" of Princess Patricia's Own.
+
+(_Painted by S. Begg from material supplied by an officer of Princess
+Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry present at the action. By permission
+of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+"Princess Pat's Own" first went into the firing line on 5th January.
+The trenches in which they received their baptism of fire were only
+about a hundred yards away from those of the Germans, who subjected them
+to a very heavy bombardment. About the second or third night three of
+the men established themselves during the darkness on a mound a little
+to the rear of the Canadian position. They cut a couple of dug-outs in
+the base of the mound, and fortified the top with a few bricks, behind
+which they took cover. At daybreak they discovered that they commanded a
+very fine view of the German first-line trench, and of its supporting or
+reserve dug-outs, which were occupied by the Prussian Guard. There was
+no shell fire from the British at the time, and the Germans, thinking
+themselves quite safe, were strolling about between the dug-outs and the
+trench. The "three musketeers" on the mound opened a brisk fire on the
+Germans; whereupon they scuttled off to their holes like rabbits, but
+not before nine or ten of them lay on the ground, wounded or killed. All
+day long the men on the mound were under every kind of fire, but they
+"stuck it" without flinching, and in their turn kept the enemy from as
+much as showing a finger. When darkness fell they retired to their
+trenches. Only one of the men was hurt, and he had only a slight bullet
+wound in the hand.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Here is a strange story of how some British soldiers foolishly and
+recklessly risked their lives in order to settle a bet.
+
+"Fighting had been very severe in front of one section, and during a
+lull an officer was surprised to see a number of khaki-clad figures
+fully exposed to the German bullets, should the enemy resume firing.
+They were peering into the trench, and were so deeply interested in what
+was 'down below' that they did not notice the officer's approach.
+
+"'What have you got there?' he asked.
+
+"'A dead German, sir,' came the reply.
+
+"'A dead German! What on earth are you doing with a dead German?'
+
+"Then he was told the whole story. It appeared that in the course of the
+attack the British soldiers had noticed a particularly tall and bulky
+Hun. When the fighting was over they began to discuss his proportions.
+He was now lying dead in front of the trench, and two of the men made a
+bet about his height and weight. To settle the bet, they crawled out
+and risked death in order to drag the dead German in. He was found to be
+six feet nine inches in height, and to have a waist measurement of
+fifty-three inches.
+
+"The officer gave the men a severe warning, and then asked how much the
+bet was. To his amazement he received the following reply: 'A bob,
+sir!'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+In a dispatch published by Sir John French during February he regretted
+that it was impossible for him to bring before the notice of the public
+many acts of gallantry performed by his men. Here is an account of a
+very brave deed done by a sergeant-major in the North Somerset Yeomanry;
+the story is told by a corporal of the same regiment:--
+
+"I had a marvellous escape. A German bomb fell in the trench barely a
+foot from me. I did not see it coming, and nothing could have saved me,
+or Dick Moody, or the other fellows with us, had not Sergeant-Major
+Reeves made a dash for it. He picked up the bomb, pulled out the fuse,
+and threw it out of the trench. It was the bravest thing I have ever
+seen."
+
+Later on, when our men became more used to grenade fighting, such
+incidents were of almost everyday occurrence. Over and over again men
+pounced upon live bombs, and hurled them back towards the enemy's
+trenches before they had time to explode.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On one part of our line the trenches of friend and foe were so close to
+each other, and they changed hands so often, that it was difficult to
+know at any particular moment whether they were held by British or by
+Germans. One night, after a fight, two British officers set out to
+discover whether certain trenches were occupied by their own men or by
+those of the enemy. They soon chanced upon a communication trench which
+seemed to lead in the desired direction. They walked down it, and came
+to a dug-out with a candle burning in it and German equipment scattered
+about. Thinking that the communication trench had been captured, they
+blew out the candle and pushed on. At length they reached a trench
+running at right angles to the communication trench. No sooner had they
+entered it than they were challenged sharply in German. Then came a
+shower of bullets, and in a moment the officers were rushing back by
+the way which they had come, with Germans close upon their heels. They
+floundered through the mud and dodged round the traverses, and, thanks
+to the darkness, managed to get back to their own lines unhurt, where
+they told their comrades how they had spent several breathless minutes
+in the enemy's fire trenches.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now I must give you an account of one of the most striking deeds of
+gallantry ever performed by a British soldier. The _Gazette_ of 18th
+February contained an announcement that the Victoria Cross had been
+awarded to
+
+Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, for an
+achievement of such a character that, according to Sir Arthur Conan
+Doyle, "no writer of fiction would dare to fasten it on any of his
+characters."
+
+At sixteen years of age O'Leary joined the Navy, but was discharged
+because he suffered with rheumatism. He soon recovered, however, and
+enlisted in the Irish Guards. After serving his time with the colours
+and passing into the reserve, he was accepted as a member of the famous
+North-West Mounted Police of Canada. The hard open-air life was much to
+his liking. All the patrol work was done on horseback, and he rode on an
+average thirty miles a day. As a North-West mounted policeman, O'Leary
+gave a taste of his cool courage in capturing two robbers, armed with
+revolvers, after a running fight which lasted two hours. For this feat
+he was presented with a gold ring, which he still proudly wears. The
+donor of it must have been a prophet, for he said to O'Leary when
+handing it over, "If you do as well on active service, you will win the
+Victoria Cross." At the outbreak of war O'Leary rejoined his old
+regiment in France. He was not then twenty-five years of age.
+
+I am sure you remember the occasion when the Coldstreams were driven
+from their trenches near Cuinchy, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. At ten in the morning of 1st February a desperate effort
+to win them back was made by fifty men of the 2nd Coldstream Guards and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, accompanied by sappers with wire and
+sand-bags. The Coldstreams went first. With fixed bayonets they rushed
+across the 200 yards that separated them from the German trenches. They
+were met by a heavy fire, which checked them a little; and then the
+Irish Guards went forward in support. O'Leary, fleet of foot,
+outdistanced his comrades. He had not gone far before he felt the ground
+give beneath his feet, and springing back, he saw a German bomb-thrower
+in a pit. He shot the man, and hurrying on to the angle of a barricade
+which he had marked all day, fired five shots and killed the five
+Germans who were holding it. Leaving his comrades to take possession of
+the barricade, he dashed towards a second position, sixty yards ahead,
+where a machine-gun section was frantically trying to turn its weapon
+upon the stormers. O'Leary, however, was too quick for them. A German
+officer had his finger on the button of the gun, and was about to
+release the hail of lead, when "crack" went our hero's rifle, and the
+officer dropped dead. Again and again O'Leary fired, and two other men
+fell, while their comrades, with white, scared faces, threw up their
+hands and begged for mercy. A few moments later and the Guards, with a
+wild rush through the flying mud, secured the position. "Lance-Corporal
+O'Leary thus practically captured the enemy's position himself, and
+prevented the rest of the attacking party from being fired on." He was
+promoted sergeant on the field.
+
+
+[Illustration: The Great Exploit of Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary.
+
+(_From the picture by A. C. Mitchell. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)]
+
+Sergeant O'Leary, V.C., had a great reception when he returned to London
+in July on leave. A demonstration was held in Hyde Park by the United
+Irish League, and the hero, who was presented with a purse of gold, made
+a recruiting speech, in the course of which he said, "There are many
+others who have fought and are fighting, who have attempted and have
+done more than I for King and country. I have had the luck." In his own
+country the sergeant was enthusiastically received, and was so lionized
+that he said he must get back to the trenches to rest. At a banquet to
+his honour in his native county he asked for lemonade, and when some one
+thoughtlessly pressed him to take wine, he refused, and said that he
+must "keep fit." Not only did he receive the Victoria Cross at the hands
+of the King, but the highest awards for valour from the French and the
+Russian Government.
+
+[Footnote 6: See page 46.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER VIII.
+
+  THE GERMAN SUCCESS AT SOISSONS.
+
+
+In this British book, written for British boys and girls, I naturally
+give the foremost place to the doings of British soldiers. We must,
+however, always remember that up to the middle of the year the British
+only held about one-twentieth of the Western battle-front. From La
+Bassée, through Arras, to Noyon, thence eastwards along the valley of
+the Aisne, in a wide curve round the fortress of Verdun, to the west
+bank of the Meuse, onwards to the Moselle, through Lorraine to the
+crests of the Vosges, and southwards to the borders of Switzerland--all
+this long and varied line was held by our French Allies. All through
+January and February they did not cease to nibble at the German
+trenches. In Champagne, in the section between the Meuse and the
+Moselle, and in Alsace, they were able to do more than nibble--they were
+able to seize many vantage points, and advance their front slowly but
+surely.
+
+In January the chief centre of interest was in that part of the Aisne
+valley which lies to the north of the old city of Soissons.[7] You will
+remember that the Allies had captured the city, and the flat lands to
+the north of it, during the great advance in September 1914. Turn to the
+map on the next page and find the village of Cuffies.[8] On 18th January
+this village was in French hands, and so was the village of Crouy,[9] to
+the east of it. On the road from Soissons to Laon, and between Cuffies
+and Crouy, you will notice a spur of the plateau marked Hill 132.[10] To
+the south-east of Crouy there is another spur, marked 151. On 8th
+January the French made attacks on both these hills. They specially
+wished to capture Hill 132, because it would give them a gun position
+from which they could command the road to Laon.
+
+In the drenching rain the French pushed forward, dragging their guns
+with great difficulty up the slippery slope. They carried three lines of
+German trenches, and were soon in possession of the hill. Meanwhile
+other troops had seized Hill 151. Though the Germans tried hard to
+recover the positions next day, they could not do so. Nothing happened
+on Sunday, 9th January; but on Monday, about noon, no less than two
+German corps, under von Kluck, were launched against the French, who
+were holding the hills. On the 12th the struggle grew very violent. The
+French were pushed off the eastern side of Hill 132, but with great
+difficulty they managed to cling to the western slopes.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+During the four preceding days the weather had been very bad. Torrents
+of rain had descended without ceasing, and by the 12th the river was in
+high flood. It had been rising for days, and now it was swirling along
+like an angry torrent, threatening to carry away the only bridges by
+which the French could bring up reinforcements and ammunition. By the
+13th all the bridges but two had been swept away, and the French decided
+to retreat across the river while they had the means of doing so.
+
+They retired slowly and skilfully. Their batteries were withdrawn from
+the hills one by one, without letting the Germans know that they were
+being moved to the rear. The commander of one battery did not give the
+order to retire until the Germans were within five hundred yards of him.
+It was perilous and difficult work getting the guns down the steep
+slope. The gunners man-handled them until they reached the foot, and
+then they were limbered up and taken across a shaky pontoon bridge
+which had been thrown across the river at Missy. Guns on the right and
+centre had to be abandoned, but not before they were rendered useless.
+
+By the evening of the 14th the Germans had advanced their line until
+they held the whole of the north bank of the Aisne from a mile east of
+Soissons to Missy. By this time the French, who only numbered 12,000,
+had been reduced to half their strength, and they had lost about twenty
+guns. Von Kluck had begun well, and, under the eye of the Kaiser, he now
+made a great effort to capture Soissons. Had he done so, he would have
+been in possession of a railway junction and the best bridge over the
+Aisne. He would also have been able to force the French to retire from
+the whole line of the river.
+
+The floods had not reached Soissons, so the French were able to pour
+reinforcements into the city. A great struggle took place at the village
+of St. Paul, on the right bank of the river, about a mile to the east of
+Soissons. The Germans advanced in dense masses, and won the village; but
+the French artillery speedily drove them out, and von Kluck found that
+he could advance no further.
+
+The Germans trumpeted abroad this little success as a smashing victory;
+but it was of no particular consequence, for they had only slightly
+improved their position, and in doing so had suffered a loss of at least
+10,000 men. It was not so much German guns and rifles that drove the
+French from the spurs which they had won as the flooding of the river.
+Nature had fought for the Germans, but still they could not "make good."
+Some writers thought that it was very clever of von Kluck to postpone
+his big counter-attack until his enemies had a swollen river and flooded
+fields behind them; but the fact was that he could not attack earlier,
+because his reinforcements were late in arriving. The Germans owed their
+success not to good generalship, but to good luck.
+
+[Footnote 7: See Vol. II., p. 237.]
+
+[Footnote 8: Ku´fee.]
+
+[Footnote 9: Croo´ee.]
+
+[Footnote 10: Unnamed hills are numbered on the map by their height
+above sea-level. Thus Hill 132 means a hill which is 132 metres, or 440
+ft., in elevation.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER IX.
+
+  WINTER FIGHTING IN CHAMPAGNE, THE ARGONNE, AND THE VOSGES.
+
+
+We now come to that part of the French front on which the most
+successful attempts of the Allies were made during January and February.
+You have already heard of the little river Suippe, a tributary of the
+Aisne. Between the upper waters of this river and the Forest of the
+Argonne there is a chalk plain, dotted with plantations of firs and
+crossed by rolling downs. In many respects it resembles Salisbury Plain,
+and for many years has been put to the same use. Before the war it was
+the great training ground of French troops and the scene of their yearly
+manoeuvres. The plain is sparsely populated; scattered farms and
+straggling homesteads are few and far between, and lack of villages
+means lack of roads. After heavy rain the whole district is a sea of
+shallow mud; but the ground does not become water-logged, and as soon as
+the rain ceases the ground dries very quickly. Operations during the
+winter were therefore possible. General Joffre decided to nibble more
+vigorously on this plain than elsewhere.
+
+Look at the little map on page 70. You notice a railway running from
+Ste. Menehould,[11] on the Aisne at the edge of the Argonne forest, to
+Rheims. By means of this railway the French troops operating on the
+plain were supplied with all their needs. The Germans relied on the line
+which you see running from Grand Pré in the Argonne to Bazancourt. The
+object of the French was to nibble at the German lines in the hope of
+pushing back the enemy and seizing this railway. If it could be cut or
+commanded, the Germans would be obliged to fall back along their whole
+line. At any rate, a French advance towards the railway would compel the
+enemy to waste men and shells, and would force him to keep in the region
+large forces which otherwise would have been sent to the East, where von
+Hindenburg was badly in need of assistance.
+
+I want you to fix your attention on the little towns of Souain[12] and
+Perthes,[13] and the farm of Beau Séjour,[14] all of which are marked on
+the map. Beau Séjour, you will notice, is about 3½ miles east of
+Perthes. At the beginning of January the French line ran through Souain,
+south of Perthes and south of Beau Séjour. Almost every day during
+January the French attacked the German positions. They won a hill to the
+north of Perthes, which gave them the best gun position in the
+neighbourhood, and on the 16th of February a general advance began. The
+Germans held a strong post north of the farm, on a ridge between two
+little glens. On this ridge they had constructed a fort, which was held
+by about 500 men.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The French attacked on a plan which was soon to become the regular
+method of puncturing the German lines all along the Western front. Let
+me give you some account of this plan--the only possible method of
+capturing the strongly fortified trenches of the enemy without a
+terrible loss of life. As you know, the first obstacle to an attack on a
+line of trenches consists of the barbed wire entanglements which are
+fixed up in front of them. The attackers are held up by the network of
+wire, and can be shot down in droves by rifles and machine guns. Then
+the trench itself has a strong parapet, with loopholes through which the
+defenders fire on the attackers. For infantry to charge the barbed wire
+while the parapets are held by an enemy is to court almost certain
+disaster.
+
+Study the diagram on page 67. AB is a line of trenches to be attacked,
+and X is a line of big guns. These guns throw a shower of high explosive
+shells on to the enemy's trenches. So terrible is the explosion that the
+barbed wire is blown into a thousand fragments, the parapets are beaten
+down, the whole trench is utterly wrecked, and the defenders are either
+killed or wounded, or so stunned by the violence of the bombardment that
+they cannot make much resistance. When this is done, the gunners lift
+their sights and lengthen their fuses, and behind the trench create at C
+a curtain of fire through which no enemy reinforcements can possibly
+pass. Then the attacking infantry rush forward and occupy the wrecked
+trench. They work away with their entrenching tools, make a new parapet
+facing the enemy's second line of trenches, and prepare to beat off
+counter-attacks. Trenches are thus captured by gun fire alone. You can
+easily understand that advances made in this way will be slow. Telephone
+wires have to be laid, ranges calculated, and a thousand details
+arranged before an assault can be made.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+If such an attack is to succeed, two things are necessary. In the first
+place, the attackers must have many big guns and an almost unlimited
+supply of ammunition for them; and secondly, they must bring up their
+guns at X unknown to the enemy, and take him by surprise. If he is able
+to see the big guns being brought up, he will fire on them before they
+can be concealed. He will also mass his own guns, and the affair will
+become an artillery duel on a large scale. Happily, in Champagne the
+French were able to mass their guns secretly. Their airmen had become so
+expert that they were able to beat back all the German aircraft that
+attempted to scout over their lines, while at the same time they could
+fly over the German lines without much hindrance.
+
+Here is a description of such an attack as seen by a British observer in
+Champagne:--
+
+    "Looking at the battle at a distance of about 2,000 yards from
+    the enemy's lines, the stillness of what one sees is in marked
+    contrast with the turmoil of shells passing overhead. The only
+    movement is the cloud of smoke and earth that marks the burst of
+    a shell. Here and there long white lines are visible when a
+    trench has brought the chalky subsoil up to the top; but the
+    number of trenches seen is very small compared with the number
+    that exist, for one cannot see into the valleys, and the top of
+    the ground is an unhealthy place to choose for sitting in a
+    trench. The woods are pointed out, with the names given them by
+    the soldiers; but it needs field-glasses to see the few stumps
+    that remain when the artillery has done its work. And then a
+    telephone message arrives, saying that the enemy are threatening
+    a counter-attack at a certain point; and three minutes later
+    there is a redoubled whistling of shells. At first one cannot
+    see the result of this fire--the guns are searching the low
+    ground where the enemy's reserves are preparing for the
+    movement; but a little later the ground behind the threatened
+    trenches becomes alive with shell bursts, for the searching has
+    given place to the building up of a wall of fire, through which
+    it is impossible for the foe to pass without enormous loss."
+
+When a successful attack of this kind is to be made on a large scale,
+the work of the directing staff must be very perfect. Every trench in
+the line of attack must be thoroughly shelled at the same time. If
+certain trenches are left unwrecked, the infantry will be badly mauled
+when they move forward. Then all the guns of the attacking side must
+lift their sights and lengthen their fuses before the infantry reach the
+enemy's trenches, or the men will be caught by their own fire.
+Everything must work together like a well-oiled machine. A single
+mistake will be paid for by heavy loss of life.
+
+
+[Illustration: French Infantry returning to their Quarters after driving
+the Germans from their Trenches near St. Mihiel.
+
+(_From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The French infantry came back into their second line after the action
+with their bands playing and their colours flying. Their uniforms were
+covered with mud, and they were as dirty as they could possibly be.
+Their comrades saluted the colours with love and devotion, and the
+German prisoners seemed astonished to see such patriotic fervour.]
+
+Such was the general character of the attacks made by the French in
+Champagne during February. The ridge, which I have already described,
+was captured by French Colonial troops towards the end of January, after
+a month's struggle; but elsewhere progress was slow. About five yards a
+day was the average gain. One by one the little woods and ridges were
+carried, but as late as 24th March the French were not sufficiently near
+the railway from Grand Pré to Bazancourt to threaten it seriously. We
+must not, however, reckon the gains by the amount of ground which was
+won, but by the number of men which the enemy was obliged to maintain on
+this part of the front, and by the losses which he suffered. Some five
+and a half German corps, which were badly needed in the East, had to be
+massed in Champagne, and their losses were out of all proportion to
+those suffered by the French. It is said that the Germans lost 10,000
+dead and 2,000 prisoners during these attacks. The famous Prussian Guard
+suffered very heavily at a point about three-quarters of a mile east of
+Beau Séjour, where two of their regiments were almost wholly destroyed.
+The Germans themselves admitted that their losses in Champagne were
+greater than those of the Battle of the Mazurian Lakes,[15] where they
+had some fourteen army corps engaged.
+
+[Illustration: Scene of the Fighting in Champagne.]
+
+The severe fighting in Champagne drew off some or the Crown Prince's
+forces, and he was therefore obliged to slacken his efforts in the
+Forest of the Argonne. There, too, in January our Allies won a success
+by the capture of more than a mile of German trenches. It is interesting
+to note that the regiment of Italian volunteers which captured the
+trenches was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Garibaldi, a descendant of the
+famous Italian patriot who played such a large part in bringing about a
+united Italy. During this woodland fighting the Germans also had
+successes; but, generally speaking, there was a deadlock in this region.
+The real zones of fighting were to the west and east of the Forest.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The line which the French held from Beau Séjour to Switzerland during
+the first four months of the year 1915 made a wide curve round the
+fortress of Verdun, and then ran south across a wooded plateau to St.
+Mihiel, on the left bank of the Meuse. At St. Mihiel the Germans were
+clinging to a bridgehead which they had captured as far back as
+September 1914. From St. Mihiel the line crosses the river to the right
+bank, and then proceeds eastwards to the river Moselle. It then strikes
+south-eastwards to the crest of the Vosges mountains.
+
+If you look at the map on the next page, you cannot fail to notice that
+St. Mihiel is the point of a very marked wedge or salient, something
+like that at Ypres, only with the point facing westwards instead of
+eastwards. A mile to the south of St. Mihiel the Germans had a strong
+position on high ground, called the Camp of the Romans, from which they
+could command the country for ten miles around. If you look at the map
+on the next page, you will see two railways within the salient. The one
+runs northwards from a place about five miles east of the Camp of the
+Romans, and crosses the French line at a village called Les Eparges;[16]
+the other runs northwards from a place about fifteen miles east of the
+Camp of the Romans, and runs along the valley of a tributary of the
+Moselle, past Thiaucourt,[17] until it reaches the main river, which it
+follows to Metz. The Germans had constructed a field railway, which
+enabled them to reach St. Mihiel from Thiaucourt.
+
+The French nibbled unceasingly at this salient during the winter. Their
+object was to squeeze in its sides so as to capture the railways and
+force the enemy to withdraw from St. Mihiel. During February there was
+fierce fighting at Les Eparges, which was taken by the French along with
+a part of the neighbouring heights. At the same time they pressed
+northwards along the left bank of the Moselle, and won the Wood of the
+Priest, from which they bombarded the railway running through
+Thiaucourt. They also smashed the German bridges at St. Mihiel. Day by
+day they were pinching the German wedge more and more, and were
+threatening the railways by means of which the Germans were able to
+maintain themselves in this region.
+
+The French were eager to capture the heights to the east of Les Eparges,
+because guns on these heights would command much of the northern part of
+the salient. The Germans, knowing how important these heights were to
+the French, had turned them into a very strong fortress. They had lined
+the steep slopes with trenches, and had honeycombed them with shelters
+and dug-outs. About 4 p.m. on 5th April, when the rain was falling
+heavily and the hillsides were sodden, the French made a great attack
+on these fortified heights. They gained some ground, but next morning
+they were driven back. That evening they made a second attempt, and by
+means of bayonet charges captured 1,500 yards of trenches, and gradually
+approached the summit.
+
+[Illustration: The Fighting between the Meuse and the Moselle.]
+
+Next morning the Germans brought up reinforcements, and strove with all
+their might to hurl the French down the slopes. The French guns,
+however, prevented the Germans from massing, while the German guns held
+off the French. On the morning of the 8th the French made another bold
+bid. They could scarcely keep their footing in the slime, and it is said
+that many of them were drowned in the mud. Never was an attack made
+under greater difficulties. Slipping in the greasy mud, buffeted by the
+wind, and almost blinded by the rain, the French advanced against
+endless machine guns posted at carefully-chosen points. So determined
+were the Germans to hold the position that they had chained the machine
+gunners to their weapons. After an hour's struggle the French won the
+summit, and managed to clear the Germans off the heights, except for a
+small triangle at the east end.
+
+On the morning of the 9th French reinforcements struggled up the
+hillside. So violent was the storm, and so miry was the ground, that
+they took fourteen hours to reach their comrades. In the afternoon an
+assault was made on the eastern triangle, and the Germans were swept
+from it. A fog descended, under cover of which the Germans
+counter-attacked, and pushed the French back. But as soon as the fog
+lifted the French guns came into action, and another bayonet charge was
+made. By 10 p.m. the French held the whole of the spur, and were able to
+command the northern part of the salient. They had performed a notable
+feat of arms during five days of tempest. The German loss was estimated
+at more than 30,000.
+
+Elsewhere the French also won ground. On the south side of the salient,
+where the country is covered with thick, scrubby woods, the fighting was
+very severe. Small gains were made, and by the month of May the French
+were about four miles from Thiaucourt, and were able to hurl shells from
+their heavy guns within the outer fortifications of Metz. It seemed that
+any further advance would endanger the whole position of the Germans at
+St. Mihiel, and force them to retreat towards the highlands west of
+Metz. Nevertheless, when the year 1915 came to an end, the Germans were
+still holding St. Mihiel, and the salient was theirs, though it had worn
+very thin.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now let us briefly glance at the campaign in the Vosges.
+
+Look closely at the map on the next page, and notice the river Ill, a
+tributary of the Rhine. Its most important feeder is the river Thur,
+which runs down a long glen. It was in the valley of this river that the
+French made their chief advances during the winter. On 3rd January the
+Chasseurs Alpins, fighting their way down the valley of the Thur,
+captured the village of Steinbach, which stands just where the mountains
+fall steeply to the Alsatian plain, about ten miles as the crow flies
+from Mulhouse. Steinbach, which had been converted by the enemy into a
+series of blockhouses, was only secured after ten days of deadly combat.
+
+The French were trying to take Mulhouse in flank, and they had therefore
+to capture the village of Cernay, which blocked the way. Meanwhile
+another force attacked Altkirch, to the south of Mulhouse, and quite
+close to the Swiss border. During the fighting some of the shells
+actually fell on Swiss ground. The force advancing from Steinbach could
+not capture Cernay, so it turned to the south, and tried to seize the
+village of Burnhaupt in order to attack Mulhouse from another angle. The
+village was taken by the French; but was retaken, though with heavy
+loss, by the Germans. Strive as they would, the French could get no
+nearer to Mulhouse.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+If you look to the north of Cernay, you will see a spur of the Vosges
+known as Hartmannsweilerkopf. It stands 2,000 feet above the plain, and
+consists of rugged rocks covered with pine trees. He who possesses the
+kopf can command a very large part of the plain, for he can shell many
+roads and railway lines. The French greatly coveted it, and they had
+already established a small advance post on it. Let me tell you how this
+post was lost and won again. Soon after the fighting at Altkirch,
+violent winter storms began to rage. Snow fell without ceasing for a
+fortnight, and the upper glens were choked with drifts. When the sky
+cleared the chasseurs donned their skis and made some daring raids on
+German posts in the hills. The Germans were active too. On 19th January,
+during a blinding snowstorm, they climbed Hartmannsweilerkopf and
+attacked the French post at the summit. Four companies of chasseurs
+made a most gallant attempt to relieve the defenders, and for two days
+fought fiercely amidst the icy rocks and snow-laden bushes. They could,
+however, make no headway, and the post was captured by the Germans on
+21st January.
+
+Not until the 27th of March was it recaptured. On that day the Chasseurs
+Alpins made a fierce onset and carried the last line of the German
+defence, which was protected by a blockhouse. Once more they were in
+possession. At once the Germans hurried up reinforcements from all parts
+of Alsace, and the order went forth that the position was to be
+recaptured at all costs. They attacked in dense masses with great
+courage, and were able to entrench themselves hurriedly on the edge of
+the summit and along the slopes. During the night, however, the French
+Alpine troops were reinforced, and by dint of tremendous efforts guns
+were dragged up the icy slopes to the top of the spur, and were placed
+in position on the right and left flanks of the enemy. Next morning the
+chasseurs attacked the Germans and drove them back, while the guns
+assailed them with a terrible fire. The enemy made a stubborn resistance
+and brought up fresh troops, specially trained for mountain warfare and
+supplied with mountain guns. For three days the struggle continued, and
+at the end of it the whole of the slopes were clear of the enemy. The
+recapture of the spur was a great feather in the French cap. Again and
+again during the year the Germans made efforts to seize it, and more
+than once it fell into their hands. Late in December the Germans claimed
+to have recovered the whole position, but this was denied by the French.
+
+[Illustration: Chasseurs Alpins attacking a Custom House in the High
+Vosges.
+
+(_From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This incident took place in the district south of the Schlucht Pass. The
+blockhouse was defended by Germans. A French lieutenant rushed forward
+and attempted to batter down the door with his rifle, but was
+immediately shot. A second officer fell, and then the men rushed the
+house and captured it. The French soldiers shown in the picture are
+Chasseurs Alpins. Notice that some of them are on skis.]
+
+For the rest of the year the battle-front in Alsace showed but little
+change. The French held every gun position on the eastern slopes of the
+Vosges, and were in command of all the roads leading down to the plains.
+The Germans held the plain and its railways, and were able to oppose any
+movement from the mouths of the valleys towards the Rhine. The French
+had secured one great advantage. Should they wish to push towards the
+Rhine through the Gap of Belfort, their left flank was secure.
+
+[Footnote 11: _Sant meh-nou´._]
+
+[Footnote 12: _Soo-ahn._]
+
+[Footnote 13: _Pert._]
+
+[Footnote 14: _Boh say-joor._]
+
+[Footnote 15: See Vol. II., chap. ix.]
+
+[Footnote 16: _Lays-ay parge._]
+
+[Footnote 17: _Tee-ō-koor._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER X.
+
+  THE SUBMARINE BLOCKADE BEGINS.
+
+
+So far the Germans had failed hopelessly at sea. The battle off Coronel
+had been their only success, and the squadron that had achieved it was
+now no more. The bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby, and the Hartlepools
+had been hailed in Germany as a great victory, and the enemy loudly
+boasted that the British fleet no longer commanded the North Sea. We at
+home were filled with anger, but we showed no panic; while in America
+the bombardment of innocent townsfolk in unfortified places was held to
+be sheer murder, and there were many jeers at the German commanders who
+had struck foul blows at those who could not strike back, and had then
+run away. The German navy was covered with ridicule. It dared not come
+out and risk a battle, while to sit still and do nothing was to proclaim
+itself a mere sham.
+
+The British fleet, ever since the beginning of the war, had stopped and
+searched all merchant ships bound for ports on the North Sea and the
+Baltic Sea, in order to ascertain whether they had on board contraband
+of war--that is, arms, ammunition, explosives, or other articles or
+materials which might be used against us. It is a rule of international
+law that if such goods are sent by a neutral to a State which is at war,
+they may be seized by the enemy of that State. We had sent lists to all
+neutrals setting forth the kinds of goods which we would not allow the
+enemy to receive, and our warships had discovered many vessels which
+were laden with such goods. These ships were taken into port, and a
+court sat to decide whether or not they were guilty of carrying
+contraband. If found guilty, they were seized by the State. You can
+easily understand that the trade of neutrals with our enemies almost
+came to an end. The exporters of New York, who were chiefly
+German-Americans, found their business falling off greatly, and they
+tried hard to stir up quarrels between the United States and Great
+Britain.
+
+The United States had determined to be strictly neutral in the war. Most
+of the people were friendly to the Allies, but there were about four
+millions of Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians in the country, and many
+of them were strongly in favour of the Central Powers. Germany sent
+agents to stir up these people, and to do everything in their power to
+bring about quarrels between Great Britain and the States.
+
+The Germans, as you know, were powerless on the seas, while we were
+all-powerful. From the States we imported large quantities of munitions
+of war. The Americans would gladly have sent munitions to Germany also,
+but as no German ship dared cross the Atlantic, the Germans were
+altogether cut off from this source of supply; hence their anger with
+the United States. We shall see later that the German agents in the
+States committed all sorts of crimes in the hope of stopping the
+manufacture of munitions and preventing their export to Great Britain.
+
+About a week after the Hartlepools raid, von Tirpitz, who was then at
+the head of the German Admiralty, told the Americans that they had
+stopped their trade with Germany because Great Britain had ordered them
+to do so, and he asked them how they would like to see all trade with
+Britain stopped by German submarines. Then came the Battle of the Dogger
+Bank, in which the German vessels scuttled for home as soon as they
+sighted the British fleet, but in the course of their flight lost the
+_Bluecher_. It was after this discreditable affair that von Tirpitz
+decided to carry out his threat. He gave notice to the President of the
+United States that on and after 18th February the waters surrounding the
+British Isles would be considered to be within the seat of war, and that
+all enemy merchant ships found in these waters would be sunk by German
+submarines. He also said that it might not always be possible to save
+the crews and the passengers of these ships, and that neutral vessels
+within this zone of war would be exposed to danger, and might even be
+sunk. To this the President replied, begging Germany to consider
+carefully before taking any such action, and warning her that the
+destruction of a United States ship or the death of American citizens
+would be considered an unfriendly act which might lead to war. The
+President then went on to point out that, until a blockade--that is, a
+complete stoppage of sea trade--could be carried into effect, the sole
+right which fighting nations possessed with regard to neutrals was to
+visit and search their ships in order to discover whether or not they
+were carrying contraband, and, if so, to bring them into port, where a
+court would adjudge them guilty or not guilty.
+
+[Illustration: A German Submarine awash.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+Of course, the German submarines could not completely blockade the
+coasts of the British Isles, nor could they take into port the ships
+which they stopped and searched. In the latter case they might be
+justified in sinking the ships, but they would be guilty of crime if
+they did not save the crews and passengers. A submarine cannot possibly
+take off the crews of merchant vessels, for it has no accommodation for
+them. Von Tirpitz's plan was piracy, and nothing else. In order to find
+an excuse, the Germans declared that all the wheat and flour coming into
+Germany from abroad belonged to the Government. The British now seized
+the cargoes of ships thus laden, because they were the property of an
+enemy Government. Then the Germans began to call heaven and earth to
+witness that Great Britain was trying to starve German women and
+children. Horrible pictures were painted of innocent people perishing of
+hunger. A German newspaper put the enemy's view in a nutshell when it
+said, "England wants to employ every means to shorten the war. The
+number of lives that would be lost if she could starve Germany is
+nothing to her. . . . Whether we wish it or not, we must seek to destroy
+England's life-nerve--namely, her merchant shipping." How she attempted
+to do this we shall read in the next chapter.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XI.
+
+  THE SINKING OF THE "LUSITANIA."
+
+
+The Germans were quite right in speaking of our mercantile marine as our
+"life-nerve." In 1913 we had nearly 39,600 merchant vessels, with a
+tonnage of more than 14,000,000 tons. You will get some idea of the
+vastness of our overseas trade when I tell you that the tonnage of ships
+owned in Liverpool alone exceeds that of the German Empire. On an
+average about 1,400 merchant vessels enter and leave our ports every
+week. This means that the submarines which were now going to destroy our
+"life-nerve" were presented with about two hundred targets a day.
+
+You must not suppose that the Germans waited until 18th February to
+begin their attacks on our merchant vessels. Early in February the
+German submarine U21 appeared in the Irish Sea, and proceeded to sink
+three small ships. On the same day other enemy submarines sank ships in
+the English Channel, one of them, the _Toko Maru_, being laden with
+mutton, stores, and clothing for Belgian refugees. Between "Pirate Day,"
+18th February, and 11th April, fifty-eight ships were attacked, most of
+which were sent to the bottom. Neutral as well as British ships were
+sunk by the submarines, several of them without warning. Sometimes the
+officers gave ten minutes' grace to allow passengers and crews to take
+to the boats; but in other cases the ships were sunk at sight, and more
+than once shells were fired at men in the boats who were trying to
+rescue their comrades struggling in the water. Frequently fast steamers
+escaped, and more than one vessel charged down on the attacking
+submarine. The _Thordis_, for example, crashed at full speed into the
+submarine which threatened her off Beachy Head, and sent it to the
+bottom.
+
+On 1st March Great Britain declared a blockade of Germany. By this time
+it was apparent that as a means of reducing our food supply or
+weakening our determination to continue the war, Germany's submarine
+"blockade" had proved to be a failure. Between 18th February and the
+middle of August less than one and a half per cent. of our ships were
+sunk, and we went on our way quite unmoved. Neutral countries, however,
+saw clearly what Germany's command of the sea would mean to them. The
+American nation was soon to be roused to the highest pitch of
+indignation by one of the foulest crimes ever committed.
+
+Already four American ships had been destroyed by the Germans, and
+several American citizens had been drowned. On 27th March the British
+steamer _Falaba_ was sunk off the Pembrokeshire coast with a loss of 112
+lives, including that of an American. The Germans did not wait until all
+the boats had been lowered before firing a torpedo into the steamer's
+side, and then, not content with sending so many helpless people to
+their doom, they watched them struggling in the icy waters without
+lifting a hand to help them. It is even said that they mocked and jeered
+at the drowning men and women. "This is not war; it is murder," said the
+_New York Times_. This crime, however, was soon to be outdone.
+
+On May 7, 1915, the Cunard liner _Lusitania_ was steaming a few miles
+south-west of the old Head of Kinsale, on her homeward voyage to
+Liverpool. She was one of the largest and finest liners afloat. She was
+totally unarmed, and she carried passengers and crew to the number of
+1,906, many of them being citizens of the United States. Before she left
+New York her passengers had been warned that the Germans meant to sink
+her. Nobody, however, dreamed that even Germans could descend to such
+depths of infamy.
+
+As the _Lusitania_ approached the Irish coast she received a message
+from the Admiralty warning her that German submarines were in the
+neighbourhood. She had reduced her speed to eighteen knots, so as not to
+arrive at the Mersey bar before the tide was high enough to enable her
+to cross. An artist who was saved thus described what happened:--
+
+    "The voyage from New York to London was made in excellent
+    weather. The sun shone all the way, and on the afternoon of the
+    disaster a golden sun lit up a beautifully blue, calm sea. I
+    think I can say that I was one of the four people who really saw
+    the torpedo discharged at the _Lusitania_. I was in the
+    dining-room about 2.15, and had just finished luncheon. I went
+    out, and leaned against the starboard side of the vessel, just
+    outside the palm lounge. I saw the periscope of a submarine
+    about 200 yards away. Then I noticed a long white streak of
+    foam. It gave me the impression of a frothy fizzing in the
+    water. A lady and two gentlemen came up to me and exclaimed, 'Is
+    that a torpedo?' I felt too sick to answer, and turned away.
+    Almost immediately there was a terrific impact, followed by the
+    explosion. . . ."
+
+Steam and smoke came up between the two last funnels, and almost
+immediately there was a second report, probably due to the bursting of
+the main steam pipe. "I at once gave the order," said Captain Turner at
+the inquest, "to lower the boats down to the rails, and I directed that
+the women and children should be got into them. The moment the vessel
+was struck she listed to starboard. I stood on the bridge as she sank,
+and the _Lusitania_ went down under me. She floated about eighteen
+minutes after the torpedo struck her." An English passenger thus
+described the scene as the _Lusitania_ sank:--
+
+    "Nearly a score of the boats on the port side were filled with
+    passengers, but it was found impossible to lower them owing to
+    that side of the ship standing so high above the water. I
+    managed to get across to starboard. The ship's deck was then
+    level with the sea. I made for a boat which was just putting
+    off, and, in fact, had one foot on the craft and the other on
+    the ship. Then, owing to something going wrong, the lifeboat
+    jammed, and all the occupants were thrown into the water. It was
+    a terrible moment. The passengers in the boat, including women,
+    screamed with terror, and soon sank. Other boats collapsed or
+    turned over, and hundreds of people, men, women, and children,
+    were struggling helplessly in the water, some clinging to boats
+    which had been upset. I struck out, and managed, after swimming
+    for about fifteen minutes, to come across a boat, into which I
+    was dragged. Hundreds of people were on rafts, and the sea was
+    alive with men and women."
+
+There was no ship of any kind in sight when the _Lusitania_ was
+torpedoed, except a Peel trawler which was lying inshore. She started at
+once to the rescue; but the wind was light, and she was slow in
+arriving. Nevertheless she managed to pick up over a hundred persons
+from lifeboats or rafts. So crowded was the trawler with rescued people
+that some had to sit with their legs dangling over the side. Other
+trawlers and boats from Kinsale came to the rescue, and later on the
+_Indian Prince_, a steamer from Queenstown, arrived, and began to pick
+up survivors. When the death-roll was finally made up, it was discovered
+that 1,134 persons had been killed by the explosion or drowned. Over a
+hundred American citizens went down that day.
+
+[Illustration: On the Face of the Waters--after the Sinking of the
+"Lusitania."
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+We can never know all the acts of heroism and self-sacrifice which were
+performed when the passengers and crew of the _Lusitania_ were
+struggling for life in the water, but we know that Mr. Vanderbilt, the
+American millionaire, though unable to swim, gave his life-belt to a
+woman, and remained steadfastly on the deck awaiting his end. One of the
+drowned sailors was found with a little child strapped to his back, and
+no doubt its weight cost the swimmer his life.]
+
+No incident of the war provoked more terrible indignation against the
+Huns. It is said that two wealthy American citizens who were saved in a
+lifeboat stood up amidst the scene of horror, and pledged themselves
+that, if the United States did not go to war with Germany within seven
+days, they would forswear their country for ever. The news was received
+with bitter anger in Great Britain, and in New York there was a hush of
+horror, broken only by "the sniggers of German-Americans." A coroner's
+jury which sat at Kinsale brought in a verdict of wilful murder against
+the Emperor of Germany and his Government. "Remember the _Lusitania_"
+became a watchword at recruiting meetings, and thousands of men flocked
+to the colours, eager to avenge this foul and cowardly crime.
+
+America had declared that she would hold Germany to strict account for
+every American life lost as a result of the submarine "blockade." Seven
+days after the sinking of the _Lusitania_, President Wilson sent a very
+calm and moderate Note to Germany, declaring that American citizens had
+the right to travel wherever their business called them on the high
+seas, without their lives being endangered by warships, and that their
+Government would do everything to maintain this right. At the same time
+the Note suggested that the sinking of American ships and the
+_Lusitania_ was due to mistakes on the part of the commanders of
+submarines, and it called upon the German Government to disavow these
+acts, and prevent them from taking place in the future. Germany replied
+in a shuffling fashion; and on 21st July President Wilson sent another
+Note which practically threatened war if the Germans did not cease their
+blockade.
+
+How did Germany reply to this Note? On 19th August one of her
+submarines, without warning, torpedoed the White Star liner _Arabic_ off
+Cape Clear. The loss of life was small, for the vessel remained afloat
+for ten minutes, and there was time to lower the boats. When it became
+known that the _Arabic_ had twenty-six American citizens on board, anger
+flamed up anew. The wrath of Americans was raised almost to war pitch,
+especially when the Germans put forward a series of falsehoods in
+excuse. The German Minister at Washington now saw that his Government
+had gone too far. He begged the United States Government to wait for a
+report, and a little later he promised that full amends should be made.
+On 1st September he gave a written pledge that thenceforward passenger
+liners would not be sunk by submarines without warning, and without
+ensuring the safety of the lives of those on board, provided that the
+liners did not try to escape or show fight. He also declared that
+Germany had decided to make this change in her policy before the sinking
+of the _Arabic_.
+
+The Americans were delighted with this very doubtful promise, and they
+believed that they had forced Germany to give up the worst features of
+the blockade. If you read the promise carefully, you will see that the
+Germans had so worded it that they could still proceed in the old way. A
+submarine might give passengers time to get into small boats in
+mid-ocean, but how could it ensure their safety? There was a case during
+the "blockade" of men who had escaped in a boat being afloat for four
+days without food and water, and some of them dying from exposure. Then,
+again, the promise only applied to passenger liners, and not to merchant
+ships. It was quite easy for a submarine commander to sink a liner, and
+then pretend that it had resisted or tried to escape. Above all, nothing
+was said about the right of Americans to sail the seas without their
+lives being endangered by warships. Nevertheless, the Americans were
+delighted with the promise, and plumed themselves greatly on having done
+a great service to mankind.
+
+Three days later came a rude awakening. On the night of 4th September
+the Allan liner _Hesperian_ was torpedoed by a German submarine _without
+warning_. The liner was then 130 miles west of Queenstown She kept
+afloat for some time, and was towed towards port, but went down at seven
+o'clock on the morning of 6th September. There was a small loss of life,
+and there were two Americans on board. It was now clear to everybody
+that the German promise was a mere "scrap of paper." Wrath surged up
+again in the United States, but it led to nothing. The Germans
+untruthfully declared that the vessel was sunk by a mine and not by a
+submarine.
+
+During the last three weeks of August and the first week of September
+ships of all sorts were sunk at the rate of about sixteen a week. Then
+came a rapid falling off, and during the week ending 10th October only
+two ships were sent to the bottom. The submarine blockade was fizzling
+out. The Germans had changed their policy, not because of the protests
+of the Americans, but because they had discovered that the game was not
+worth the candle. Mr. Balfour, in a letter to a correspondent, gave the
+true reason why the Germans were bringing the blockade to an end. He
+said that while the losses of German submarines had been very great, the
+British merchant navy was stronger than when the blockade began. Though
+many innocent persons, women and children as well as men, had been
+robbed and killed, the criminals had paid a heavy toll. The reason why
+the Germans had changed their policy was not because the United States
+had protested, not because the Germans had revolted against lawless
+cruelty. "No. The reason is to be found elsewhere. It is to be found in
+the fact that the authors of the submarine policy have had time to
+measure its effects, and that deeds which were merely crimes in May, in
+September were seen to be blunders."
+
+By the month of June the British navy had learnt the art of capturing
+the submarines of the enemy; and so expert had it become in this work
+that a U boat, once discovered, had but little chance of escape.
+Submarine-hunting became the great sport of the navy, and every young
+officer and bluejacket was eager to engage in it. We do not know how
+many German submarines were destroyed, but we were informed, through
+America, that seventy-eight of them had been seized or sunk, and that in
+December 1915 at least five of the Kaiser's submarines, manned by
+British seamen, were doing splendid work against his ships in the
+Baltic. The British only rarely announced their successes, and the
+German submarine crews were always in doubt as to the fate of their
+fellows. Before long their nerve failed them, and even at the beginning
+of their voyages they were disheartened and hopeless.
+
+The methods by which the enemy's submarines were captured or destroyed
+were not revealed, but we know that fast motor boats, each armed with a
+powerful gun, were employed in the hunt, and that steel nets were
+sometimes used. When a big fish was caught the floats of the nets gave
+warning, and destroyers promptly arrived to deal with it.
+Innocent-looking patrol boats were sometimes attacked, and, too late,
+the biter discovered that he was bitten. There is a story that a
+submarine commander, approaching one of these patrols, called out, "I
+give you ten minutes to take to your boats;" whereupon the skipper,
+whipping a concealed gun round and preparing to fire, returned answer,
+"And I give you three minutes to go to the bottom."
+
+No submarine loss caused such bitter chagrin in Germany as the sinking
+of the famous U29 late in March. You will remember that it was this boat
+which had sunk the _Hogue_, _Cressy_, _Aboukir_, and _Hawke_. Captain
+Weddigen, who commanded U29, had become a popular hero in Germany, and
+the Kaiser had showered honours on him. He was a good type of sailor,
+both skilful and brave, and it is to his credit that he was known in
+this country as "the polite pirate." He not only expressed his regret at
+having to sink merchant ships, but gave food and comforts to their
+crews, and towed their boats some distance towards the land. When it was
+known that Weddigen had gone down with all his crew in U29, the Germans
+put forth an absurd story that the submarine had been sunk while she was
+engaged in life-saving, and was unable to defend herself. One German
+newspaper demanded "revenge for Weddigen," and declared that no more
+sacrifices must be made to "the German system of humanity in war"!
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the troubles and
+trials which the Americans had to endure because of the attempts of
+German agents to stir up all sorts of strife in their country. Almost
+from the beginning of the year there were explosions and fires in the
+factories which were making munitions for the Allies, and there was
+little doubt that these outrages, which frequently led to loss of life,
+were the work of German hirelings. During August the _New York World_
+published evidence proving that German money was lavished amongst
+newspapers for the purpose of getting them to publish articles in favour
+of Germany. It also proved that men were paid to bring about strikes in
+engineering shops, to blow up ships laden with munitions, and to
+interfere in every possible way with American affairs, so as to cause
+trouble between Britain and the United States.
+
+On 6th September matters came to a head. Papers taken from an American
+journalist at Falmouth showed that Dr. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian
+ambassador, was at the bottom of a series of attempts to prevent
+factories from making munitions for the Allies, and to stir up American
+exporters against Britain. Amongst these papers was a private letter
+from Captain von Papen, a German soldier attached to the German Embassy.
+In it he spoke of "these idiotic Yankees." The Americans were indignant
+at these exposures and insults, and the Government demanded that Dr.
+Dumba should be recalled. He was handed his passports, and he left
+America--for America's good.
+
+On 10th November the Italian liner _Ancona_, bound from Naples to New
+York, was fired at and torpedoed in the Mediterranean Sea by two large
+submarines, probably German, but carrying the Austrian flag. Some 500
+persons were on board, and only some 260 were saved. Amongst those who
+perished were about 20 American citizens. At once President Wilson sent
+a sharp Note, demanding that Austria should disavow the crime, punish
+the captains of the submarines, and promise to safeguard American
+passengers in the future. To this Note Austria replied in a very defiant
+fashion, and by so doing again strained the patience of the American
+people almost to the breaking point. At the close it looked as though
+America was about to break off all relations with Austria.
+
+In December the German Government was obliged to recall Captain von
+Papen and another member of the Embassy. These two men had set the
+American Government at defiance, and had encouraged plots throughout the
+length and breadth of the country. Some of their agents were brought to
+trial, and were punished, and President Wilson announced that the men
+who were plotting to destroy property and to undermine the Government
+must be "crushed out." Thus, at the close of the year America seemed to
+be ready to put an end to the German mischief-makers who had done so
+much to disturb the peace of the country, and to foster lawlessness and
+strife.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: A German Submarine half submerged.]
+
+
+  CHAPTER XII.
+
+  STORIES OF SUBMARINES.
+
+
+  "_We'll duck and we'll dive like little tin turtles,_
+   _We'll duck and we'll dive beneath the North Seas,_
+   _Until we strike something that doesn't expect us:_
+   _From here to Cuxhaven it's go as you please._"
+
+      Rudyard Kipling.
+
+I have told you in these pages of many daring deeds and narrow escapes
+on the battlefield; but for exploits which really thrill us and make us
+hold our breath, we must go to the men who fight in the air or under the
+sea. Jules Verne never imagined anything half so marvellous as their
+doings. When the war is over, we shall hear stories of aviators and of
+the crews of submarines which will make the wildest inventions of
+writers of adventure seem tame and colourless.
+
+"The business of the submarines," says Mr. Kipling, "is to run monstrous
+risks from the earth, air, and water, in what, to be of any use, must be
+the coldest of blood." Submarine officers, he continues, "play hourly
+for each other's lives, with Death, the umpire, always at their elbow on
+tiptoe, to give them 'out.'" And consider the bowling and fielding in
+this nightmare game, where there is rarely a second innings. A bomb from
+a Zeppelin or an aeroplane, a shot from a 4-inch gun, a bump against a
+mine, a collision with a reef or the bows of a destroyer, trawler, or
+tramp, an accident to the complicated gear--and all is over.
+Nevertheless, the officers and crews of submarines soon lose the sense
+of imminent peril, and go about their business quite unconcerned.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following story shows how a submarine was trapped, but managed to
+free herself and turn the tables on her enemy. A British boat, which was
+cruising under water in the North Sea, ran her nose into a net and
+became entangled. She rose to the surface, meaning to cut away the net
+and get clear. No sooner did her conning tower appear above the water
+than her commander saw a Zeppelin hovering right above him, and in a
+moment a bomb plumped into the sea unpleasantly near. He had no
+alternative but to go below again; but this he had to do as gingerly as
+possible, for otherwise the submarine would have wrapped herself up in
+the net still more. Steadily she sank, and by slow working and wriggling
+managed to get clear of the entanglement. Then she lay on the bottom,
+and her commander began to think out the next move in the perilous game.
+Should he go back to warn the other submarines, or should he wait and
+try to "bag" something? He knew that the Zeppelin believed him to be
+entangled in the net, and that it was sure to signal for destroyers to
+come and finish him off, so he sat tight and waited. In a few minutes he
+heard the screws of the destroyers churning above him. Then he rose, and
+at the critical moment gave the signal to let loose a torpedo. The shot
+went home: the destroyer crumpled up, and was taken in tow by a consort.
+Unhappily, as the commander had no more torpedoes, he was balked of a
+second victim.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Since the war began, British submarines have penetrated into every
+harbour and river mouth on the coast of Germany. One day a British boat
+in the mouth of a German river was seen by the enemy. At once she went
+under; but though she lay on the silt at the bottom, she had not more
+than five feet of water above her. Almost any patrol boat could have hit
+her and destroyed her had her whereabouts been known; but somehow the
+Germans missed her. They meant to catch her, however, and began to sweep
+the river with a wire trawl. Before long the commander of the submarine
+heard the trawl rasping along his hull. He sat and listened, expecting
+every moment that it would catch on something, and reveal him to the
+Germans working above. The suspense was enough to turn a man's hair
+gray. Happily, the trawl slid off the hull, and the danger passed. At
+nightfall the submarine made her way into the open sea, and finally
+reached harbour safely.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following story has been told of a fight between a British submarine
+and a Zeppelin. One day a boat came to the surface, and found herself
+right underneath a Zeppelin that was flying only a few yards above the
+sea. The commander could not see the sky, only the shining bulge of the
+airship. Luckily he was not under the "stinging end" of the monster.
+Immediately he sank till his decks were awash, and went away to
+windward, so that the Zeppelin had to follow him with the wind in its
+teeth. Then he sent a man to the gun on deck. The waves were washing
+over the submarine, and the man was nearly drowned; but he hung on, and
+whenever he saw a chance, fired a shot at the airship, which by this
+time was dropping bombs. One of his shots got home, and the Zeppelin was
+obliged to steer to leeward and give up the chase. A fortnight later she
+was seen with a patch on the place where she had been hit.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On page 283 of our third volume I told you how Lieutenant Holbrook won
+the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery while in command of a
+submarine which was scouting in the Dardanelles during December 1914. In
+these narrow waters, and in the Sea of Marmora, some extraordinary feats
+were performed by our submarines during the year 1915. An American
+correspondent tells us that our under-water boats created a reign of
+terror amongst the peasants and villagers living on the shores of that
+sea. Turkish warships and gunboats and large numbers of transports and
+supply ships were sunk, and navigation was almost entirely suspended. On
+April 27, 1915, Submarine E14 dived under the enemy mine fields and
+entered the Sea of Marmora. In spite of strong currents, the presence of
+hostile patrols, and the hourly danger of attack from the enemy, she
+succeeded in sinking two Turkish gunboats and two transports, one of
+them large and full of troops; and after cruising in the enemy's waters
+for twenty-two days, returned in safety. For this remarkable exploit,
+which the admiral at the Dardanelles declared himself unable to do
+justice to, Lieutenant-Commander Edward Courtney Boyle received the
+Victoria Cross.
+
+Late in May the British submarine E11 had an extraordinary "bag." She
+succeeded in destroying one large Turkish gunboat, two transports, one
+ammunition ship, and three storeships, and drove another storeship
+ashore. Then she passed through the minefield on her homeward way; but,
+on sighting another Turkish transport, returned, and managed to torpedo
+it. In the course of her cruise she entered the Golden Horn, and
+actually discharged a torpedo at a transport lying alongside the
+arsenal. The Turks declared that the torpedo struck the quay and blew up
+two hundred yards of masonry. Lieutenant-Commander Martin Eric Nasmith,
+who was the heart and soul of these intrepid feats, was rightly awarded
+the highest token of valour.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Getting into and out of the Sea of Marmora is a terribly difficult
+business, as the "Narrows,"[18] through which all ships must pass, was
+strewn with mines; the shores were studded with batteries and concealed
+torpedo tubes. Lieutenant Holbrook, you will remember, had to dive under
+five rows of mines before he could torpedo the Turkish battleship
+_Messudiyeh_. Mr. Kipling tells us that "one boat went down the straits,
+and found herself rather canted over to one side. A mine and chain had
+jammed under her forward diving-plane. So far as I made out, she shook
+it off by standing on her head and jerking backwards; or it may have
+been, for the thing has occurred more than once, she merely rose as much
+as she could, when she could, and then 'released it by hand,' as the
+official phrase goes."
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes starting off with his Raft.
+
+(_Photo, Central News._)]
+
+Perhaps the most thrilling feat of daring ever associated with submarine
+warfare was performed by Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes on August 21,
+1915. Lieutenant Hughes had already distinguished himself during the
+operations of E11 which I have described above. He volunteered to make a
+single-handed attempt to blow up a Turkish railway. A raft was prepared,
+and on it were placed the charge, his clothes, a revolver, a bayonet,
+and an electric torch. Round his neck he carried a whistle. Towards
+dusk the submarine ventured within sixty yards of the land, and then
+Lieutenant Hughes, stripped to the skin, went overboard, and pushing his
+raft before him, swam to the shore. When he touched bottom he found that
+the cliffs were too high to scale. He therefore started off again, and
+swam along the shore until he reached a less precipitous landing-place.
+Having dressed, he clambered up the rocks, carrying his charge with him.
+After a stiff climb he reached the top of the cliffs, and proceeding
+with great caution, made his way to the railway line, which he followed
+towards a viaduct.
+
+He had only advanced about five or six hundred yards when he heard
+voices, and shortly afterwards caught a glimpse of three Turkish
+soldiers sitting by the side of the line and talking loudly. After
+watching them for some time he decided to leave the charge, which was
+heavy and cumbersome, and make a wide circuit inland, so as to get to
+the viaduct unseen. This he did, the only incident by the way being an
+unfortunate fall from a wall into a farmyard, where his sudden
+appearance startled the poultry and disturbed the household. He was not,
+however, detected. When he came in sight of the viaduct he found that it
+was guarded. A fire was burning at one end of it, and there were men
+close at hand. It was impossible to destroy the viaduct, so he returned
+to the place from which he had started, picked up his charge, revolver,
+bayonet, and electric torch, and looked for a spot where he might do as
+much damage as possible to the line.
+
+Searching about, he found a low brickwork support over a small hollow,
+and there he placed his charge. He was only 150 yards from the three
+soldiers, who were still sitting by the line. He muffled the fuse pistol
+as tightly as possible with a piece of rag; but when he pulled it the
+noise was sufficiently loud to be heard by the soldiers, who stood up,
+looked around them, and catching sight of the lieutenant, ran towards
+him. He fired two shots at them, but missed, and hotly pursued, beat a
+hasty retreat along the line to the eastward. A few shots were fired at
+him, but he was not hit, and after running about a mile he found himself
+close to the shore.
+
+At once, without discarding his clothes, he plunged into the water, and
+as he did so the charge exploded. Fragments of brick and earth fell
+around him, and even near the submarine, which was then in a small bay
+behind the cliffs about six hundred yards from the shore. After swimming
+for four or five hundred yards the lieutenant blew a long blast on his
+whistle, but the submarine did not hear it. Day was now rapidly
+breaking, so he turned back to the shore and rested for a short time.
+Then he threw away his revolver, bayonet, and electric torch, and
+entering the water once more, swam towards the bay in which the
+submarine was lying. Not until he had rounded the last point was his
+whistle heard.
+
+As his comrades prepared to come to his assistance he heard shouts from
+the cliffs above, and saw Turkish soldiers firing on the submarine,
+which now came out of the bay stern first. In the morning mist he
+mistook the bow, the gun, and the conning tower for three small rowing
+boats. Thinking that these boats were manned by his enemies, he swam
+ashore again and began to climb up to a hollow of the cliffs some
+distance above him. He had not climbed more than a few feet before he
+saw the submarine, realized his mistake, and began shouting to his
+comrades. Once more he entered the water, and about forty yards from the
+rocks was picked up in an exhausted condition. He had swum the best part
+of a mile in his clothes.
+
+Thus happily ended Lieutenant Hughes's daring adventure. I think you
+will agree with me that as a story of pluck, endurance, and resource it
+is hard to beat.
+
+[Footnote 18: The narrowest part of the Dardanelles, 14 miles from the
+Mediterranean. The width of the strait at the Narrows is about
+three-quarters of a mile.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIII.
+
+  MORE STORIES OF SUBMARINE WARFARE.
+
+
+You must not suppose that our submarines carried out their raids in the
+Dardanelles and in the Sea of Marmora without loss. Several of our
+under-water boats came to grief. E15, for example, while trying to
+torpedo a Turkish ship at the Narrows,[19] ran ashore on the Asiatic
+side. She was undamaged, and a Turkish destroyer speedily appeared on
+the scene. The admiral on the station was anxious that she should not
+fall into the enemy's hands, so he gave orders that she was to be
+destroyed. The story of how she was finally blown up is worth telling.
+Five different methods of destroying her were tried, but all in vain.
+Aeroplanes endeavoured to drop bombs on her, but without success;
+submarines tried to torpedo her, but failed; destroyers attempted to
+sink her, but could not manage to do so; and two battleships fired at
+her, but did not hit her. The battleships aimed their turret guns from a
+distance of 5¼ miles, and found that the conning tower of the submarine
+was too small a target. As a last resort the admiral gave the following
+order: "Two picket boats from _Triumph_ and _Majestic_ are to attack E15
+to-night (April 18) with torpedoes fitted to dropping gear. . . . Only
+volunteer crews to be sent."
+
+An officer in charge of the _Triumph's_ boat tells us[20] that he was
+joined by the boat from the _Majestic_ at 10 p.m.
+
+"We steamed about eight knots, as the current was strong, and until we
+reached the beginning of the dangerous area we chatted--to keep up our
+courage, perhaps! As a matter of fact, I wasn't in much of a funk, and
+felt fairly cool, for I have been under fire a good many times, and I
+recognized that I had got a chance that does not often come in a man's
+life. It was a bit eerie, though, steaming along in the pitch dark, with
+all lights out in the boat, towards the distant searchlights, not
+knowing whether death or life awaited us. . . .
+
+"We kept nearly in the centre of the channel, to avoid being spotted by
+the No. 7 searchlight, which was not a very high one. We had come along
+quite unobserved until we were abeam of it, passing the smaller
+searchlights without much trouble. Unfortunately the men stationed near
+the No. 7 searchlight saw us, and started firing 6 or 12 pounder
+shrapnel at us.
+
+"Thus the ball opened. We still had three to four miles to go. We
+continued our way and approached the other searchlights. The alarm
+having been given, all the other searchlights came on and sent their
+beams searching round to pick us up, and as each beam struck us, bang
+would go another gun. A few seconds later we would hear a ping as the
+projectile whizzed past us, or a sharp metallic crack as a shrapnel
+burst just over our heads."
+
+By the time they arrived near the stranded submarine eight searchlights
+were trained on them, and guns were firing at them from six different
+points. Presently they saw a dark mass which they thought to be the
+submarine, and fired a torpedo at it, but missed.
+
+[Illustration: The End of a Submarine.
+
+The cruiser has fired at the submarine and hit her, but to make
+assurance doubly sure, is now crashing down upon her at full speed.]
+
+"Suddenly we saw the _Majestic's_ boat in trouble and the crew calling
+for help. It appeared that coming up behind us, and whilst the
+searchlights were focussed on us, one of the beams passed us and shone
+right on E15; and the _Majestic's_ boat was luckily only two hundred
+yards away, and saw it. Lieutenant Godwin immediately fired one torpedo,
+which did not strike the object. At that moment his boat was struck by a
+shell under the water-line aft, and commenced to take in water rapidly.
+He gallantly turned his boat towards E15 again, steamed in a bit, and
+fired his second torpedo, which caught E15 just in front of the conning
+tower and on the forward whale-back of the hull, making a fine
+explosion. I consider this was a very brave deed, as Godwin knew he was
+in imminent danger of sinking, but ran in again to have a second shot.
+
+"When we saw them their stern-sheets were awash, and it looked as if
+they might have to swim for it. We manoeuvred the boat to go alongside;
+but the current was terrible, and it made the handling a very difficult
+matter. The enemy saw the disaster, and redoubled their efforts. The sea
+all round us was a mass of splashes from projectiles, some of them
+fifteen to twenty feet high, whilst the water where the shrapnel burst
+was pitted as if by heavy rain. How it was we were not hit I cannot say;
+one would imagine it was impossible to come out of such a hail alive.
+All I can say is that God preserved us, and not a shot actually hit us,
+though we were one and all wet with the splashes.
+
+"As we steamed round again before heading out, we saw a man crawling out
+of the other boat's stern-sheets. He had been forgotten in the hurry of
+the moment. It looked like suicide to go back, but of course we could
+not leave him there, so manoeuvred close again and shouted to him to get
+into the water and swim towards us, which he did, and we hauled him into
+the boat unconscious. . . .
+
+"By this time we thought we had better clear out, so turned our nose
+towards home and steamed away at half speed, still under heavy fire. We
+did not like to go full speed, as we thought it would shake up the
+wounded man too much."
+
+The officer who relates the story tells us that when he reached the
+_Majestic_ the commander, "with the true old Navy touch, instead of
+congratulating us on the success of the expedition, and our people on
+their lives being saved, only asked them if they had saved any of the
+boat's gear!" Congratulations, however, came later, when the
+Vice-Admiral signalled that he had read with much pride the report of
+the torpedo attack on the wreck of E15, and that he considered the
+service which had been rendered of the greatest value.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the early months of the war the Baltic Sea was Germany's own
+domain. Her merchant vessels went to and fro across its waters without
+molestation from the British. By July 1915, however, our submarines had
+got through the dangerous channels, and were busily engaged in
+destroying German shipping. It was no easy matter for our submarines to
+enter the Baltic. The Germans had laid mines in the narrow waters by
+which alone entrance could be gained, and had established a patrol
+service. They felt sure that they could keep out the British submarines,
+but they had underestimated British skill, courage, and caution. From
+that time onward German vessels were sunk at the rate of about two a
+day. A battleship and at least two cruisers were sunk before the end of
+November, and a state of panic reigned. It was all-important that the
+Germans should maintain sea communication with Sweden, from which they
+drew vast quantities of iron ore and other raw materials, and also with
+Denmark. You can imagine their consternation when they found that none
+of their merchant ships dare leave port without the risk of being sent
+to the bottom. I need not tell you that in every case the British were
+most careful to save the lives of the crews.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One of the most successful of our submarine officers was Commander Max
+K. Horton. He was present during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and you
+have already read (page 168, Vol. II.) how on September 13, 1915, he
+sank the light cruiser _Hela_, and was playfully dubbed by his comrades
+"The Double-toothed Pirate." The next day, at great risk, he examined
+the outer anchorage of Heligoland, and on 6th October sank a German
+destroyer off the mouth of the Ems. When or how he got into the Baltic
+Sea we do not know, but we do know that on July 2, 1915, he torpedoed
+the German battleship _Pommern_, and that shortly afterwards the Tsar
+recognized this important service by conferring on him the Order of St.
+George. At the same time the cross of the same order was awarded to the
+members of his crew. During the Battle of the Gulf of Riga, which I
+shall describe in a later chapter, Commander Noel Laurence torpedoed the
+German cruiser _Moltke_, which, you will remember, took part in the East
+Coast raids and in the Battle of the Dogger Bank. She was badly
+disabled, and was towed away, probably towards Kiel. The Tsar awarded
+Commander Laurence and his crew similar distinctions to those conferred
+upon Commander Max Horton and his comrades.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One of our submarines, E13, ran aground early in the morning of 19th
+August on the Danish island of Saltholm, which lies in the Sound between
+Copenhagen and the Swedish town of Malmö. At 5 a.m. a Danish torpedo
+boat saw her, and signalled to her that she would be allowed twenty-four
+hours in which to try to get off. At the same time a German destroyer
+arrived, and remained close to the submarine until two other Danish
+torpedo boats came up, when she withdrew. The submarine, you must
+remember, was in Danish waters, and if the Germans should attack her
+they would commit an act of war against Denmark, which, as you know, is
+neutral. Nevertheless, at 9 a.m., two German destroyers appeared,
+launched a torpedo at the submarine, and fired at her with all their
+guns. The British commander ordered his men to abandon the vessel; but
+while they were doing so machine guns were turned on them, and shrapnel
+was burst above them. Fourteen of the poor fellows were killed, and not
+a soul of the crew would have remained alive had not a Danish torpedo
+boat gallantly steamed in between the submarine and the German
+destroyer, and thus covered the stranded vessel. This cowardly and
+murderous act caused great indignation not only in Britain but in
+Denmark. Once more German sailors had covered themselves with infamy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Russian submarines were also active in the Baltic. The following story
+tells us how a Russian submarine collided with a German warship which
+she had just torpedoed.
+
+Having picked up the smoke of enemy vessels on the horizon, the
+submarine approached them, and by means of her periscope discovered that
+they consisted of ten ships of the line and several torpedo boats. To
+prevent the enemy from seeing his periscope, the commander of the
+submarine steered to the port side of the squadron, where he was between
+the ships and the light. With his periscope six inches above the water,
+he approached the squadron, and then dived. When he rose again he
+sighted on his starboard the ram of the leading warship, which was
+cutting across his course at a distance of not more than sixty yards.
+
+Again he dived, and gave the order to fire a torpedo. The order was
+obeyed, and was immediately followed by a collision. A terrible crash
+was heard. The whole submarine trembled; the electric bulbs burst;
+crockery and all kinds of articles flew about; something above cracked,
+broke, and gave way. The submarine took a list to starboard, and the
+crew were unable to keep their feet. What had happened? The hull of the
+warship had struck the centre of the submarine. The men hung on to
+anything within reach, and fortunately kept their heads. "Full speed
+ahead" was the order, and soon the submarine regained her balance.
+
+She was 75 feet below the surface when a loud explosion was heard. The
+torpedo had got home. The noise was so great that the commander thought
+the shell of his boat had been damaged by the collision, and that it was
+collapsing under the pressure of the water. He therefore rose to 60
+feet, but the sound of the approaching screw of a large ship forced him
+to dive to 80 feet. Again and again he tried to rise, but every time he
+heard the screws of battleships and torpedo boats above him. He now
+discovered that his periscope was damaged, and that his boat was leaking
+and losing its buoyancy. Water had to be blown out of the tanks from
+time to time, and this revealed the presence of the submarine to the
+ships above. It was not until near midnight that she dared come to the
+surface. She rose carefully, and, thanks to the darkness, was not seen.
+Soon she was making her way to the shore, having been under water for
+four hours without a break.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+About the second week of May German submarines were reported in the
+Mediterranean. During the month of February the Germans completed the
+first of their big submarines which were capable of making the journey
+from Zeebrugge to the Dardanelles within three weeks. Secret bases had
+been established in Eastern waters, and the British Government offered a
+large reward for their discovery. Several of them were found on Greek
+islands. Before long the German submarines made their presence felt. We
+shall learn in a later chapter how, on 26th May, one of them managed to
+torpedo the _Triumph_, and the next day sent the _Majestic_ to the
+bottom. The submarines practically put an end to the bombardment of the
+Dardanelles forts by our ships of war. While firing at the forts the
+ships were obliged to move slowly, and thus were at the mercy of an
+enemy under water.
+
+Germany's new submarines in the Mediterranean mounted bigger and more
+effective guns than had formerly been employed on under-water craft, and
+they were able to destroy several vessels by shell fire. Not only
+British, French, and Italian vessels were sent to the bottom, but one if
+not two American ships. I have already told you of the sinking of the
+_Ancona_. Dastardly as it was, it was outdone on 30th December, when the
+Peninsular and Oriental liner _Persia_ was sent to her doom. She was on
+her outward voyage, and at lunch time was off the island of Crete, when,
+without warning of any kind, a torpedo was launched against her. Five
+minutes after she received her death-blow she had vanished utterly. More
+than 330 out of the 501 passengers and crew were lost, and amongst the
+victims were a large number of women and children. Lord Montagu, who was
+saved, cabled home as follows:--
+
+    "I have had a miraculous escape. The ship sank by the stern,
+    dragging me down with her. When I was blown up to the surface
+    again I saw a dreadful scene of struggling human beings. There
+    was hardly any wreckage to grasp. Nearly all the boats were
+    smashed, and only three remained afloat. After a desperate
+    struggle, I climbed on the bottom of a broken boat with 28
+    Lascars and three other Europeans. Our number was reduced to 19
+    by Thursday night, and only 11 remained on Friday, the rest
+    having died from exposure and injuries. We saw a neutral steamer
+    pass close by on Thursday evening at about 8 o'clock, but she
+    took no notice of the red flare shown by another of the
+    _Persia's_ boats. We saw a large steamer three miles away on the
+    next day; but she too ignored our signals, probably thinking
+    they were a ruse of an enemy submarine. Our broken boat capsized
+    constantly, and we were all the time washed by the waves, so
+    that we were almost exhausted when the second night began. At
+    8.30 p.m. we saw the Alfred Holt steamer _Ningchow_ near us, and
+    shouted as loudly as we could. On Friday night at 9 o'clock she
+    rescued us. We had been thirty-two hours in the sea without
+    water or food, except one biscuit, since breakfast time on
+    Thursday."
+
+Within a day or two of this outrage the British steamer _Glengyle_ was
+also sunk in the Mediterranean, but happily all the passengers were
+saved. In the North Sea we had got the submarine danger well in hand,
+but in the far more extensive Mediterranean the enemy remained powerful
+for mischief down to the close of the year.
+
+[Footnote 19: For an account of the Narrows, see Chapter XX.]
+
+[Footnote 20: _Blackwood's Magazine_, October 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIV.
+
+  WINTER FIGHTING IN POLAND AND EAST PRUSSIA.
+
+
+In chapter XXIX. of our third volume I told you how von Hindenburg's
+second attempt on Warsaw was foiled, and how the Russians during the
+last days of December 1914 stood firm on a front of great strength. At
+the beginning of the year 1915 the Russian front extended from the
+Baltic Sea right to the border of Rumania--a distance of at least nine
+hundred miles. In January 1915 the Russians were holding the longest
+battle front ever known in the history of the world.
+
+We may divide this very extended battle front as Cæsar divided
+Gaul--into three parts. The trenches in the central or Polish zone ran
+from the mouth of the Bzura, on the Middle Vistula, to the Upper
+Vistula, at its confluence with the Donajetz, in a fairly straight line,
+for a distance of about two hundred miles. On either side of this
+central zone there were two wings which differed greatly in character.
+Both were bent back from the line of the central zone: the north or
+right wing followed a sickle shape through a region of lake and marsh
+from the Baltic to the Vistula, and was for the most part within the
+East Prussian frontier; while the south or left wing ran from the Upper
+Vistula to follow the line of the Carpathians.
+
+We will now learn something of the fighting which took place in the
+first three months of the year 1915 on the north or right wing. For the
+first few weeks there was ordinary trench warfare such as was going on
+in the West. Attacks and counter-attacks were frequent, but there was no
+action of any great importance. Most of the attacks were made by night,
+beneath the light of rockets and star-shells and the glare of
+searchlights. On the Bzura River the trenches of friend and foe were
+only sixty yards apart, and in this section of the line the Germans
+tried a very ingenious method of breaking down the Russian wire
+entanglements. They filled barrels with clay, and rolled them down the
+slopes towards the Russians, who believed that men with wire-cutters
+were hiding behind the barrels and pushing them forward. They therefore
+flung their hand grenades at the barrels, only to discover that they
+were moving by their own weight, and that there were no men behind them.
+When the Russians had thus exhausted their supply of hand grenades, the
+Germans pushed forward and tried to rush the trenches. They were only
+beaten off after a furious struggle. Shells and bombs containing poison
+gases were also used by the Germans on this part of the line.
+
+In Poland there was the same kind of warfare as on the Bzura. Across the
+plains the Germans had made a maze of very strong trenches and
+earthworks with deep underground chambers, floored and roofed with wood.
+
+In Galicia, towards the end of January the bright sun melted the snows
+of the Carpathians, and the streams became roaring torrents which made a
+very effective barrier against surprise attacks. Nevertheless the enemy
+kept up a very heavy bombardment across the flooded waters. On the
+Donajetz River the Austrians broke the rules of war, and fired from
+their machine guns explosive bullets, which when they entered a man's
+body blew away half his back.
+
+Towards the end of January the Russians began to take the offensive on
+the wings. At this time, you must remember, the new forces which the
+Allies in the West had raised were not yet ready to take the field. The
+"thin line of steel and valour" in Artois and Flanders was only just
+holding its own, and it was feared that if the Germans brought troops
+from the East they would be able to break through the Allied line and
+reach the Channel ports. The Grand Duke Nicholas was, therefore,
+requested to attack von Hindenburg, and prevent him from releasing
+troops for service in the West. Earlier in the war he had sacrificed
+large numbers of his men in East Prussia to give his Western Allies a
+breathing space. Now, although his forces were very weak in guns,
+rifles, and ammunition, he showed the same high courage and chivalry. He
+knew that, if he pushed forward into the sacred land of East Prussia,
+von Hindenburg would hasten to engage him, and that if he threatened
+Hungary, the great granary of the Central Powers, the enemy would be
+bound to oppose him. The Grand Duke Nicholas was well aware that he
+could not hope for conquest. All that he could do would be to worry the
+enemy and prevent him from sending troops to the West.
+
+[Illustration: The Russians retaking a Trench before Bolimov.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+The following account of the incident pictured above was given by a
+Russian soldier:--"They did not stay long when we came down on them with
+our bayonets. Our artillery had dropped many shells right in the trench
+before we got there. The machine guns played on us until the last
+minute, and we paused to fire at the gunners. The few Germans who were
+left tried to drag the guns away with them, but our men took them away
+from them."]
+
+In order to provide a sufficient force for these attacks, the Russians
+had to draw off men and guns from their centre. Von Hindenburg knew
+this, and he therefore determined to make another effort to capture
+Warsaw by a frontal attack. The fifty-sixth birthday of the Kaiser was
+drawing near, and what better present could be made to him than the
+great Polish capital? You will remember that at this time the Russians
+were lying along the right bank of the Bzura and its tributary the
+Rawka. Look at the map on the next page and find the town of Bolimov, on
+the western bank of the Rawka. It is about forty miles from Warsaw, and
+is connected with it by a fairly good road. In front of Bolimov there
+are rolling downs and belts of wood. You will notice that the Russian
+lines cross the Rawka south of Bolimov.
+
+On the last day of January von Mackensen, who had brought up large
+numbers of heavy guns all along the left bank of the Rawka, began a
+terrific bombardment of the Russian lines. This was done to puzzle the
+Russians and make them uncertain as to where the infantry attack was to
+be made. The Germans proposed to advance on a line of seven miles
+between Bolimov and the Bzura.
+
+On the night of 1st February, when the snow was falling heavily, the
+German guns fiercely shelled the Russian trenches between the Warsaw
+road and the Bzura River. When it was supposed that the wire
+entanglements had been blown into a million fragments and the trenches
+utterly wrecked, 140,000 Germans, including Prussian Guards, advanced in
+masses, sometimes ten and sometimes twenty-two deep. They were mown down
+by Russian shot and shell; nevertheless they carried the first line of
+trenches, and by the evening of the 2nd February had pushed the Russians
+back to the crest of a ridge behind the town of Borzymov. On Wednesday
+the Germans looked like succeeding; but by means of the railways which
+you see to the north and to the south of Borzymov, and also by means of
+the roads, the Grand Duke hurried up reinforcements from Warsaw. They
+marched through the driving snow, and arrived on the scene of battle
+late on Thursday. By this time the Germans had been checked. They had
+pushed across the crest of the ridge behind Borzymov, had advanced five
+miles along the railway, and had very nearly broken through the Russian
+front.
+
+[Illustration: The Battle on the Rawka.]
+
+The fighting was terribly fierce, and the Germans lost heavily. Around
+Borzymov the slaughter was so great that the ground was cumbered with
+German dead, and the survivors used the bodies of their fallen comrades
+to build up defences. The woods to the south of the Bolimov-Warsaw road
+were also strewn with dead. By 8th February the Germans had been flung
+back to the banks of the Rawka, and the Russians had crossed the river
+at Dachova. The German loss cannot have been less than 20,000 men. The
+great attempt had failed, and it was now clear that Warsaw could not be
+captured by a frontal attack.
+
+As soon as von Hindenburg saw that the Bzura-Rawka lines were too strong
+for him, he was ready with a new plan. He was now about to try a flank
+attack. Look carefully at the map on the next page and notice the
+railways which meet in the Polish capital. By these railways alone can
+a Russian army maintain itself westward of the Vistula. In front of the
+main railway (A A) from Warsaw to Petrograd you see a river line--that
+of the Niemen and the Narev. Von Hindenburg's plan was to push out from
+East Prussia, carry the river line, cut the railway, and thus force the
+Russians to retire from Warsaw, which would then fall into his hands.
+Meanwhile the Austrians, on the Russian left wing, were to drive back
+Brussilov, relieve Przemysl, and try to recapture Lemberg. If these
+operations should succeed, the Russians would be forced back from the
+line of the Vistula to the river Bug, and it would take them a year's
+fighting to recover the lost ground.
+
+First of all we will follow the fortunes of the East Prussian campaign.
+While the fighting was proceeding on the Rawka, the Russians, who
+numbered about 120,000, were making headway in East Prussia. Despite the
+keen frost, the icy winds, and the deep snowdrifts, they pushed back the
+weak German forces opposed to them, until, on 6th February, their right
+was not far from Tilsit, and their left rested on the town of
+Johannisburg. Nowhere were they less than twenty-five miles within the
+East Prussian frontier.
+
+On 7th February von Hindenburg sprang his surprise upon the invaders. He
+suddenly hurled 300,000 men against the whole line which the Russians
+were holding. According to custom, the German left wing made an
+outflanking movement. It was successful, and the Russians holding this
+part of the line were forced to retreat along the railway towards Kovno.
+The 20th Corps just to the south of it now had its right "in the air,"
+and was obliged to retire. In the forests and marshes north of Suwalki
+it was broken up into parties of stragglers. The remainder of the
+Russian line was also driven back, but only after a stern struggle. By
+15th February the Germans were on Russian soil, and were moving towards
+the river line which screens the railway from Warsaw to Petrograd. They
+were about to attack on the Niemen, the Bobr, and the Narev at one and
+the same time. If the river line should be forced, the railway would
+soon be reached and cut.
+
+I have told you what happened in East Prussia in a few sentences; but
+you must not suppose that the Germans won easy victories. The Russians
+resisted desperately, and many of them fought to the last cartridge.
+Though their losses were very heavy, they performed a great feat in
+retreating seventy miles with a force three times as great hard on their
+heels. The Germans had a good railway system to help them in their East
+Prussian advance, but more than half of the Russian army had to retire
+through thick forests and drag heavy guns across a rough, broken country
+deep in snow and without railways.
+
+[Illustration: Map to illustrate the German attack on the river line.]
+
+The Kaiser sent the following message to his people: "Russians
+crushingly defeated. Our beloved East Prussia liberated from the enemy.
+Our beautiful Mazurian land is waste. (Signed) Wilhelm." The Germans
+claimed that they had captured 75,000 prisoners and 300 guns, but this
+was false. The total Russian losses were, perhaps, 80 guns and 30,000
+men.
+
+[Illustration: Austrian Trenches.
+
+_Photo, Topical Press._
+
+This photograph gives a good idea of the way in which trenches are
+constructed and manned. It will be noticed that the front and rear
+trench communicate by means of a narrow cutting, and that the trenches
+are dug zigzag so that they cannot be enfiladed along the full length.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XV.
+
+  A BATTLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
+
+
+The Russians had already prepared positions on the river line, and by
+19th February they had occupied them, and were waiting for the Germans
+to attack. Next day the enemy launched forces against the Niemen, about
+fourteen miles to the north of Grodno. A thick belt of wood on the banks
+of the river screened them from view, and some of them succeeded in
+crossing the river, but could not emerge from the forests on the other
+side. Though the railway was less than ten miles away, they were unable
+to reach it.
+
+Meanwhile the fortress of Ossowietz, on the Bobr, was undergoing a
+second siege. You will remember that the Germans had tried to capture it
+in the previous September, but had failed, because the fortress stands
+amidst marshes, and they could not find solid ground from which to fire
+their big guns. Again they failed, though they used every possible
+device to bring about its downfall. Every knuckle of hard soil on which
+a howitzer could be placed was known to the garrison, and they were able
+to silence the big guns of the enemy before they could do much mischief.
+It is said that the Germans lost 15,000 dead in their attempts to storm
+the fortress.
+
+Thus the attacks on the Niemen and the Bobr had come to nothing. By the
+beginning of March the Russians were advancing everywhere along the line
+from Kovno to the Narev, and the Germans were slowly retiring towards
+East Prussia. There was desperate fighting with the bayonet amidst the
+marshy woods near Augustovo, where large captures were made of German
+guns, supplies, and prisoners. By the middle of March the Germans were
+covering the East Prussian frontier, and were only ten miles within
+Russian territory. Meanwhile a great battle had been fought and lost on
+the Narev.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look carefully at the map on p. 115; it shows you the country between
+the East Prussian frontier and the Narev. This river flows in a winding
+course through a district of marshes and heavy woods, with here and
+there a few ridges. To the north of the river, and to the east of the
+town of Przasnysz,[21] which stands midway between the frontier and the
+Narev, there are some fairly high hills with patches of forest on their
+sandy slopes. The crossing-places of the Narev are protected by
+fortified towns, some of which you see marked by a star on the map.
+
+Find the town of Mlawa, of which you have already heard. On a front
+stretching for some twenty-five miles to the north-east of that town,
+and about a day's march in front of the Prussian frontier railway, the
+Germans massed two corps, and on 22nd February began to advance in three
+columns. The right travelled from Mlawa by the railway which you see
+marked on the map, the centre marched along the main highway towards
+Przasnysz, and the left followed the valley of a little river towards a
+road which enters the same town from the north-east. There was only a
+single Russian brigade in front of Przasnysz, and it was easily driven
+back. On the 24th the Germans entered the town, in which they seized a
+number of guns and captured about half the brigade which had been
+defending it.
+
+On the previous day another Russian advanced body which lay on a ridge
+near the village of Vola, to the south of Przasnysz, had been attacked.
+Elsewhere the Germans were advancing without much difficulty, but on
+this ridge a violent battle raged, and the Russians made a most heroic
+stand. For thirty-six hours they held out, and on the evening of the
+24th their reinforcements arrived. Four columns of Russians had advanced
+on Przasnysz from the Narev line, and the invaders were pressed
+northward on three sides. They were driven through the town in
+confusion, and on the 26th it was once more in Russian hands. All the
+next day the battle raged amongst the snowy ridges to the north-east and
+north-west of the town, and by Sunday morning the enemy was in full
+retreat for the frontier, leaving 10,000 prisoners behind him. Thus the
+whole attempt to capture Warsaw by a flank movement had failed.
+
+[Illustration: Scene of the Fighting round Przasnysz.]
+
+The Battle of Przasnysz was more like a struggle of the Middle Ages than
+a modern battle. The Russians short of arms and ammunition, and they
+could not supply all their trained men with rifles. In this and in other
+fights the Russians kept unarmed troops in the rear. When the men with
+rifles fell, the unarmed were sent forward to take up the weapons of the
+dead and wounded and then fling themselves on the foe. Men rushed into
+the firing line at Przasnysz with a sword bayonet in one hand and two
+bombs in the other. They charged through rifle and machine-gun fire
+until they were near enough to fling their bombs, and then fell
+furiously upon the enemy with cold steel, utterly reckless of wounds and
+death. The Germans could not stand against such an onset, and fled. Thus
+by sheer bodily might the Russians had flung back in rout a foe superior
+to them in numbers, and once more von Hindenburg found Warsaw beyond his
+grasp.
+
+[Illustration: The Retreat of the Austrians across the Uzsok Pass.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+This spirited drawing shows Russian cavalry driving the Austrians across
+the snow-bound Uzsok Pass. (See page 120.) In this attack the Russians
+fell upon the flank and rear of the Austrians during a violent
+snowstorm, and pursued them for many miles. Hundreds of Austrians
+surrendered.]
+
+[Footnote 21: _Pshas´nish._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVI.
+
+  THE FALL OF PRZEMYSL.
+
+
+You will remember that while von Hindenburg was vainly attempting to
+pierce the river line of the Niemen and the Narev on the Russian right
+wing, the Austrians were in motion against the south or left wing. On
+page 249 of our third volume I gave you a map, which I repeat on page
+119, showing the line which the Russians were holding in Galicia at the
+close of the year 1914. They then held the northern entrances to the
+Carpathian passes, and had pushed up the Dukla Pass almost to the crest.
+Newspaper readers in this country believed that before long the Russian
+legions would be pouring down on the Hungarian plain, and that when the
+great granary of the Central Powers was invaded the end of the war would
+be in sight.
+
+During the month of January the Russians strove hard to push across the
+Galician passes, and their cavalry actually descended to the Hungarian
+plain thirty miles south of the mountains. Not only was fighting going
+on in Galicia, but in Bukovina[22]--that is, the country of the beech
+woods--which stretches southward from the Dneister, across the Pruth and
+the Sereth, to the eastern face of the Carpathians. Ever since September
+1914 the Russians had held Northern Bukovina, and they now wished to
+conquer the whole of it, for several reasons. In the first place, it was
+Germany's main source of supply for petrol; in the second place, it lay
+on the frontier of Rumania, and it was thought that the presence of a
+Russian army in Bukovina would induce Rumania to join the Allies.
+Further, if Rumania should elect to do so, she would be able to join
+hands at once with the Russians. In the third place, there are several
+fairly easy passes from Bukovina into Hungary, and one of them is the
+main route from the north to the plains of Hungary.
+
+The Russians had only a division in Bukovina, and the Austrians opposed
+them with a force which was not much stronger. By the middle of January
+almost all the country was in the hands of the Russians. They had,
+however, not yet secured the pass which would enable them to advance
+into Hungary.
+
+The time had now come for the Austrians to make a great effort to save
+Hungary, and to prevent Rumania, with her large and well-equipped army,
+from entering into the struggle on the side of the Allies. How was this
+to be done? Two campaigns were necessary--the one to drive back
+Brussilov from the passes and to relieve Przemysl, and the other to
+clear Bukovina of the invaders.
+
+Let us see how the campaign in Bukovina fared. Three Austrian corps and
+one German corps crossed the mountains and advanced in two columns. The
+Russians, you will remember, had only one division with which to meet
+these four army corps. They were obliged to fall back, and thus Bukovina
+was cleared. The Austrians captured town after town, and early in March
+they entered Stanislau,[23] a railway junction only seventy miles from
+Lemberg. They were delighted with their success, and they reported that
+they had made huge captures of prisoners. They had now reached a
+position from which they could threaten the Russian communications.
+Soon, however, it was discovered that the Russians had only fallen back
+to a point where they could be reinforced. As soon as their numbers were
+sufficiently increased they advanced again, and pushed the Austrians out
+of Stanislau, and almost back to the line of the Pruth. By doing so they
+removed the danger to their communications.
+
+[Illustration: Position of the Russians in Galicia at the end of 1914.]
+
+Meanwhile what had happened in Galicia? Two Austrian armies had been
+fighting fierce battles in the deep snows and slush of the Carpathians.
+With infinite labour guns and transports had been hauled up the icy
+slopes, where a foothold could barely be maintained. Infantry attacks
+were difficult; the white snow threw up the figures of the men, who thus
+became excellent targets, no matter what uniforms they wore. Even night
+attacks were revealed, for on moonless nights the light reflected from
+the snow made all things clear. Both sides suffered terribly from the
+cold, but it told more severely on the Austrians than on the Russians,
+who are accustomed to bitter winters. In the last week of January a
+bright sun shone, and often the pure white snow was stained scarlet with
+the blood of the fallen. Blizzards swept across the mountains during
+February, and checked the fighting on the uplands, though it continued
+to rage in the foothills. Perhaps the most terrible hand-to-hand
+fighting known to history took place at a little village near the Uzsok
+Pass. Large German forces for two months vainly tried to oust the
+Russians, who had captured the position from them. Some idea of the
+awful losses sustained by the Germans may be gathered from the statement
+that one regiment changed from colonel to drummer boy three and perhaps
+four times. The village stands on a height, and during the winter is
+shrouded in snow. While the furious battles were raging, the height was
+reduced to bare soil, every foot of its surface having been ploughed
+with shell and drenched with blood. You can imagine the horror of trench
+life in this region, with the thermometer below freezing-point and the
+icy blizzards blowing almost daily. In some places the trenches were
+only forty paces apart, and so fierce were the attacks and
+counter-attacks that eight out of every ten men engaged in them are said
+to have fallen. At the beginning of February the Russians in this region
+destroyed a whole battalion of Germans, save the commander and twenty
+men.
+
+The Austrian army which fought between the Dukla Pass and the Uzsok Pass
+was charged with the duty of relieving Przemysl, but it was held back by
+the Russians, as also was the army which was operating more to the east.
+During the last days of February and the first days of March Brussilov
+fought a fierce battle on a ridge near the Uzsok Pass. He held the
+heights, drove back the Austrians, and even the most desperate bayonet
+attacks could not force him from his position of vantage. The Austrians
+were held up, and the Russians gained sufficient time to reinforce their
+weak troops which had been driven out of Bukovina. I have already told
+you that they advanced again and pushed the Austrians back to the line
+of the Pruth.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The attempt to relieve Przemysl had failed, and on 22nd March the
+fortress fell. Before I proceed to tell you the story of this Russian
+success, let me give you some idea of the situation and importance of
+Przemysl. It has been famous as a fortress for a thousand years. In
+early times it was regarded as the key to the Hungarian plains, and in
+modern times it has been considered as the main outlying protection to
+the city of Cracow. The town claims to date back to the eighth century,
+and certainly is one of the oldest cities of Galicia. The river San,
+which washes its walls, descends in wide sweeps from the Uzsok Pass,
+through mountain glens filled with fir and beech trees, and then through
+the vales of the foothills, which are planted with groves of apricot,
+pear, and cherry, and are dotted here and there with brightly painted
+wooden houses. The valley of the San is the orchard land of Galicia.
+
+The first modern forts of Przemysl were erected in 1871, and since then
+have been several times enlarged and improved, until, on the eve of the
+war, the fortress was one of the strongest in the country. It was a ring
+fortress like Liége and Namur. At a distance of six miles from the city
+there was a circle of outer forts with smaller works connecting them.
+Within this ring, about a thousand yards from the city, there was
+another circular series of forts. Had Russia been supplied with heavy
+siege guns such as the Germans brought against the Belgian and French
+fortresses, Przemysl would have fallen in a month. As it was, it held
+out, during its second siege, for seven months.
+
+A glance at the map[24] shows you that Przemysl is chiefly important
+because of its situation with regard to the railways of Galicia. It
+stands on the main trunk line connecting Lemberg with Cracow, and it
+gives railway access to the Lupkow and Uzsok passes. While Przemysl held
+out the Russians had to send supplies to their armies by long and
+roundabout routes, and they could not readily mass troops for a big
+movement against the passes. As far back as September 27, 1914, the
+Russians had closed round it, and had sat tight in their trenches hoping
+to starve it into surrender. The town was not well supplied with
+provisions, and by the middle of October the defenders were on very
+short commons indeed. Then came a blessed respite. Von Hindenburg's
+first assault on Warsaw forced Ivanov to retire beyond the San, and the
+Austrians found themselves able to pour food, ammunition, and supplies
+into the besieged fortress. By the 12th of November, when the Russians
+had surrounded it once more, there were four Austrian army corps in the
+place, and these, with the townsfolk and refugees, numbered some 200,000
+souls.
+
+It is still a matter of wonder why the Austrians kept four army corps in
+Przemysl. To hold the twenty-five miles circuit of the fortress 50,000
+men would have been ample, and every extra mouth in the place only
+brought the day of surrender nearer. One would have supposed that during
+the retreat of the Russians in October distant lines of trenches would
+have been flung out from Przemysl, as had been done at Verdun. The
+Austrians, however, showed no foresight, and the governor seems to have
+considered the town a capital place in which to spend the winter. When
+the Russians returned they had nothing to do but sit down and let the
+garrison eat up its supplies. When food gave out the fortress was bound
+to fall.
+
+[Illustration: The Fall of Przemysl.
+
+(_From the picture by H. C. Seppings-Wright. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture, which was drawn by the artist on the spot, shows Russians
+advancing to occupy the fortress, and passing on the way large numbers
+of Austrians who had been captured in the final sortie. The town of
+Przemysl is seen in the distance on the right. In the background are
+seen Austrian forts and a railway bridge being blown up. Almost in the
+middle of the picture a land-mine is exploding.]
+
+In December the Austrians made an attempt to relieve the fortress. In
+Chapter XXVII. of our third volume I told you how the Austrians
+launched two armies against the Russians, who were then threatening
+Cracow, and how the Russians were forced to retreat to the position
+shown on the map on page 119. During the Russian retreat the Austrians
+were so near to Przemysl that they could hear its guns thundering, and
+exchange signals with its garrison by means of searchlights. The time
+had come for the Austrians within the fortress to dash out and break
+through the lines of their besiegers. On 15th December five regiments
+did so.
+
+They broke through the Russian lines at the south-east angle, and for
+four days there was fierce and doubtful fighting. The Russians, however,
+managed to drive the Austrians back into the town. The sortie had
+failed, with a loss of 3,000 killed and wounded. Shortly afterwards
+Brussilov cleared the mouths of the passes, and by Christmas Day
+Przemysl was once more girdled by a ring of iron. I have already told
+you how the Austro-Germans made another attempt late in January and
+early in February 1915 to relieve the strain on the fortress, and how it
+came to nought. Thereafter the fall of Przemysl was only a matter of
+time.
+
+Fighting went on night and day. Many times the Austrians strove to break
+out, but each time they were driven back, with huge losses on both
+sides. The Russians counter-attacked, and won several of the forts.
+"These unexpected blows," wrote a Russian general, "greatly excite the
+garrison. Right through the night their searchlights sweep to and fro
+over our positions, and the long white rays rest trembling on every fold
+of the ground. At times something alarms the forts, and the air is
+instantly filled with the thunder of Austrian guns. The fire is kept up
+for thirty minutes to an hour before it subsides again." It is worthy of
+note that not a single Russian shell fell within the town itself.
+
+But all the time famine was doing its deadly work. Up to December there
+was no shortage of food; but when the new year set in the rations were
+severely cut down, first for the civilians, then for the soldiers, next
+for the hospitals, and finally for the officers. The weather grew cold,
+and there was no firewood. Bread could not be obtained at all, and a
+fowl cost twenty-four shillings. Soon the cavalry began slaughtering
+their horses for food. By March a cow was selling for £140, and a dog
+for £2, 10s.
+
+Mr. Stanley Washburn, a correspondent with the Russian army, tells us
+that the place was greatly over-garrisoned by patient, haggard soldiers
+starving in the trenches and sleek faultlessly-dressed officers living
+on the fat of the land in fashionable hotels and restaurants. While the
+garrison became thin and half starved, the officers ate three meals a
+day, and enjoyed fresh meat, cigars, wines, and every luxury. While
+soldiers were falling fainting in the streets, their officers were
+leading the life to which they had been accustomed in Vienna during
+times of peace.
+
+On the night of 13th March the end began. The Russians pushed through
+the outer line of defences and began to bombard the inner forts. Four
+days later the Austrians strove for the last time to break out, but the
+Russian guns caught them and mowed them down in swathes. The survivors
+were driven back with heavy loss, and 4,000 prisoners remained in
+Russian hands. Early on the morning of the 22nd the besiegers were
+awakened by the noise of loud explosions. The Austrians were blowing up
+the forts before surrendering the city. We are told that the burning
+forts smoked like a circle of volcanoes. Soon a white flag was seen
+fluttering above the highest building in the town. Przemysl was ready to
+surrender. Meanwhile the officers were shooting their chargers, to
+prevent them from falling into the hands of the Russians, and the
+soldiers, crazy with hunger, were greedily devouring the raw flesh. Tons
+of explosives were sunk in the river, guns and rifles were destroyed,
+and bridges were blown up.
+
+About nine o'clock a letter reached the Russian headquarters from the
+Austrian general saying that hunger had forced him to yield the
+fortress. A few Russian officers entered and received the surrender; but
+there was no triumphal parade such as had been witnessed when the
+Germans entered Antwerp.
+
+    "Civilians inform me," wrote Mr. Washburn, "that they gladly
+    welcome the Russians, and that the first troops who entered were
+    greeted with cheers, while the garrison was frankly pleased that
+    the siege was over and their troubles at an end. I have seen on
+    the road and in the town tens of thousands of prisoners, and I
+    believe the Austrians, especially the Hungarians, are
+    first-class raw material, but that now they are utterly broken
+    and helpless." (This he considered to be due to their wretched
+    officers, who, if those seen in Przemysl were fair samples,
+    appeared to be the most selfish and incompetent in Europe.) "I
+    have never witnessed a more unpleasant sight than that of the
+    dapper, overdressed Austrian officers laughing and chatting
+    gaily as they were driven in carriages to the railway station
+    for departure, passing through columns of their own men, pale
+    and haggard from hardships which apparently had not been shared
+    in any particular by their officers."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So fell Przemysl. Its capture was not so much a Russian victory as an
+Austrian disgrace. By overcrowding the place with soldiers, and putting
+careless, ignorant officers in charge of them, the Austrians ensured its
+downfall. About 120,000 prisoners, including 2,600 officers, fell into
+Russian hands; about 1,000 guns were captured, 180 of them fit for use,
+as well as a large amount of shell and small-arm ammunition. Russia had
+obtained an excellent base from which to advance against the central
+passes of the Carpathians, and she had set free an army of 100,000 men
+for future operations.
+
+The fall of Przemysl was greeted with great delight by the Allies, and
+it was thought that before the end of the summer Cracow would be sure to
+fall, Silesia would be entered, and the Russian legions would be
+sweeping through Hungary. Alas! these rosy hopes were soon to be
+disappointed. Within five weeks clouds began to gather in the East. The
+Russians were caught napping. The strongest army which Germany had ever
+mustered was hurled against them, and huge guns drove them remorselessly
+back from the soil which they had so hardly won. Less than forty days
+after the Austro-Germans began to move, Przemysl was once more in their
+hands. Nor was the retreat stayed until the Russians were driven far
+back on their own soil, and the very existence of their armies was at
+stake.
+
+[Footnote 22: _Boo-ko-vē´na._]
+
+[Footnote 23: _Stan´is-low_, 75 m. S.S.E. of Lemberg. It has extensive
+railroad shops.]
+
+[Footnote 24: Vol. III., p. 247.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVII.
+
+  STORIES FROM EASTERN BATTLEFIELDS.
+
+
+In this chapter I shall tell you some stories illustrating the fierce
+fighting which took place in the Eastern theatre of war during the first
+three months of the year 1915. I have already told you that Russian
+women frequently disguised themselves as men and fought with great
+heroism in the ranks. A Russian girl named Alexandra Lagereva was
+awarded a commission early in the year for fine soldierly conduct in the
+field. During one of the battles fought near Suwalki her detachment was
+surrounded by the Germans, and forced to surrender. Alexandra noticed,
+from the way in which her captors looked at her, that they had guessed
+her secret. Perhaps for this reason they did not go through her pockets,
+in which she carried a watch and a compass.
+
+The prisoners were locked up in a church, and a sentry was placed at the
+door. At night, when all was quiet, Alexandra formed a plan of escape. A
+window was broken, and the girl crept through it. She stealthily
+approached the sentry, whom she felled with a stone. Then several of her
+comrades clambered out of the window, recovered their horses, and, along
+with her, made off. Soon, however, a force of eighteen Uhlans barred
+their way; but Alexandra and her comrades managed to capture them. When
+the German lieutenant learned that his eighteen men had been overpowered
+by a girl and six Russians, he tore his hair in rage. He was found to be
+carrying important papers, and these Alexandra took to the nearest
+Russian commander, whose report on her gallant conduct led to her
+promotion. She was described as of middle height, slender and graceful,
+and by no means of that masculine character which her deeds would lead
+one to suppose.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Mr. Washburn, who has already been mentioned in these pages, tells us
+that the Russian officer looks upon his men as his children, and that
+they call him "father." "It is a strange relation," he says, "that one
+sees between them. I recall seeing a grizzled old colonel marching his
+much-cut-up regiment past him on the plains of Poland after an action.
+As each company passed the old hero called out in his deep bass voice,
+'I am pleased with you, my children; you have done well,' And each
+company replied in unison, 'Thank you, father; we are willing to do as
+much again.' And then they all marched back to the trenches and took up
+the burden of the campaign once more."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+You have already heard much about the Cossacks, who used to be
+considered demons of cruelty, but are now known to be much like other
+Russians--easy-going, kindly, and good-natured. One of the Cossack
+regiments is described as being clad in baggy greatcoats of undressed
+sheepskin dyed a deep claret colour, while other regiments sport similar
+garments of a bright orange hue. All wear on their heads hairy busbies
+about the size of a bushel measure. Each man owns his horse, and grooms
+it until it looks like a racing thoroughbred. The Germans go in terror
+of the Cossacks. A story is told that when a German soldier was captured
+in Poland he looked uneasily about him. On being asked what worried him,
+he said, "The Cossacks." He then went on to say that he and his comrades
+believed that the Cossacks could not be trusted alone even by the
+Russians. They were, he said, brought to the front in huge vans, and
+when an action began the vans were turned towards the enemy, and the
+doors were thrown open, when out leaped the Cossacks, sword in hand, and
+dashed upon the foe. When the fight was over, so he told his captors,
+the Cossacks were rounded up and coaxed back into their cages, where
+they were kept in confinement until the next battle!
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+An American doctor who offered his services to Russia because "Russia
+stuck to us during the Civil War," tells us that though the Germans are
+better rifle shots than the Russians, they cannot compare with the
+Tsar's soldiers when it comes to the bayonet. "When these moujiks,"[25]
+said the doctor, "climb out of their trenches and begin to sing their
+national songs they just go crazy, and they aren't scared of anything;
+and believe me, when the Germans see them coming across the fields
+bellowing these songs of theirs, they just don't wait one minute, but
+dig right out across the landscape as fast as they can tear. I don't
+think there's a soldier in the world that has anything on the Russian
+private for bravery. They are a stubborn lot, too, and will sit in
+trenches in all weathers, and be just as cheerful under one condition as
+another. One big advantage over here, as I regard it, is the good
+relations between the soldiers and their officers."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Mr. Washburn tells us[26] how the colonel of a Russian battery "had a
+great laugh on the enemy. What happened was this. A German Taube flew
+over the line several times, and it kept coming back so frequently, and
+hovering over the battery, that the officers who were watching it became
+suspicious that they had been 'spotted.' When darkness fell the men of
+the battery became extremely busy, and by working like bees moved their
+guns perhaps 600 yards to the south, and by daylight had them in the new
+positions and fairly well masked. Shortly after sunrise back came the
+aeroplane, and when over the old position it gave a signal to its own
+lines and then flew back. Almost instantly shells fell fast and thick on
+the abandoned spot. Six hundred yards away the men of the battery
+watched the shells falling, and laughed their sides out at the way they
+had fooled the Germans. . . . From glancing at the field torn up with
+shell fire one begins to realize what observation means to the enemy.
+With modern methods a single signal from an aeroplane may mean the
+wiping out in a few minutes of an unsuspecting battery that has been
+safely hidden for months."
+
+[Footnote 25: _Moo´ziks_, Russian peasants.]
+
+[Footnote 26: _The Russian Campaign, April to August_, 1915, by Stanley
+Washburn.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+
+We now return to the sodden plains of Flanders, where the torn and
+slashed fields, the riven woods, and the tattered hedgerows are
+beginning to don the livery of spring. Men looking out of their trenches
+are gladdened by the pale sunshine, the tender green of the young
+leaves, the songs of the birds, the patches of blue in the showery sky,
+and the early flowers that coyly peep out amidst the grass. These signs,
+which in the happy days of peace foretell the manifold delights of
+summer, have no such meaning for the men in the trenches; yet they are
+welcome, for they indicate that the long inactivity of the winter is
+drawing to a close. The day will soon arrive when the soiled and
+battered men who have watched each other so long from muddy holes in the
+ground will come to close grips again. Fierce, relentless warfare will
+begin once more; with what result only the future can tell. One thing is
+certain--many of those who now watch the miracle of spring will never
+see the glory of summer.
+
+The month of March has come. The trenches are in much the same position
+as they were in the preceding November. The gains and losses of the last
+five months have been trifling. But amongst the Allies there is a
+feeling that their day has at last arrived. Especially strong is this
+belief in the British lines. New troops are crossing the narrow seas
+every day; the Canadians and many Territorial divisions are in the
+field, and before the month is over there are half a million Britons on
+French and Flemish soil. Never before have we arrayed such a mighty
+army. It is fifty-five times as great as that with which King Harry
+charged the French at Agincourt, twelve times as great as that with
+which Wellington won victories in the Peninsula, twenty-five times as
+great as the British part of the mixed army with which he made an end of
+Napoleon at Waterloo, and twice as great as that which brought the
+South African War to a close. Four months ago the little British army
+had barely been able to beat off the fierce attacks of an overwhelming
+enemy. By miracles of valour alone had our much-tried soldiers been able
+to stem the torrent in the first onset of its fury. Now, for every man
+who kept the gate at La Bassée and Ypres there are four. Britons and
+Germans have now changed parts. It is ours to attack, theirs to defend.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+By the middle of February our General Staff felt itself strong enough to
+take the offensive. In Chapter IX. I told you how the French in
+Champagne had punctured the German line by means of an intense
+bombardment of the opposing trenches. We were now ready to make a
+similar attempt. If you look at the map on page 132, you will see a
+thick black line showing the position of our trenches about midway
+between La Bassée and Estaires. In front of the village of Neuve
+Chapelle this line makes a distinct sag to the westward. It was upon
+this section of the line that we meant to operate, and we hoped that we
+might not only capture the village and straighten out our line, but push
+the Germans off the Aubers ridge, from which coign of vantage the La
+Bassée-Lille railway line could be commanded. If fortune were kind, we
+might even reach Lille itself.
+
+Though Neuve Chapelle is only a small village, its fame is now world
+wide, and it will figure in the history books of the future. It is an
+unimportant collection of houses and small farms scattered about a
+junction of country roads, with a church in its centre. Our soldiers
+looking eastward from the British front could see the long, straggling
+line of houses among gardens, and the white church standing up tall and
+clear from the flat, marshy land. Let us suppose that we are aviators
+flying over the pretty village. What do we see? First, we notice the
+broad highway running from La Bassée to Estaires (AA), and from this
+road see two other roads, less than a mile apart, running parallel in a
+north-easterly direction (BB and CC). A road (DD) almost parallel to the
+broad highway (AA) connects these roads, and thus forms a diamond-shaped
+figure which is divided into two by a winding cross road (EE). Neuve
+Chapelle lies within the northern half of the diamond. Along the road
+(DD) the houses are small, and stand close together; those along the
+roads CC and EE are surrounded by gardens and orchards. At the
+north-east of the village (F) there is a small piece of ground filled
+with enclosures, and bounded on three sides by roads. Here the Germans
+have made a strong post so as to flank the approaches to the village
+from the north. Between the houses and the La Bassée-Estaires road are
+meadows and ploughland, seamed with German trenches. At the northern
+angle of the diamond our own trenches are but 100 yards away from those
+of the Germans. In other parts of the line the distance is greater.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+From our lofty eyrie we look eastward, and make out a clearly-marked
+ridge which is well known to us as the Aubers ridge. We see at a glance
+that Neuve Chapelle is the gateway to this ridge. Between the ridge and
+the village runs a small stream, and behind it, to the south-east, is
+the Biez wood. Along the stream is the German second line of defence,
+with strong posts at the bridgeheads. We notice that the stream crosses
+the La Bassée-Estaires road, and that to the north of it is a group of
+ruined buildings which our men call "Port Arthur." A mile eastward from
+the village is Pietre[27] Mill, with a tall chimney, which is a landmark
+for miles around. From the mill to Port Arthur runs a great network of
+German trenches. Earthworks are also to be seen in the Biez wood to the
+south-east of the stream. It is clear that before our soldiers can
+attain the ridge and threaten Lille they must carry this formidable
+line.
+
+[Illustration: The Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
+
+The black line shows the general position of the British front before
+the battle. A, 24th Brigade; B, 23rd Brigade; C, 25th Division; D,
+Garhwal Brigade; E, Dehra Dun Brigade.]
+
+On 8th March Sir John French called his commanders together and
+explained his plans. The main assault was to be made by the First Army,
+and two Indian divisions were to share in it, while the Second Army was
+to form a general support. In order to prevent the Germans from sending
+up reinforcements to the scene of the main attack, two other attacks
+were to take place at the same time, the one from Givenchy, the other
+just south of Armentières. A great mass of artillery was to be brought
+up, and a bombardment four times as intense as any which we had yet made
+was to be undertaken. Then when the German trenches were wrecked, our
+infantry were to go forward and attempt to drive a deep wedge into the
+German line. If all went well, we might be in Lille within a few days.
+
+On the 8th and 9th of March our big guns were brought up very quietly
+and placed in position. We were able to do this quite unknown to the
+Germans, because our aircraft had gained the upper hand of theirs. All
+sorts of big guns were massed together, and their positions are roughly
+shown on the map (page 132). Meanwhile, from ten o'clock that evening
+endless files of men marched silently down the roads leading towards our
+trenches. Watch the troops as they file by. Here are sturdy Garhwalis,
+with slouch hats and kukris at their belts, and farther down the road
+you see Gurkhas. Here, too, are the Leicesters--"the Tigers," as they
+are called from their badge. Yonder go the Lincolns and the Berkshires.
+You see the silver cross of the Rifle Brigade, the star and bugle of the
+Scottish Rifles, the Black Watch in their bonnets, the North Hants and
+the Worcesters, heroes of Ypres. Halted by the road are the Middlesex,
+the West Yorks, the Devons. Every British dialect is heard; men are here
+from Land's End to John o' Groats. All are eager for the fray; all long
+for the moment when the whistles will blow and the command will be
+given, "Over the parapet! Charge!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before morning our trenches were literally wedged with men, waiting in
+silence for the dawn. From the enemy's front there was as yet no sign of
+alarm, though their trenches at many points were less than one hundred
+yards away. A prisoner afterwards said that his captain noticed the
+massing of our men, and sent urgent messages to the artillery to open
+fire, but with no result. Before sunrise on the morning of the 10th hot
+meals were served out all along our line, for, as everybody knows, a
+Briton fights best when his inner man is satisfied. Then came another
+long wait in tense silence. Aeroplanes buzzed aloft, and every now and
+then officers looked at their watches. Every man knew that with the
+earliest light of morning the guns would begin to speak, and that some
+time later he and his fellows would be out in the open, making for the
+enemy's line as hard as they could pelt. The minutes dragged on. Would
+the dawn never come?
+
+Away to the east the faint light of a gray and sullen day now began to
+appear. The heavy clouds hung low in the sky, and ahead the mist
+shrouded the view. Before long the Germans knew that a big attack was
+preparing, but they took no steps to meet it. Our artillery now began to
+boom; "ranging shots" were being fired, but soon all was silent again.
+On the stroke of 7.30 some 350 guns suddenly spoke with an overpowering
+din that racked the brain and split the ears. The terrific roar was
+incessant, and the discharges were so rapid that it seemed as if they
+came from a gigantic machine gun. The very earth shook as though struck
+by Thor's[28] hammer. The first shells that hit the German position
+raised huge clouds of smoke and dust, and nothing could be seen but the
+green fumes of lyddite and the spouting columns of red earth.
+Barbed-wire entanglements were blown into a myriad fragments, parapets
+crumbled like sand castles, and trenches on which men had worked for
+months were flung into shapeless ruin. Bodies of mangled men were hurled
+high into the air, and ghastly fragments were blown back into the
+British lines. Four shells were hurled on every yard of the German
+trenches, and more ammunition was used in the thirty-five minutes during
+which the bombardment lasted than in a year and a half of the South
+African War. Long before the awful cannonade ended the German trenches
+had ceased to exist. They were reduced to a welter of earth and dust.
+
+While the bombardment lasted our troops could walk outside their
+trenches in safety, for the Germans were so "pinned to the ground" that
+those of them who remained alive dared not lift their heads. From behind
+the ragged clouds in the sky where the aeroplanes were sailing the sun
+now began to shine, making still darker the black pall that hung over
+the German position, and flashing back from the rows of gleaming
+bayonets in the British trenches. At five minutes to eight our gunners
+lengthened their fuses, and shells began to fall fast and furiously on
+the village itself. Some of the houses were seen to leap into the air.
+Columns of dust like the sand spouts of the desert sprang up; trees went
+down like wheat before a sickle; bricks and stones fell in torrents.
+Then came the great moment. Whistles blew; our men swarmed over the
+parapets and rushed towards the German trenches.
+
+[Illustration: The Rifle Brigade racing headlong through the Ruins of
+Neuve Chapelle during the Attack on the Village.
+
+(_From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The village," says a writer who visited the scene a few days after the
+battle, "was a sight that the men say they will never forget. Once upon
+a time Neuve Chapelle must have been a pretty little place, big as
+villages in these parts go, with a nice clean church (whence it probably
+got its name), some neat villas, half a dozen inns, a red-brick brewery,
+and on the outskirts a little old white château. Now hardly stone
+remains on stone. It was indeed a scene of desolation into which the
+Rifle Brigade--the first regiment to enter the village, I believe--raced
+headlong. Of the church only the bare shell remained; the interior was
+lost to view beneath a gigantic mound of rubbish. Of all that once fair
+village but two things remained intact--the great crucifixes reared
+aloft, one in the churchyard, the other over against the château. From
+the cross that is the emblem of our faith the figure of Christ, yet
+intact, though all pitted with bullet marks, looked down in mute agony
+on the slaying in the village."]
+
+Five separate infantry attacks were made on the village. The first
+attack was made by the 24th Brigade, to the north of the village; the
+second, by the 23rd Brigade, against its north-east corner; the third,
+by the 25th Division, against the village itself; the fourth, by the
+Garhwal Brigade of Indians, against its south-west corner; and the
+fifth, by the Dehra Dun Brigade, against Port Arthur. The 25th pushed
+into the wreckage of the German trenches without difficulty. They were
+only occupied by the shreds and tatters of the dead and a few dazed and
+stupefied men, their faces yellow with fumes, their clothes torn from
+their backs, and their equipment and weapons destroyed. In some places a
+few machine guns which had escaped destruction kept up fire from
+concealed positions, and snipers took toll of our men as they advanced.
+The first to reach the goal were the 2nd Lincolns and the 2nd Royal
+Berkshires, who opened out to let the Irish Rifles and the Rifle Brigade
+pass through them and take the village. From a trench in front of the
+Berkshires came the rattle of machine-gun fire. Two German officers,
+alone, were working the gun, and they continued to fire until they fell
+beneath the bayonets of our men. Equally gallant deeds were done on the
+British side. A lance-corporal who had been wounded three times and had
+been told to lie down insisted on advancing with his fellows. Nor was he
+the only wounded man who plied bayonet and grenade on that red day.
+
+The village was now only a rubbish heap; the church was a broken shell,
+and the very graves in the churchyard had been torn open by our shells.
+Strange to say, while houses and trees were falling, a crucifix at the
+cross roads remained untouched, and spread its gaunt arms in mute
+protest above the terrible scene of slaughter and destruction. Once more
+our gunners lifted their sights and lengthened their fuses, and between
+the village and the German supports in the rear created a curtain of
+fire through which no living thing could pass. Then our men swept into
+the battered streets. Through the thick pall of smoke Germans were seen
+on all sides, some holding up their hands, others flying for life, and
+others, again, firing from the windows, from behind carts, and even from
+behind overturned tombstones. Machine guns clacked viciously from houses
+on the outskirts, and many a Briton fell a victim to them. Nevertheless,
+before long the village was wholly ours.
+
+The Garhwalis to the right of the 25th were equally successful. Within a
+quarter of an hour after the assault began they had carried the first
+line of German trenches, and soon afterwards the 3rd Gurkhas met the
+Rifle Brigade in the southern outskirts of the village. Together they
+swept on past the heap of ruins which had once been the hamlet of Port
+Arthur into the woods at the foot of the rising ground.
+
+Now comes the tragical part of the story. The 23rd Brigade, which
+attacked to the left of the 25th, advanced, you will remember, against
+the north-east of the village. Unhappily, the artillery had not properly
+shelled this part of the German position, and in a slight hollow the
+wire entanglements and the trenches were almost untouched. When the 2nd
+Devons, the 2nd West Yorks, the 2nd Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), and
+the 2nd Middlesex pushed forward they found themselves up against
+unbroken wire. The Cameronians suffered severely. A storm of bullets
+from rifles and machine guns assailed them, but they never wavered. Go
+on they could not; go back they would not. Men were seen in that zone of
+death tearing at the wire with raw and bleeding hands, while their
+comrades were falling fast around them. Those who survived were obliged
+to retire and lie down in the open under a tornado of shot and shell,
+until one company made a gap and broke through the line of defence.
+Fifteen officers, including the commander, Colonel Bliss, were killed or
+wounded, and when the terrible day was over only 150 men out of 750
+answered the roll call. "You have many noble honours on your colours,"
+said Sir John French, when he addressed the gallant remnant some days
+later; "none are finer than that of Neuve Chapelle, which will soon be
+added to them."
+
+The 2nd Middlesex had a similar trial, and bore it with the same
+bravery. Machine guns were turned on them from several points, and as
+they pressed forward men fell at every step. Three times they strove to
+reach the trench, but three times they failed, and were forced to lie
+down in the open until a message was sent back to the artillery. Guns
+were relaid on the trench, and before long the entanglements were
+destroyed. When this was done the Middlesex, aided by a bombing party,
+carried the position, and were able to move forward to an orchard on the
+north-east of the village, where they joined the Devonshires. The 1st
+Battalion of the King's Liverpool, which was attached to the ill-fated
+division, also found itself up against unbroken wire. A company
+sergeant-major spent five minutes under the entanglement trying to cut
+it, and miraculously escaped with his life. The colonel, though wounded,
+refused to leave his men, and remained with them throughout the day. A
+young officer who had been shot down near the wire kept shouting to his
+men to come on until his breath failed him. In this battalion alone 100
+men were killed and 119 were wounded.
+
+[Illustration: Neuve Chapelle, March 10, 1915.
+
+(_From the drawing by D. Macpherson. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This picture shows a batch of the Prussian Guards surrendering to the
+2nd Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at the first line of trenches
+before the village of Neuve Chapelle. The distance at this point from
+the British advanced line was about sixty-five yards, and our men were
+upon the enemy while most of them were still dazed from the effects of
+the terrific bombardment. The prisoners were taken in batches of thirty
+or forty, and were handed over to the oncoming lines of supports until
+they were passed back to headquarters, the captors meanwhile sweeping on
+with the advance.]
+
+Meanwhile the success of the 25th Brigade had turned the flank of the
+Germans north of the village, and when the 23rd Brigade at last managed
+to struggle through the orchard and join hands with the 24th Brigade,
+which had attacked to their left, the time had come for the combined
+force to sweep onward to the Aubers ridge. The Germans were still dazed
+with surprise, and completely paralyzed by the heavy bombardment of the
+morning; while our men were flushed with victory, and were eager to
+press forward. But at this moment there was a long delay. The telephone
+wires had been cut by the bursting shells, and it was difficult to get
+orders quickly to the first line. The check to the 23rd Brigade had
+thrown everything out of gear. A halt had to be called for fresh troops
+to come up, and they were very slow in arriving. The village was ours by
+noon, but not until 3.30 did the reserve brigades arrive. Had they been
+brought up promptly the Aubers ridge would have been won. As it was, we
+were robbed of a great victory. A splendid chance had been thrown away,
+and an unavailing sacrifice of life was to follow.
+
+The newly-arrived brigades, all belonging to the 7th Division, which had
+won such glory in the October battle round Ypres, formed up on the left
+of the 24th Brigade, and the attack began again; but everywhere
+difficulties were met with. The Germans had taken advantage of the lull
+to strengthen their third line of trenches, and had brought up
+reinforcements. When our men advanced they were ready to receive them.
+The Indian brigades pushed through the wood towards the ridge, but could
+make but little headway, and suffered terrible losses. One of the Indian
+battalions would have been entirely cut off but for a splendid bombing
+attack by the 2nd Leicesters. It was at this point of the battle that
+the 3rd London--a Territorial regiment--made a brilliant charge to aid
+the front line, and won the cheers of their regular comrades by their
+gallantry and devotion.
+
+Further to our left the 25th Division was checked along the line of the
+little river, while the 24th Brigade and 7th Division were held up by
+machine-gun fire from the cross roads and the defences of Pietre Mill.
+The line of the river could not be forced without artillery
+"preparation." Everywhere in this part of the line there were German
+positions which our big guns had not touched. To push infantry against
+them was simple murder. So, as the evening closed in, we busied
+ourselves in strengthening the positions which we had already won. The
+village was ours; we had gained a mile, and had straightened out our
+line. We had, however, failed in the bigger business of seizing the
+Aubers ridge.
+
+Not until darkness fell did the 1st Brigade of the First Corps arrive.
+Next morning our guns began to boom again, but they could not repeat the
+surprise of yesterday. The Germans had pulled themselves together; their
+lines were strongly reinforced, and mist prevented the artillery
+observers from directing the fire of their guns. More than once our
+infantry were caught by their own shells. We could make no further
+headway, and on the 12th the Bavarians advanced against Neuve Chapelle,
+an officer on horseback with drawn sword leading them right up to the
+Worcesters, who met them with a shattering fire. At another point
+twenty-one machine guns were turned against them, and they fell by the
+hundred. So fierce was the fire that the survivors were forced to
+protect themselves behind ramparts of their own dead.
+
+All that day the 7th Division struggled to carry Pietre Mill, while the
+rest of the line attacked the bridges over the river and the German
+trenches in the wood. Round about the mill the fighting was very fierce;
+ground was gained and lost again; houses were captured and recaptured;
+and friend and foe were mixed up in confused hand-to-hand fighting. Here
+it was that the 6th Gordons lost Lieutenant-Colonel Maclean. A subaltern
+found him lying in the open behind the trench with a bullet in his back,
+and sinking fast. The young officer brought him morphia to ease his
+pain, and when he had taken it he said, "And now, my boy, your place is
+not here. Go about your duty." So died a very gallant gentleman.
+
+Victoria Crosses were won on this part of the front by Private Edward
+Barber and Lance-Corporal Wilfred Fuller of the Grenadiers for a
+brilliant bombing attack, of which we shall read later. Further south,
+the 2nd Rifle Brigade managed to carry a section of German trenches, and
+Sergeant-Major Daniels and Corporal Noble did deeds of outstanding
+valour which won them the proudest decoration that a soldier can wear.
+Unhappily, their unit, the Rifle Brigade, was enfiladed and forced to
+fall back on its old lines.
+
+By the evening of the 12th Sir John French was convinced that nothing
+more could be won, and he ordered the attack to be suspended for the
+present. All the 13th was spent by our weary soldiers in digging
+themselves in on the banks of the little river which they had failed to
+cross. So worn out were many of the men that they fell asleep while
+standing at their loopholes. Counter-attacks were to be expected, and
+they soon began, but met with no success. Only at one point, north-east
+of the village, did the Germans manage to get into our trenches, and
+their stay was brief indeed. In one of their attacks they lost more than
+600 prisoners, and the captured men seemed glad to be out of the
+terrible fighting.
+
+The most severe counter-attack was made not at Neuve Chapelle, but at
+the tiny Belgian hamlet of St. Eloi, 15 miles to the north, and at the
+junction of two main roads. On the 14th, when mists lay thick on the
+flats, the Germans, following our example at Neuve Chapelle, began a
+fierce bombardment of our trenches, and at the same time exploded mines
+on our front and on a large mound which we held to the south-east of the
+village. The infantry attacks of the enemy were very determined; our men
+were driven from their trenches, and our whole line had to fall back.
+Under cover of the darkness we prepared for a counter-attack, and on the
+morning of the 15th managed to win back most of the lost ground. The
+mound, which our soldiers called "the Mound of Death," was not
+recovered; it lay in the No Man's Land between the rival trenches,
+exposed to the gun fire of friend and foe.
+
+In this action Princess Patricia's Own specially distinguished itself,
+and won the praise of Sir John French. It co-operated with a battalion
+of the Rifle Brigade in an attack on the mound, and advanced with great
+coolness and resolution, but was checked by a murderous machine-gun
+fire. Three platoons, however, held on to a breastwork, while the
+remainder retired across a zone of fire without leaving behind them a
+single wounded man. Five days later Princess Pat's lost its commanding
+officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar, one of the bravest and
+kindest of men.
+
+You will remember that our assault on Neuve Chapelle was supported by
+other attacks on various parts of the German front, in order to prevent
+the enemy from suddenly massing reinforcements against our main attack.
+I need not describe these operations, for they were only "holding
+attacks," and were not expected to succeed. Nevertheless the assault on
+a hamlet to the south-east of Armentières was successful, and an advance
+of 300 yards on a front of half a mile was made.
+
+Our airmen were very busy during the three days of struggle, though the
+weather was against them. Bombs were dropped on railway stations and
+bridges behind the German lines, and much damage was done. One daring
+aviator flying over Lille hit a house which was used as the German
+headquarters.
+
+The Battle of Neuve Chapelle was not a failure, but it was not a
+complete success. We straightened out the sag in our line; we won the
+village, advanced one mile, took 2,000 prisoners, and killed or wounded
+20,000 of the enemy. Our offensive put new heart into our men, who went
+into battle with the utmost zeal, joking and laughing even under fire.
+It is said that when they crowded into the German first-line trenches
+and there was no room for them all to line the parapet, a man would pull
+his comrade down, crying out that it was his turn for a shot. The
+Indians greatly welcomed the opportunity of fighting in the open, and
+the Gurkhas and Garhwalis plied their kukris with deadly effect. Our
+losses were very heavy. In the three days' fighting we had about 13,000
+casualties: 2,337 men and 190 officers were killed.
+
+Our failure to "make good" at a time when the Germans were almost at our
+mercy was as much due to accident as to blunder. Parts of the enemy
+lines had not been properly "prepared," and some of our troops were
+shelled by their own guns. This was, no doubt, due to the dull sky and
+the mists, which prevented the observers from properly controlling the
+fire of their guns. It was our first attempt to combine artillery and
+infantry on a great scale, and, naturally, mistakes were made. The best
+result was the new ardour which inspired our men. "This time," said one
+of them, "it was pushing the Germans, instead of trying to hold them.
+You can't realize, unless you have been in it from Mons onwards, how
+that bucks you up."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The German people took their beating very badly. They accused us of
+using German prisoners to screen our advance, and they complained
+bitterly that we had brought such a vast force of artillery against
+them. "This is not war; it is murder," they said, coolly ignoring the
+fact that a mighty artillery onslaught had been their favourite method
+of attack since the beginning of the war. When they were given a taste
+of their own medicine they cried out in the usual fashion of the bully.
+
+[Footnote 27: _Pee-aitr._]
+
+[Footnote 28: The Thunderer; the blacksmith god of the ancient Norse. He
+is represented as wielding a hammer.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIX.
+
+  SOLDIERS' STORIES OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+
+As soon as the wounded men from Neuve Chapelle arrived in Great Britain,
+budgets of personal experiences began to appear in the newspapers. All
+the men dwelt upon the terrible effects of our artillery and the
+splendid spirit shown by our troops, not only while under fire, but when
+stricken down. Private Selwood of the Rifle Brigade said: "Men who
+fought at Mons have told me that Mons was only a tea-fight compared with
+Neuve Chapelle. In the half-hour's bombardment that began the day some
+say 400 guns were used; others, 525. The noise was terrific. Our boys
+went on cheerful enough, singing 'Tipperary' and anything. When we got
+to the dug-outs we found dozens of Germans, all dead. It was a surprise
+attack. They did not know it was coming off. At the third line of
+trenches I was hit in the leg by a bullet. I crawled back about five
+hundred yards, because there was too much work for the stretcher-bearers.
+They worked heroically, taking the most serious cases first."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A private of the 4th Black Watch thus describes a Highland charge: "We
+witnessed a magnificent charge of the first battalion of a famous
+Scottish regiment. Artillery fire ceased suddenly, and before the enemy
+could be reorganized the 'kilties' were over our trenches and dashing at
+them with fixed bayonets. It might have been a parade advance, so
+perfectly did each section of the line move forward. Th The first lot
+sprang up and over the German trenches, followed almost immediately by
+the rest, and in a very few minutes the trench was ours. Just before
+dusk I laughed for the first time that day. And no wonder! for at one
+point on that gory battlefield stood a notice-board inscribed with one
+word, 'Danger!'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Eye-Witness" tells us how our men behaved while they were watching the
+artillery bombarding the enemy's trenches and waiting for the word to
+advance. "They could see our shells bursting in the thick veil of smoke
+and dust that hung over the German trenches, and as the minutes wore on
+our artillery fire grew hotter and hotter, and the time grew nearer for
+them to rush forward. Their excitement rose to fever pitch. In some
+places they were seen to jump up on the parapets, brandishing their
+rifles towards the Germans, and shouting remarks which were drowned in
+the roar of the guns. When the rush was actually made our losses were
+trifling. It was only in the subsequent advance that heavy casualties
+occurred."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is noteworthy that the enemy's wounded had to thank our men for many
+acts of kindness, even in the excitement of the assault. One of our
+soldiers, finding a wounded Prussian officer who had had his arm blown
+off by a shell, carried him to a place of safety under heavy fire. In
+one cellar a portly German was found dancing about in an agony of fear,
+screaming in a high-pitched voice in English, "Mercy! mercy! I am
+married!" "Your missus won't thank us for sending you home," replied one
+of our men, who took him prisoner, and his life was spared. A Rifle
+Brigade lieutenant, falling over a sandbag into a German trench, came
+upon two officers, hardly more than boys, holding their hands above
+their heads. Their faces were ashen gray, and they were trembling. One
+said gravely in good English, "Don't shoot! I am from London also." They
+too were spared.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the counter-attacks of the Germans from the Biez wood their
+losses were very heavy. Line after line went down before our rifles. One
+of our Sepoys said that shooting the enemy was like cutting grain. Some
+of the German officers displayed the most reckless courage in leading
+the attacks. On more than one occasion they invited certain death by
+riding forward on horseback to within a few hundred yards of our line.
+None of those who so exposed themselves escaped. One German officer in
+charge of a machine gun kept his gun in action throughout the terrible
+bombardment, and then, when our men charged down upon him, awaited
+death, calmly standing on the parapet of the trench and emptying his
+revolver at them.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Indians were greatly pleased at the result of the action, and
+constantly asked their officers when they were going to have another
+fight. Many stories are told of their prowess. One Gurkha made his way
+into a house, and single-handed captured five Germans, whom he marched
+off at the point of his kukri. It was curious to see the Indians
+returning with articles of German equipment. When they held them up for
+inspection they called out, "_Souvenir! souvenir[29]!_"
+
+[Illustration: Bengal Lancers returning from "Port Arthur" after the
+capture of Neuve Chapelle.
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+Notice the "souvenirs" which they are carrying on their lances.]
+
+Canadian infantry were not specially engaged in the fighting at Neuve
+Chapelle, but the Canadian artillery played an active part in the
+bombardment which preceded the British advance, and the infantry were
+ready during the battle to go forward at a moment's notice. A Winnipeg
+"boy" wrote home as follows: "At 5.30 on the morning of Wednesday (the
+first day of the Neuve Chapelle attack) our officer told us to hurry
+over our breakfast, as a heavy fire was to be opened by our side, and
+the enemy, in replying, would probably drop a few rounds in our
+vicinity. We had just started to line up in the road outside when
+'whop!' came a shell, which burst a few yards ahead. 'Double for the
+trenches!' was the order, and away we went. The trenches were only about
+one hundred and fifty yards away, yet the Germans had our position to a
+foot, and sixteen rounds of shrapnel burst literally in our midst. Had
+they burst overhead, as they should have done, it's a very fair bet that
+nearly every man of us would have 'gone west;' but only one man was hit,
+a fellow a short distance back of me. . . . We had to stay in the
+trenches until evening that day, and all next day."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A wounded German officer said that the suddenness of our bombardment was
+"like the burst of a great storm, instantly filling all the space with
+countless crashes of thunder, flame, smoke, and lead. Six of your great
+black howitzer shells," said he, "fell within fifty yards of a trench on
+my right, and so completely was our trench blown asunder that when the
+earth fell back it buried hundreds with it. When the storm abated I
+crawled out, only to be bayoneted in the shoulder by, as I learned, a
+Territorial, and while I was lying there thousands of British pursuing
+our retreating battalion passed by me. But I lifted my sound arm, and
+they spared me--why, I do not know. It seemed to take hours for the
+British soldiers to pass me, and then I saw groups of my own regiment,
+unguarded and without guns, many slightly wounded, walking back to the
+British base. Such faces I did not think could be worn by human beings;
+they were orange with lyddite smoke. The men were palsied with what they
+had been through, and were too dazed to answer my call."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The part played by the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and the Irish
+Rifles in the advance towards the line of the little river is thus
+described:--
+
+"Two companies of the Lincolns rushed the enemy's trenches under a
+pretty hot fire. Grenades were thrown at the enemy, and they ran out of
+their trench to the rear. There, however, Captain Peake's company threw
+grenades to cut off their line of retreat, and they ran back to their
+trench and surrendered. Captain Peake, who had advanced down the trench
+holding his blue flag up in the air, offered a conspicuous target to the
+enemy, and was shot. Meanwhile two other companies had followed through
+the gap caused by the charge; the enemy seemed in full retreat, and our
+men were very elated.
+
+"Many who were hit continued to advance. Lance-Corporal Perry was hit
+rather badly in the foot three times, and, though told to take cover and
+lie down, persisted in going on and rallying his men. The reinforced
+line continued to advance until they reached a broad strip of water
+running right across their front, from four feet to five feet deep, and
+quite impassable. After a while a plank was found sufficiently long to
+bridge the water, and the men crossed to form a firing line on the other
+side. The heavy guns were shelling the Germans about one hundred and
+fifty yards in front, and on the Lincolns opening fire they retired.
+
+"A few minutes after the Lincolns had recrossed the water to a slight
+rise behind it the Irish Rifles went through, and were given a lusty
+cheer. Lieutenant Graham was rallying his men with a French newsboy's
+horn, giving a 'View hullo' like a Master of Hounds collecting his pack.
+One company of the Lincolns crossed the water for the third time and
+assisted the Irish Rifles in making a trench. Afterwards they returned
+to entrench themselves behind the water."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A young officer who fought in the battle wrote home as follows: "My
+word, mother, yesterday we commenced a most almighty attack on the
+unsuspecting enemy. It had all been planned and organized for some time,
+and I should think it has been the finest show on record. Whether we had
+the advantage in the number of men I cannot say, but we certainly had in
+guns. You never heard such a din in all your life. All the farmhouses
+vibrated all day long, and during the first half-hour there were some
+17,000 shells screaming towards the Bosches. Our lads who were wounded
+came down the road in batches of twos and threes to the dressing
+stations. They were very cheerful. They simply laughed and cracked jokes
+amongst themselves. They are a wonderful lot of Tommies. They were all
+so jolly brave, and keen, and determined."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A private of the Berkshire Regiment thus related his experiences: "We
+lost fairly heavily in the big fight at Neuve Chapelle, but the loss we
+inflicted on the Germans must have been frightful. They were lying all
+over the place. There was great rejoicing when we found that our
+regiment had been selected for the post of honour with the Lincolns
+forming the first line of the frontal attack. . . . Our boys were out
+like one man, and charged across to their first trench. We took that in
+less than five minutes, and, leaving a few men to secure the prisoners,
+swept on to the next. Men were falling on every side, as their machine
+guns and artillery were playing on us from beyond the village, and some
+of the sights were terrible. It seemed as though the air was full of
+shrapnel and bullets; but our boys were magnificent. Not one man
+wavered, even for a second, and nothing could have stopped that charge.
+The second trench was soon cleared out, and our bomb throwers--we call
+them 'Tickler's Artillery'[30]--did terrible execution. On we went for
+the third line. This was a bit more difficult, as there were a thick
+hedge and some barbed wire. But the boys would not be stopped, and in a
+very short time the third line was ours. The Rifles now came on to take
+the village, and they gave us a cheer and a shout of 'Well done, Berks!'
+as they passed through. We gave them an answering call as they charged
+and captured the village."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the ten heroes who
+were awarded Victoria Crosses for splendid deeds of valour at Neuve
+Chapelle.
+
+Private William Buckingham, 2nd Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment.
+
+You will remember that at Neuve Chapelle the 2nd Leicesters were
+attached to the Garhwal Brigade, and that when a Garhwali battalion was
+cut off a bombing party of the Leicesters brought them timely and
+effective assistance. No regiment played a finer part in the battle than
+the Leicesters. The Victoria Cross was awarded to Private Buckingham for
+his bravery and devotion to duty in rescuing wounded men and in
+rendering first aid to the fallen while exposed to heavy fire on several
+occasions, notably on the 10th and 12th of March.
+
+Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi, 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.
+
+Gobar Sing Negi was the third Indian to win the Victoria Cross. During
+our attack on the German positions he was one of a bayonet party which
+entered a main trench. Pushing on in advance of his fellows, the gallant
+Indian bombed the enemy from traverse to traverse, and at last forced
+them to surrender. Unhappily, he did not live to wear the coveted
+honour, but fell in a later stage of the engagement.
+
+Corporal William Anderson, 2nd Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's
+Own (Yorkshire) Regiment.
+
+On 12th March, at Neuve Chapelle, Corporal Anderson led three men armed
+with bombs against a large party of the enemy, then in possession of one
+of our trenches. After he had thrown his own bombs he found that his
+three comrades had been shot down, and that he was alone amongst the
+Germans. Nothing dismayed, he took the bombs of the three wounded men,
+hurled them against the foe, then opened rapid fire upon them, and by
+his prompt and determined action kept back the Germans until his
+comrades arrived and drove them from the trench.
+
+Private E. Barber, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
+
+During the fighting round Pietre Mill on 12th March Private Barber, who
+was one of a grenade company, ran ahead of his fellows and threw bombs
+on the enemy with such effect that a large number of them at once
+surrendered. When his comrades reached him, they found him quite alone
+and unsupported, with Germans holding up their hands all around him.
+
+Company Sergeant-Major Harry Daniels and Acting Corporal Cecil Reginald
+Noble, both of the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).
+
+On 12th March the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade was held up by
+entanglements near Pietre Mill, and was subjected to a heavy machine-gun
+fire. Sergeant-Major Daniels volunteered to go forward and cut the wire.
+"Come along," he called to his chum, Corporal Noble, and without a
+moment's hesitation the two men rushed across the forty yards that
+separated them from the obstacle. Lying on their backs, they cut the
+lower wire, and thus opened a gap for their comrades to proceed. A
+bullet struck Daniels in the thigh, and a few minutes later he heard a
+gasp, and called out, "What's up?" Noble replied, "I am hit in the
+chest, old man," and became unconscious. Shortly afterwards he died.
+Daniels dragged himself to a shell hole, where he remained until dusk,
+and then painfully made his way back to his own lines. When interviewed
+in a London hospital, he had little to say about his own exploit, but
+was full of admiration for the gallantry of his dead friend. "Noble and
+I," he said, "had done everything together since we went out in
+November. I trusted him, and he trusted me. It was hot work, but the
+worst moment was when I heard my poor chum call out that he was hit in
+the chest. I am more glad about Noble's V.C. than I am about my own."
+
+The exploit of these two brave men recalls that of the famous Swiss
+patriot Arnold von Winkelried at the Battle of Sempach, 1386. An
+unbroken line of Austrian lances barred the way of the Swiss; whereupon
+Winkelried determined to sacrifice himself in order that his comrades
+might break through.
+
+  "'Make way for Liberty!' he cried;
+    Then ran with arms extended wide,
+    As if his dearest friend to clasp.
+    Ten spears he swept within his grasp.
+   'Make way for Liberty!' he cried.
+    Their keen points crossed from side to side.
+    He bowed amongst them like a tree,
+    And thus made way for Liberty."
+
+Captain Charles Calveley Foss, D.S.O., 2nd Battalion, Bedford Regiment.
+
+At Neuve Chapelle Captain Foss turned failure into victory. The enemy
+had captured part of our trenches, and our counter-attack, which was
+made with one officer and twenty men, failed, all but two of the party
+being killed or wounded. Seeing this, Captain Foss with eight men dashed
+forward through a fierce fire, and began pelting the enemy with bombs.
+So successful was his attack that he recaptured the position, and with
+it no less than fifty-two Germans. No words of mine are needed to extol
+the splendid bravery of Captain Foss and his gallant little company.
+Nine Britons retook a trench from more than fifty Germans!
+
+Lance-Corporal W. D. Fuller, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
+
+Observing a party of the enemy trying to escape along a communication
+trench, Corporal Fuller ran towards them, flinging bombs. The foremost
+man was killed, and the remainder, finding no means of escape, held up
+their hands and begged for mercy. All alone, Corporal Fuller received
+the surrender of fifty Germans! Prior to the war he was a miner of
+Mansfield. During a spell of leave in July 1915 he did excellent work as
+a recruiter. While he was telling the men of Fishguard, in
+Pembrokeshire, that if they were not fit to die they were not fit to
+live, some one in the crowd challenged him to enter the cage of two
+African lions then on exhibition in the town. At once Fuller threw his
+cap into the den, and then followed it. You can imagine the excitement
+of the townsfolk as he calmly stood by the lions and stroked their
+manes. As a result of this incident many men enlisted.
+
+Lieutenant Cyril Gordon Martin, D.S.O., 56th Field Company, Royal
+Engineers.
+
+On 12th March, when in command of a bomb-throwing party of six men,
+Lieutenant Martin, a young officer of twenty-four years of age, was
+wounded, but nevertheless led his comrades into an enemy's trench and
+held off all attempts to recover it for nearly two and a half hours. He
+had already distinguished himself, and had won the D.S.O. during the
+retreat from Mons by gallantly capturing and holding a German trench
+with a platoon of engineers. He was twice wounded on that occasion, and
+was invalided home. He had only been back at the front a few days when
+he won the V.C. for the exploit described above.
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant Cyril Martin and his grenade-throwing party in
+the enemy's trenches.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+In this drawing Lieutenant Martin is shown seated on the right,
+wounded.]
+
+Private Jacob Rivers, 1st Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
+Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).
+
+Private Rivers was another of the bombers who won the highest award of
+valour during the first day of the great battle at Neuve Chapelle.
+Noticing that a large number of Germans were outflanking an advanced
+company of his regiment, he dashed forward, without waiting for orders,
+and flung bombs amongst the enemy with such effect that they were forced
+to retire. His prompt bravery undoubtedly saved the advanced company
+from disaster. Later in the day he performed a similar feat, but while
+engaged in this heroic work was shot through the heart. He was a native
+of Derby, and was thirty-four years of age. When the war broke out he
+had completed twelve years of service with the Royal Scots; but he
+immediately enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters, and, being an
+experienced soldier, was sent to France with one of the earliest drafts.
+He had a brother in the Grenadier Guards, and three brothers-in-law were
+serving in his own regiment. The cross of bronze which he did not live
+to wear was sent as a sad but proud memorial to his widowed mother.
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance at Buckingham Palace.
+
+
+On January 26, 1916, Prince George travelled from Sandringham to
+Buckingham Palace, for the purpose of receiving our motor ambulance and
+handing it over to the Belgian Field Hospital. His Royal Highness spent
+a full half-hour in examining the motor ambulance and the hand ambulance
+which accompanied it, and was highly pleased with all that he saw. Our
+readers will remember this occasion, as it was Prince George's first
+public function. On the left of the Prince is his tutor, Mr. Hansell,
+M.A. The total cost of the motor ambulance, the hand ambulance, and a
+supply of "spares" amounted to £456. We are deeply indebted to Her
+Majesty the Queen for permission to reproduce this photograph, which is
+not to appear in any other book or periodical.]
+
+[Footnote 29: The French word for a keepsake.]
+
+[Footnote 30: Some of the earliest hand grenades used by our men were
+made of jam pots which came from the factory of Messrs. Tickler; hence
+the nickname.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XX.
+
+  THE DARDANELLES.
+
+
+The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go
+down to history as a splendid failure. Aided by the French, the British
+strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified
+channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern
+shores of Russia. Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other
+military--but both were fruitless. Ships of war strove to batter down
+the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.
+Then an army was landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, and a desperate
+effort was made to take the forts from the rear. The army was set an
+almost impossible task, yet it very nearly achieved the impossible. Men
+still live who surmounted the last great obstacle that lay between them
+and victory.
+
+How the British and French landed on narrow beaches in the face of
+superior numbers of the enemy; how they fought their way up the cliffs
+in spite of artillery, machine guns, and entrenched infantry; how with
+superb courage and dogged endurance they established themselves on the
+peninsula; how they sacrificed themselves like the Spartans of old in
+fierce assaults on the ridges and high hills that barred the way to
+their goal; and how, finally, they withdrew to their ships without the
+loss of a single life--all this is a story which no Briton can read
+without mingled pride and pain: pride in the men of his race who nobly
+fought and died in the hopeless struggle; pain, that so much bright and
+gallant life should have been given in vain.
+
+Henceforth the Gallipoli peninsula is sacred ground. The bones of tens
+of thousands of our gallant fellows lie buried in its soil. In days to
+come, when wandering Britons shall sail by its peaceful shores, they
+will hush their voices and think tenderly of those who sleep their last
+sleep amidst its rugged hills and deep ravines. It will be strange,
+too, if a prayer does not arise from their hearts that the Empire may
+ever be defended by men of such matchless valour and lofty devotion.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I describe the Dardanelles and the great naval attack on its
+forts, you must understand why we undertook the enterprise. It was, of
+course, to assist the Russians, who in the early months of 1915 were
+running short of big guns, rifles, and ammunition, and were unable to
+supply their needs by means of their own workshops. The Allies wished to
+help them, but were prevented from doing so to any great extent; because
+Russia in Europe is cut off from the open sea on all sides except in the
+extreme north, where the coast fronts the Arctic Ocean. The only port to
+which the Allies could send munitions was Archangel, which for about
+nine months of the year is frozen up. During the winter it was
+impossible for our ships to enter the harbour of Archangel at all. Even
+if Archangel had been open, matters would have been but little improved,
+for only a single line of railway connected this remote and
+evil-smelling port with the interior.[31]
+
+Russia has a good deal of coast and many excellent harbours at the
+eastern end of the Baltic Sea; but our trading ships could not enter
+that sea because the Germans held the upper hand in it. Their warships
+lay in wait for all vessels coming through the narrow Danish channels.
+The only remaining sea coast of Russia in Europe lies along the ice-free
+Black Sea; but in order to reach its shores ships must traverse the
+narrow sea lane of the Dardanelles, cross the Sea of Marmora, and thread
+the strait of the Bosporus. When Turkey took the side of Germany this
+route was closed. Then, the only way by which the Allies could send guns
+and rifles and ammunition to Russia was to carry them by sea to one of
+the Siberian ports on the Pacific Ocean, where they were transferred to
+the Siberian railway and carried right across North Asia to Russia.
+Before a British or a French shell could reach Poland or Galicia it had
+to make an eight or nine weeks' voyage to the East, and a railway
+journey of more than five thousand miles.
+
+Now I think you understand why it was so vastly important that we should
+try to force a right-of-way through the Dardanelles. Until this was done
+the Allied armies in the East and in the West were more completely cut
+off from each other than if they had been fighting in different
+hemispheres. It was impossible to send reinforcements from one to the
+other without carrying them almost round the globe. Further, the
+overseas trade of Russia was terribly hampered by the blocking of the
+Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Millions of bushels of wheat lay rotting
+in the warehouses of the Black Sea ports, and vast sums of money were
+being lost because they could not find an outlet. If Constantinople
+could be captured, the Turks could be ejected from Europe, and their
+armies rendered powerless. When this happened, Greece and Bulgaria would
+no longer listen to the tempting voice of the German. So you see that
+the forcing of the Dardanelles was of the utmost importance to the
+Allies. It was felt that once we had a clear road to South Russia the
+end of the war would be in sight.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Roughly speaking, the waterway between the Mediterranean Sea and the
+Black Sea resembles a narrow glass tube with a bulb blown in the middle
+of it. The Dardanelles forms the first part of the tube, the bulb is the
+Sea of Marmora, and the remaining part of the tube consists of the
+Bosporus, or Ox Ford. The Dardanelles, or the Hellespont as it was
+called in ancient times, extends for 45 miles; the Sea of Marmora is 175
+miles in length, and the Bosporus continues the waterway for another 17
+miles. On a clear day it is said that from a hill on the shores of the
+Dardanelles one may look right across the Sea of Marmora and behold
+Constantinople, nearly two hundred miles away.
+
+Now let us suppose that we are making a voyage from the Ægean Sea to the
+Sea of Marmora in times of peace. When we enter the strait we find that
+it resembles a wide river rather than an arm of the sea; and this is not
+surprising, for the channel is nothing but the bed of a river that was
+submerged in far-off days. The channel is only about two and a half
+miles wide, and we can clearly see the shores on either side of us. On
+our right is Asia; on our left is Europe. Along the line of this
+waterway East and West have met since the days when the world was
+young.
+
+Almost every mile of the Asiatic shore of the Dardanelles recalls
+memories of the song and story of ancient days. We have scarcely entered
+the strait before we see on the Asiatic side the Kum Kale fort, and
+behind it the classic ground on which stood the famous city of Troy. I
+am sure you remember how Paris carried off the lovely Queen Helen to
+Troy, and how Homer's heroes fought for ten long years before the city
+was captured, and she was recovered and carried back by her husband to
+her home in Greece. Modern historians, however, tell us that the Trojan
+War was fought not for the fair face of Helen, but because the king of
+Troy almost closed the waterway by levying crushing duties on the goods
+that passed his shores. It is strange to note that Britons and French
+have shed their blood at the Dardanelles in order that wheat from the
+fruitful lands bordering the Black Sea might pass freely to the
+Mediterranean, and so to the crowded cities of Western Europe.
+
+On the eastern or Asiatic side we see sloping gardens and rich
+vineyards, and elsewhere there are low, wooded hills; but the western or
+European side consists of a long unbroken line of barren cliffs. We are
+gazing at the shores of the long and hilly Gallipoli peninsula, which,
+you will see from the map, somewhat resembles a thumb bent at the joint.
+At the tip of the peninsula are the forts of Cape Tekke, Cape Helles,
+and Sedd-ul-Bahr. These, with the fort of Kum Kale, which I have already
+mentioned, guard the entrance to the Dardanelles.
+
+As we proceed, the Asiatic shore curves inland, but the European shore
+continues straight and unbroken. The strait now widens to a breadth of
+five miles; but at Kephez Point it closes in to less than two miles.
+About three miles further on the "Narrows" begin. At one point the
+shores are not more than fourteen hundred yards apart, and for about a
+mile onward they are everywhere within a mile and a half of each other.
+Every ship that sails from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Marmora
+must pass through this bottle neck.
+
+[Footnote 31: During 1915 Russia was busy developing the ice-free port
+of Alexandrovsk, at the mouth of the river Kola, but it was not
+available at the close of the year.]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The Dardanelles in Time of Peace.
+
+_Photo, Daily Mirror._]
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXI.
+
+  SHIPS VERSUS FORTS.
+
+
+No part of the Dardanelles is more famous in history than the "Narrows."
+Across the narrowest part of the Narrows Xerxes[32] flung his bridge of
+boats when he set out to conquer Europe. Herodotus, "the father of
+history," tells us that his Persians took seven days and seven nights,
+going continuously without any pause, to cross the bridge. A century and
+a half later Alexander the Great[33] re-bridged the channel when he
+began his great march into Asia. An old story tells us that every night
+Leander used to swim the Narrows from the Gallipoli side to visit Hero,
+his lady-love, who dwelt at Sestos, on the Asiatic side. The lighthouse
+at Sestos guided him; but one stormy night the light failed, and Hero
+waited for him in vain. Lord Byron swam the straits at this point in
+1810. It was on the Asiatic shore of the Narrows that St. Paul heard the
+cry from Macedonia, "Come over and help us."
+
+We need not proceed further with our voyage. The whole problem of
+forcing the Dardanelles centres on the "Narrows." Once they are safely
+passed, the broad, deep Sea of Marmora is easily traversed, and there is
+no obstacle between us and Constantinople. But how to pass the Narrows?
+There's the rub.
+
+[Illustration: A Turkish Fort on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the
+Dardanelles.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+You may be sure that the Turks jealously guard these narrow waters. As
+early as 1460 forts were erected to defend them. Now both sides of the
+Narrows fairly bristle with powerful forts, in which big modern guns are
+mounted. You have already heard that the forts are provided with
+searchlights, which play across the water at night, and reveal the
+movements of even the smallest craft. Not only are the shores studded
+with forts, but batteries of big guns are concealed on the heights
+behind, and hidden torpedo tubes are ranged along the water's edge.
+Nature has also played her part in the defence of this dangerous and
+difficult channel. Swift currents sweep through the Narrows, and not
+only make navigation difficult, but carry along drifting mines. An enemy
+warship venturing into the channel must run the gauntlet of big guns on
+the shore and deadly explosives in the sea. While the defences remain
+intact the waterway is barred to her. To reduce the forts was,
+therefore, our first task.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I have already told you that when Britain declared war on Turkey
+(November 5th, 1914) a long friendship was broken. Our support of Turkey
+arose out of our deep distrust of Russia, now our good friend and loyal
+ally. We distrusted Russia because we knew that ever since the days of
+Peter the Great she had coveted Constantinople, and we feared that if
+she gained possession of that city our Far Eastern possessions would be
+threatened. We therefore threw in our lot with Turkey, and more than
+once saved her from being wiped off the map of Europe. During the
+present war we have reaped the bitter fruits of Turkish ingratitude.
+
+About the year 1840 it seemed clear that Turkey was going to pieces, and
+that the break-up of her empire was only a matter of time. The Tsar
+Nicholas said to one of our ambassadors, "We have on our hands a sick
+man--a very sick man. It would be a great misfortune if one of these
+days he should slip away from us before the necessary arrangements have
+been made." He therefore proposed to divide up the Turkish dominions,
+taking Constantinople for himself, and offering us Crete and Egypt as
+our share of the spoils. The bribe was, of course, refused.
+
+A few years later Greek and Latin priests quarrelled as to who should
+take charge of the holy places in Palestine. The Tsar Nicholas supported
+the Greeks, and the French became the champions of the Latins. Then the
+Tsar put forward a claim that the Sultan should recognize him as the
+protector of all Christians within the Turkish Empire. This demand was,
+of course, resisted, and in 1853 Russian armies invaded Turkey. We were
+not in the least interested in the trivial dispute, but we hated and
+feared the prospect of the Russians in Constantinople. Further, as a
+great trading nation, we wished to keep the Dardanelles open for
+peaceful commerce, and we thought that this could best be done if the
+straits remained in the hands of a weak Power such as Turkey. So we
+joined the French, and fought the Russians in the Crimea. We lost 24,000
+men in the course of the war, and added £41,000,000 to our national
+debt; but we prevented the Russians from overwhelming the Turks.
+
+Even this poor success was not lasting. Strife, tumult, and murder
+reigned in the Balkans under the cruel and blighting government of the
+Sultan, and twenty-four years later Russia again sent her armies into
+Turkey. The Russians drove back the Turks, and early in 1878 they were
+within a short distance of Constantinople. A cry of alarm and
+indignation broke out in England, and people went about the London
+streets shouting a popular song with the refrain, "The Russians shall
+not take Constantinople."
+
+So strong was public feeling that a British fleet was ordered to the
+Dardanelles. The admiral was instructed to pass the straits, and, "if
+fired upon and his ships struck, to return the fire, but not to wait to
+silence the forts." On February 13, 1878, seven ships of war, under
+Admiral Hornby, steamed up the Dardanelles. The Turks manned the forts
+at the Narrows; but when the ships came up against a strong current and
+in the face of a blinding snowstorm, they forbore to fire their guns.
+There was an anxious moment when the _Alexandra_, which led the line,
+ran aground on the Asiatic side, within easy range of Turkish batteries.
+She was, however, unmolested, and managed to get off after four hours'
+hard work. She then joined her consorts in the Sea of Marmora, and the
+guns of the ships were trained on the domes and minarets of the Turkish
+capital.
+
+No doubt the presence of a British fleet within striking range of
+Constantinople had its effect upon the Russians. They did not enter the
+city, but agreed to make a treaty with the Powers, by which Serbia,
+Montenegro, and Rumania became independent states, and Bulgaria was
+granted a form of Home Rule. The Christian states which have been carved
+out of Turkey in Europe owe everything to Russia. As you know, the
+Christians of the Balkans are Slavs, and are akin to the Russians both
+by race and religion. Russia has always been their friend and champion,
+and Serbia and Montenegro have stood by their benefactor during the
+present war. Rumania had, so far, determined to remain neutral; but
+Bulgaria, as we shall learn later, played a traitor's part, and before
+the year 1915 was out she had joined the Central Powers.
+
+Britain has suffered greatly for her mistake in bolstering up the Turks,
+and in preventing the Russians from becoming masters of Constantinople.
+Had they been in possession of that city when the present war broke out,
+the work of overcoming the Germans and Austrians would have been shorn
+of half its difficulty. The Dardanelles would have been in the hands of
+our friends, and there would have been an open sea road by which Russia
+could have carried on her overseas trade, and received munitions and
+supplies from her Allies. There would have been no need for that naval
+attack on the forts of the Dardanelles which I am about to describe; nor
+should we have undertaken that land campaign in the Gallipoli peninsula
+which cost us more than 117,000 casualties, and ended in failure, only
+redeemed by the splendid gallantry of our men.
+
+[Illustration: Map of the Dardanelles.]
+
+You have heard how Admiral Hornby's fleet threaded the Dardanelles in
+1878 without firing a shot. Now let me tell you very briefly how a
+British squadron forced its way through the straits in spite of strong
+resistance. In the year 1807, when we alone of all the European nations
+were holding out against the French, it was thought that if a British
+fleet were sent to Constantinople the Turks might be forced to break
+with Napoleon. So a powerful squadron under Admiral Duckworth sailed for
+the Dardanelles, with orders to demand the surrender of the Turkish
+fleet. If the demand was refused, he was to bombard Constantinople.
+Those were the days of sailing ships, and it was not easy to get
+men-of-war and frigates up the narrow winding waters, where the winds
+were irregular and the currents were baffling. The "castles" at the
+entrance and the forts at the Narrows opened fire on the ships; but
+little harm was done, and they passed through and anchored off
+Constantinople. It now seemed likely that under the muzzles of British
+guns the Sultan would give way. The French agents, however, persuaded
+him to "play for time," so that heavy batteries might be set up on the
+shores of the straits, and Duckworth's ships might be bombarded as they
+tried to return to the Mediterranean. Duckworth, you will notice, was in
+a very tight place. He was cut off from the open sea, and he could
+obtain no fresh supplies of food, water, or ammunition. It was clear
+that when his stores were exhausted he would be at the mercy of his
+enemies. So, before he could come to any agreement with the Sultan, he
+was forced to retire. His ships sailed slowly across the Sea of Marmora,
+and when the Narrows were reached the Turkish batteries opened fire with
+huge balls of marble, said to be hewn out of columns found amidst the
+ruins of Troy. One enormous stone shot cut the mainmast of the flagship
+in two; a second, that hit another vessel, knocked three gun ports into
+one, and killed or wounded sixty men. Finally, by good luck, the ships
+reached the open sea in safety. All on board were convinced that the
+experiment was too risky to be repeated.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Our greatest sailor, Nelson, always believed that strong, heavily armed
+forts could resist the attack of ships. When he was asked to reduce
+certain forts in Corsica by means of gun fire, he pointed out that stone
+walls were stronger than wooden walls, and that red-hot cannon balls
+from the guns of the forts might set his ships on fire. Since his day
+wooden walls have been replaced by armour plate, and red-hot shot by
+high-explosive shells. Nevertheless it is still true that shore
+batteries are more than a match for the heaviest armed battleships
+afloat. Of course, weak or badly-manned forts have been overcome by the
+guns of ships, as in the case of those at Alexandria, which were
+silenced by a British fleet in 1882; but as a rule ships run a great
+risk in attacking forts at close range, and are more than likely to come
+off second best.
+
+While a fort can only be put out of action by gun fire, a ship can be
+sunk not only by gun fire, but by mines or torpedoes. Forts can be
+strengthened to almost any extent, and protected by earthworks of all
+kinds, but there is a limit to the thickness and weight of the armour
+plate with which ships can be clad. Further, while shore batteries can
+be so hidden that they cannot be detected even from aeroplanes, a ship
+in action is in full sight of the fort, and is thus a good target. Then,
+again, hits made on the outer slopes of forts do but little damage. The
+only hits that really count are those which destroy or dismount guns,
+and such "direct hits" are few and far between. On the other hand, every
+shot that hits the ship is bound to tell, and the ship may be put out of
+action without a single gun being hit. You must also remember that while
+the fortress gunner is aiming at a wall twenty or thirty feet high and a
+hundred feet long, the ship's gunner can only fire at a low mound, or at
+a battery not more than four and a half feet in height.
+
+Even more difficult is the task of a ship's gunner when he is aiming at
+forts or batteries on high ground. It is not easy for a naval gun to
+bring an effective fire to bear on a target at a high level above the
+sea. Batteries on rising ground are difficult to reach, and when they
+are "spotted" they can be shifted to other positions, in which case the
+ship's gunners have to find the range all over again. When the shells
+from the ship's guns strike the ground they throw up columns of dust,
+and it is difficult for observers on board the ship or in the air to see
+exactly where the shells fall; but shells from the forts or land
+batteries drop into the sea, and throw up fountains of water which are
+clearly visible, and enable the observers on land to discover and set
+right all errors of range.
+
+A ship attacking a fort from the sea may silence it for a time; but when
+the ship draws off, as it is bound to do, the fort may be repaired and
+new guns may be mounted. Unless a landing-party goes ashore and utterly
+destroys the fort, there is no guarantee that the ship's work will not
+have to be done all over again. Even if forts are blown up, land
+batteries can be established, and resistance can be continued. Without
+land forces to occupy the shores on which the forts are situated, no
+really lasting result can be obtained by the ships.
+
+Now that you understand the disadvantages under which a fleet attacks
+forts, you will naturally ask why the British Government only sent ships
+to break down the defences of the Dardanelles. Why was not an army
+landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, to get behind the forts, or to
+attack them in the rear while the ships bombarded them from the sea? In
+the first weeks of February we were not ready to fit out and send a
+sufficiently strong army to the Gallipoli peninsula. Why, then, were the
+naval attacks not postponed until the army _was_ ready? Probably it was
+thought that if we hastened to show our strength in Near Eastern waters
+Greece, Bulgaria, and perhaps Rumania, might be won over to our side,
+or, at least, persuaded to turn a deaf ear to the tempting voice of the
+Kaiser. Further, some of the rulers of our navy really believed that the
+armament of our warships was now so powerful that the straits could be
+carried by gun fire alone. The idea of our Admiralty was to silence the
+forts at the entrance to the straits, then with a fleet of mine-sweepers
+from the North Sea to clear the inner waters so that warships could
+steam sufficiently near to the forts at the Narrows to concentrate a
+fierce fire on them. When they were silenced the ships would dash
+through.
+
+But even supposing the forts could be thus silenced, and our warships
+could slip through the straits, what then? So long as the Turks held the
+shores they could repair the damage to their forts, mount new batteries,
+strew the waters with mines, and take a heavy toll of our ships when
+lack of supplies forced them to return. Those who planned this naval
+attack probably thought that the Turks would give in as soon as
+Constantinople was shelled. But such a happy ending to the adventure was
+very doubtful.
+
+So you see that unless the ships were supported by land forces
+sufficient to hold at least one of the shores of the straits, all the
+efforts of the fleet were likely to prove fruitless. Nevertheless an
+unsupported naval attack was decided upon, and this was the first of the
+many costly mistakes which were made at the Dardanelles. When our ships
+began bombarding the forts, the Turks and their German advisers knew
+that we should have to make a land attack sooner or later. With feverish
+haste they therefore began to dig trenches and make gun pits on the
+Gallipoli peninsula. Thus, the Turks were afforded a breathing space in
+which to make any future land operations doubly difficult.
+
+[Footnote 32: King of ancient Persia from 485 to 465 B.C. He crossed the
+"Narrows" with a vast army in 481 B.C.]
+
+[Footnote 33: King of Macedonia from 336 to 323 B.C. He conquered all
+Western Asia, and even the north of India. As a soldier few of the great
+generals of history can compare with him.]
+
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXII.
+
+  HOW WE FAILED AT THE "NARROWS."
+
+
+As far back as November 3, 1914, a British and French squadron of
+battleships and battle cruisers shelled the forts which guard the
+entrance to the Dardanelles both on the Gallipoli and the Asiatic side.
+The attack was not long sustained; each ship only fired about twenty
+rounds. The forts replied, but most of the shots fell short. The sole
+object of this brief bombardment was to get the range of the forts. A
+spectator noticed that while the firing continued a heavy haze of smoke
+hung over the Turkish positions, and columns of dust rose high into the
+air, making "spotting" very difficult.
+
+Three months elapsed before the real attack began. On February 9, 1915,
+five British warships, the _Inflexible_, _Agamemnon_, _Cornwallis_,
+_Vengeance_, and _Triumph_, along with the French cruisers _Bouvet_,
+_Suffren_, and _Gaulois_, and a flotilla of destroyers, turned their
+guns on the entrance forts once more. Behind the battle line lay the
+_Ark Royal_, a mother ship for seaplanes. The aircraft which ascended
+from her decks carried observers, whose duty it was to direct the
+gunnery. Long-range firing began at eight in the morning, and before
+long the forts seemed to be smothered in bursting shells. Hits were
+frequently made both on the forts at Cape Helles and at Kum Kale, on the
+opposite shore; but what happened to the low earthworks of the batteries
+at Sedd-el-Bahr was difficult to ascertain. The forts did not reply, and
+Admiral Carden, who was in command of the bombarding fleet, thought that
+they must be out of action. Shortly before three in the afternoon he
+ordered six of his ships to close in, and bring all their guns to bear
+on the forts. As they did so the silent batteries awoke to life, and
+shells fell fast and thick around the attacking vessels. The Turkish
+fire, however, was badly aimed, and not a single ship was hit. By
+sundown the Gallipoli batteries were again silent; but Kum Kale was
+still firing when dusk began to fall, and Admiral Carden had to
+withdraw his fleet for the night.
+
+Next day there was bad weather, which continued for a week, and the
+attack could not be resumed until the 25th. The _Queen Elizabeth_,
+_Agamemnon_, _Irresistible_, and _Gaulois_ pounded the forts at such a
+long range that the guns on shore could not reach them. At the end of an
+hour and a half the _Queen Elizabeth_ had silenced the forts at Cape
+Helles, but not before the _Agamemnon_ had been struck by a shell which
+killed eight men and wounded five others. Under the protection of the
+super-Dreadnought's fire, the _Vengeance_ and _Cornwallis_ now steamed
+in to complete the destruction of the forts. Meanwhile the
+_Irresistible_ and the _Gaulois_ had severely hammered the Kum Kale
+batteries and the _Suffren_ and _Charlemagne_ were told off to put the
+finishing touches to the work of their bigger sisters. By 5.15 that
+evening all the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles were rubbish
+heaps. The Turkish gunners had fought pluckily for seven hours against
+overwhelming odds, and their defeat brought them no discredit. So far,
+the naval attack had been quite successful.
+
+When the ships ceased fire North Sea trawlers began the business of
+mine-sweeping. As you know, it is dangerous and difficult work; but it
+was admirably done, and by the morning of the 26th the first four miles
+of the straits were clear of mines, and all was ready for an attack on
+the inner forts. The _Albion_, _Vengeance_, and _Majestic_ now steamed
+up the straits to the limit of the mine-swept waters, and began to
+bombard Fort Dardanos, on the Asiatic side. The fort replied, as also
+did certain concealed batteries at various points along the shore. Once
+more the aim of the Turkish gunners was uncertain, and the ships
+suffered no damage. The guns of the ships dispersed several bodies of
+troops behind the forts.
+
+Meanwhile landing-parties of Royal Marines were sent ashore to blow up
+the forts which had been silenced on the previous day. Everywhere,
+except at Kum Kale, this was successfully done. The parties which landed
+on the Asiatic side were stubbornly resisted. They fought a hot little
+fight with the Turks, and had to fall back to their boats with a few
+casualties. Next day the Turks falsely announced that they had
+everywhere beaten off our landing-parties with heavy loss.
+
+The entrance to the straits was now in our hands; but its capture was
+only the beginning of the task. I have already told you that the main
+defences of the Dardanelles consist of the clustering forts and
+batteries on both sides of the bottle neck known as the Narrows. Our
+ships had now to deal not only with these forts and batteries, but with
+drifting mines and hidden torpedo tubes. Their hour of trial was fast
+approaching. Strong and bitterly cold northerly winds postponed the
+attack until 4th March; but in the meantime the trawlers, under cover of
+the destroyers, swept another five miles of the straits up to within a
+mile and a half of the beginning of the Narrows.
+
+On 4th March the ships were again in action, and another attempt was
+made by the Marines to land at Kum Kale. Once more they found a strong
+body of Turks awaiting them, and had to retire to their boats with a
+loss of nineteen killed, twenty-five wounded, and three missing. Many of
+the men were killed by snipers concealed in the ruins or in trees. A
+midshipman of the _Ocean_ tells us that a sergeant of Marines was found
+pierced by fourteen bullets. His comrades searched round until they
+found a German concealed in a wood exactly opposite to the wounded man.
+"He was put up against a tree and shot without a word."
+
+Next day a squadron of battleships and cruisers began the bombardment of
+Smyrna, the chief city of Asia Minor, and one of the greatest ports in
+the Turkish Empire. Some thirty-two hits were made on the forts, which
+made no reply. The attack was renewed on several of the following days,
+but with no result. Probably it was never intended to be serious, and
+was only made to distract the attention of the enemy.
+
+On the morning of 6th March the forts at the Narrows were assaulted by
+ships well up the straits. The attacking vessels were frequently hit by
+shells, but no serious damage was done, and there was no loss of life.
+The bombardment from the inside of the straits was not the main attack.
+That was made by the _Queen Elizabeth_, _Agamemnon_, and _Ocean_ from
+the Gulf of Saros. The ships lay off the point of Gaba Tepe, and, under
+the direction of aeroplanes, hurled their shells on to the forts at
+Chanak, which you will see on the Asiatic side of the Narrows, twelve
+miles away. The great 15-inch guns of "Big Lizzie," as the bluejackets
+dubbed the monster battleship, fired twenty-nine rounds, and played
+havoc with the forts. A shell from the "Lizzie" blew up the powder
+magazine of one of the batteries. You must not suppose that the ships in
+the Gulf of Saros went unmolested. The Turks had concealed guns on the
+heights of the peninsula, and with them they made good practice. The
+"Lizzie" was hit three times.
+
+The attack now seemed to be proceeding favourably. Every day newspaper
+readers at home expected to hear that the forts at the Narrows had been
+silenced, and that the guns of the fleet were within range of
+Constantinople. Little real progress, however, was being made. Often
+when forts ceased fire we flattered ourselves with the belief that they
+had been destroyed. What had really happened was that the heavy fumes
+from our shells had driven the gunners out of their casemates. As soon
+as the air became clear again they returned to work their guns once
+more. Even at Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale our success was not complete. We
+had blown up the forts, but we had not occupied the ground on both sides
+of the entrance, and the Turks had strongly entrenched themselves near
+at hand, and had mounted guns, which were able to continue the
+resistance.
+
+On the night of 13th March the small light cruiser _Amethyst_ performed
+a very daring feat. She dashed into the Narrows, and attempted to rush
+through. Concealed batteries opened fire on her, and she was hit several
+times at close range. Before she could run back into safety some fifty
+of her men had been knocked over. At home it was reported that she had
+actually succeeded in passing the forts, and everybody hoped that the
+beginning of the end was in sight. By this time an enormous number of
+vessels of all sorts and sizes had been mustered. Never before had such
+a fleet been seen in Eastern waters. Amongst the newcomers was the
+Russian cruiser _Askold_, which our sailors called "the packet of
+Woodbines," because of her five slim funnels. On 18th March Admiral
+Robeck, who had succeeded Admiral Carden in command of the fleet, felt
+that the time had come for a big effort.
+
+Thursday, 18th March, broke bright and clear, with a light wind and a
+calm sea. At a quarter to eleven the _Queen Elizabeth_, _Inflexible_,
+_Agamemnon_, and _Lord Nelson_, supported by the _Triumph_ and
+_Swiftsure_, steamed up the bright blue waters of the straits, and began
+firing at long range on the batteries on both sides of the Narrows.
+Forts, batteries, howitzers, and field guns replied, and after the
+bombardment had lasted an hour and a half, a French squadron of four
+ships, including the _Bouvet_, steamed in to attack the enemy at close
+range. Ten ships were now hurling their missiles on the forts, and under
+this terrific bombardment they were powerless to reply. Then a British
+squadron of six ships came up to push the attack home. As this squadron
+steamed towards Chanak, the French ships were withdrawn from the narrow
+waters, in order to make room for the newcomers. Suddenly, while this
+movement was going on, the forts began to fire again. It was now clear
+that they had not been seriously injured by our heavy bombardment.
+
+As the _Bouvet_ retired an officer on a British destroyer saw three
+shells strike her. Almost at the same moment she blew up with a terrific
+explosion, and was hidden in a dense cloud of smoke. In three minutes
+she heeled over and disappeared. A consort rushed to her assistance,
+only to find bubbles rising to the surface, and a pall of black smoke
+slowly lifting. Out of her crew of 630, only 64 were saved. At first it
+was thought that the enemy's shells had destroyed her, but the real
+cause of the disaster was a floating mine. The Turks, seeing the narrow
+waterway full of ships, had dropped mines in the channel, and the
+current had swept them along on their mission of destruction.
+
+This grave misfortune led to no slackening of the bombardment. An hour
+and a half later the _Irresistible_, a British battleship, thirteen
+years old, also fouled a mine. She began to list heavily, and slowly
+dragged her way from the firing line towards the entrance to the
+straits. At ten minutes to six she sank, but happily not until our
+destroyers had taken off nearly all her ship's company. The rescue of
+the _Irresistible's_ crew was a very gallant and skilful bit of work,
+for the destroyers were under Turkish fire all the time. A midshipman
+named Hugh Dixon did splendid service in picking up officers and men
+while shells were falling round his boat. He afterwards received the
+Distinguished Service Cross.
+
+[Illustration: The Irresistible and the Ocean in Action.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture, taken from the deck of a British warship, shows the
+_Irresistible_ and _Ocean_ shelling the Kum Kale and other forts on the
+Asiatic side. Both vessels were sunk on March 18, 1915, by drifting
+mines. (See page 175.)]
+
+The tale of disaster was not yet complete. A quarter of an hour after
+the _Irresistible_ went down the floating mines claimed another victim.
+The _Ocean_, a British battleship, fifteen years old, suddenly sank; but
+once more the destroyers were on the alert, and few lives were lost.
+Nor had other ships of the fleet escaped scathless. The _Gaulois_ had
+been holed in the bows, the fire-control station on the _Inflexible's_
+foretop had been shot away, and several of her men had fallen. Later in
+the day she received a gaping wound from a mine.
+
+When the sun set on that disastrous day the fleet slipped out of the
+Dardanelles, never again to renew its attack in force. The great attempt
+had failed; three battleships had gone down, and the French and British
+navies were the poorer by the loss of many gallant men. It was now clear
+to all that an unsupported naval attack was powerless to force a
+right-of-way through the Hellespont. Though the lost battleships had
+been destroyed by mines, the wisdom of our forefathers had been fully
+justified: well-armed forts are more than a match for the gun fire of
+ships.
+
+For the next month one or more vessels entered the straits each day and
+opened fire in order to prevent the Turks from repairing their forts. On
+28th March the Russian Black Sea Fleet bombarded the outer forts of the
+Bosporus. There was, however, no sting in these attacks. The fleet had
+shot its bolt. Our war lords were now preparing for a combined movement
+by land and sea.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Eric Gascoigne
+Robinson for several acts of bravery during the operations described
+above. On 26th February, when detailed to destroy a fort which had been
+silenced by our ships, he advanced alone, under heavy fire, into the
+enemy's position, and blew up a 4-inch gun. He then returned to his
+party for another charge, with which he destroyed a second gun. He did
+the work single-handed, because he knew that the white uniforms of his
+comrades would make them a good mark for the enemy. Commander Robinson
+distinguished himself not only by destroying guns, but also by taking
+part in four attacks on mine-fields--in each case under heavy fire.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+  THE STORY OF HILL 60.
+
+
+Three miles south of Ypres, close to the railway line which runs from
+that city to Comines, on the Lys, stands Hill 60, now known to all the
+world as the scene of a furious struggle which merged into a long and
+fierce battle. You must not imagine Hill 60 as a towering peak, but as a
+gentle swell of ground not rising much more than sixty feet above the
+level of the surrounding country. It was, indeed, formed by the earth
+taken out of a railway cutting and dumped down by the side of the line.
+At the time when my story opens (17th April) it was a hillock of
+ploughed land, with woods on all sides of it. Humble as it was, the
+heroisms done on it have given it a fame that Mont Blanc might envy.
+
+Hill 60 was valuable to the Germans because it overlooked the lower
+ground on which the British had dug their trenches. Observers on the
+hill could watch what was going on down below, and direct the fire of
+their heavy guns which were stationed a couple of miles or so to the
+rear. The whole hill was seamed with trenches and saps. The Germans held
+the upper slopes and the summit, and their positions were only fifty
+yards away from those of the British. They had strongly fortified the
+hill, because they knew that its loss would force them to give up a
+large part of their line. For this reason, and because it would afford
+us a gun position commanding much of the German front, we now prepared a
+bold attack upon it.
+
+Since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the counter-attack at St. Eloi
+there had been a lull in the fighting. Of course, the big guns on both
+sides fired daily, and the aeroplanes of friend and foe made constant
+raids and observation flights; but the infantry had been but little
+engaged. On 1st April an Allied aviator played a practical joke on the
+Germans. He flew over Lille, and dropped a football on the
+aerodrome.[34] It bounded up to a great height, and the Germans,
+thinking that it was a new kind of bomb, at once scuttled away into
+cover. The supposed bomb did not explode, and after a time they ventured
+out to examine it, and discovered this inscription on it: "April
+fool--Gott strafe England,"[35]
+
+In the early days of April our engineers, all unknown to the enemy, were
+busy driving galleries under Hill 60, and preparing mines. At seven
+o'clock on the morning of 17th April, when the 1st Royal West Kents and
+the 2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers were waiting with fixed bayonets,
+the mines under the hillock were exploded. There was a terrific roar,
+and it seemed as though the German trenches had been struck by an
+earthquake. Parapets, sand-bags, wire entanglements, and the bodies of
+the men were blown high into the air. The trenches disappeared, and in
+place of them yawned huge craters and mounds of piled earth. Before the
+dense columns of dust and smoke could subside, our guns belched forth
+shrapnel and high-explosive shells, so as to prevent the enemy from
+sending up reinforcements. In the midst of the whirlwind of shot and
+flame the Germans who had survived the explosions were seen falling over
+one another in their efforts to escape by means of the communication
+trenches. They were so panic-stricken that some of them forced a way to
+safety by charging through their own ranks with the bayonet.
+
+Then the whistles blew, and the West Kents, closely followed by the
+Scottish Borderers, clambered over their parapets, and, rushing up the
+slope, took possession of the craters, while some of their comrades
+pursued the flying Germans and fought furiously with them in the narrow
+trenches. Barricades were erected in the communication trenches, and
+over these the enemy flung hand grenades. The British, however, made
+good their hold on the craters, and twenty minutes after the charge was
+made were strongly posted with machine guns on the coveted position.
+Hill 60 was ours.
+
+[Illustration: Hill 60.
+
+(_From a sketch made just before its capture by the British. By
+permission of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+Early next morning (Sunday, 18th April) the Germans in mass formation
+made two attacks on the hill, but they were mown down by machine guns
+and shrapnel. Nevertheless they kept up their assaults all day, and by 6
+p.m. had won back part of the southern edge. The 2nd West Riding and 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry were now sent up to relieve the West Kents and
+Scottish Borderers. Supported by heavy artillery fire, they dashed
+forward and drove out the enemy at the point of the bayonet. While doing
+so they captured fifty-three prisoners, including four officers. During
+this advance we lost heavily, but the Germans lost more, and the slopes
+were littered with the bodies of friend and foe.
+
+For three days the struggle continued, almost without pause. The Germans
+fiercely shelled the hill, and hurled upon it a constant shower of
+bombs. Our men were exposed to fire from three sides, but they held on
+like limpets to a rock. On the evening of the 20th the Germans made
+another infantry attack, which lasted for an hour and a half, but once
+more they were repulsed by the stubborn British. It was during this
+period of fighting that Lieutenant George Roupell and Second Lieutenant
+Geoffrey Woolley won the Victoria Cross, as you will read on a later
+page.
+
+At dawn the next morning we discovered that the Germans had dug
+themselves in on the north-east edge of the hill. In the afternoon they
+were driven off, and then their artillery literally plastered the hill
+with shells of all kinds, some of them containing gases which blinded
+and choked our men. Against a tiny table top of 250 yards long by 200
+yards deep tons of metal and high explosives were flung from howitzers
+and field guns at close range. It seemed to observers that nothing could
+live in that zone of fire; nevertheless the defenders hung on for four
+and a half terrible days. The hill was still ours on Thursday, the 22nd.
+Then came a lull: the storm of battle had begun to rage over a far wider
+field.
+
+The struggle for the hill did not cease with the opening of this new
+battle. Before every big attack which the Germans made elsewhere they
+delivered a furious assault on the hill. At length, on 6th May, after a
+series of gas attacks, they won it back, and also some trenches to the
+north of it. By this time, however, it had been so blown away by mine
+explosions and artillery fire as to be of little value. A friend of
+mine, who visited it a week later, "could barely detect the gentle swell
+among the flat meadows."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I pass on to describe the Second Battle of Ypres, let me relate
+some soldiers' stories of the fierce fighting on Hill 60. A
+correspondent tells us that the Scottish Borderers never lost heart
+during the awful bombardment to which they were subjected. "These
+astounding men," he says, "holding hastily-dug trenches by the side of a
+yawning crater full of dead and wounded, with high-explosive shells
+bursting all around them and often falling amongst them, actually sang
+as they fired over the parapets or lobbed their bombs over the barriers
+across the old communication trenches of the Germans. Amid the flares
+that lit up the hilltop as clear as day, and the shells that burst with
+clouds of whitish yellow smoke, they shouted in chorus, '_Here we are!
+Here we are! Here we are again!_' Thus a company of the West Kents, sent
+up in support, found them at daybreak. The Borderers had been obliged to
+fall back from the trench on the outer lip of the crater to a trench on
+its near side, so that the chasm lay between them and the Germans. Their
+captain lay stark and stiff in the crater, which was so full of dead and
+wounded that, in the words of a West Kents' officer, 'hardly a portion
+of the ground could be seen.'" "It's dogged as does it," according to
+the old saying, and never were men more dogged than the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers during that fearful ordeal.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The same correspondent gives us some details of the splendid advance
+made by the Duke of Wellington's Own (2nd West Riding) and the 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry, when they drove the Germans off the southern
+edge. "At six o'clock the Duke's, as full of fight as ever, with
+bayonets fixed, were away over the parapet of their battered trench,
+followed by their fellow-countrymen of Yorkshire, some of the
+K.O.S.B.'s, and the Queen Victoria Rifles, a London Territorial
+battalion that did magnificent work that day. 'B' Company of the Duke's,
+on the right, reached the German trenches with only slight casualties.
+'C' company, in the centre, had to cross open ground, and of the hundred
+men who charged only Captain Barton and eleven others got into the
+German trench, where, notwithstanding their small numbers, they killed
+or routed all the Germans there. 'D' Company, on the left, had likewise
+to traverse the open, and lost all its officers in passing through the
+heavily-shelled zone; but with the help of the gallant Yorkshire Light
+Infantry it managed to secure the trench. Some fine deeds of gallantry
+were performed on that sombre hillside. Privates Behan and Dryden, of
+the Duke's, became separated from their company, but charged a German
+trench single-handed, killing three Germans and capturing two others.
+When they were reinforced by a detachment without an officer, Behan took
+command, and showed great ability. Both men afterwards received the
+Distinguished Conduct Medal."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A "Gaspipe Officer,"[36] writing in _Blackwood's Magazine_, tells us
+that, on the evening of 17th April, a group of officers standing on a
+little rise watched the shrapnel bursting over Hill 60, three and a half
+miles away. "They were half joyful and half sick at heart. Not one of
+them would have confessed it, yet each had a great pride in the old
+division, and a great anxiety that it should do well. Had the charge
+been successful? Had the gains been made good? They went back into their
+hut, and sang . . . until it was time to go to bed.
+
+"In the morning news came that the position had been rushed; the Germans
+had been filled with such panic that they had fled from the trenches on
+either side of the crater; they were heavily attacking; their guns and
+bombs were sweeping the new position; there was no wire down yet.
+
+"About nine the same night there was much cheering in the darkness of
+the camp. The remains of two battalions had returned from the hill. Then
+first we learned the names of the fallen. Still there was no wire down.
+. . . It took five or six days before the wire was down and trenches
+properly made. During those days no battalion could remain for more than
+fifteen hours on the hill, and at the end of its shift it would return
+broken. The men could see the guns that were firing at them. . . . The
+hill was death. But the 5th Division never let go. They stuck to the
+hill while the sappers put up wire and made it defensible."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I close this chapter I will give you some account of the soldiers
+who won the Victoria Cross for deeds of outstanding gallantry during the
+period between the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the beginning of the
+Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Private Robert Morrow, 1st Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish)
+Fusiliers.
+
+Near Messines, on 12th April, some of our trenches were destroyed by the
+enemy's shell fire, and several of our men were buried in the ruins.
+Without waiting for orders, and under a very heavy fire, Private Morrow
+dug out the men and carried them one by one to places of shelter. A
+score of times he hazarded his own life in rescuing his comrades, and
+the highest award of valour was the King's tribute to such fearless
+self-devotion.
+
+Private Edward Dwyer, 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment.
+
+When His Majesty the King pinned the coveted cross on the breast of
+Private Dwyer, he was amazed at the boyish appearance of the hero. He
+was but nineteen years of age when he ran through the hail of death up
+the slope of Hill 60; yet he was already a veteran, for he had fought
+from Mons to the Marne, and back to the Aisne, and had played his part
+in many a Flanders battle. He and his comrades of the East Surreys held
+a trench of Hill 60 with wonderful doggedness. Quite early in the
+encounter Dwyer went out from the cover of his trench and bandaged
+several of his badly-wounded comrades. No one would have been more
+surprised than Edward Dwyer if he had been told that these acts of mercy
+were heroic. He considered them his plain duty--that was all.
+
+Dwyer and his comrades were assailed by German hand-grenade throwers.
+Their bombs came hurtling into the trench, and did awful execution.
+Dwyer saw that unless the Germans were beaten back with their own
+weapons the position would be lost. Seizing a supply of bombs, he sprang
+upon the parapet, and flung his missiles so rapidly and with such
+unerring aim that he broke up the enemy's advance. At once he became a
+mark for the enemy's bombers and sharpshooters. Standing high on the
+parapet, he was an excellent target. Grenades whizzed and cracked in the
+air around him, rifles were fired at him, and only by a hair's breadth
+did he escape time after time. At last he was wounded in the head, but
+even then he did not cease to fling his bombs. They fell right in the
+thick of the Germans, who were forced back. One man had beaten back a
+whole company!
+
+Private Dwyer came down from the sand-bags sorely wounded but
+victorious. He was still unaware that he had done anything heroic. But
+you and I honour him as a supremely brave man, who added to his
+gallantry the charm of modesty. While he was recovering from his wounds
+he addressed recruiting meetings with such burning words that many a man
+forthwith offered his services to his King and country. Before the year
+was out he carried the King's commission as second lieutenant.
+
+Lieutenant George Rowland Patrick Roupell, 1st Battalion, the East
+Surrey Regiment.
+
+This young officer was in command of his company in a front trench on
+that terrible April day when our men were clinging on to Hill 60 by
+their eyebrows. Though wounded in several places, he remained at his
+post, and led his men when they repelled a strong German assault. During
+a lull in the shattering salvos of fire he had his wounds hurriedly
+dressed, and then insisted on returning to his trench, which was soon
+heavily shelled once more. Towards evening, when his company was
+dangerously weakened, he went back to headquarters through a whirlwind
+of fire, and returned, bringing with him reinforcements. With these he
+held the position until his battalion was relieved next morning.
+Lieutenant Roupell was one of the few survivors of his company. It was
+his splendid example of courage, devotion, and doggedness that inspired
+his men to hold out to the end.
+
+Second Lieutenant Benjamin Handley Geary, 4th Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), East Surrey Regiment.
+
+Second Lieutenant Geary held the left crater on Hill 60 with his
+platoon, a detachment of the Bedfordshire Regiment, and a few
+reinforcements sent up during the evening and night. The crater was so
+heavily bombarded by the enemy that the defences were broken down, and
+throughout the night there were repeated bomb attacks which filled the
+great hole with dead and wounded. Each attack, however, was splendidly
+repulsed, mainly owing to the personal gallantry and inspiring example
+of Lieutenant Geary. At one time he used a rifle with great effect, at
+another time he threw hand grenades and held off the enemy. Again and
+again he exposed himself with entire disregard of danger, in order to
+see by the light of flares where the attack was to be made. In the
+pauses between the attacks he was busy arranging for ammunition supply
+and for reinforcements. Lieutenant Geary displayed all the ancient
+virtues of his race--alertness in seizing opportunities, courage that is
+heedless of self, leadership that inspires confidence, and steadfastness
+that never knows defeat. He was severely wounded just before daylight
+on 21st April. A bullet passed through his head from one side to the
+other, completely destroying the sight of one eye, and seriously
+injuring that of the other. He made, however, a rapid recovery.
+
+Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley, 9th (County of London) Battalion,
+the London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), Territorial Force.
+
+At one time during the frenzied struggle which I have described in this
+chapter, Lieutenant Woolley was the only officer on the hill. With a
+handful of men he resisted all attacks on his trench, and continued
+throwing bombs and encouraging his comrades until he was relieved. All
+this time his trench was under heavy fire from the artillery, bombers,
+and machine gunners of the enemy. For "sticking it" so gallantly
+Lieutenant Woolley was rightly awarded the cross of valour. He had the
+honour of being the first of all Territorials to win this high
+distinction. Lieutenant Woolley was the son of an Essex clergyman, and
+was a student at Oxford, preparing to take holy orders, when the war
+broke out. Although he confessed that he hated fighting, he nevertheless
+felt that he must serve his country. Shortly after his exploits on the
+hill he was promoted captain.
+
+[Illustration: The first Territorial to win the V.C. An heroic Exploit
+on Hill 60.
+
+(_From the picture by R. Caton Woodville, from material supplied by men
+who fought in the action. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)
+
+"He successfully resisted all attacks on his trench and continued
+throwing bombs"--such was the exploit which won Lieutenant Geoffrey
+Harold Woolley the Victoria Cross. You will read the story of his
+heroism on page 187.]
+
+Private Edward Warner, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
+
+On 1st May the Germans launched a gas attack against Hill 60, and Trench
+46 had to be abandoned by our men. Though suffering agonies from the
+poisonous fumes, Private Warner, all by himself, returned to the trench,
+and prevented the enemy from taking possession of it. Reinforcements
+were ordered up, but they could not reach the gallant fellow owing to
+the gas. He then came back, and returned with other men, who helped him
+to hold the trench until the enemy's attacks ceased. By this time he was
+completely worn out, and shortly afterwards died from the effects of gas
+poisoning. Thus perished a hero of heroes.
+
+[Footnote 34: Aviation ground with hangars or sheds in which aeroplanes
+are stored.]
+
+[Footnote 35: German for "God punish England"--the common curse of the
+Germans at that time.]
+
+[Footnote 36: Military cyclists are known at the front as Gaspipe
+Cavalry.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+  THE POISONOUS CLOUD.
+
+
+While the Germans were fiercely shelling Hill 60 the tide of war rolled
+along the Ypres Salient, which has so often figured in these pages. The
+Gaspipe Officer already quoted says: "The old Ypres salient was such a
+silly thing. Imagine for a moment one of those old Greek theatres,
+semicircular. All the way round the Germans were on the top row of
+seats, and we were only halfway up. They could see everything that we
+were doing, while we, hemmed in, had to trust to aeroplanes. And down on
+the floor of the theatre stood Ypres, through which, or by which, nearly
+every road to the salient passed."
+
+If you look at the diagram on page 189, you will see how we were holding
+the salient on the morning of 22nd April. Our lines ran in a semicircle
+from Steenstraate, on the Yser canal, about four and a half miles to the
+north of Ypres, right round to the Ypres-Comines canal, about two miles
+south of the city. Nowhere was the salient more than four and a half
+miles across; every part of it, including Ypres itself, was, therefore,
+within range of the enemy's big guns. As the Gaspipe Officer tells us,
+the Germans held the higher ground, and were thus in a very favourable
+position for sweeping all parts of the salient with their fire. All the
+roads to the outer rim of the salient spread out from Ypres like the
+spokes of a wheel. Our supply and ammunition columns were, therefore,
+under fire the moment they entered or passed by the city.
+
+The British forces had greatly increased since those days of terrible
+trial in the preceding October and November, when, with never more than
+150,000 men, we had beaten back the furious onrush of at least half a
+million Germans, and had blocked for ever the coveted road to Calais. We
+had now some 500,000 men at the front, and we felt, after our great
+assault at Neuve Chapelle, that we had the upper hand of the enemy, and
+that henceforth the attack was with us and the defence lay with him.
+Before, however, he sank into this secondary position he meant to make
+another desperate effort to reach the Channel ports. This long and
+fierce struggle, which I am now about to describe, is known as the
+Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Sketch showing position at the Ypres salient on the morning of April 22,
+1915.]
+
+Look again at the diagram. The Allied line from Steenstraate to
+Langemarck was held by Turcos and Spahis, French colonial troops from
+Algeria. Continuing the curve for 5,000 yards was the Canadian Division,
+consisting of three infantry brigades, in addition to artillery
+brigades. The first infantry brigade was in reserve, the second (8th and
+5th Battalions) lay on the right, and the third (13th and 14th
+Battalions) on the left, next to the French. The whole division was
+commanded by General Alderson; Brigadier-General Turner commanded the
+3rd Brigade, and Brigadier-General Curry the 2nd Brigade. The trenches,
+which the Canadians had taken over from the French, were badly made and
+very wet, and could only be improved with difficulty, as the dead had
+been buried in the bottoms and the sides. The 28th Division continued
+the line to the south-east corner of Polygon Wood, where Princess
+Patricia's Own were stationed. From the wood to Hill 60 the remainder of
+the salient was manned by the 27th Division.
+
+Though the salient was well known to be a source of weakness, it was not
+strongly held by the Allies at this time. Probably the Germans were
+aware of the fact, for suddenly they launched a furious and determined
+attack against the forces holding it. The only warning which the Allies
+received was on the 20th, when the guns of the enemy began to bombard
+Ypres. Huge shells from the heaviest of guns fell in the streets, which
+were then thronged with citizens and our own reserves. Fifteen little
+children were killed at their play, and a number of the townsfolk
+perished amidst the ruins of their houses. Our generals understood at
+once the meaning of this bombardment. It was meant to block the roads to
+our lines on the salient, and make the work of sending forward supplies
+and ammunition very difficult, if not impossible. It was not meant to
+embarrass us at Hill 60, for we had free roads leading to that position
+from the west. It could only be the forerunner of an attack on that part
+of the salient extending from the Yser Canal to the Menin road--that is,
+on the portion held by the French Colonials, the Canadians, the 28th
+Division, and Princess Pat's. Our generals viewed the bombardment with
+anxiety; they knew that we were ill prepared to meet the attacks which
+were soon to follow.
+
+Thursday, 22nd April, was a peaceful day, warm and sunny. A light,
+steady wind was blowing from the north-east. About five in the evening
+an aviator reported that he had seen a strange green cloud, higher than
+a man, surging across the open ground from the German lines towards the
+French trenches. It was the deadly poison gas chlorine, which when taken
+into the lungs sets up acute bronchitis and causes its victims to die in
+horrible agony. At every fifty feet or so along the German front a
+battery of twenty retorts had been established. The gas from these
+retorts had been pumped at high pressure into huge reservoirs from which
+pipes ran to the front trenches. When the nozzles were turned on, the
+deadly gas rushed out, and was carried by the wind towards the French
+lines. Special respirators had been served out to the German soldiers,
+who were waiting in readiness to take advantage of this foul blow. Never
+before had poison gas been used in this manner on the battlefield. The
+Germans were about to sound the deepest depths of their infamy and try
+to poison those whom they could not beat in fair fight.
+
+Onward rolled the greenish-white cloud, across fields, through woods,
+and over hedgerows. Soon the Turcos in their trenches were gasping and
+choking and suffering unspeakable tortures. They were brave men; there
+was no mortal foe they were not ready to engage; but this creeping cloud
+that struck them down in agony was a devilish magic which they could
+neither understand nor resist. A horrible, unreasoning terror took
+possession of them, and they ran. Back they fled through the dusk, a
+coughing, blinded crowd, leaving behind them hundreds of their comrades
+gasping out their lives or lying dead with blue faces and frothy lips.
+Some of them fled due south towards the Langemarck road, and in the
+early darkness came upon the reserve battalions of the Canadians, who
+gazed in amazement upon their wild dark faces, their heaving chests, and
+speechless lips. Soon the Canadians began to feel the effects of the
+gas, and many of them were afflicted by a deadly sickness.
+
+[Illustration: Stand to your Arms!
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The incident pictured above occurred when the Turcos were assailed by
+poison gas and fled from their trenches. When the first fugitives
+arrived on the outskirts of Ypres, some of our reserves gathered in
+groups, wondering what had happened and trying to find out what was the
+matter. Suddenly a staff officer rode up, shouting, "Stand to your
+arms!" and in a few minutes the troops had fallen in and were marching
+to the scene of the fight. "Nothing more impressive ran be imagined than
+the sight of our men falling in quietly and in perfect order amid the
+scene of wild confusion caused by the panic-stricken refugees who
+swarmed along the roads, striving to flee as quickly as possible from
+the German menace behind them."]
+
+A great breach, four miles wide, now yawned between Steenstraate and
+Langemarck. On the left of the Canadians there was a huge rent, through
+which the Germans were preparing to advance, while their artillery
+pitilessly whipped the fugitives onward. The situation was dangerous in
+the extreme. Ypres appeared to be within the Kaiser's grasp. The
+Canadians were unsupported on their left; the French trenches were
+choked with dead and dying; and fifty French guns were in the hands of
+the enemy. In vain the officers strove to rally the fleeing Turcos.
+Meanwhile a great mob of Germans pushed through the wall of gas which
+was now breaking up into patches behind them, and rushed on towards
+Ypres. Only two miles of open country now separated them from the city
+of their desire.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXV.
+
+  THE BATTLE GLORY OF CANADA.
+
+
+Every Briton may thank God that the Canadians were where they were when
+the cloud of poison gas sent the Turcos fleeing in panic to the rear.
+These sons of the eldest daughter of the Empire, who prior to the war
+knew little or nothing of the art and discipline of warfare, were now
+called upon to save the situation when all seemed lost. They, too, had
+been "gassed;" and though they had not suffered so severely as the
+French, many of them were already out of action. Against the 3rd
+Canadian Brigade four divisions of Germans now flung themselves. They
+were working round to the rear when General Turner threw back his left
+flank until his line ran roughly thus:--
+
+[Illustration]
+
+This movement had to be carried out while the air was foul with
+poisonous fumes, while shells were bursting all around, and bullets were
+flying from scores of machine guns and hundreds of rifles. By nightfall
+the left wing of the 3rd Brigade was in its new position. Then, under
+the flickering light of burning farmhouses and cottages and the fitful
+rays of the moon, the men dug themselves in and prepared to hold on,
+come what might. By midnight two battalions of the reserve had been
+brought up, and the Canadians had settled down to their desperate task.
+So fierce was the German curtain of fire that no food could reach the
+trenches for twenty-four hours, and then only bread and cheese. A
+company of the Buffs which attempted to bring relief was altogether
+destroyed.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The story of the Second Battle of Ypres is mainly the story of how the
+Canadian Division--outflanked, and outnumbered by four to one, stormed
+at with shot and shell by the heaviest artillery known to warfare,
+stupefied by poisonous vapours, unsupported by big guns, unaided by
+reinforcements, and short of food and water--fought through the day and
+through the night, and then through another day and night, losing
+heavily hour by hour, but enduring gloriously, and finally retiring with
+the proud knowledge that by its superb endurance it had saved the day.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the French Colonials fled from their trenches, the enemy captured
+four British guns in the little wood which you see to the east of St.
+Julien. The teams were miles away, and the guns could not be carried off
+during the hurry and confusion of changing position. It was gall and
+wormwood to the Canadians to think these guns should be lost, and they
+were eager to recover them. Towards midnight, Colonel Leckie and Colonel
+Boyle led the Canadian Scottish (the 16th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade
+and the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Brigade) into the wood in a desperate
+endeavour to win back the guns. Let me tell you the story of this fine
+charge in the words of an officer who took part in it:--
+
+    "It wanted but a few minutes to midnight when we got to a hollow
+    which was at most three hundred yards from the wood. The moon
+    now reappeared at intervals, and we could have done without her.
+    The shrapnel fire had completely ceased, and we had a second
+    spell of a 'silence which could be felt.'
+
+    "Whispered orders were given to fix bayonets, which were obeyed
+    in a flash. Overcoats, packs, and even the officers' equipments
+    were dropped, and we immediately advanced in light order.
+
+    "Scarcely had we reached a low ridge, in full view of the wood,
+    when a perfect hail of fire was loosed on us from rifles and
+    machine guns, which the Germans had placed in position behind
+    the undergrowth skirting the wood.
+
+    "Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed,
+    cheering, yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. At first the
+    Germans fired a little too high, and our losses until we came
+    within fifty yards of them were comparatively small. Then some
+    of our chaps began to drop; then the whole front line seemed to
+    melt away, only to be instantly closed up again.
+
+    "Cheering and yelling all the time, we jumped over the bodies of
+    the wounded and tore on. Of the Germans with the machine guns
+    not one escaped, but those inside the wood stood up to us in a
+    most dogged style. We were so quickly at work that those at the
+    edge of the wood could not have got away in any case. Many threw
+    up their hands, and we did not refuse quarter.
+
+    "Pressing on into the wood itself, the struggle became a
+    dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought in clumps and batches,
+    and the living struggled over the bodies of the dead and dying.
+    At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily driving
+    the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+    flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight.
+
+    "Sweeping on, we came upon lines of trenches which had been
+    hastily thrown up and could not be stubbornly defended. Here all
+    who resisted were bayoneted; those who yielded were sent to the
+    rear."
+
+Another officer who took part in the attack described how the men about
+him fell under the fire of the machine guns, which, in his phrase,
+played upon them "like a watering-pot." He added quite simply, "I wrote
+my own life off." But neither he nor his men wavered. When one man fell
+another took his place, and with a final shout the two battalions flung
+themselves on the wood. The Germans were thrust back by the impetuous
+advance of the Canadians, who reached the far side of the wood and there
+entrenched themselves. They retook the guns, but were sorely
+disappointed to discover that the Germans had rendered them useless.
+They also captured a number of prisoners, including a colonel.
+
+That night a terrible artillery fire swept the wood "as a tropical storm
+sweeps the leaves from a forest," and the Canadians fell back from the
+position which they had won at the price of many a brave life. All
+through the night the fighting went on without pause. The attacks
+constantly grew in strength, and it seemed hardly possible that the
+Canadians could resist much longer.
+
+At six on the morning of Friday the enemy began an outflanking movement
+that looked very dangerous. In order to relieve the strain a
+counter-attack on the first line of German trenches was ordered. This
+was carried out by the Ontario 1st and 4th Battalions of the 1st
+Brigade, under General Mercer. The advance was made across 2,300 yards
+of open country, every yard of which was under hot shell fire.
+
+    "It is safe to say," writes Sir Max Aitken, the Canadian record
+    officer, "that the youngest private in the ranks, as he set his
+    teeth for the advance, knew the task in front of him, and the
+    youngest subaltern knew all that rested on its success. It did
+    not seem that any human being could live in the shower of shot
+    and shell which began to play upon the advancing troops.
+
+    "They suffered terrible casualties. For a short time every other
+    man seemed to fall, but the attack was pressed ever closer and
+    closer. The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a
+    particularly withering fire. For a moment--not more--it wavered.
+    Its most gallant commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel
+    Birchall, carrying, after an old fashion, a light cane, coolly
+    and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the very moment when his
+    example had infected them, fell dead at the head of his
+    battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward (for,
+    indeed, they loved him) as if to avenge his death.
+
+    "The astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in the face
+    of direct frontal fire, made in broad daylight, by battalions
+    whose names should live for ever in the memories of soldiers,
+    was carried to the first line of the German trenches. After a
+    hand-to-hand struggle, the last German who resisted was
+    bayoneted, and the trench was won."
+
+The Canadian left was now safe. The German trench was occupied, and
+held against all comers in the teeth of every kind of deadly missile
+that could be hurled against it. It was still in the hands of the
+victors on Sunday, 25th April, when all that remained of the war-broken
+battalions was relieved.
+
+At 4 a.m. on the morning of Friday, the 23rd, the Germans sent a great
+discharge of poison gas against the 2nd Brigade, which held the line
+running north-east, and upon the 3rd Brigade, which had continued the
+line up to the pivotal position and had then spread down in a
+south-easterly direction. In two minutes a cloud seven feet high rolled
+from the German trenches into those of the Canadians. The defenders had
+no respirators, but some of them wrapped wet handkerchiefs about their
+mouths, and thus obtained a little relief. They dared not retire, even
+if they had wished to do so, for the gas would follow them, and the
+exertion would cause them to draw deeper breaths of the deadly vapour.
+So, with blue, swollen faces and bloodshot eyes almost bursting from
+their sockets, they held on. Men went sick and giddy a thousand yards
+behind the line, and even the grass and trees grew white as the fumes
+passed over them.
+
+[Illustration: Gassed!
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The green mist came rolling towards the parapet from the enemy's empty
+front trench, several hundred yards away. It looked like a vapour rising
+from a marsh, and the wind was strong enough to carry it rapidly towards
+the parapet. One battalion had time to fire two rounds through the
+screen of gas before it came pouring over the sand-bags, penetrating
+into every crevice of the dug-outs, and choking the men who lay there.
+It was so thick at first that objects three feet distant could scarcely
+be seen."]
+
+Many of the men were struck down by the fumes, and the Royal Highlanders
+of Montreal, 13th Battalion, and the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion,
+specially suffered. For a short time the 48th were obliged to withdraw a
+short distance from their trench. Soon, however, they were their own men
+again, and they advanced and reoccupied their old position. The Germans,
+as you know, had long been striving to drive back the devoted 3rd
+Brigade, in order to sweep round and overwhelm its left wing. In the
+course of the attacks a large number of the enemy managed to slip in
+between the wood and St. Julien. For a time it seemed as though the
+Germans had succeeded, and that the last obstacle to their advance would
+be swept away. Not only the men of the 13th Battalion, but of every
+other battalion, fought like heroes to avert the danger. All that mortal
+men could do they did. Major Norsworthy, who had already been disabled
+by a bullet, was bayoneted and killed while rallying his men. Major
+M'Cuaig, who had been seriously wounded in a hastily-constructed trench,
+insisted on being left behind lest he should be a hindrance. So fierce
+and constant were the German attacks that orders were now given for the
+brigade to retire.
+
+The men were very unwilling to withdraw, and they insisted, at great
+risk, on carrying with them their belongings. A wounded officer,
+following the example of Major M'Cuaig, refused to move, and asked his
+comrades to leave him alone in the trench. He begged them to give him
+two loaded Colt revolvers, and with these and his own weapon ready at
+hand, he prepared to sell his life dearly.
+
+On Friday afternoon the left of the Canadian line was strengthened by
+the arrival of seven battalions of British troops. But the artillery
+fire of the enemy grew fiercer and fiercer, and it was clear that the
+Canadian salient could not be held against the fierce and constant
+attacks which were being launched against it; so, slowly and stubbornly
+contesting every yard of ground, the defenders fell back upon St.
+Julien, and then still farther south, until the deserted village was
+half a mile in front of their new lines. The Germans swarmed into the
+village, but before they could call it their own they had to reckon with
+detachments of the Royal Highlanders of Montreal and of the Royal
+Montreal Regiment, unavoidably left behind when the main body retired.
+What befell these devoted fellows in St. Julien we shall probably never
+know, but as the crack of their rifles did not cease for a long time, we
+may rest assured that they fought and died as worthy sons of Canada.
+
+The success of the Germans in capturing St. Julien threatened a new and
+dangerous attack by the enemy. In order to check it a British brigade
+was ordered to advance. The thrust was made through the Canadian left
+and centre, and as the troops went forward, many of them going to
+certain death, they broke out into loud cheers for Canada. There was no
+man in the British army who was not filled with admiration for the
+Canadians that day. The advance was very costly, but it succeeded. For a
+time the Germans were checked.
+
+Now let us see how the 2nd Brigade fared. At five o'clock on Thursday it
+was still holding the whole of its original line of trenches. Now that
+the 3rd Brigade had retired, General Curry, who was in command, had to
+do as General Turner had done--that is, throw back his left flank to
+protect his rear. It is the glory of the 2nd Brigade that they never
+lost their trenches. They hung on from Thursday at five o'clock until
+Sunday afternoon. Then there were no trenches left; they had been wiped
+out by the German shell fire. General Curry withdrew his unbroken and
+undefeated troops from the tumbled heaps of earth and sand-bags, but not
+before many a deed of heroism had been done.
+
+At Grafenstafel, the extreme north-eastern point of the Ypres salient,
+the position was held by the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, under
+Lieutenant-Colonel Lipsett. His battalion had been driven from its
+trenches by gas early on Friday morning, but in three-quarters of an
+hour it had recovered itself and retaken its old quarters. When the 3rd
+Brigade retired, as described above, a gap was left, through which the
+Germans strove desperately to force their way. Had they done so they
+would have been in the rear of the 28th Division, and the whole eastern
+section would have been in perilous plight. Colonel Lipsett, however,
+held on to this key to Ypres, though his left was "in the air," and kept
+the Germans out of the gap until the arrival of two British regiments.
+It is said that Lieutenant Bellew, a machine-gun officer of the 7th,
+stuck a loaf on his bayonet and hoisted it upon the parapet in defiance,
+while he worked his gun. It was smashed to pieces, but he afterwards
+continued the fire with relays of rifles. On Sunday evening the 2nd
+Brigade was relieved for much-needed rest. The 3rd Brigade had been
+relieved on the previous night.
+
+Monday morning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line.
+
+[Illustration: The Fight in the Wood by Moonlight. Canadian Scottish and
+the 10th Infantry recapture lost guns at the point of the bayonet.
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+"Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed, cheering,
+yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. . . . Pressing on into the wood
+itself, the struggle became a dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought
+in clumps and batches, and the living struggled over the bodies of the
+dead and dying. At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily
+driving the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight." (See
+pages 194, 196.)]
+
+Monday morning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line. So the 2nd
+Brigade, now less than a thousand strong, was ordered back. "The men are
+tired," said General Curry, "but they are ready and glad to go again to
+the trenches." They had to cross a zone of shell fire in daylight before
+they regained their old position, and this was no easy task for men who
+had lived through such shattering days. They held the trenches all day
+on Monday; on Tuesday they were withdrawn to reserve trenches, and on
+Wednesday were relieved, and retired to billets in the rear.
+
+In this account of a great and glorious feat of arms I have confined
+myself to the work of the infantry. A word must be said as to the
+behaviour of the other units. The signallers proved themselves cool and
+resourceful. During the fierce bombardment the telegraph and telephone
+wires were constantly cut, and in carrying out the repairs many brave
+men lost their lives. The dispatch carriers, as usual, showed the utmost
+bravery. One of them, sore wounded, gasped out his message to a passing
+officer before swooning away. The artillery never flagged, and not a
+single Canadian gun was lost in the long and confused battle. On one
+occasion the gunners of a battery were compelled to swing two of their
+guns round, and to fire on the foe in front and in the rear at the same
+time. Canadian engineers and the medical corps also played a devoted
+part, and are entitled to share with their comrades of all arms in the
+glory of a great achievement.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So ended the great ordeal of the Canadians in the Second Battle of
+Ypres. When the story of their glorious courage and endurance was
+flashed across the sea, Britons everywhere throughout the wide Empire
+were thrilled with pride. Consider for a moment what they had done. They
+had stemmed the onrush of an enemy which outnumbered them by four to
+one, and they had done it in spite of the deadly poison gas that choked
+and blinded and stupefied them. They had no heavy artillery to assist
+them; they were without reinforcements; they were unceasingly assailed;
+they held on for days and nights of incessant struggle and anxiety; yet
+so undismayed were they that they could counter-attack with fiery
+courage. And when, after enduring such trials, they were called from a
+brief rest to re-enter the zone of death, they were glad to return. Sir
+John French confessed that "by their gallantry and determination they
+had undoubtedly saved the situation." While the British Empire can boast
+such men, its future and its fame are secure.
+
+Messages of congratulation were showered upon the gallant fellows. Here
+is the King's message, which was sent to the Duke of Connaught as
+representing Canada:--
+
+    "Congratulate you most warmly on the splendid and gallant way in
+    which the Canadian Division fought during the last few days
+    north of Ypres. Sir John French says their conduct was
+    magnificent. The Dominion will be justly proud.--George."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Great was the price of victory. Three battalion officers died--Colonel
+Birchall of the 4th, Colonel M'Harg of the 7th, and Colonel Boyle of the
+10th. Only ten officers of the 5th Battalion survived; only five were
+left alive in the 7th, only seven in the 8th, and eight in the 10th.
+When the long fight was over the machine gunners of the 13th Battalion
+only mustered thirteen out of fifty-eight, and there was but a single
+survivor of those attached to the 7th Battalion. Up to 2nd May the
+Canadian Division had lost in killed, wounded, and missing 252 officers
+and 6,332 men. When the tale of losses was unfolded there were many
+bleeding hearts in Canada; but mingled with the grief there was a
+sorrowful pride, and even those who had lost their dearest and best were
+as resolute as ever to continue the struggle to a triumphant end.
+
+"The graveyard of Canada in Flanders is large. It is very large. Those
+who lie there have left their mortal remains on alien soil. To Canada
+they have bequeathed their memories and their glory."
+
+  "On Fame's eternal camping-ground
+     Their silent tents are spread,
+   And glory guards with solemn round
+     The bivouac of the dead."
+
+[Illustration: The Charge of the 4th Canadian Battalion.
+
+(_From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a particularly
+withering fire. For a moment--not more--it wavered. Its most gallant
+commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Birchall, carrying, after an old
+fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the
+very moment when his example had infected them, fell dead at the head of
+his battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward as if to
+avenge his death. . . . After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German
+who resisted was bayoneted, and the trench was won."]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+  DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.--I.
+
+
+I have told you in the form of a continuous story how the Canadians
+saved the day. In doing so I have had to keep your attention fixed on
+that part of the British line extending from Grafenstafel to the little
+wood where the Canadians made their midnight charge in order to recover
+the lost guns. We have now to learn what took place on the left and
+right of the Canadian position, and to follow the fortunes of the
+long-drawn-out battle to its close.
+
+You already know that when the poison gas rolled down on the French
+trenches and drove the panic-stricken Turcos in headlong flight, a great
+breach of four miles yawned in the Allied line. By swinging back their
+left the Canadians barred a portion of this gap, but only a portion.
+From the little wood on which their left rested to the line of the Yser
+Canal there was still an undefended gap of at least two and a half
+miles. Had the Germans been prompt they could have marched through this
+gap into Ypres, almost without firing a shot. Strange to say, they were
+slow in moving, and did not push their advantage. As in the First Battle
+of Ypres, they broke our line, but could do nothing in the breach.
+
+Not until the small hours of Friday morning did the first British
+reinforcements arrive in the gap. They had been drawn chiefly from the
+28th Division, which was holding the line from Grafenstafel to Polygon
+Wood. All the battalions that could be spared from the 28th Division
+were hurried across the salient, and it was a strange mixture of units
+that held the pass between the Canadian left and the canal. As the
+fighting proceeded, this force, which was commanded by Colonel Geddes,
+altered its character from day to day and almost from hour to hour. A
+grenade company of the Northumberland Fusiliers, consisting of two
+officers and 120 men, was added to it by accident. They had been
+fighting at Hill 60, and had been eight days in the trenches. On the way
+back to join the 28th Division, to which they belonged, these grimy,
+weary, and hungry warriors fell in with Geddes's force, and promptly
+took their places in his firing line. That night they lived up to the
+fame of the old "Fighting Fifth."
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Position on the morning of Friday, April 23, 1915.]
+
+By the morning of Friday the Germans had crossed the canal south of
+Steenstraate, and were threatening that village, which was held by the
+French. Allenby's three divisions of cavalry, along with two Indian
+divisions, were being hurried up with all speed to help the French, who
+were struggling on the west of the canal. Meanwhile all along the line
+from Polygon Wood to the canal the big guns of the enemy were heavily
+shelling our lines. The fighting, as we already know, was heaviest
+against the Canadian 3rd Brigade, which had suffered great losses both
+from gas and from artillery fire. There were gaps all along our front,
+and in one place the machine guns of the enemy were behind our trenches.
+
+
+While the Canadians between the little wood and Grafenstafel were
+holding on, British battalions were being hurried up as rapidly as
+possible. You will see from the map on page 208 that the 13th Brigade
+filled the gap between the canal and the Pilkem road, and that they were
+supported by Territorials of the York and Durham Brigade, who had
+arrived in France only three days before. Between Geddes's detachment
+and the little wood lay the 10th Brigade, consisting of Territorials,
+the 1st Warwicks, 2nd Seaforths, 1st Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Dublin
+Fusiliers, and 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The Durhams and
+the 1st Hants were holding the gap between the Canadians and the 28th
+Division. Such was the condition of the northern side of the salient on
+Saturday evening when the 3rd Canadian Brigade was retired. The
+Northumbrian Division took its place.
+
+About 4.30 on Sunday morning the 10th Brigade and two battalions of the
+York and Durham Brigade made a great attempt to recapture St. Julien.
+The men reached the cottages at the end of the village, but were brought
+to a standstill by German machine guns. They lost very heavily in the
+advance, but for the rest of the day they hung on to the blood and gas
+stained position. Further east, at Grafenstafel, the Durhams were
+assailed by shells filled with gases that choked and stupefied them, and
+at two o'clock in the afternoon, before they could breathe freely again,
+the Germans charged down upon them. From two o'clock until seven the
+Durhams hurled back attack after attack, but as the evening wore on the
+pressure proved too great, and they were forced to retire with heavy
+losses to the little village of Fortuin. A similar attempt was made on
+the 28th Division, but without success. When night fell, our front was
+unbroken on the east as far north as Grafenstafel. That Sunday night,
+you will remember, the Canadian 2nd Brigade was retired only to be
+called up again the next day. Its place was taken by the Lahore Division
+of Indians.
+
+Monday, 26th April, was a day of furious fighting and constant anxiety.
+The salient was greatly narrowed now, and our men were shelled on three
+sides. The Germans were making a curtain of fire behind our lines in
+order that no reinforcements could be brought up. Another fierce attack
+was made on the Durhams, who were compelled to fall back behind a little
+stream to the south of Fortuin, where they stood fast until the end of
+the day. Shortly after ten in the morning the Northumbrians and the
+Indians made another desperate attempt to recapture St. Julien. It fared
+ill. The Northumbrians were held up by wire, and were shot down in
+droves. The Brigadier was killed; 42 officers and some 1,900 men fell.
+Neither the Northumbrians nor the Indians could pierce the curtain of
+fire. The 40th Pathans, known in India as the "Forty Thieves," lost
+their colonel and nearly all their British officers. The famous 57th
+Wilde's Rifles made a most heroic advance, and though shells of all
+kinds fell thick and fast amongst them and their numbers were greatly
+reduced, the survivors managed to get within eighty yards of the German
+trenches, where they dug themselves in. When Captain Banks fell, his
+Sikh orderly, though weak from loss of blood, picked up his body and
+staggered with it to the rear until he fell exhausted.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+The position on the evening of Saturday, April 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+  DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.--II.
+
+
+The Germans now opened the nozzles of the gas tubes in front of their
+trenches and sent a cloud of poisonous vapour against the Indians. The
+wretched victims suffered horribly, and the survivors had to retire
+through the deadly gas amidst bursting shells and the incessant fire of
+machine guns and rifles. It was during this retirement that Jemadar Mir
+Dast won the Victoria Cross, as you will read later.
+
+That night the northern side of the salient fell back. Fighting still
+went on; there were attacks and counter-attacks without number, and the
+Germans ceaselessly shelled our front. By this time there were many
+Territorial regiments holding the northern face of the salient, and
+right gallantly did they behave. The salient was now an oblong of so
+awkward a shape that the front had to be shortened. "The old Ypres
+salient was such a silly thing;" it had always been a danger, and now it
+was more perilous than ever. Accordingly, preparations were made to
+withdraw the whole line until the salient became an easy curve, with its
+outer line three miles from Ypres.
+
+Before, however, this could be done, the Germans made another gas
+attack, both against the French on the Ypres Canal and against our
+troops lying behind Fortuin. The French were ready for it, and their
+75's took a terrible toll of the enemy. Our men were also ready for it:
+they were now provided with respirators--not yet of the best pattern,
+but good enough to save them from the worst effects of the gas. The 12th
+Brigade suffered most, and was obliged to give way a little. The 2nd
+Seaforths and the 10th Brigade did not move at all. The Seaforths'
+doctor, Lieutenant Jones, behaved with wonderful courage; although badly
+"gassed," he stuck to his work for two whole days. One Territorial
+battalion--the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders--actually charged
+through the gas and captured a German trench.
+
+Many other striking deeds of valour were done on that day. A huge shell
+fell into a trench held by the 1st Rifle Brigade and buried Captain
+Ralston alive. He was dug out only to be hit by the fragment of a shell,
+and by this time there were only three men left in the trench. Though
+shell after shell continued to drop into it, the four men still fought
+on until their rifles were too hot to hold. They snatched up the weapons
+of the dead and took the full cartridge clips from the bodies of the
+slain, and by so doing managed to keep up such a continuous fire that
+the Germans believed the trench to be held by a full company. Ralston
+and his men ran up and down the trench, stumbling over sand-bags,
+tripping over heaps of blown-in earth, and falling over their dead
+comrades. They fired first from one point and then from another, and in
+this way "bluffed" the Germans and held the trench until nightfall, when
+reinforcements came up. Three men and one officer had baffled swarms of
+Germans!
+
+Later on we shall read how Private Lynn, of the 2nd Lancashire
+Fusiliers, won the Victoria Cross by keeping his gun in action while
+enveloped in the deadly gas. I could fill many pages with stories of men
+who did miracles of heroism during this awful time.
+
+On 3rd May we shortened our line. The 12th Brigade at the pivot held
+fast. During the night, while picked riflemen from each company fired on
+the enemy, battalions were withdrawn piecemeal, in perfect order, and
+with no losses. You can form some idea of the skill with which this
+retirement was conducted when I tell you that in some places our
+trenches were within ten yards of those of the enemy. All the wounded,
+except a few who were too far gone to be moved, were safely carried to
+the rear, and in this merciful work the R.A.M.C. covered itself with
+glory. Long lines of stretcher-bearers bore the stricken men, swiftly
+and silently, from cellars and dug-outs, along the dark roads until they
+were out of danger from shell fire. Some 780 of them were thus carried
+into safety, and not one of them was lost.
+
+[Illustration: "All that was left of them."
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+When the wearied Canadians appeared on the outskirts of Ypres after
+their heroic struggle, their British comrades in the town turned out in
+crowds, lined the streets, and cheered and cheered again. The pipers of
+a Highland regiment put themselves at the head of the Canadian Scottish,
+and amidst scenes of great enthusiasm played them through the streets
+into camp.]
+
+Many of our men were reluctant to leave their trenches, especially those
+on which they had spent much time and labour. One man solemnly cleaned
+and swept his dug-out before saying good-bye to it. In one trench held
+by a score of picked shots belonging to the 2nd Cheshires, one man did
+not receive the order to retire. For a whole hour he remained and
+continued to fire--one man against the whole army of Wurtemberg! At last
+he discovered that he was alone, and then, and only then, did he follow
+his comrades. Not until the early morning of the 4th did the Germans
+know that we had retired. For hours before they had been busy shelling
+our empty trenches.
+
+The map on page 213 shows you how the new line ran. You will notice that
+it was much easier to hold than the old salient, which had been
+hopelessly knocked out of shape. The Germans now began to batter at the
+new line, and especially at the portion between the pivot and the
+Ypres-Menin road. On the 8th they attacked furiously, and though some of
+our battalions fought almost to the last man, the centre was all but
+driven in. The 1st Welsh, however, refused to budge. They sent message
+after message back that they were holding a hot corner, but that they
+were very comfortable and could "stick it" as long as was necessary. No
+fewer than 900 shells were flung into the trenches of the 9th Argyll and
+Sutherland Highlanders, but the men did not yield a single inch. On that
+day they lost Colonel James Clark, their well-beloved leader, who in
+days of peace was Chairman of the Edinburgh School Board.
+
+It was now time to withdraw the 28th Division. It had fought without a
+pause from 22nd April to 12th May, and had suffered almost as severely
+as the famous 7th Division at the First Battle of Ypres. Cavalry
+divisions took over its trenches, and the weary and much-battered
+survivors went into billets for greatly-needed rest. Still the fierce
+contest continued. The cavalry were terribly assailed, and on 13th May
+the artillery fire was so deadly that the 7th Brigade, lying to the
+north of the lake which you see on our eastern front, had to fall back,
+leaving an ugly rent in the line. Troops were hurried up to fill the
+gap, and at 2.30 the 8th Brigade, assisted by armoured motor cars, made
+a charge that will go down to history. The dismounted cavalrymen
+advanced as if on parade; they swept forward, utterly regardless of
+death, and won back the lost ground. But no soldiers that ever wore
+uniform could have held on to the position in face of the awful fire of
+the German guns. Our men did all that men could do, but they had to
+retire; and when the muster roll was read, the regiments which had taken
+part in this glorious but unavailing charge were found to be but shadows
+of their former strength.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Sketch showing the shortening of the line on May 3, 1915.]
+
+The infantry on our left were also fiercely attacked, but they managed
+to hold their ground. The Territorial battalions on this part of our
+front fought like veterans. Sergeant Douglas Belcher, with six men,
+repeated the exploit of Captain Ralston, and nobly won the Victoria
+Cross for saving the flank of his division (see page 218). The 2nd Essex
+cleared the Germans out of Shell-trap Farm at the point of the bayonet,
+and held on to the ruins all day. Like the Welsh, they were quite
+cheerful under their ordeal, and one of them swam to and fro across the
+moat carrying messages to headquarters.
+
+[Illustration: The Northumberland Fusiliers (the Fighting Fifth) beating
+off a German Attack.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"It was in the early hours of morning that the Germans began to attack
+us in force. They battered our entanglements and our trench breastwork
+for some time, and part of the entanglements was actually blown across
+the trenches. Fortunately, we were able to meet them with steady and
+continuous rifle fire, and stopped the rush. . . . . In some cases the
+Germans were so bunched together that our men simply fired into the
+brown, it being impossible to miss them at such close range."]
+
+The great battle was now ebbing away into a series of lesser
+engagements. As we shall learn later, the Allies had begun to make a
+big thrust near Festubert and towards Lens. The Germans had been obliged
+to send some of their heavy guns to the south, and the artillery fire on
+the Ypres salient consequently slackened. But before the battle ended
+the Germans made one more attempt--and this the most terrible of all--to
+shatter our lines. Again they used the foul weapon by which they had won
+ground at the outset of the struggle.
+
+On the early morning of Monday, 24th May, when the sky was cloudless and
+a light north-easterly breeze was blowing, they released gas against our
+front from Shell-trap Farm to the lake. The wind carried the poisonous
+vapour towards the south-west, and it rolled over nearly five miles of
+our trenches in a cloud which in some places was forty feet high. For
+four and a half hours the gas surged towards us. Where our men were
+quick to don their respirators, they were able to hold their ground; but
+where there was delay, they suffered horribly. After the gas came a
+violent bombardment from three points of the compass, and in various
+places our line was pushed in until three dangerous salients appeared.
+British steadfastness, however, prevailed. Except in two places, our
+lines remained intact. The 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the
+2nd Royal Irish, and the 9th Lancers lost very heavily. Amongst those
+who fell was Captain Francis Grenfell, who had already won the Victoria
+Cross for a splendid deed of pluck and coolness, which I described on
+page 88 of our second volume.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Second Battle of Ypres was over. It was not so full of danger to us
+as the first battle, but it will be ever memorable because, for the
+first time in the warfare of civilized men, a foul and deadly weapon had
+been used. You must have noticed, in reading these pages, how the
+Germans relied on machinery to overcome us. High-explosive shells and
+poison gas--these were the weapons which they believed would give them
+victory. During the Second Battle of Ypres the German infantry made few
+serious attacks, and when they did so they were almost destroyed to a
+man. Cannot you imagine the anguish of our brave fellows assailed by gas
+and shell fire and unable to reach their foes? Many of them, goaded to
+madness, stood up on their parapets and challenged the enemy to come on.
+Some of the Germans accepted the challenge; our men cheered, and then
+swept them to earth. It was the Second Battle of Ypres which taught us
+how inferior we were to the Germans in machinery, and our bitter
+experience had much to do with the formation of the National Government
+and the setting up of a Ministry of Munitions.
+
+We lost ground in front of Ypres, and we lost tens of thousands of
+gallant men; but we had something to be proud of when the end came. We
+knew that our soldiers, man for man, were superior to the Germans, and
+we were specially proud of our Territorials--not only of the Canadians,
+but of the miners of South Wales and North England, the hinds and
+tradesmen of the Scottish Lowlands, the shepherds and gamekeepers of the
+Highlands, the clerks and tradesmen of our great cities. A few short
+months ago they had been working in the mine, the field, the factory,
+the shop, and the office, never dreaming that they would be called on to
+ply rifle and bayonet in a life-and-death struggle for all that they
+held dear. But in front of Ypres they bore themselves as though war had
+ever been their business, and they fought and died with a heroism that
+must never be forgotten. They went down into the Valley of the Shadow of
+Death, and some of them came out of it silent, weary, sick at heart; but
+no man of them felt his faith falter, and all were determined that
+never, while God gave them the strength to pull a trigger, should the
+foul foe prevail.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The beautiful little city of Ypres, famous as far back as the days of
+Chaucer, and adorned with old-time buildings that were the gift of the
+ages to the modern world, was now a heap of ruins. German guns had
+shattered it beyond repair. It resembled a city destroyed by an
+earthquake--a rubbish heap, with here and there a few gaping walls and
+shot-rent towers brooding over the desolation like gaunt skeletons.
+Never while our Empire endures--and God grant that it may be for
+aye--can Ypres and the blood-sodden meadows that lie eastward of the
+city be anything but holy ground to the British people. For ever the
+city and its neighbourhood will be sacred to the memory of our glorious
+British dead.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+  HEROES OF THE YPRES SALIENT.
+
+
+Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded for remarkable feats of courage and
+devotion during the great series of struggles known as the Second Battle
+of Ypres. You will not, I am sure, make the mistake of supposing that
+this little list comprises the names of all who wrought deeds of
+glorious valour during those days and nights of combat. Hundreds of men
+who received no mention proved themselves worthy of the honour, and many
+of those who were awarded less notable decorations fell no whit short of
+those who carried off the palm. According to custom, I shall now give
+you some account of those on whom the highest of all military honours
+was conferred.
+
+Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher, 13th Canadian Battalion.
+
+You already know that the Second Battle of Ypres was largely Canada's
+battle. It is therefore fitting that the first three heroes in our roll
+of glory should be Canadians. On 23rd April 1915, in the neighbourhood
+of St. Julien, Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher, who was in charge of a
+machine gun, went forward under heavy fire and most gallantly assisted
+in covering the retreat of a battery. Four of his crew were killed, but
+as soon as he had made up the number, he went forward to the firing line
+and engaged the enemy once more. While bringing his gun into action in
+order to cover the advance of supports, he was shot down and killed.
+Canadian boys and girls will have a warm place in their hearts for the
+hero who thus nobly fought and fell.
+
+Colour-Sergeant Frederick William Hall, 8th Canadian Battalion.
+
+On 24th April, in the neighbourhood of Ypres, Company Sergeant-Major
+Hall heard a wounded man, who was lying some fifteen yards in front of
+his trench, call out for help. A heavy enfilading fire was at that time
+raking the trench. Nevertheless, two men climbed over the parapet and
+strove to reach him. Both were shot down in the attempt, and it was
+feared that the wounded man could not be brought in. Seeing this,
+Sergeant-Major Hall went to the rescue. He reached the wounded man, and
+was just lifting him up when a bullet pierced his brain and he fell
+dead. Sergeant-Major Hall died the most glorious death that a man can
+die--he gave his life for a comrade.
+
+Captain Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger, Canadian Army Medical Service,
+14th Battalion, Royal Montreal Regiment.
+
+On the afternoon of 25th April, Captain Scrimger was in charge of an
+advanced dressing-station which had been established in some farm
+buildings near Ypres. While he was attending to the wounded, the enemy
+heavily shelled the farm, and it was clear that all his patients would
+soon be killed. Despite the heavy fire, Captain Scrimger directed the
+work of removing the wounded to a place of greater safety, and himself
+carried out of a blazing stable an officer who had been badly hit. When
+he could carry the officer no farther he remained with him while the
+shells were bursting all around, and did not leave him until help
+arrived. Nor was this the only gallant deed to Captain Scrimger's
+credit. From 22nd to 25th April he was unwearied in well-doing, and
+never relaxed his attentions to the wounded, night or day.
+
+Jemadar Mir Dast, I.O.M., attached to 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier
+Force).
+
+On page 209 I referred to the splendid courage and coolness of this
+hero, who was the fourth Indian soldier to win the Victoria Cross. You
+will remember that Wilde's Rifles made a heroic advance to within eighty
+yards of the German trenches at St. Julien, and that the survivors of
+the charge dug themselves in and maintained their position until
+dislodged by gas. Jemadar Mir Dast remained behind, and, undaunted by
+the ceaseless fire that was poured upon him, collected all the men he
+could find, amongst them many who were slowly recovering from the
+effects of the gas. He kept them under his command until they were
+ordered to retire. As he led them to the rear he picked up many men in
+the old trenches and brought them in. Later in the day, while exposed to
+very heavy fire, and himself wounded, he assisted in carrying eight
+British and Indian officers into safety. He was afterwards promoted
+Subahdar.[37]
+
+Acting-Corporal Issy Smith, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
+
+On 26th April, near Ypres, Corporal Issy Smith saw a severely wounded
+man lying far in front of his trench. Without waiting for orders, he
+clambered over the parapet, and while machine-gun and rifle bullets
+whizzed around him, pushed forward for some two hundred and fifty yards.
+He hoisted his wounded comrade on his back, and succeeded in returning
+safely with his charge to the trench. Later on he went out again and
+again to rescue the wounded, and showed the most fearless courage in
+ministering to them under fire.
+
+Corporal Issy Smith also received from the Tsar the Order of St. George,
+the Russian equivalent to our Victoria Cross. He was a Jew, and when he
+returned to London the Jewish body gave him a great welcome. His
+fellow-members of the Berner Street School Old Boys' Club presented him
+with a gold watch suitably inscribed. After receiving it Corporal Smith
+assured his "pals" that he had only done his duty, and said that any
+other man would have done the same.
+
+Private John Lynn, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.
+
+When the Germans were advancing behind their waves of poison gas,
+Private Lynn, though almost overcome by the deadly fumes, rushed to his
+machine gun without waiting to put on his respirator. Single-handed he
+kept his gun in action all the time the gas was rolling over the trench.
+When he could no longer see his foes, he moved his gun higher up the
+parapet, and poured such a stream of lead into the advancing Germans
+that they were completely checked. The gallant fellow, now gasping and
+choking from the effects of the gas, was carried to his dug-out; but
+when he learnt that the enemy was coming on again, he tried to get back
+to his gun. Twenty-four hours later he died--a victim to gas-poisoning.
+"That Lancashire lad," says a writer, "died a hundred deaths. He knew
+his risk--saw the fume-bank rolling towards him, yet fought on in the
+hideous fog, resolute still, though in the clutch of a terrible fate."
+
+Lance-Sergeant Douglas Walter Belcher, 1/5th (City of London)
+Battalion, the London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade).
+
+Lance-Sergeant Belcher was the second Territorial to receive the
+Victoria Cross. Early on the morning of 13th May he was in charge of an
+advanced breastwork, which guarded the flank of one of our divisions
+somewhere to the south-west of Fortuin. The Germans fiercely bombarded
+this breastwork, and blew it in. Nevertheless, Lance-Sergeant Belcher
+and ten men remained amidst the ruins of their position and sent back to
+their comrades who had retired the following message: "We're holding on,
+whatever happens." Belcher and his handful of "die hards" kept a close
+watch on the enemy, and as soon as they saw parties of Germans massing
+for an attack, opened a rapid and skilful fire on them. Time after time
+the parties were dispersed, and the Germans came to the conclusion that
+a whole company was opposing them. By means of this heroic "bluff" a
+large force was kept at bay for thirteen hours, and the flank of the
+line was saved. Lance-Sergeant Belcher was afterwards promoted second
+lieutenant.
+
+[Illustration: Lance-Sergeant Belcher and his Men holding a battered
+Breastwork.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The breastwork was knocked to pieces in places, and Sergeant Belcher
+determined to transfer his men to the unoccupied right wing of the work.
+Our picture shows the heroic little party at the moment when they were
+moving round the traverse. (See page 221.)]
+
+[Footnote 37: Native captain in the Indian army.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.--I.
+
+
+While the Second Battle of Ypres was raging, the French were making a
+big effort in Artois, more especially in the district between Lens and
+Arras. On page 223 you will see a map showing the main features of this
+district. Fix your attention for a moment on the high ground marked
+"N.D. de Lorette"--that is, Notre Dame de Lorette. You notice by the
+side of the name a cross; this shows the position of the church of Our
+Lady of Lorette. It stands on a bare ridge, broken by many gullies, and
+with a few coppices here and there. To the south of the ridge there is a
+broad hollow, from which rises Mont St. Eloi. Do not confound this hill
+with the St. Eloi which lies to the south of Ypres.
+
+In the early days of May the Germans were holding a sharp salient in
+this district. Their lines extended from the east of the village of
+Loos,[38] across the broad highway which you see running south to Arras,
+then across the Lorette ridge, and to the west of the two villages which
+lie to the south of it. From Carency the German lines curved sharply
+back, still covering the highroad. Upon this salient the French made a
+great onslaught, which began on 13th May, and did not end until the
+close of the month.
+
+[Illustration: The French Offensive between Arras and Lens.]
+
+The salient consists mainly of a chalky plateau full of hollows, each
+with its village or little town. The fields are hedgeless, and are cut
+across by many white roads. The ravines of the plateau and the many
+villages had been made almost impregnable by the Germans, who had set up
+all along their line numberless little forts, armed with machine guns,
+and connected by a maze of trenches. There were at least five lines of
+very strong trenches, one behind the other, in that part of their
+position which lay between Loos and the village of Ablain. It was a
+desperate task which the French now set themselves, but should it prove
+successful it would be well worth the sacrifice entailed. Further, an
+assault on the German lines in the west was now necessary. The Russians
+at this time were being driven back by a storm of artillery to which
+they could make no resistance, and General Joffre saw that something
+must be done to draw off German forces from the Eastern front if the
+Russians were not to be overwhelmed and put out of action altogether.
+His plan was as follows: the French were to try to capture Lens, and the
+British, further north, were to make a desperate push towards Lille. If
+these movements succeeded, the line of railway all along the German
+front from Lille to Soissons would be captured, and the enemy would be
+forced to retreat into Belgium.
+
+I shall tell you the story of the British assault in a later chapter. I
+will now confine myself to the French effort. On Sunday, 9th May,
+General Foch, who had brought up no less than 1,100 guns of all kinds,
+began to bombard the German trenches between the villages of Carency and
+La Targette. You will notice from the map on page 223 that these
+trenches were called "The White Works." They were so named because the
+parapets, being cut from the chalk, showed up white and clear. The
+French bombardment was the most terrible that had ever been known in
+Europe up to that time. It went on for hours, and the French 75's, which
+can fire twenty-five aimed shots a minute, seemed to be pouring out
+shells like gigantic machine guns. When the bombardment ceased the White
+Works were simply a ploughed field strewn with fragments of wire and
+human bodies. More than 300,000 shells were hurled upon them in the
+course of the day.
+
+[Footnote 38: _Loce_, about a mile to the north-west of Lens.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXX.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.--II.
+
+
+At ten in the morning of Sunday, 9th May, the infantry advanced; the
+right seized the ruins of La Targette, and pushed on to capture Neuville
+St. Vaast, which lies in a hollow to the east of it. The big church, the
+cemetery, and almost every house in the place bristled with machine
+guns, and furious fights took place inside the buildings from cellar to
+garret. Nevertheless, by noon the village was in French hands. Farther
+north the centre had swept over the torn and tumbled ground which had
+once been the White Works, had crossed the highroad, and had dug itself
+in two and a half miles to the east of the position from which it had
+started that morning. Never since the trench war began had so much
+ground been gained in a single day. The French troops in the centre were
+in the highest spirits; as they surged on they plucked sprigs of lilac
+and hawthorn and stuck them in their caps. Had the whole line been able
+to advance along with the centre, Lens would have been captured that
+day. The left, however, was held up in front of Carency, which was now
+being bombarded. When night fell three lines of German trenches had been
+won, 3,000 prisoners had been taken, and 10 field guns and 50 machine
+guns had been captured.
+
+[Illustration: A French Bayonet Charge in the "Labyrinth."
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+In the left background is seen the cemetery of Neuville St. Vaast,
+through the walls of which French troops are seen advancing towards the
+Labyrinth. Our illustration shows the fighting reported by the French on
+June 6. At Neuville St. Vaast, said the report, we captured several
+houses, and drew closer to a redoubt on the north-west and occupied the
+communication trench which leads to it. We captured new trenches in the
+centre and in the south of the Labyrinth, and advanced a hundred yards.
+In this great work the struggle has continued without ceasing for eight
+days, and we now hold two-thirds of it.]
+
+Next day the French were hard at it again. They pushed on to the
+outskirts of Loos, attacked the church on the Lorette ridge, took
+trenches to the south of it, seized the cemetery at Neuville, and beat
+off the German reserves which had been hurried up in motor cars.
+Everywhere the fighting was most desperate, for the Germans had turned
+every possible place into a little fort, and each of them had to be
+carried by storm. By Wednesday, 12th May, the Germans in Carency were
+surrounded. More than 20,000 shells had been hurled into the village,
+and 2,000 Germans were obliged to hold up their hands. Meanwhile the
+summit of the Lorette ridge had been carried, and only two or three
+strongholds on this high ground held out. The Germans at once rained
+shells on the ridge, and the ghastly scenes of Hill 60 were repeated.
+The French, however, clung to their trenches; nothing could move them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+On the 13th, amidst drenching rain, and in teeth of a bitter north wind,
+they returned to the assault. They had broken the German line; but their
+work was by no means done, for though the trenches had been carried, the
+German forts all along the front still held out, and each of them had to
+be besieged. The strongest position of all lay to the south of Neuville,
+and was known as the Labyrinth.[39] It was a wonderful network of
+trenches and redoubts, tunnels and roofed-in pits; it covered two square
+miles, and was so situated that the long-range fire of the French
+artillery could not get at it. Probably never before had such a
+stronghold been constructed. It was a cunning maze, furnished with every
+death-dealing device known to the science of war. It contained engines
+for making poison gas, machines for throwing liquid fire, scores of
+small fortresses, and underground passages which enabled the defenders
+to get to the rear of the attackers. In the background an enormous
+collection of big guns was in position, ready to sweep away any troops
+advancing upon it. Such was the Labyrinth which the French were
+attacking. They could not proceed until it was captured, for, as you
+will observe from the map on page 223, it enfiladed their advance.
+
+By the end of May good progress had been made in clearing the Labyrinth.
+The German salient had gone, the French line had been straightened out,
+and Lens was closely beset.
+
+An officer gives us a vivid picture of the struggle in the Labyrinth,
+which was not captured till towards the end of September:--
+
+    "The war of trenches is nothing compared with the struggle of
+    the burrows. Picture to yourselves narrow galleries, feebly
+    lighted by flickering oil lamps, in which the foes are separated
+    only by sand-bags, which they keep pushing against each other.
+    As soon as an opening shows, a terrific hand-to-hand fight
+    begins, in which grenades and the bayonet are the only arms
+    possible. Sometimes the Germans take to knives and revolvers,
+    and one day they even began throwing burning liquids; but in
+    spite of these cowardly tricks, our men always had the best of
+    it. They fought with clubbed rifles and fists when required, and
+    their courage was never shaken, as the Germans soon saw. . . .
+
+    "The passages in which we were advancing were 18 feet deep, and
+    often 24 feet and more. The water was sweating through in all
+    directions, and the sickly smell was unbearable. Imagine, too,
+    that for three weeks we were not able to get rid of the dead
+    bodies, amongst which we had to live night and day! One burrow,
+    120 feet long, took us thirteen days of ceaseless fighting to
+    conquer entirely. The Germans had placed barricades, trap doors,
+    and traps of all kinds in it. When we stumbled we ran the risk
+    of being pierced by bayonets hidden in holes lightly covered
+    with earth. And all this went on in almost complete darkness. We
+    had to use pocket electric lamps and advance with the utmost
+    caution."
+
+The first stage of the Battle of Artois may be said to have ended with
+the capture of Neuville St. Vaast on 8th June. The French had done
+splendidly, though they had not yet won a decisive success. The German
+losses during the terrible month of May cannot have been less than
+60,000, and the French had suffered almost as severely. They had
+advanced with but few casualties; it was in the hand-to-hand fighting in
+the villages and against the forts that so many of their men fell. The
+victory was due largely to the French artillery, but the infantry did
+more than its fair share. It had shown itself as full of fiery courage
+and dashing bravery as in the great days of Napoleon.
+
+[Footnote 39: According to the old classical story, there was in Crete a
+building constructed for King Minos, in which dwelt the terrible beast
+known as the Minotaur. This building, which was known as the Labyrinth,
+contained many winding passages, arranged in such a fashion that a way
+out was most difficult to find.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF FESTUBERT.
+
+
+Suppose for a moment that, in the first week of May, a British soldier
+in the captured village of Neuve Chapelle is looking towards the German
+lines. Away to the north-east he sees a long ridge crowned by the
+village of Aubers. He gazes upon this ridge with eyes of desire, and
+recalls the many determined but, so far, fruitless efforts which the
+British army has made to capture it. He remembers that, as far back as
+October 17, 1914, the red-roofed village in the distance was in British
+hands, and that two days later the 2nd Royal Irish, by storming the
+hamlet of Le Pilly,[40] attained our "farthest east." But our grasp of
+the ridge was very feeble; it could not be held, and by mid-November we
+had fallen back behind the ruins amidst which our soldier now stands.
+The coveted position was as far off as ever.
+
+Fresh in his memory is that terrible day in the second week of March
+1915, when he raced through the streets of Neuve Chapelle full of hope
+that the goal would be reached before nightfall. Alas! he and his
+fellows were again doomed to disappointment. The Aubers ridge, so near
+and yet so far, was still beyond our grasp. And now the rumour reaches
+his ears that another big effort is to be made. The French are striving
+south of the canal to carry Lens,[41] and we are to attack for the
+double purpose of preventing the enemy from sending reinforcements to
+the south, and of reaching the ridge if possible. Once we are securely
+established on it the flat plain to the eastward will be commanded by
+our guns, and La Bassée and Lille will soon know the German no more.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look at this map and find the wood of Biez, which, you will remember,
+figured largely in the fighting around Neuve Chapelle. To the east of
+the wood you will see a road which skirts the ridge for a mile and a
+half and then climbs it to pass through the villages of Aubers and
+Fromelles. We were now about to make a thrust through the wood and
+through Fromelles, in the hope of reaching the ridge. On the morning of
+Sunday, 9th May, the 8th Division advanced against the village, and at
+the same time the 1st Corps and the Indians began to push through the
+wood. The attacks were preceded by the usual bombardment. Our
+high-explosive shells wrecked the first line trenches of the enemy, but
+unhappily did not do sufficient damage to the second line, and our men
+found themselves up against unbroken wire and unbreached parapets. Some
+ground was gained, but it could not be held, and by the evening we had
+made but little progress. Many fine deeds of heroism were done during
+the fierce fighting of the day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+On the left the 24th and 25th Brigades behaved most gallantly, and a
+Territorial battalion, the 13th (Kensington) of the London Regiment,
+performed a feat which won high and well-deserved praise from Sir John
+French. The Kensington men carried three lines of German trenches with
+the bayonet, and held on to them until the German artillery fire became
+so intense that flesh and blood could no longer endure it. When they
+fell back they had but four company officers left.
+
+Sir Douglas Haig now recognized that the attack against the Biez Wood
+and Fromelles had failed. Nothing daunted, he now proposed to make
+another attempt to win the Aubers ridge, this time from positions
+between Neuve Chapelle and Givenchy. On the map (p. 231) you will see
+Festubert, which is less than a mile to the north of Givenchy. From
+Festubert, and from the points to the north of it marked A and B, three
+attacks were to be made. The Indians and part of the 2nd Division were
+to push forward from A; the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division was to
+advance from B; the 22nd Brigade of the same division, from Festubert.
+In front of our positions, across the wet fields, the Germans lay in
+three lines of trenches, all of which would have to be carried before
+the Aubers ridge could be reached.
+
+All day Saturday, 15th May, British troops were pouring into the
+trenches, and the Germans guessed what was afoot. During the afternoon
+they frequently shouted, "Come on; we are ready!" In the late afternoon
+Sir John French rode along the line greeting his men with inspiring
+words, and wishing them good luck in the coming struggle. A heavy
+bombardment of the German front had been going on for some days. Now it
+grew heavier, and shortly before midnight on Saturday evening, 15th May,
+the order to assault was given.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+As our men at A left their trenches the sky was lit up by the white
+glare of German flares and searchlights. The Indians soon found
+themselves checked by the fire of many machine guns installed in a group
+of farms which the Germans had turned into little fortresses. The 2nd
+Division, however, carried the first line trenches opposite to them, and
+broke into the second line. By daybreak five or six hundred yards of the
+first two lines of the enemy's trenches were in our hands. All day
+Sunday the big guns of the enemy fiercely bombarded these trenches, and
+created a zone of fire behind them. Nevertheless many heroes carrying
+supplies of ammunition and bombs crossed the three hundred yards which
+separated them from their comrades. Shells burst around them; the whole
+space was swept by machine-gun fire, and a man had to risk his life a
+hundred times before he could get through.
+
+Ammunition parties of the "A" Company of the 1st King's (Liverpool),
+under Lieutenants Hutchison and Roberts, succeeded in this perilous
+work, though their casualties were very heavy. Lance-Corporal Tombs of
+the same regiment displayed wonderful heroism in rescuing the wounded,
+lying out in the open, and was afterwards awarded the Victoria Cross. On
+the 17th Lieutenant Hutchison led a party of bombers along a trench,
+partly held by us and partly by the Germans. So skilfully was this work
+accomplished that 200 Germans were forced to surrender, and 200 others
+were driven pell-mell down their communication trench. For this fine
+exploit Lieutenant Hutchison was awarded the Military Cross.
+
+The attack in the centre made good headway. Though checked by a flanking
+fire, the 20th Brigade pushed on, and when reinforced reached the
+outskirts of the hamlet marked C, where it broke into the second line
+trenches. Late on Sunday evening the 1st Grenadiers were brought up, and
+their bombing attacks were successful in driving many Germans from their
+lairs. One company of the 2nd Scots Guards on this part of the line
+advanced too far ahead, and was cut off. Like the Canadians at St.
+Julien, the trapped Guards fought to the last man. When we took the
+ground a few days later the gallant fellows were found lying stiff and
+cold, with the enemy's dead thick around them.
+
+The movement from Festubert was still more successful. The trenches
+against which the attack was launched formed a perfect maze; yet an
+advance of more than a mile was made. The 1st Welsh Fusiliers swarmed
+over the German parapets with real Celtic ardour, and drove the enemy
+down a long communication trench into an orchard. Company Sergeant-Major
+Barter of this regiment called for volunteers, and he and his eight
+devoted companions did miracles of heroism in the German second line.
+They cleared five hundred yards of trench, discovered and cut the leads
+of eleven mines, and captured three officers and 102 men. Sergeant-Major
+Barter afterwards received the Victoria Cross.
+
+Next day rain fell heavily, but the struggle in the trenches still
+continued. On this day a terrible scene was witnessed at a point between
+A and C. The remnant of a battalion of Saxons proposed to surrender. As
+they advanced towards our line they waved a white flag tied to a stick.
+At once their comrades opened rifle fire on them, and the guns behind
+dropped shells among them. In a few moments the Saxons were destroyed
+almost to a man.
+
+In the evening the 21st Brigade on the right made another advance, in
+the course of which a Territorial battalion, the 4th Cameron
+Highlanders, recruited mainly from Inverness-shire, Skye, and the misty
+Hebrides, pushed on far before their comrades. Under heavy fire, they
+advanced over country liberally seamed with ditches, one of which was so
+deep and wide that most of the men had to swim across it. The third
+company reached the back end of a German communication trench; but being
+without bombs, and having almost wholly used up its cartridges, was soon
+in desperate straits. About midnight these gallant fellows were
+reinforced by two platoons; but as they had no machine guns, and as the
+Germans were fast closing in on both sides of them, and they were "in
+the air," they were ordered to retire. In the small hours of the morning
+they made their way back through a heavy rain of shells, and by the time
+that the weary, mud-stained battalion had regained the British position
+it had been reduced to half its strength.
+
+[Illustration: Playing their Comrades up to the Germans: the Pipers of
+the Black Watch at Richebourg.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+During the general advance in May the Black Watch suffered very heavily.
+They assaulted the German trenches a few miles east of Richebourg (point
+A on the map, page 231). Their first charge in the morning only reached
+the German wire, and they fell in swathes under the merciless
+machine-gun fire of the enemy. During the afternoon other companies of
+the Black Watch dashed up, and by a brilliant charge captured the
+trenches which had defied them in the morning. It was during this charge
+that the pipers showed wonderful courage. The two pipers of each company
+played their comrades right up to the Germans. The skirl of their pipes
+was heard above the din and crash of Maxims, rifles, and bursting
+shrapnel. The lads of "brown heath and shaggy wood" rushed on to victory
+with the pibroch of their sires ringing in their ears.]
+
+Still the fight went on. The Canadians, who had recovered from their
+terrible ordeal on the Ypres salient, were now sent up to relieve the
+two brigades of the 7th Division. On the afternoon of 18th May two
+companies of the 16th (Canadian Scottish) were ordered to advance on the
+hamlet at C, to the north-west of the orchard already mentioned. One
+company made a frontal attack, and the other proceeded along the
+communication trench which had been won by the Welsh Fusiliers. The
+advance was partly successful, and the companies dug in five hundred
+yards in front of the starting point.
+
+On the night of the 20th an attack was made on the orchard itself.
+During the afternoon the little enclosure was heavily bombarded, and at
+7.45, when the artillery fire ceased, the Canadians climbed over their
+parapets and dashed forward. The advance was made in broad daylight, and
+a torrent of fire beat down upon them. At the edge of the orchard they
+discovered a deep ditch full of water, with a wired hedge on the other
+side. Without pause, the men plunged into the water, and, scrambling up
+the bank, pushed through gaps in the hedges and swarmed into the
+orchard. On the far side there were many Germans, but they fled as the
+Canadians charged. Before long the orchard was in British hands.
+
+Early on the 20th the 10th Canadian battalion made a gallant but
+unavailing attempt to seize a very strong German position known as
+Bexhill. The approach to it was defended by a redoubt strongly held with
+machine guns. On the evening of the next day the Canadians returned to
+the attack, but it was not until the early morning of the 24th that the
+redoubt was captured. Five hundred men of the 5th Brigade, along with
+100 men of the 7th (British Columbia) Battalion, made an advance in the
+bright moonlight across a ditch which had been previously bridged, and
+by four in the morning were in possession of the stronghold. Two hours
+later Bexhill itself was won, and the victors received orders to "dig in
+and hang on." They did so, in spite of three very fierce
+counter-attacks.
+
+It was now clear that we could make no further headway without more guns
+and more shells than we then possessed. We were meeting with the same
+difficulty that had beset the French in Artois. The German lines broke
+up into a series of little fortresses, each of which could only be
+captured by a separate assault. It was the Battle of Festubert which
+brought home to the British people the absolute necessity for providing
+the army with more and more big guns and an almost unending stream of
+munitions. Our losses were very heavy, and they would have been greatly
+reduced had our artillery been more numerous and better supplied. Less
+than three weeks after the close of the battle the Government appointed
+a Minister of Munitions.
+
+The battle came to an end on the 26th, about the same time that the
+fierce struggle on the Ypres salient died down. The results were summed
+up by Sir John French as follows: "Since 16th May the First Army has
+pierced the enemy's lines on a total front of four miles. The entire
+first line system of trenches has been captured on a front of 3,200
+yards, and on the remaining portion the first and second lines of
+trenches are in our possession." During the fighting we captured 8
+officers, 777 men, 10 machine guns, and a considerable amount of war
+material.
+
+[Footnote 40: See Vol. III., p. 61.]
+
+[Footnote 41: See Chap. XXX.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+  THE HEROISMS OF FESTUBERT.
+
+
+In the great struggle for the trenches which I described in the former
+chapter there was plentiful opportunity for our men to do deeds of
+individual daring. The fighting was at close quarters, and often men
+were engaged in hand-to-hand struggles. I could fill a volume of this
+work with the heroisms of Festubert alone. Let me tell you a few of the
+many gallant deeds done in the ten days of the battle.
+
+I have already mentioned the exploit of Company Sergeant-Major Barter
+and his eight comrades. One of the men who joined his party was known as
+Private Hardy. While the bombing of the German second line trenches was
+going on, Hardy did splendid work, but was hit in the right arm, and
+fell fainting to the ground. His wound was dressed, and he recovered. As
+soon as he was on his feet again he cried, "Luckily, I am left-handed,"
+and ran off to rejoin Barter. With his left hand he flung grenade after
+grenade; but the white bandage on his arm made him a good mark for the
+German sharpshooters, and he fell with a bullet through his head. Now
+comes the astonishing part of the story. Soon after the war broke out,
+Captain H. S. Smart of the 53rd Sikhs was granted short leave, and
+returned to England. He overstayed his leave, and disappeared. All
+inquiries failed to trace him, and his name was removed from the Army
+List. After the death of Private Hardy it was discovered that the
+dauntless man was none other than the missing Captain Smart. He had so
+longed to fight in France that he had deserted the Indian army, and had
+joined the 2nd Battalion of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment as a
+private. When the story became known the King ordered the hero's name to
+be restored to the Army List with full honours.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the fighting in the Festubert district one of our officers was
+seen lying out on our front wounded. He was on the lip of a mine crater,
+where he was hidden from the Germans. Our people could see him, and when
+he gave signs of life they determined to bring him in. Under cover of
+the fire of our snipers, a non-commissioned officer crawled out with a
+rope, which he made fast to the wounded officer, who then crawled or was
+gradually dragged into our trench, _his rescuer staying behind in his
+place_! This noble fellow was continually bombed, but at last he, too,
+was able to crawl back to safety.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Sir Max Aitken tells us that the Canadian artillery, shortly after the
+affair at the orchard, played a very effective trick on the Germans.
+They opened fire on the enemy's trenches, and meanwhile the infantry
+made a great show of fixing bayonets, rigging up trench ladders, and
+blowing whistles, just as though they meant to attack as soon as the
+bombardment was over. The Germans, according to their custom, promptly
+retired to their support trenches and prepared to shoot down the
+Canadians as they advanced. As soon as the Germans were in the support
+trenches, the gunners lifted their sights and began shelling them;
+whereupon the Germans rushed back to the front trenches. Still there was
+no infantry attack. When the front trenches were full once more the
+Canadian gunners shortened their range, and the full blast of their fire
+fell upon the crowded Germans, causing great havoc. Next day the world
+was told that the Germans had beaten off a desperate attack! The Huns in
+the trenches, however, knew better, for that evening one of them cried
+out: "Say, Sam Slick, no dirty tricks to-night!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On the 26th Corporal Pym of the Royal Canadian Dragoons showed great
+self-sacrifice and contempt of danger in rescuing wounded men. The
+British and German lines were only sixty yards apart. An English voice
+in the narrow No-man's Land was heard calling for help, and Pym
+determined to try to bring in the sufferer. He crept out into a zone
+swept by constant rifle and machine-gun fire, and found the man, who had
+been wounded in both thigh bones, and had been lying out in the open for
+three days and nights. The poor fellow was in such torment that he could
+not bear to be dragged in. Pym, therefore, called back to the trench,
+and Sergeant Hollowell crept out towards him. Just as he reached the
+wounded man, however, he was shot dead. Pym thereupon crawled back
+across the fire-swept space, to see if he could get a stretcher; but
+when he considered the position, he decided that the ground was too
+rough for him to drag a stretcher across it. Once more, therefore, he
+recrossed the fire-zone, and at last, with the utmost difficulty,
+brought the wounded man in alive.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The heroism of Sergeant Hickey of the 4th Canadian Battalion must not go
+unrecorded. On 24th May he volunteered to go out and recover two trench
+mortars which belonged to his battalion and had been abandoned in a
+ditch the previous day. In doing so he was going to almost certain
+death. Over and over again he escaped by the narrowest shave; yet,
+nevertheless, he found the mortars and brought them in. He also
+discovered the shortest and safest route by which men could be brought
+up from the reserve trenches to the firing line. "It was a discovery,"
+says Sir Max Aitken, "which saved lives at a moment when every life was
+of the greatest value; and time and time again he guided party after
+party up the trenches by this route." Unhappily, this cheery, modest
+soldier was shot down by a stray bullet on 30th May. "And so there went
+home to the God of battles a man to whom battle had been a joy."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following Victoria Crosses were awarded for outstanding deeds of
+bravery during the Battle of Festubert:--
+
+Company Sergeant-Major Frederick Barter, Special Reserve, attached 1st
+Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
+
+You have already read a brief account of this hero's exploits. You will
+remember that on 16th May, at Festubert, with eight volunteers he
+attacked the German position with bombs, capturing 500 yards of trench,
+three German officers, and 102 men. Later on he discovered the leads of
+eleven of the enemy's mines, situated about twenty yards apart, and cut
+them. Had he not done so he and his brave comrades would have been blown
+sky-high by the touch of a button a mile away.
+
+Lieutenant John George Smyth, 15th Ludhiana[42] Sikhs, Indian army.
+
+On 18th May, at the point marked A on our map (page 231), the Sikhs were
+holding a section of German trench known as the "Glory Hole," and a
+portion of the same trench was in the hands of its original occupants.
+Next morning the Germans brought up a large number of men, and it
+appeared that they were about to make an attempt to drive out the Sikhs.
+Shortly afterwards the Germans began a heavy bombing attack, to which
+the Sikhs made a vigorous reply until noon, when their bombs gave out.
+It was then decided to send up a bombing party from the reserve
+trenches, and Lieutenant Smyth was ordered to lead forward ten men laden
+with two boxes of 96 bombs. Dropping over the parapet they wriggled
+their way through thick mud, pulling and pushing the boxes between them.
+They had to cross rough ground while bullets whizzed around them and the
+air was white with puffs of shrapnel. All the time they were in full
+view of the enemy. The little party had now been reduced to
+two--Lieutenant Smyth and Sepoy Lal Singh. After fording a stream the
+survivors reached the trench, both untouched, but with their clothes
+shot through and through by bullets. The fresh supply of bombs which
+they had thus brought up enabled the Sikhs to beat back the Germans. Sad
+to relate, Lal Singh was killed shortly after reaching the trench.
+Lieutenant Smyth was described by a _Times_ correspondent as "a short,
+ruddy, smiling officer lad, with merry gray eyes."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Lance-Corporal Joseph Tombs, 1st Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment).
+
+On 16th May, during the fighting mentioned on page 231, Tombs of his own
+accord repeatedly crawled out of his trench under very heavy shell and
+machine-gun fire and brought in wounded men. Altogether he rescued four
+of his comrades, one of whom he dragged back by means of a rifle sling
+placed round his own neck and the man's body. So severely wounded was
+the rescued man that he must have died had he not been promptly brought
+in.
+
+[Footnote 42: City and district of the Punjab ("land of five rivers"),
+North-West India.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+  THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA.
+
+
+On 25th April--six weeks and four days after our naval failure at the
+Narrows--British forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula. Before I
+relate the marvellous story of how our men gained a footing on its
+rugged shores, I must give you some idea of the nature of the country.
+On pages 248, 249 you will see a bird's-eye view of part of the
+peninsula. One glance at it shows clearly that Gallipoli is a natural
+fortress, and that it is the most unlikely bit of self-contained country
+in which any general would wish to conduct a campaign. In its
+bewildering mass of hills and ravines it resembles a portion of the
+North-West Frontier of India.
+
+The peninsula is connected with the mainland by the isthmus of Bulair,
+which is but three miles across from beach to beach. From Bulair the
+peninsula runs in a south-westerly direction for fifty-two miles, and
+near its centre broadens out to its greatest width of twelve miles. The
+shores of the northern half of the peninsula slope steeply to the Gulf
+of Xeros from a chain of hills which extend as far south as Cape Suvla.
+On this part of the coast the cliffs rise up almost from the water's
+edge, and there are no landing-places except a few gullies which are too
+narrow for military movements.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton,[43] the accomplished general who commanded our forces
+in Gallipoli, tells us that the southern half of the peninsula resembles
+a badly-worn boot with the ankle between Gaba Tepe and Maidos; beneath
+the heel lies the cluster of forts at the Narrows, while at the toe we
+find the strongholds which were reduced by the gun fire of our ships on
+25th February.
+
+At first sight the interior of the peninsula from Suvla Bay southwards
+looks like a choppy sea which has been suddenly frozen. If, however, we
+look closely at the map on page 168, we shall be able to make out three
+prominent features. Running right across the toe of the peninsula from
+sea to sea, at a distance of three and a half miles from Cape Helles, is
+a ridge which rises in its highest part to the Achi Baba peak, 591 feet
+above sea level. Big guns on this ridge command all the toe of the
+peninsula, which is hollowed out something like the bowl of a spoon, so
+that only the outer edges can be shelled directly from the sea. The
+inside of the bowl is not level, but is filled up with numerous spurs
+and gullies.
+
+Now look at the forts of the Narrows. Behind them is a plateau--the
+Kilid Bahr plateau--which rises in the peak of Pasha Dagh to a height of
+700 feet above the level of the sea, and extends westwards for about
+five miles. The Achi Baba ridge, you observe, is the buttress and
+outlying defence of this plateau on the south. To the north-west of the
+plateau you see a network of high hills with very steep sides and deep
+ravines. This is the Sari Bair mountain, which forms the buttress and
+outlying defence of the Kilid Bahr plateau on the north. Some of its
+peaks are nearly 800 feet high.
+
+I have already told you that the forts at the Narrows are the real
+defence of the Dardanelles. We had already failed to capture them by a
+naval attack. If, however, we could reach the Kilid Bahr plateau by
+land, we could attack the forts from the rear--the side on which they
+are least capable of resistance. But, as you notice, nature has made
+this plateau very difficult of access. An invader from the south must
+first carry the Achi Baba ridge before he can reach it, and if he lands
+south of Suvla Point he must fight his way across the Sari Bair.
+
+You have already gathered that the peninsula is difficult to traverse
+even in times of peace; the few dwellers on it make most of their
+journeys from point to point by water. Except in a few valleys, there
+are no cultivated fields; and save for a few cypress and olive groves,
+the whole peninsula consists of bare or scrub-covered hills and ravines
+filled with jungle. Amidst the rocks flourish many strange and beautiful
+flowers. Water is scarce, and the villages and hamlets are few and far
+between.
+
+Look again at the map on page 168, and follow the track which runs from
+Cape Helles northward through the village of Krithia and over the Achi
+Baba ridge. A branch of this track leads, as you see, across the Kilid
+Bahr plateau. On the western coast just north of Gaba Tepe you will
+observe a track which meets the track from Krithia. General Ian Hamilton
+proposed to land a force on the tip of the peninsula, and another force
+near Gaba Tepe. These forces were to fight their way forward until the
+left wing of the southern army came into touch with the right wing of
+the northern army. Then the united armies would advance on to the Kilid
+Bahr plateau, from which our big guns would be able to destroy the
+European forts at the Narrows. When these were reduced we should be in a
+position to attack the forts on the Asiatic side at short range, and if
+all went well, our ships would be able to dash through and, in the
+course of a day or two, train their guns on Constantinople.
+
+The first business was to put our troops ashore. The line of high yellow
+cliffs fringing the sea was carefully surveyed, and note was taken of
+every place where a landing was possible. A glance at the bird's-eye
+view shows you clearly that good beaches are rare. On the map (page 168)
+you will see various spots marked by capital letters round the tip of
+the peninsula. Just south of Cape Tekke, where you see the letter W,
+there is a small sandy bay, and half a mile north of it a break in the
+cliffs marked X. Three and a half miles further up the coast (Y) there
+is a scrub-covered gully, and eastwards of W there is another sandy
+beach (V), about three hundred yards across. Round the corner, still
+further eastwards, is Morto Bay, with a small beach (S) commanded by the
+guns of Kum Kale. On these beaches General Hamilton decided to land his
+southern army. The northern army was to be put ashore to the north of
+Gaba Tepe, where the sandstone cliffs recede a little from the water's
+edge.
+
+Not a single one of the beaches affords a really good landing-place.
+Almost everywhere the cliffs rise steeply from a narrow strip of shore.
+As you know, the Turks had ample notice of our invasion, and they had
+diligently and skilfully prepared for it. There were mines, barbed-wire
+entanglements, and trenches on the beaches, and along the cliff tops
+they had constructed very formidable works, in some places ten feet
+deep. There were snipers in every bush, machine guns were cunningly
+hidden in the rocks, and behind the trenches on the cliffs there were
+field guns, backed by heavy pieces on the Achi Baba ridge. To land on
+these beaches and carry the cliffs would be worse than "storming the
+Embankment out of Thames barges, with the enemy comfortably established
+with his guns on the second floor of the Savoy Hotel." The Turks
+believed the operation to be quite impossible, and indeed, according to
+all the rules, not a single invader should have left the beaches alive.
+
+For this most difficult and dangerous enterprise General Hamilton was
+supplied with a weak and somewhat motley army of 120,000 men--a force
+far inferior in numbers to that which the Turks could bring against us.
+One division of this army (the 29th) was composed of two brigades of
+regulars and a third brigade consisting of three regular battalions and
+a Territorial battalion--the 5th Royal Scots; the remainder consisted of
+two naval brigades and a brigade of marines, the Australian and New
+Zealand Division, a large number of Indian troops, and the East
+Lancashire Territorial Division, together with French marines, French
+Colonial troops, and the Foreign Legion. To oppose these three army
+corps the Turks are said to have had 275,000 troops within reach.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton's army was assembled in Egypt. By the 17th of March the
+transports were at Tenedos. Unfortunately, they were found to be wrongly
+loaded, and the bulk of them had to be sent back to Alexandria, where
+the various units were properly redistributed amongst the ships. About
+the middle of April the expedition began to arrive in the Bay of
+Mudros.[44] Part of the force was landed on the island, and the rest
+remained on board ship, where night and day, under the direction of
+naval officers, dress rehearsals of the landing took place. By the 20th
+of April all was ready, and five days later the great adventure began.
+
+[Footnote 43: Born 1853. He had for forty years served with distinction
+in every British war, and had been present with the Japanese in
+Manchuria. He was an excellent writer and something of a poet. Since
+1910 he had been Inspector of Oversea Forces.]
+
+[Footnote 44: In the Turkish island of Lemnos, one of the largest
+islands in the Ægean Sea. It is about sixty miles as the aeroplane flies
+from Gaba Tepe.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIV.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE LANDING.
+
+
+You are now to imagine yourself wrapped in the invisible cloak of the
+fairies, and able to move over land and sea, where you will, with the
+speed of thought. Thus magically endowed, you will be able to flit to
+and fro, and witness one of the most remarkable invasions known to
+history.
+
+Dusk is falling on the evening of 23rd April, and you are hovering over
+the Lemnian harbour of Mudros. The haven is as crowded as the port of
+Liverpool. In the dim light you see a huge fleet of grim, gray warships
+of all classes, from the mighty _Queen Elizabeth_ down to the little
+puffing launches that speed from ship to ship. You also notice many
+great transports, grimy colliers, mine-sweepers, and trawlers. As you
+watch, a large number of the warships, transports, and mine-sweepers
+cast off and move out of the harbour. Their lights disappear in the
+distance. They are off to Tenedos, where they will embark the troops
+that are to land on the beaches round the tip of the peninsula.
+
+The morning of the 24th sees the harbour still busy and animated, though
+most of the ships have departed. An almost unending stream of boats,
+each of them packed with tall, bronzed Australians and New Zealanders,
+plies towards the warships and transports that remain. By noon 10,000
+men are on board; all are in the highest spirits, keen and eager for the
+coming battle. Every man knows what lies before him. All have read or
+heard the Commander-in-Chief's message addressed to "Soldiers of France
+and of the King":--
+
+    "Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war.
+    Together with our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a
+    landing upon an open beach in face of positions which have been
+    vaunted by our enemies as impregnable.
+
+    "The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy;
+    the positions will be stormed, and the war brought one step
+    nearer to a glorious close.
+
+    "'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding adieu to your
+    Commander--'remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli
+    Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish.'
+
+    "The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+    ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+
+      "Ian Hamilton, _General_."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We will now follow the fortunes of the gallant Australians and New
+Zealanders. The transports, escorted by the Second Squadron of the
+Fleet, steam slowly on, and by half-past one on the morning of the 25th
+have reached a prearranged point. The sea is calm, there is scarcely a
+breath of wind, the moon is shining behind the ships, and the silence of
+night is only broken by the throb of the propellers. The ships heave to.
+Swiftly, and with scarce a sound, shadowy figures climb down into boats.
+They are the 1,500 men who are to be the first to set foot on the
+peninsula. Meanwhile their comrades are being transferred from the
+transports to six destroyers. It is now 2.30, and the warships, together
+with the destroyers and the towed boats, move slowly and silently
+towards a point about a mile north of Gaba Tepe. At 3.30 the order is
+given to "go ahead and land." Away go the boats, and, forty minutes
+later, the destroyers follow them.
+
+[Illustration: How the Five Beaches--Y, X, W, V, and S--were stormed and
+the British and French landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Sunday, April
+25, 1915.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The following units landed on the various beaches:--_Beach Y_: 1st
+King's Own Scottish Borderers and The Plymouth (Marine) Battalion, Royal
+Naval Division. _Beach X_: 1st Royal Fusiliers, together with a beach
+working party of the Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division. _Beach W_:
+1st Battalion, (Lancashire Fusiliers). _Beach V_: Dublin Fusiliers,
+Munster Fusiliers, half a battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, the West
+Riding Field Company, and other details. _Beach S_: 2nd South Wales
+Borderers (less one company). At _Gaba Tepe_: 3rd Australian Brigade,
+followed promptly by the 1st and 2nd Brigades and two batteries of
+Indian Mountain Artillery; the remainder of the New Zealand and
+Australian Division landed later in the day.]
+
+Now the hazy dawn begins to break, and the men in the boats see before
+them the loom of the steep cliffs underneath which they are soon to
+tread. Beneath those cliffs there is a very narrow strip of sand, about
+a thousand yards long, closed in on the north and south by small
+promontories. Near the northern end of the beach a small but steep gully
+runs up into the hills at right angles to the shore. At the southern end
+there is a deep ravine with very steep, scrub-clad sides. Between the
+ravine and the gully a lofty spur comes down to the shore. Such is the
+landing-place. The Commander-in-Chief has chosen it because he thinks
+the enemy would never suppose that he would dream of making a landing in
+such an unfavourable position. Henceforth it will be known all the world
+over as Anzac[45] Cove.
+
+The boats and destroyers steal in towards the land. They are now close
+to the shore, and the troops perceive that they must fight for a
+footing. Turkish soldiers are seen running along the beach ready to give
+the boats a warm reception. Not a word is spoken: our men remain
+perfectly still and quiet, awaiting the enemy's fire. A few moments
+more, and bullets rain down on them. Many a man has breathed his last
+before the boats run aground.
+
+The keels have not touched the sand when the Australians of the 3rd
+Brigade spring out of their boats. A blaze of fire sweeps against them
+from the Turkish trenches on the beach, but they heed it not. With fixed
+bayonets they dash forward, as though they mean to conquer the whole
+peninsula by one mighty rush. On they go, and the Turks flee before
+them. The beach is carried with cold steel, and in open order they dive
+into the scrub and scramble up the hundred feet of cliff that rises
+before them. The famous exploit at Wolfe's Cove, when the Heights of
+Abraham were scaled, is altogether outdone.[46]
+
+Now they are on the top of the cliff, and come under the main Turkish
+fire. The ground, however, gives them good cover, and they speedily dig
+themselves in. By seven in the morning they are holding the cliff top.
+Meanwhile the 1st and 2nd Brigades have come ashore, and two batteries
+of Indian Mountain Artillery have been landed. The enemy is now shelling
+the transports, and they are obliged to stand out to sea. Further
+artillery cannot, therefore, be put ashore just yet. By noon more than
+10,000 men are on the beach, or are climbing the gully and the ravine.
+The thousand yards of shore is covered with busy working-parties. Stores
+are being landed, the Royal Engineers are making roads, and wireless
+stations are being erected; and all the time Turkish shells are falling
+fast and thick. Our warships are at work, but the morning sun is in the
+eyes of the gunners, and they fire at a disadvantage.
+
+The Australians on the cliff top have not been content to remain idle in
+their hastily-dug trenches. They rashly push on across three ridges, and
+actually come within sight of the Narrows; but now the enemy is strongly
+reinforced, and they are driven back with heavy loss. Stretcher-bearers
+are stumbling down the steep paths and across the beach carrying their
+freight of wounded to the hospital ships on the bullet-splashed sea.
+There is much confusion as the advancing troops meet those who are
+retiring; but before noon a semicircular position on the cliffs is
+firmly held. Parties of the 9th and 10th Battalions charge and put out
+of action three of the enemy's Krupp guns.
+
+The Turks now begin their counter-attacks, which continue far into the
+night. Again and again our men make bayonet charges, and the line holds
+fast. They have suffered terribly, but they have made good their
+footing, and are firmly placed at Gaba Tepe, on Anzac territory.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we must hurry southwards and see how matters are faring at Beach Y.
+Three cruisers--_Dublin_, _Amethyst_, and _Sapphire_--have covered the
+landing of the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and the
+Plymouth (Marine) Battalion. The men have leaped ashore on a narrow
+strip of sand at the foot of a crumbling, scrub-covered cliff 200 feet
+high. They climb to the top of the cliffs by means of a number of small
+gullies, and there establish themselves, almost without loss. Food,
+water, and ammunition are hauled up. Now the Turks begin to attack them,
+and are fiercely resisted. Later in the day the enemy, largely
+reinforced, advances from the direction of Krithia, and our men have to
+dig in. Against them the Turks launch attack after attack, supported by
+heavy guns. Owing to the sharp fall of the ground behind the cliffs, our
+warships can render but little assistance. Through the afternoon and
+night the attacks continue, and our men make several desperate bayonet
+charges. But it is clear, even now, that they cannot maintain themselves
+in this position. By seven o'clock on the morning of the 26th the King's
+Own Scottish Borderers have lost half their number, including their
+gallant colonel.
+
+The order for withdrawal is given. A small rearguard of the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers with desperate valour holds off the enemy, while the
+rest, with their wounded, stores, and ammunition, re-embark, and are
+safely brought round to the southern end of the peninsula. The landing
+at Y has failed, and our losses have been very heavy; but the plucky
+stand of the two battalions has prevented large numbers of the enemy
+from going to the assistance of their comrades at other points, where,
+as you will soon learn, a very touch-and-go struggle is in progress.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A short journey southward brings us to Beach X, where the 1st Royal
+Fusiliers have been landed. The _Swiftsure_ has plastered the high
+ground with shells, and the _Implacable_, which has anchored close
+inshore, is bringing every gun to bear on the Turkish position. Without
+losing a single man, the Fusiliers push up a low cliff and entrench
+themselves. By evening they are in touch with their comrades at Beach W.
+A Turkish battery which gets the range of our men is knocked out by a
+fine shot from the _Implacable_. At Beach X everything is going well.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We now hurry away to Beach W, between Cape Tekke and Cape Helles. Here a
+doubtful battle is raging. The beach consists of deep, powdery sand, and
+is 350 yards long, with steep ground on the flank and sand dunes in the
+centre. The Turks have turned this beach into a perfect death-trap.
+Close to the water's edge there is a broad wire entanglement running the
+whole length of the shore, and in front of it, in the shallow sea, there
+is another similar barricade. There are lines of trenches on the high
+ground; machine guns are tucked away into holes in the cliff; snipers
+lurk in the scrub, and there is not an inch of the shore which cannot be
+swept by deadly fire. On a hill overlooking the beach there are two
+redoubts, and elsewhere in the line of possible advance there are other
+formidable obstacles. Land mines and sea mines have been laid, and the
+Turks may well boast that no invader will ever remain alive on this
+terrible beach.
+
+Lancashire men are now about to perform one of the finest feats of arms
+ever achieved by British soldiers or by any other soldiers. They are
+about to storm this death-trap from open boats! Hereafter, as a tribute
+to their splendid valour, Beach W will be known as Lancashire Landing.
+
+At six in the morning of the 25th eight picket boats, in line abreast,
+each boat towing four ship's cutters packed with men of the 1st
+Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, approach the shore. As soon as shallow
+water is reached the tows are cast off, and oars are plied. The first
+boat touches the shore, and out spring the Fusiliers, to be met by a
+hurricane of lead from the Turkish trenches. Many a man receives his
+death-wound while waist-deep in the water, but the unfaltering Fusiliers
+rush ashore, and though fired at from the right, the left, and the
+centre, begin hacking their way through the wire. A long line of men is
+at once mown down as by a scythe; but the remainder, now covered by the
+guns of the warships, and helped by the flanking fire of a party which
+has secured a foothold on a small ledge of rock under the cliff, break
+through the entanglements, and, rapidly re-forming, hurl themselves on
+the Turkish trenches. Several land mines are exploded, but nothing can
+stem the torrent of the British advance. By ten o'clock three lines of
+the enemy's trenches are in our hands.
+
+On the right some of the Fusiliers have come under the fire of a
+redoubt, and they can make but little headway in this direction. The
+edge of the wire entanglements is reached, but they can go no further.
+They are now lying under the scanty cover of a sandbank, cleaning their
+rifles, which have been wetted by sea-water and choked with sand.
+
+The guns of the warships boom out, and a rain of shells falls near the
+redoubt. About 2 p.m. the Worcester Regiment dashes forward. Men hack
+their way through the entanglements, and, in spite of heavy losses,
+carry the redoubt by storm. Now an attempt is made to join hands with
+the troops which are in dire peril on Beach V; but the defences are too
+strong to be broken through. Men are seen under an awful fire calmly
+snipping the wire as though they were pruning a vineyard. But the troops
+are worn out by their long labours under a hot sun, and the attack is
+perforce suspended. When night falls the Turks make assault after
+assault on the wearied invaders. So hard pressed are they that even the
+working parties on the beach have to be flung into the trenches in order
+that the line may be held. Happily the attacks of the enemy are beaten
+off, and no ground is lost. So the night passes, and the dawn ushers in
+another day of struggle and anxiety.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we hurry off to Beach V, where tragic events are taking place. Beach
+V resembles an old Greek theatre. There is a stretch of sand as at Beach
+W, and running along it is a low sandy ridge, four feet high, which
+affords some shelter. Beyond rise grassy terraces to a height of 100
+feet. The rising ground is flanked on the one side by an old castle,
+and on the other side by a modern fort. On the heights overlooking the
+shore the Turks have massed artillery, machine guns, and riflemen. On
+the very margin of the beach there is an exceedingly strong barbed-wire
+fence, and two-thirds of the way up there is an even stronger obstacle.
+From all sides the defenders can pour down a deadly fire on the landing
+parties. So strongly defended is this beach that special arrangements
+have been made to cope with it. Large doors have been cut in the steel
+plates of a collier, the _River Clyde_, and wide gangplank have been
+slung from her side. These gangways slope gradually down from the doors
+to her bows, so that men can pass along on both sides in single file,
+and jump on to the lighters which she will tow in with her. Her bridge
+has been turned into a little fortress, and behind steel plates and
+sand-bags in her bows there are twelve machine guns to cover the
+landing. Two thousand men of the Hampshires and Munster Fusiliers have
+been stowed on board, and now she steams bow on to the shore close to a
+reef of rock. The lighters are placed in position so as to form a bridge
+between the gangway and the rock.
+
+[Illustration: The Lancashire Fusiliers landing on Beach W.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+You will read a full account of this heroic landing on pages 211, 212.
+Three Victoria Crosses were afterwards awarded to those who had
+displayed the most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, by the vote
+of their comrades.]
+
+Eight boatloads of Dublin Fusiliers towed by steam pinnaces make a dash
+for the shore. Every kind of missile is hurled at them, and the men
+suffer horribly. Some few manage to gain the beach and take refuge under
+the sandbank already mentioned. None of the boats, however, push off
+again. They and their crews are destroyed.
+
+Now comes the moment for the _River Clyde_, like the horse of Troy, to
+pour forth its living freight; but there is grievous delay, for the
+current runs strongly, and there is grave difficulty in keeping the
+lighters in position. The splendid pluck and tenacity of the naval
+working-party are tried to the utmost, and many splendid deeds of
+heroism are accomplished before the bridge of boats holds fast. Now a
+company of the Munster Fusiliers, followed by a second company, issues
+from the ship and strives to cross the shifting and swaying bridge. The
+lighters give way in the current; the end one nearest the shore drifts
+into deep water, and many men striving to swim from it to the beach are
+drowned. All the time a perfect tornado of fire sweeps down upon them. A
+third company essays the task: the lighters are filled with dead and
+wounded. A thousand men have striven to land, but barely five hundred
+have got ashore. So hot is the Turkish fire that the remaining men in
+the _River Clyde_ dare not emerge. A man has only to show his head to be
+instantly picked off.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Twenty-four hours after the _River Clyde_ runs ashore there are but the
+survivors of the Dublin and the Munster Fusiliers and two companies of
+the Hampshire Regiment on the beach, and they are still crouching
+beneath the shelter of the sandy ridge. Early in the morning the
+_Cornwallis_, _Albion_, and _Queen Elizabeth_ come to the rescue and
+begin a heavy bombardment of the enemy. Under cover of this bombardment
+the men on the beach push up the slopes on the bluff under a most
+galling fire, and capture the village, a fort, and a hill. The landing
+can now go forward. By the evening of Tuesday, the 27th, Beach V is in
+working order.
+
+The whole scene on the beach reminds you of a gigantic shipwreck. It
+looks as if the whole army with its stores had been washed ashore after
+a great gale, or had saved themselves on rafts. All this work is carried
+on under an incessant shrapnel fire which sweeps the trenches and hills.
+The shells are frequently bursting ten or twelve at the same moment,
+making a deafening noise, and plastering the foreshore with bullets. The
+only safe place is close under the cliff, but every one is rapidly
+becoming accustomed to the shriek of the shells and the splash of
+bullets in the water, and the work goes on as if there was not a gun
+within miles.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I conclude this account of the landing I must say a word as to
+the part played by the French in the operations. Their duty was to land
+on the Asiatic shore at Kum Kale, and engage the batteries so that they
+could not interfere with the landings at Beaches V and S. During a
+skirmish which took place on the height at Kum Kale and on the Trojan
+plain the French took 500 prisoners, and would have captured more had
+there been room for them in the boats. This French diversion enabled
+trawlers to land 700 men of the 2nd South Wales Borderers at Beach S. A
+stiff little fight followed; but the Welshmen gained the top of the
+cliff, and digging themselves in, managed to hold their own until the
+position was taken over by the French. Their landing had only cost them
+fifty casualties. A company was also put ashore at Camber, a little boat
+harbour nestling just east and under the ruined fort of Sedd-ul-Bahr.
+This little force, however, met with such a fierce fire that it could
+make no progress up the steep cliffs towards the village, and had to be
+withdrawn.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Thus the landing was made, and a feat believed to be impossible was
+performed. When we consider how strongly the Turks were posted, how
+skilfully their trenches were made, how completely the beaches were
+swept by their fire, we are lost in admiration of the superb gallantry
+and contempt of life displayed by our men. You will read on a later page
+some account of those who specially distinguished themselves; but do not
+forget that many heroes who deserved the Victoria Cross had laid down
+their lives before the tops of the cliffs were reached. We were on the
+peninsula at last, but our footing was very insecure. We had our backs
+to the sea and our faces to a stubborn foe, who was holding positions of
+enormous strength. In later chapters we shall learn how these positions
+baffled every effort of the most heroic of men to carry them. For the
+moment, however, we were flushed with victory, and our hopes were high.
+
+[Footnote 45: Made up of the initial letters of the words--Australian
+New Zealand Army Corps.]
+
+[Footnote 46: On the night of September 12-13, 1759, General Wolfe's
+army of 4,000 men climbed a wooded precipice on hands and knees, and
+next day defeated a French army on the plateau (Heights of Abraham) to
+the south-west of Quebec. This victory gave us Canada.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXV.
+
+  HEROES OF THE LANDING.
+
+
+Now that you have read an account of how we gained a foothold, and no
+more than a foothold, on the Gallipoli peninsula, you will agree with me
+that only an army of heroes could have performed the feat. All fought
+magnificently, but the Anzacs carried off the palm. A correspondent
+tells us that one man, renowned for his height and great strength,
+jumped into a Turkish trench and bayoneted five men one after the other,
+hurling each of them over the parapet as coolly and as easily as if he
+had been tossing hay. Hundreds of grim tales of this kind are told of
+the Australians' fierce onset. Wounded men who emerged from the struggle
+shouted to those who cheered them, "We are going to do better when we
+get back." They described the fighting as "a great game--the best game
+we ever had." "We made them run," said one Australian. "We wanted to let
+the Turks know what Australian steel was like, and they ran screeching
+and howling before us." Two New Zealanders were seen chasing eleven
+Turks, who fled in terror before them.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Bugler W. S. Manchip of the 1st Australian Imperial Force thus describes
+the desperate fighting in which he took part: "When we were near the
+shore a signal light flashed two or three times, but the boat I was in
+ran up the beach, and several of us were safe ashore before a rifle shot
+split the air. Then almost immediately a perfect shower of bullets fell
+around us. Fixing bayonets, the boys charged the hills without firing a
+shot until the light of the dawn was sufficient to enable them to make
+sure of their aim. Although I passed several dead Turks on my way
+forward, I only saw two who had been bayoneted, for most of them did not
+wait for a taste of that eighteen inches of cold steel, but ran, sniping
+at us whenever they got the chance, until we had them back about two
+miles, when we emerged from the undergrowth and broken country on to a
+stretch of flat land. There we were met by a perfect fusillade from
+thousands of rifles, and we had to take what cover we could, which was
+not much. After being under the withering fire of the Turkish rifles and
+machine guns, which were well entrenched, for nearly an hour, the enemy
+opened fire on us with shrapnel, and it was terrible, as we were unable
+to move, and men were falling around us by the dozen. . . . In the night
+they charged upon our trenches, blowing bugles and shouting, 'Allah!
+Allah!' When the order was given to 'Fix bayonets! Charge!' they did not
+wait for us, but fled back to their trenches. About four o'clock on
+Wednesday I was passing across an open space in the trench with a tin of
+water, when a bullet struck me in the back, cutting through my
+equipment, tunic, jersey, and braces. The latter, being made of hard
+leather, stopped the course of the bullet, and I only received a bruise
+on my back."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_ thus describes the landing of the
+K.O.S.B.'s on Beach Y: "It is no time to dwell on what might have been,
+but I cannot deny myself mention of the fact that we were actually on
+the slopes of Achi Baba that first day, thanks to the dauntless
+K.O.S.B.'s, who pushed through from Y Beach to Krithia almost unopposed,
+fought their way through the ruins on to the farther slopes--and then,
+owing to lack of supports, marched all the way back again under a
+devastating fire. In the advance the battalion's losses were small;
+coming back they were dreadfully punished, and at last dug themselves in
+on the seaward side of Krithia, to meet a force of at least five times
+their number." The K.O.S.B.'s, you will remember, were re-embarked and
+taken round to Beach W.
+
+"'Could you have done anything else?' I asked a Scottish Borderer, as we
+sat in the scrub looking towards the hill, long afterwards.
+
+"'Ah believe,' said he, 'properly reinforced in the rear, we could 'a
+taken Achi Baba by twelve noon on the day o' the landin'.
+
+"This is the opinion of a serving soldier, one of the eighty odd men
+still alive who won to the gently rising slopes of this formidable
+position, a bone in our throats for six deadly months--and there still."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Corporal J. Collins of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers gives us a
+glimpse of the terrible scenes which took place on Beach W, where the
+men of his regiment covered themselves with glory. "In my first boat,"
+he says, "there were thirty-eight soldiers and four sailors, and when we
+got near the shore the boat drifted about, so I decided to make for
+land. I got into the water, and, being a strong swimmer, I was able to
+pull one of my comrades on to my shoulder. Thus we struggled ashore.
+Then we stumbled across barbed wire. The sand and the water choked my
+rifle, and I was unable to use it when I landed, except the bayonet. We
+struggled through the entanglements, and made for the cliffs, while
+bullets were whistling and shrapnel shrieking all round us. While I was
+advancing a shrapnel shell whistled past my breast, tearing my
+ammunition pouch away, and reducing my clothes to tatters. The same
+shell killed some of my comrades farther in the line. Keeping on, we
+took the first Turkish trench."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Leading Seaman Gilligan of H.M.S. _Euryalus_ thus wrote: "We landed the
+Lancashire Fusiliers, thirty-five in each boat. I shall never forget it
+as long as I live. It was wicked, and I, like a lot more, never expected
+to come through it whole. There were four boats in tow of a steam
+pinnace, and there was no sign of the enemy until we touched the shore.
+Then they opened fire, strongly entrenched above us in the cliffs, with
+machine guns. As soon as we touched the beach we could see the wire
+entanglements. The fire was terrible--just like a hailstorm. I jumped
+out of the stern up to my arms in water, and pushed the boat in. The
+sergeant jumped in front of me, and got mortally wounded. The cries of
+the wounded were terrible. It is without equal in this war, this landing
+of troops under fire. The Turks drove our men right back to the beach
+that Sunday night. There were 38,000 Turks, and 1,100 of our fellows
+held them. However, we have made progress since then, and I am proud to
+have had a share in it."
+
+[Illustration: The Landing from the "River Clyde" on Beach V.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._]
+
+An observer on a battleship[47] thus describes what he saw on Beaches V
+and W: "Towards Sedd-ul-Bahr (where the forts were beginning to reek
+with bursting shells) I saw a transport with her nose well up the beach.
+This was the _River Clyde_, then in the act of letting loose out of her
+riven side those unspeakably gallant men of the Munster, Dublin, and
+other regiments, whom Colonel Doughty-Wylie (amongst us only the day
+before) led to the capture of a strong redoubt and to his death. Between
+us and the _River Clyde_, in the lee of the low, scrubby cliffs, I could
+make out a flag-pole and a dark cluster on the beach around it. This was
+the point of assembly on W Beach, now christened Lancashire Landing, to
+commemorate the daring of those Lancashire regiments which won through
+here. Gradually a movement became noticeable. The cluster spread out,
+took the nearest dunes at a run, disappeared--and a crackling
+undercurrent in the din of big guns was all that told of a fierce charge
+and the first trenches won. All the while the little trawlers, the tug
+boats, and the lighters, full of the finest soldiers, went to and fro
+through a deluge of bullets, which splashed the water with a hiss like
+the rain that comes with thunder."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following heroes of the landing were awarded Victoria Crosses:--
+
+Captain Richard Raymond Willis, Sergeant Alfred Richards, and Private
+William Keneally, all of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
+
+You have already heard of the marvellous heroism of the Lancashire
+Fusiliers on Beach W, and no Lancashire boy or girl will ever forget how
+they cut their way through the wire entanglements, notwithstanding a
+terrific fire from the enemy, and, in spite of unheard-of difficulties,
+gained the cliffs, and there firmly established themselves. Every man
+who engaged in this desperate struggle deserved the highest award of
+valour. It was quite impossible for the generals to pick and choose
+amongst these bravest of the brave, so the survivors were asked to elect
+the three of their comrades who, in their opinion, had done the most
+signal acts of bravery and devotion during the day of the landing. With
+one consent they elected the three heroes named above.
+
+Corporal William Cosgrove, 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers.
+
+On Beach V, where so many of the Munsters went gallantly to their death,
+Corporal Cosgrove showed splendid dash and spirit. Single-handed he
+pulled down the posts of the enemy's high wire entanglements,
+notwithstanding a terrific burst of fire from the enemy. Thanks very
+largely to the corporal's splendid pluck the heights were at last
+cleared.
+
+Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu Doughty-Wylie, Headquarters
+Staff, and Captain Garth Neville Walford, Brigade Major, Royal
+Artillery.
+
+On page 253 I told you that the Dublin Fusiliers, the Munsters, and the
+Hampshires, who had landed on Beach V from the _River Clyde_, were
+rallied and led forward to attack the village and a redoubt on a hill
+inland. The officer who rallied the men was Lieutenant-Colonel
+Doughty-Wylie, a staff officer, who ought not to have been in the firing
+line; but seeing that the attacking force had lost many of its officers,
+he sprang into the breach. He was seen with a cane in his hand going
+amongst the troops and encouraging them. When they charged up the hill
+with the bayonet he was at their head. Unhappily he was shot down, and
+the Victoria Cross was awarded to him after his death. Captain Walford
+behaved in the same heroic fashion, and he, too, lost his life during
+those terrible hours.
+
+Commander Edward Unwin, R.N.; Midshipman Wilfred St. Aubyn Malleson,
+R.N.; Midshipman George Leslie Drewry, R.N.R.; Able Seaman William
+Charles Williams, R.N.; Seaman George M'Kenzie Samson, R.N.R.
+
+No finer deeds of heroism stand to the credit of the British Navy than
+those which I am now about to describe. When the _River Clyde_ was run
+ashore a floating bridge of lighters was formed. The swirling current
+drove the lighters adrift, and the bridge was broken. Observing this,
+Commander Unwin left the _River Clyde_, and, standing waist deep in the
+water under a murderous fire, endeavoured to get the lighters into
+position again. He worked on until, suffering from the effects of the
+cold water, he was obliged to return to the ship, where he was wrapped
+in blankets. Having somewhat recovered, he returned to his work against
+the doctor's orders, and completed it. Later on he was slightly wounded
+by three bullets; but as soon as the doctor had attended to him he once
+more left the ship, this time in a lifeboat, to save some wounded men
+who were lying in shallow water near the beach. He continued at this
+labour of mercy, under constant fire, until he was so worn out that he
+could no longer stand.
+
+Midshipman Drewry assisted Commander Unwin in the work of getting the
+lighters into position, and toiled on, utterly regardless of the heavy
+fire. He was twice hit; but even when wounded he tried to swim from
+lighter to lighter with a line, and only gave up the effort when he was
+thoroughly exhausted. An observer saw him swimming to a lighter with a
+line in his mouth and a wound in his head, while rocks, lighters, and
+boats were covered with dead and dying. When he was utterly worn out
+Midshipman Malleson took the line, swam to the second lighter, and made
+it fast, thus enabling some of the men from the _River Clyde_ to get
+ashore. Later on the line broke, and he once more took to the water with
+another line. Twice he attempted to reach the lighter, but all his
+efforts were in vain.
+
+Seaman Samson worked all day on the lighter nearest to the shore,
+attending to the wounded and getting out lines. At length he was badly
+hit, but he made a good recovery, and when he reached Portsmouth was
+received by the Mayor and a guard of honour. Some weeks later the people
+of Carnoustie, his native place, made him handsome presents at a public
+meeting. Seaman Samson was the first British bluejacket for fifty years
+to win and wear the Victoria Cross. Seaman Williams went ashore with a
+line, and, waist-deep in the water, held on to it for over an hour. He
+was fired at constantly, and at last fell riddled with bullets. The
+coveted badge of valour was awarded after his heroic death.
+
+Sub-Lieutenant A. W. St. Clair Tisdall, R.N.V.R.
+
+This gallant officer, who in his Cambridge days was renowned as a
+scholar and a poet, fought as an ordinary seaman at Antwerp. During the
+landing on Beach V he displayed remarkable heroism. Hearing the cries of
+wounded men on shore, he jumped into the water, and pushing a boat
+before him went to their rescue. With the assistance of several comrades
+he made five trips under heavy fire between the _River Clyde_ and the
+shore, and thus saved the lives of many wounded men. He was killed in
+action on May 6, 1915, and his Victoria Cross was not announced until
+the last day of March 1916.
+
+[Illustration: "In files they lay, like the mower's swathes at close of
+day." A Turkish Column wiped out by the Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+Our illustration shows the repulse of a Turkish night attack on our
+trenches near Achi Baba on May 1, 1915. On the extreme left of our
+position lay the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Northern Irish
+Regiment, and in front of them was a small vineyard with a mud wall
+round it, the vine branches being entwined with a thick network of
+barbed wire. The Turks, led by German officers, moved directly on the
+Inniskillings; but the Irishmen lay low until their attackers were only
+a hundred and fifty yards away. Then light balls were fired from
+pistols, and a terrible torrent of lead swept the first line of the
+Turks to earth. The second line shared the same fate, and the survivors
+turned and fled. Several German officers were found shot amidst the
+heaps of slain next morning. (See page 267.)]
+
+[Footnote 47: _Blackwood's Magazine_, February 1916.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVI.
+
+  BATTERING AT THE BARRIERS.
+
+
+The Gallipoli campaign was a diversion that did not succeed--a side-show
+that failed. I shall not, therefore, describe the progress of the
+fighting in full detail. The story is rather a footnote to the history
+of the Great War than part of the text. We may divide the story--as
+Cæsar did Gaul--into three parts. Part I. deals with the fighting from
+the day of the landing on 25th April down to 13th July, and tells how we
+battered at the Achi Baba barrier while the Anzacs strove to carry the
+high and rugged hills on their front. Part II. carries on the story to
+the middle fortnight of August, when, with the aid of five new
+divisions, we made a big effort to break through at Suvla and Anzac; and
+Part III. describes the long period of waiting until those December and
+January days when we "came off" the peninsula without the loss of a
+single life. In this chapter I shall give you very briefly Part I. of
+the story.
+
+On the night of 27th April the Allies lay on a line running across the
+peninsula about three miles north of Cape Tekke. Next day, at eight in
+the morning, an advance was made on the village of Krithia; and though
+the Turks strongly opposed us, the 87th Brigade, on the left, advanced
+two miles, while the French, on the right, pushed forward a mile. By the
+evening of the 27th we securely held the tip of the peninsula. During
+the fighting the _Queen Elizabeth_, far out at sea, observed 250 of the
+enemy preparing to make an attack from a point where they could not be
+seen by the troops on shore. Immediately she dropped a shrapnel shell
+amongst them. It weighed 1,800 pounds, and contained 13,000 bullets.
+When the smoke cleared away it was discovered that the attacking party
+had been completely wiped out.
+
+On 1st May, after we had been reinforced, the Turks made a fierce
+counter-attack, and what is known as the First Battle of Krithia
+began.[48] All day their big guns roared, and at night, when the moon
+rose, their infantry darted forward. On the right, where the shelling
+had been heaviest, the Turks opened a gap in our lines, but it was
+promptly filled up by the 5th Royal Scots, who with the bayonet cleared
+the Turks out of the trenches which they had occupied. All night the
+battle raged, and we only held on to our position with the greatest
+difficulty. At dawn the next day we counter-attacked, and the whole line
+moved forward five hundred yards. Had the French not been held up on the
+right by barbed wire and concealed machine guns, we should have carried
+Achi Baba that day. Severe fighting went on during the 4th and the 5th,
+and our casualties were very heavy. Between the day of the landing and
+6th May we lost 14,000 men, 3,593 of whom had been cut off in the
+difficult country and made prisoners.
+
+The Second Battle of Krithia, which began on 6th May, lasted for three
+days. Our left and centre strove to carry Krithia ridge, while the
+French attempted to get across the small river beyond Morto Bay which
+you see on the map. The French 75's and the guns of the warships opened
+fire, and prepared the way for the advance. Again, however, our Allies
+were held up by concealed Turkish trenches; but they struggled on, and
+by the close of the day, at the cost of many lives, pushed across the
+river. During the night they held their ground, in spite of a strong
+counter-attack. Next day the warships shelled the Turkish right, and we
+carried the front Turkish trenches, but could go no farther. On the
+right the French advanced, but, caught by shrapnel, wavered and fled.
+The lost ground, however, was recovered. So the fight went on, every
+inch being bought at a heavy price. At the close of the three days'
+struggle we had won a thousand yards, but had not touched the enemy's
+main position, which was terribly strong. We now knew that it could not
+be rushed.
+
+While these battles were going on, the Anzacs were slowly gaining ground
+at Gaba Tepe. On the night of 18th May fresh bodies of Turks were flung
+against their trenches; but the cool and steady shooting of the men from
+"down under" kept them at bay. On that red day the Turks lost some 7,000
+men, while the Australians lost but 500. The Turkish trenches were in
+some places less than two hundred yards away from those of the Anzacs,
+and the ground between was carpeted with dead. You will read on a later
+page how Lance-Corporal Jacka won the Victoria Cross by capturing a
+trench single-handed.
+
+The third great attempt upon Krithia and Achi Baba was made on 4th June;
+but though our men fought like heroes, and the East Lancashire
+Territorial Division on the right centre made a splendid advance, we
+only gained some five hundred yards on a front of three miles. After
+five weeks' desperate struggle we had not touched the outer Turkish
+position. The German engineers had made it almost as formidable as the
+Labyrinth in Artois. It was clear that without large reinforcements we
+could make no headway. Already we had lost 38,636 men--more than the
+whole casualty list for three years of the South African War.
+
+The British and French fleets had taken part in every attack, and so far
+had been almost unmolested. Now German submarines began to appear; but
+before they got to work a Turkish destroyer managed to sink the old
+British battleship _Goliath_ by means of a torpedo. On 26th May a German
+submarine launched a torpedo which tore through the nets of the
+_Triumph_, and sank her in nine minutes. Next day the _Majestic_, when
+steaming close to the shore, was sunk in the same manner. It was now
+evident that our ships could no longer take part in the bombardment and
+escape the submarines, so most of them were sent home, and the Allied
+naval strength was reduced to a few of the older battleships and
+cruisers, together with destroyers and one of the monitors which had
+checked the shoreward march of the Germans on the Flemish coast. Other
+new monitors arrived later, and, being submarine-proof, were able to do
+excellent work.
+
+By midsummer we knew, more than ever, how necessary it was that a right
+of way should be forced through the Dardanelles. We shall learn in a
+later chapter that the Russians had been forced back, and were terribly
+hard pressed. Without an open sea-road by which they could be supplied
+with munitions, it seemed likely that they would be put out of action
+for months to come, and that the Germans would be able to spare large
+bodies of troops to reinforce the Western front. We therefore determined
+to push on in the peninsula with renewed vigour. Reinforcements had now
+been landed, and it was necessary that we should strike, and strike hard
+at once.
+
+During the first fortnight of June the enemy made many attempts to
+thrust us from the positions which we had won, and during the fighting
+many notable deeds of heroism were done by our men. A very determined
+attack by the Turks on 18th June carried some of our trenches; but they
+were won back by a brilliant charge of the 5th Royal Scots and a company
+of the 4th Worcesters. You will remember that the 5th Royal Scots had
+already distinguished themselves on 1st May. They formed part of what
+Sir Ian Hamilton calls "the incomparable 29th Division."
+
+On 21st June we began the work of straightening out our line, which then
+formed an awkward salient in the centre. After a heavy bombardment the
+French infantry rushed two lines of Turkish trenches. Most desperate
+fighting followed, in which every gun that could be brought to bear was
+turned on the enemy. Six hundred yards were won, and the whole Allied
+right wing was well beyond the little river already mentioned. Though
+many of the French were little more than boys, they fought with the
+utmost dash and contempt of death.
+
+The right wing having advanced, an attempt was now made to bring up the
+left. The movement began on the morning of 28th June with a fierce
+bombardment. When it ceased at 10.45 our infantry leaped forward, and
+within half an hour had won three lines of trenches between a ravine and
+the sea. East of the ravine the 7th Royal Scots made good progress, but
+the right met with a heavy fire, and could gain but little ground. A
+second attack which began at 11.30 was magnificently made. The men
+dashed forward without wavering, and before long our left wing was less
+than a mile west of Krithia. The whole of the ravine, which was littered
+with dead, rifles, bayonets, boxes of ammunition, soldiers' packs,
+firewood, etc., was in our hands. Much booty and about 200 prisoners
+were taken, and our losses were not more than 1,750.
+
+On the last day of June there was fighting all round the peninsula. In
+the Anzac territory, about midnight, Enver Pasha came specially from
+Constantinople to see his army drive the Australians and New Zealanders
+into the sea. Heavy firing began, to which the Anzacs replied with
+cheers. At 1.30 in the morning a strong column of Turks advanced, but it
+was broken to atoms by the rifles and machine guns of the 7th and 8th
+Light Horse. Other attacks melted away before the swift and deadly fire
+of the defenders, and Enver Pasha returned to Constantinople a
+disappointed man.
+
+Early on the morning of the same day the French had a success. They
+carried by storm a network of trenches at the head of the river along
+which they had been fighting so long, and held on to the ground which
+they had won. Sir Ian Hamilton thought that the Turkish losses during
+the five days following 28th June were over 20,000; yet all this
+sacrifice had availed them nothing.
+
+The July fighting was of the same nature as that of June. On 4th July an
+enemy warship fired on the Australian lines, and aeroplanes tried to
+drop bombs on our trenches. This was followed by an infantry attack
+which was successful at first, but, later on, the Turks were forced to
+retire with great loss. We were now up against the main strength of the
+Achi Baba fortress, and on 12th July we made a resolute attempt to
+capture it.
+
+The bombardment began at dawn, and the first attack was made by the
+French and the Scottish Lowland Division on the right and right centre.
+The Scots reached the third line of Turkish trenches, but they lost
+touch with the French on their right and could not hold their gains.
+Another and even fiercer cannonade began at four in the afternoon, and
+the Scots, surging forward against a great Turkish redoubt overlooking a
+ravine, carried it at the point of the bayonet. By dusk some 400 yards
+of ground had been gained. Through the night the Turks came on again and
+again with bombs, and the wearied Scots were obliged to give up two
+lines of trenches. Next day these positions were recaptured, and there
+we stuck. We had reached the limit of our advance from the south. We
+were very near to Krithia, but the heights of Achi Baba were as far off
+as ever.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following officers and men won the Victoria Cross during the May,
+June, and July fighting.
+
+Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial forces.
+
+A private of Lance-Corporal Jacka's regiment thus describes the deed
+which won his chum the V.C.: "There were four Bendigo boys, all mates,
+in the 14th, and Bert Jacka and I were two of them. The 14th was
+stationed at Courtney's Post, which shared with Quinn's Post[49] and
+Pope's Hill all the worst of the fighting during the month of May. On
+the night of 18th May and the morning of the next day the Turks tried to
+drive us into the sea, and left eight acres of dead between Quinn's and
+Courtney's. In the middle of the scrap a wounded man crawled to our
+trench, and said the Turks had rushed a communication trench, and there
+was only one man keeping them back. There was a call for volunteers, and
+I was one of them. When we got near we saw Bert guarding the end of the
+trench with his bayonet. He looked like a mad thing. When he saw us
+coming, he let out a roar like a bull and rushed into the trench. I made
+after him, but I received two bullets, one in the side and the other in
+the hand. Well, down I went, and before the others got into the trench
+Bert had done it on his own. Five shot and two killed with the bayonet!
+He came to see me that night in the dug-out, and I said to him, 'Well,
+Bert, you've done a big thing;' all he replied was, 'I think I lost my
+head.'" For this most gallant deed Jacka received not only the coveted
+cross, but a sum of £500 and a gold medal promised by Mr. John Wren of
+Melbourne to the first Australian who should win the great distinction.
+
+Second Lieutenant George Dallas Moor, 3rd Battalion Hampshire Regiment.
+
+This young officer was not nineteen when by his splendid bravery and
+presence of mind he saved a dangerous situation. On 5th June a
+detachment of a battalion on his left which had lost all its officers
+was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack. Second Lieutenant
+Moor grasped the peril in which the rest of the line was thus placed,
+and, racing back for some two hundred yards, he stemmed the rout, led
+back the leaderless, and at their head recaptured the lost trench. In
+September 1914 he was a schoolboy at Cheltenham; nine months later he
+had proved himself a born leader of men, and had won the proudest badge
+of honour that a soldier can wear.
+
+Second Lieutenant Herbert James, 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.
+
+Two fine deeds of outstanding valour stand to the credit of Lieutenant
+James. On 28th June he rallied a retiring party belonging to a
+neighbouring unit and led it forward under heavy shell and rifle fire.
+He then returned, gathered together another party, and once more
+advanced, thus putting new life into the attack. On 3rd July he headed a
+party of bomb throwers who pushed up a Turkish communication trench, and
+after nearly all of his comrades had been killed or wounded, remained
+alone at the head of the trench, exposed to a murderous fire, but
+beating back the enemy single-handed till a barrier had been built
+behind him and the trench secured. Lieutenant James was a Birmingham
+man, who enlisted in the 21st Lancers in 1908. He was of a studious
+disposition and had won several prizes for languages. On the outbreak of
+war he was granted a commission and joined the famous Worcestershires.
+
+Captain Gerald O'Sullivan, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+This gallant Irishman threw himself into the breach to the south-west of
+Krithia during a critical moment on the night of the 1st-2nd July. He
+volunteered to lead a party of bomb throwers against a British trench
+which the Turks had captured. Advancing in the open under very heavy
+fire, he climbed on to the parapet and hurled his bombs into the crowd
+of men below. Of course, he was wounded, but not before his example had
+inspired his men to such efforts that they recaptured the lost trench.
+Strange to say, the day after his honour was announced he was reported
+missing.
+
+Sergeant James Somers, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+On the same night that Captain O'Sullivan so distinguished himself,
+Sergeant Somers of the same regiment pushed into an enemy trench and
+bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on he advanced into the open,
+under heavy fire, and held back the enemy by throwing bombs until a
+barricade had been erected. Frequently, he ran back to his own trench
+for a fresh supply of bombs. Thanks to his gallantry and coolness the
+lost portion of a British trench was recovered. On his return to his
+native village the people of North Tipperary gave him a great reception,
+and presented him with an illuminated address and war stock to the value
+of £240.
+
+[Footnote 48: Refer to map on p. 168.]
+
+[Footnote 49: Quinn's Post lay at the head of Shrapnel Valley, the
+Valley of Death referred to on page 273. Pope's Hill lay to the left
+front of Quinn's Post, and Courtney's Post was on the right of Quinn's
+Post.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVII.
+
+  A SPLENDID FAILURE.
+
+
+In his dispatch of 6th January 1916 Sir Ian Hamilton tells us that early
+in July 1915 he was fully aware that the Kilid Bahr plateau could not be
+reached from the south. Even if he could capture Krithia, which had so
+far defied him, he could make no further headway towards his goal. The
+Turks had made new and very strong works on the slopes of Achi Baba, and
+these works were so planned that, even if the enemy's western flank
+could be turned and he could be driven back from the coast, the central
+and eastern portions of the mountain could still be held as a bastion to
+the plateau. After considering every possible means of forcing a way to
+the Narrows, he decided to make an advance through the Anzac territory
+and the country to the north of it.
+
+For three months Anzac had been an area of little more than a square
+mile of cliff top on the edge of the sea. Its defences consisted of a
+series of outposts, and these could only be reached by means of a deep
+ravine, Shrapnel Valley, or "the Valley of Death," as it was called,
+because it was enfiladed by Turkish fire, and a man took his life in his
+hand every time he attempted to pass through it. You have already heard
+of some of these outposts. Quinn's Post was named after Major Quinn, who
+died in defence of it during a desperate Turkish attack on 28th May.
+Courtney's Post, which was the scene of Corporal Jacka's famous exploit,
+was named after the Colonel who held it against terrible odds for seven
+weeks. Pope's Hill received its name from Colonel Pope of West
+Australia--Pope with the Pipe, as his men dubbed him, because on one
+occasion, when he was climbing the side of the hill, he just escaped a
+Turkish trap by leaping down thirty feet on to a soft spit of sand,
+where he landed safely, pipe and all. The path to the post of Pope's
+Hill was so steep that the men had to help themselves up by means of a
+rope.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton now determined to make a new landing on Suvla Bay,
+which lies to the north of the Anzac region. Look at the diagram on page
+278 and make out the chief features of the neighbourhood. You notice
+that the bay, which is about two miles wide, is like the crescent moon
+in shape, with capes forming the horns. Along the edge of the bay runs a
+narrow causeway of sand, and behind it is a salt lake, dry in summer,
+but overflowing in winter. Lining the coast north-eastwards from Cape
+Suvla is the ridge of Karakol Dagh, over 400 feet high. Between the
+southern end of the lake and the promontory which shuts in the bay on
+the south side is the low hill of Lala Baba, and about one and a half
+miles to the east of it is another elevation, afterwards called by our
+men Chocolate Hill, because it was burnt brown by the shells which burst
+upon it.
+
+[Illustration: The "Anzac" Front.
+
+The water-courses shown on the map are mostly dry in summer.]
+
+Find on the map (page 275) Azmak Dere, a ravine which lies to the south
+of Chocolate Hill. From this ravine northwards stretches a series of
+hills and flats on which there are farms and patches of dwarf oaks, and,
+on the seaward fall of the hills, thick scrub. Everywhere the plain is
+cracked by water-courses, which are simply deep, dry gullies in summer.
+Just north of the upper course of the Azmak Dere is one of the two
+Anafarta villages; the other stands two miles farther north. Between the
+south village and the foothills of the Karakol Dagh lie the Anafarta
+Hills.
+
+At the points marked A, B, and C on the diagram (page 278), Sir Ian
+Hamilton proposed to make new landings; but, as a matter of fact, his
+troops were put ashore only at B and C. They were to try to carry the
+Anafarta Hills, and their right was to link up with the left of the
+Anzacs, who would advance at the same time. If this were done, the
+central crest of the spine of uplands which runs through the western end
+of the peninsula would be in our hands. We should then be able to
+command the one land route to Maidos on the Narrows; the communications
+of the Turks would be cut, Achi Baba would fall, and in due course we
+should reach the plateau on which all our hopes were centred. Such was
+the plan. It was a bold plan, and it had a very fair chance of
+succeeding.
+
+Of course, if the Turks got wind of what we proposed to do they would
+make preparations to resist us, and the conditions in the south of the
+peninsula would be repeated. The landing on Suvla Bay was to be a
+surprise. We knew that the Turks had made no preparations in this
+region, and we hoped to take them unawares. If the landing could be made
+speedily, if the troops could push forward without delay, and if they
+and the Anzacs, working together, could join hands and gain the crest of
+the spine of uplands, all would be well; but if there were delays, if
+any of the various columns were not up to time, or failed to do the work
+assigned to them, the whole movement would end in failure.
+
+[Illustration: Suvla Bay and the Neighbourhood.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The landing took place on August 6-7, 1915. A beach where a landing was
+attempted was later abandoned, and the troops were put ashore at B and
+C. Notice the causeway across the Salt Lake, Lala Baba, Chocolate Hill,
+and Lone Pine Plateau to the south-east of Shrapnel Valley.]
+
+Before the great venture began Sir Ian Hamilton had to throw the enemy
+off the scent. It would never do to let him know where the new landing
+was to be made. At all costs he must be surprised. So on 6th August a
+general attack was made on the Turkish position at Achi Baba. This was
+done to make the enemy believe that we still hoped to carry the ridge
+from the south. In the early afternoon, after the guns had prepared the
+way, the 88th Brigade advanced across open ground against a part of the
+enemy's front, which so far we had been unable to win. The attack was
+boldly made, but our men were held up, and suffered heavy losses. East
+of the Krithia road the Lancashire Territorials fared better, and gained
+200 yards. Next morning the Turks, with heavy reinforcements, began
+their counter-attacks, and fighting raged for two days round a vineyard
+west of the Krithia road, where, as you will learn later, Lieutenant
+Forshaw of the 1/9th Manchesters won the Victoria Cross. All this
+fighting, you must remember, was for the purpose of making the Turks
+believe that we were going to "carry on" in the old way.
+
+Now we must turn to the Anzac territory, which, as we know, was to be
+the scene of a great effort. On the nights of the 4th, 5th, and 6th
+August reinforcements were slipped into Anzac very silently during the
+darkest hours, and were tucked away in prepared hiding-places, quite
+invisible to the aeroplanes or the telescopes of the Turks. Probably
+never before have so many men been landed under the very eyes of the
+enemy, and kept concealed for three days without being discovered.
+
+On the afternoon of the 6th, while the fighting was in progress round
+Krithia, a frontal attack was made on the Lone Pine plateau.[50] It was
+a feint to cover the advance of a division which was to move up the
+coast and work up three ravines in order to assault Koja Chemen,[51] the
+commanding summit of the Sari Bair. As soon as the bombardment ceased
+the Australians--every man with a white band on his sleeve--leaped
+forward with that magnificent dash which has given them a leading place
+amongst the finest soldiers of the world, and flung themselves on the
+deep and roofed-in trenches at Lone Pine, which you see to the
+south-east of Shrapnel Valley. After a deadly struggle in the dim
+galleries they won the whole position. It was a magnificent feat of
+arms, and Sir Ian Hamilton thus sums it up: "One weak Australian
+brigade, numbering at the outset but 2,000 rifles, and supported only by
+two weak battalions, carried the work under the eyes of a whole enemy
+division, and maintained their grip upon it like a vice during six days
+of counter-attacks. . . . After the first violence of the
+counter-attacks had abated, 1,100 corpses--our own and Turkish--were
+dragged out of the trenches." Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the
+victors of Lone Pine.
+
+Meanwhile the columns on the left had occupied the ridge named Bauchop's
+Hill, and had climbed and seized Big Table Top, a mushroom-shaped
+mountain with such steep sides that it was believed no infantry could
+scale them. "But just as faith moves mountains, so valour can carry
+them." The heights were scaled, and the plateau was carried by midnight.
+The attacks were made with bayonet and bomb only; hardly a rifle shot
+was fired. Meanwhile the ridge which you see just south of Azmak Dere
+had also been captured, and the whole left rear of the Anzac position
+had been safeguarded. The grand attack on Koja Chemen could now proceed.
+
+I must break off my story for a moment to tell you that, at dawn on the
+7th, the 3rd Australian Light Horse and the 1st Light Horse Brigade
+pushed forward against the Turkish trenches in their front. These
+magnificent troopers, men of great physical strength and of the highest
+courage, advanced only to be mown down. Line after line of them left
+their parapets, but were met by a storm of fire which no mortal could
+face and live. For a few moments the flag of the Light Horse fluttered
+from a corner of the Turkish position. Soon, however, it disappeared,
+and of the 750 men who attacked that morning only about 100 returned.
+The sacrifice, however, was not in vain. The Turks in this part of the
+line were penned to their trenches while the great attack which I am now
+about to describe went forward.
+
+If you look at the map on page 275, you will see that, in order to get
+from Big Table Top to Koja Chemen, our troops had to cross Rhododendron
+Ridge. All night the left column struggled up the two "deres" which you
+see to the east of Bauchop's Hill, and by a quarter to six in the
+morning it was on the lower slopes of Rhododendron Ridge. It then moved
+up the hill, and gained touch by means of the 10th Gurkhas with a column
+on the right, which had worked up the ravines between Rhododendron Ridge
+and Chunuk Bair in the face of very heavy fire and by means of frequent
+bayonet charges. Before nightfall our men were entrenched on the top of
+Rhododendron Ridge, "_a quarter of a mile short of Chunuk Bair--that is,
+of victory_!"
+
+Now for the last push. The attack on Koja Chemen was timed to begin at
+4.15 on the morning of the 8th. The right column was to climb up the
+Chunuk Bair ridge, while the left was to make for the ridge directly
+south-east of Koja Chemen. "At the first faint glimmer of dawn observers
+saw figures moving against the sky-line of Chunuk Bair. Were they our
+own men, or were they the Turks? Telescopes were anxiously adjusted; the
+light grew stronger; men were seen climbing up from our side of the
+ridge; they _were_ our own fellows--the topmost summit was ours!" Yes,
+it was true--New Zealanders and Maoris had fixed themselves firmly on
+the main knoll of Chunuk Bair, and victory was in sight. The position,
+however, had not been won without great losses. The 7th Gloucesters, for
+example, lost every single officer; yet they fought on from midday to
+sunset, commanded only by corporals and privates.
+
+Next morning, the 9th, the attack was renewed by three columns. The
+whole of Chunuk Bair was to be gained, and while No. 1 column held the
+ground, Nos. 2 and 3 columns were to carry Hill Q. It was a day of
+pitiless heat, and the men suffered torments of thirst. The 6th Gurkhas
+of the second column scaled the summit of the ridge between Chunuk Bair
+and Hill Q, and for half an hour looked down upon the gleaming waters of
+the straits. Not only did they and some of the 6th South Lancashires
+reach the crest, but they began to attack down the far side of it,
+firing as they went at the fast-retreating enemy. But at this supreme
+moment, when the last obstacle had been passed and the Promised Land was
+in sight, the fortune of war deserted us. No. 3 column should by this
+time have been sweeping out towards Hill Q along the whole ridge of the
+mountain, but it was nowhere to be seen. It had lost its way in the
+darkness. There was no support for the men on the summit, who were now
+suddenly assailed by a salvo of heavy shells. The Gurkhas and South
+Lancashires were forced back from the crest and on to the lower slopes
+from which they had started. When at last No. 3 column appeared, the
+Turks had come up in overwhelming numbers, and all hope of regaining the
+summit had vanished.
+
+That evening our line ran along Rhododendron Ridge up to the crest of
+Chunuk Bair, where some 800 New Zealanders and Maoris were holding about
+two hundred yards of shallow trenches unprotected by wire. During the
+night of the 9th-10th these troops were relieved, after they had been
+fighting without pause for three days and three nights. Two battalions
+of the New Army took the place of these devoted men, who were now half
+dead with fatigue. Early on the morning of the 10th the Turks made a
+furious attack upon them. They came on again and again, calling upon the
+name of God, determined to drive our men into the sea. Desperate
+fighting followed. The men of the New Army were simply overwhelmed by
+sheer weight of numbers, and were driven from the crest. At the foot of
+the hill they were rallied, and plunged into a deadly fray in which
+"generals fought in the ranks, and men caught each other by the throat.
+. . . Our men stood to it, and maintained, by many a deed of daring, the
+old traditions of their race. There was no flinching. _They died in the
+ranks where they stood._"
+
+But where were the men from Suvla? Where were they at this supreme
+crisis, when they were so desperately needed? The New Zealanders on the
+crest of Chunuk Bair had seen them landing, but had lost sight of them.
+What had happened? Something must have gone seriously wrong.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The landing at Suvla Bay was made on the night of 6th August, under very
+favourable conditions. The moon did not rise until 2 a.m., and by this
+time our men were ashore. Except for a little rifle fire, they were
+quite unopposed. As you know, the Turks had their hands full elsewhere,
+and had no inkling of what was afoot. The men who landed at the points B
+and C carried Lala Baba with the bayonet during the night, and also an
+outpost to the north of the Salt Lake. By the time the moon rose two
+divisions were ashore, and were holding a line east of the lake running
+from Karakol Dagh to near Chocolate Hill. So far everything had gone
+well; but then came a fatal delay. It was essential that we should push
+on if we were to surprise the Turks, but no attempt was made to
+proceed. The men, most of whom had never been in action before, were
+very weary, and were tormented by thirst. The transports, containing
+water, stores, mules, and carts, were still sixty miles away, and no
+doubt the general in command of the expedition hesitated to send men
+forward in an arid land without a proper water supply. Further, he had
+but little artillery. Late that night the right carried Chocolate Hill.
+The New Zealanders, as you know, were now struggling to maintain their
+foothold on Chunuk Bair, and every moment was priceless. Unhappily, the
+general at Suvla Bay does not seem to have realized that the whole
+success of the movement depended on pushing his men forward at all
+costs. By this time Sir Ian Hamilton had arrived. He tried to persuade
+the general to advance, but in vain. By the morning of Monday, 9th
+August, our chance of success had almost vanished. Ever-growing numbers
+of the enemy had come up, and no surprise was now possible.
+
+On the morning of the 9th a gallant endeavour was made to carry the main
+Anafarta ridge; but though the crest was won, the effort was too late.
+The Turks had now arrived in full force. About midday they fired the
+scrub on the hills, and the flames which were swept across our front by
+the wind drove us back. Nothing more of importance was done that day,
+and next morning our chance of succeeding had gone for ever.
+
+During the next ten days we tried to push forward, and the famous 29th
+Division was brought up; but even it could not snatch victory out of
+defeat. On 21st August repeated but unavailing efforts were made to
+carry a hill to the north and another to the south of Chocolate Hill.
+About five o'clock the mounted division, which had been held in reserve
+below Lala Baba, made a splendid advance. For two miles the gallant
+yeomen moved forward as if on parade through country where there was not
+enough cover to conceal a mouse, and amidst a rain of Turkish shrapnel.
+These men, from Bucks, Berks, and Dorset, charged the hill to the south
+of Chocolate Hill and leaped into the Turkish trenches. The Turks,
+however, on a higher hill brought machine guns to bear on them, and by
+daylight they were forced back to their old lines.
+
+The same day the Anzacs, under their famous leader, General Birdwood,
+brilliantly carried one side of the topmost knoll of Hill 60, which you
+see by the side of the upper course of Azma Dere, the southern fork of
+Azmak Dere.[52] After desperate hand-to-hand fighting, nine-tenths of
+the summit was won. Some 250 men of the 5th Connaught Rangers
+distinguished themselves that day by a superb charge, and finally the
+whole hill passed into our hands. With this success our efforts to make
+headway on the peninsula practically came to an end.
+
+"Thus was a likely plan turned into a tragedy of missed opportunity." We
+failed for the same reason that we failed in the whole campaign--we were
+"too late," and we gave time for strong forces of the enemy to take up
+positions of such strength that all the valour of our men could not
+carry them. The whole enterprise was wrecked when our troops were held
+in check for a whole day on the flats of Suvla Bay.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history," on 11th
+October Sir Ian Hamilton was asked to say what he supposed would be the
+extent of our losses if we tried to get off the peninsula. He cabled
+back that he could not even think of such a thing. On the 16th he was
+recalled, and another general, Sir Charles Monro, who had already
+advised that we should withdraw from Gallipoli, was appointed in his
+place. The task of the new general was to carry out the delicate and
+difficult operation of withdrawal. During the next two months he was
+busily engaged in making his preparations.
+
+Of course, it was all-important that the Turks should be kept in
+ignorance of what we proposed to do. Our losses in getting on to the
+peninsula were very heavy, but they would be as nothing compared with
+those which we might suffer in getting off should the Turks be enabled
+to attack us while men, guns, horses, and stores were being transferred
+to the ships. Some generals gloomily told us that we should lose half,
+or at least one-third, of our troops in the process. We therefore made
+no sign, but carried on as though we had no thought of leaving the
+peninsula at all.
+
+Local fighting still went on; mines were laid and exploded, and a trench
+warfare similar to that in North France and Flanders was in full swing.
+The storms of November broke over our men, and torrents roared down the
+gullies. Sickness was rife, but still "carry on" was the order of the
+day. On 21st December Lord Kitchener visited Anzac, and satisfied
+himself that the men could be withdrawn without undue loss. The hour of
+departure was drawing very near.
+
+Everything depended on the weather. The small boats in which the troops
+were to be conveyed to the transports could not work in a rough sea, nor
+could the guns and animals be got off during storms. Happily, when the
+work of withdrawal began on 29th December a spell of light wind and
+smooth seas set in.
+
+Before the men could depart the Turks had to be attacked, so as to keep
+them at a distance. On 29th December a British division advanced against
+the enemy with as much dash as if the campaign was only beginning, and
+next day the Turkish lines were fiercely bombarded. Meanwhile the first
+troops had got away. All sorts of ruses were invented to deceive the
+Turks. It is said, for example, that while 2,000 men were silently
+embarked at night, 500 were landed with great show the next morning, in
+order to make the Turks believe that we were actually being reinforced.
+For weeks guides were trained to bring down companies of men from the
+trenches to the beaches during the night, and so well was everything
+planned that every man, every animal, and every gun, with the exception
+of six, was safely embarked. The landing was a feat; the departure was a
+miracle.
+
+[Illustration: The Turkish Attack on our Troops at the foot of Chunuk
+Bair.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The Turks "came on again and again, calling upon the name of God,
+determined to drive our men into the sea. . . . Our men stood to it, and
+maintained by many a deed of daring the old traditions of their race.
+There was no flinching. They died in the ranks where they stood." (See
+page 280.)]
+
+A correspondent tells us that the Anzacs came down the hillside with
+steady, slouching gait. Except for the moonlight shimmering on the Salt
+Lake and the smooth waters of the bay, and the fires burning in the
+deserted camps, all was dark. Suddenly, four great fires sprang up,
+leaped into flames, and grew into one mighty bonfire. The deserted
+stores of the Anzacs were blazing furiously. Then, as a finale, a giant
+mine was exploded by electricity under the Turkish trenches. It was the
+Australians' "Good-bye" to the Turks. An Anzac corporal thus described
+the departure:--
+
+    "On the last night we kept up the usual firing, until finally
+    there were only sixty men from each battalion scattered along
+    the firing-line, and through a ruse--due to the inventive
+    faculties of Corporal Scurry, of our battalion--these last men
+    were able to get away.
+
+    "Scurry invented an apparatus by fixing a kerosene can full of
+    water, which was allowed to drip into a large jam tin. This
+    latter was tied on to the trigger of a rifle fully cocked and in
+    position on the parapet. When a sufficient amount of water was
+    in the jam tin off went the gun.
+
+    "Hundreds of these were fixed all along the line, timed to go
+    off at different intervals, so that the usual firing was kept up
+    for two hours after the last man had left the trenches.
+
+    "Some ruse--eh, what?"
+
+"I hope, sir," said a New Zealander to his officer, as he crept down
+Shrapnel Gully for the last time, "that those fellows who lie buried
+along the 'Dere' will be soundly sleeping and not hear us as we march
+away." Many of his comrades, however, put aside such sad thoughts.
+
+As the last transport steamed away early on the morning of 9th January
+1916, the enemy's guns began to pour shells on our deserted trenches and
+on our burning beaches. A day or two later the Turks announced that they
+had driven the British into the sea. Constantinople blazed with
+illuminations, and Germany broke forth into loud rejoicings. So ended
+the ill-starred adventure. For more than nine months we had fought not
+only the Turks and the Germans in their strongholds, but disease and
+thirst, the droughts of summer, and the blizzards of winter. We had been
+foiled, and the British Empire was the poorer by the loss of tens of
+thousands of bright and gallant lives; yet there was no murmuring. The
+nation set its teeth and turned to the next task. It recognized that
+there must be failures in every great war, and that one set-back does
+not spell defeat.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross during
+the fighting in Gallipoli between 7th August and 22nd December 1915:
+
+Lieutenant William Thomas Forshaw, 1/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment,
+Territorial Force.
+
+On page 276 I mentioned the heavy fighting which took place from 17th to
+19th August around a vineyard to the west of the Krithia road.
+Lieutenant Forshaw and his detachment held the north-west angle of the
+vineyard. The Turks advanced upon them time after time by way of three
+trenches which all met at this point, but they could make no headway.
+For forty-one hours Lieutenant Forshaw not only directed and encouraged
+his men, but continued to fling bombs on the enemy. Eye-witnesses say
+that he treated bomb-throwing as though it were snowballing, and that he
+was happy all the time, though every moment he was in the direst peril.
+When his detachment was relieved he volunteered to stay on and direct
+operations. Three times during the night of 8th-9th August he was again
+heavily attacked, and once the Turks got over his barricade; but after
+shooting three of them with his revolver, he led his men forward and
+drove the enemy out. When at last he rejoined his battalion he was
+choked and sickened by bomb fumes, badly bruised by fragments of
+shrapnel, and could scarcely lift his arm, which was stiff with
+continuous bomb-throwing. Thanks to his inspiring example and splendid
+tenacity, an important position was held. Before joining the army he was
+a teacher in a Manchester Secondary school.
+
+[Illustration: How Lieutenant Forshaw won the V.C.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dodd. By permission of The Sphere._)]
+
+Private Leonard Keysor, Private John Hamilton, Captain Alfred John
+Stout, 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force; Lieutenant W. J.
+Symons, Lieutenant F. H. Tubb, Corporal Alexander Stewart Burton,
+Corporal William Dunstan, 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
+
+The seven gallant men whose names appear above were the outstanding
+heroes of the Lone Pine plateau. (See pages 276-7.) It is impossible to
+describe the fearless gallantry with which they charged and captured the
+roofed-in trenches of the enemy and beat off countless attacks. Keysor
+did miracles of bombing, and frequently caught live grenades as they
+fell into his trench and flung them back on the enemy. During the fierce
+encounters Corporal Burton was killed and Lieutenant Tubb was wounded.
+
+Corporal C. R. G. Bassett, New Zealand Divisional Signal Company.
+
+You will remember how the New Zealanders, on 7th August, won the Chunuk
+Bair ridge and came within an ace of victory. While they struggled to
+maintain themselves against fierce and constant counter-attacks,
+Corporal Bassett in full daylight and under a heavy fire laid a
+telephone wire from the old position to the new one. More than once
+afterwards he repeated the same exploit.
+
+Captain Percy Howard Hansen, 8/4 Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment.
+
+On the 9th August the Lincolnshires captured the "Green Knoll" on
+Chocolate Hill (see page 281); but when the enemy set the scrub on fire
+they were forced to retire, leaving wounded behind them. Captain Hansen,
+with three or four volunteers, dashed forward several times into the
+burning scrub under a terrible fire, and rescued six of his wounded
+comrades.
+
+Private Alfred Potts, 1/1 Berkshire Yeomanry, T.F.
+
+On page 281 I told you how the Bucks, Berks, and Dorset Yeomanry made a
+heroic advance on 21st August. In the course of that attack Private
+Potts was wounded in the thigh, but not entirely disabled. He might have
+returned to his trench in safety; but he preferred to remain with a
+comrade who had been stricken down and was unable to move. For
+forty-eight hours he lay by his friend, and then fixed a shovel to the
+man's equipment, and, using it as a sledge, dragged the poor fellow back
+over 600 yards to his own lines, which he reached about half-past nine
+on the evening of 23rd August.
+
+Second Lieutenant H. V. H. Throssell, 10th Light Horse Regiment,
+Australian Imperial Force.
+
+This gallant officer held the end of a trench on Hill 60 (29th and 30th
+August) practically by himself. He killed six or seven Turks with his
+rifle, and was hit several times; but he refused to leave his post, and
+went on fighting until late in the evening, when the doctor ordered him
+out of the trenches. A comrade said, "I can see him now, the very best
+type of the best Australian manhood. . . . The man I want to follow, the
+man to lead me in a big fight--that is Throssell, V.C."
+
+Second Lieutenant A. V. Smith, 1/5 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment,
+Territorial Force.
+
+On 22nd December, during the trench fighting that preceded our
+withdrawal from Gallipoli, Lieutenant Smith, when in the act of throwing
+a lighted bomb, slipped on the wet ground and fell. The bomb dropped
+into the trench. He immediately shouted a warning to his men and jumped
+clear into safety; but seeing that his comrades were unable to get away,
+and knowing that the explosion of the bomb would kill many of them, he
+ran back, and without a moment's hesitation flung himself upon the
+bursting grenade. It exploded, and he was instantly killed; but he died
+knowing full well that by the sacrifice of himself he had saved the
+lives of many of his friends. Lieutenant Smith might have saved himself;
+he preferred to follow the Divine example and die for the salvation of
+others.
+
+[Footnote 50: See diagram, p. 278.]
+
+[Footnote 51: See map, p. 275.]
+
+[Footnote 52: See map, p. 275.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVIII.
+
+  THE STORM BURSTS.
+
+
+In the basin of the great American river Mississippi one may go forth on
+a spring morning with the sun brightly shining and a blue sky overhead,
+yet within a single hour all may be terribly changed. The wind suddenly
+begins to roar, and in a few minutes a storm bursts in awful fury. Whole
+forests are laid low; houses, villages, and towns are swept into ruin;
+men, women, and children lie dead beneath the stone and timber that
+sheltered them; the pride and labour of years are destroyed in a moment,
+and terror and desolation stalk the land. The terrible blast sweeps on,
+but gradually abates its ruthless might, and by nightfall all is calm
+again. The stars gleam brightly from the storm-swept sky, and the moon
+shines with a message of cheer to the survivors, who with the morning
+light begin to repair the ravages which they have suffered, and to go
+about their business once more, inspired by that hope which "springs
+eternal in the human breast."
+
+[Illustration: The Tornado of Fire which beat down upon the Russian
+Trenches on May 1, 1915.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+Somewhat thus may we picture the Eastern arena of battle during the year
+1915. A mighty tornado suddenly burst upon the Russian armies, and the
+whole aspect of the war was changed. The smiling sky of early April was
+a fierce rack of roaring thunder clouds by the middle of May. The onward
+sweep of the whirlwind could not be resisted; the Russians reeled
+beneath the shock; hundreds of thousands of their soldiers were swept
+into eternity, and for months hopeless ruin stared the survivors in the
+face. They recoiled before the terrible blast, and fell back into the
+vastnesses of their land, leaving behind them all the gains of nine
+months' hard battling. Whole provinces were yielded; great cities fell
+into the hands of their foes, yet with sublime resolution they still
+plodded eastwards until the fury of the storm began to abate. By this
+time they had knitted up their strength anew, and were strong enough not
+merely to resist the failing onset, but to make headway against it. And
+so it came about that the dire gloom of early summer brightened into new
+hope by autumn, and Russia's foes, though they had reft from her
+enormous tracts of territory, knew in their hearts that they had failed.
+They had aimed at utterly destroying their enemy, but they had done
+nothing of the kind, and the new territory which they had won was likely
+to become a Pandora's[53] chest of troubles. By the end of the year they
+were strung out on a line of nine hundred miles, across the marshes and
+plains of Russia.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On page 125 of this volume I told you that with the fall of Przemysl on
+22nd March the Allies were full of hope that before the close of the
+summer Cracow would fall, Silesia would be entered, the Russians would
+be sweeping through Hungary, and the end of the war would be in sight.
+But at the very moment when they were cherishing these rosy hopes, there
+was much weakness in the Russian armies. They were holding far too long
+a line for the number of men and guns which they could put into the
+field; their forces were not joined up, but were divided by gaps, and
+they had not sufficient railway lines to enable them to move troops and
+supplies to any point which might be threatened.
+
+Their greatest weakness, however, was their shortage of artillery,
+machine guns, rifles, and ammunition. They had multitudes of men, but
+they could not arm them properly. Large numbers of their recruits were
+without rifles, and had to wait in the trenches, often under heavy fire,
+until they could take up the arms and ammunition of the wounded. This
+grave shortage of munitions was guessed at the time, but the truth was
+only fully known in February 1916, when the Russian Minister of War
+lifted the veil. He told us that prior to the outbreak of hostilities
+the Russians had relied on Germany for most of their war material, and
+for all the chemicals which enabled them to manufacture high-explosive
+shells. The consequence was that when the German supply was cut off, the
+Russians had to build munition factories, and make the necessary
+chemicals for themselves. It is more than likely, too, that there was
+serious wrongdoing in high quarters, for in March 1916 the general who
+was Minister of War in the early months of 1915 was brought to trial.
+For these reasons the Russians could not for a considerable time
+properly munition their armies, and this led to the great misfortune
+which I am about to describe.
+
+Despite their weaknesses, the Russians were too near success for the
+German High Command to feel comfortable. The Russian armies in Galicia
+were only fifty miles from Cracow; they had won fifty miles or more of
+the Carpathian watershed, and in some places they commanded the southern
+ends of the passes. Unless they were checked, and checked speedily, they
+would sweep down upon the great granary of Hungary, and Germany would
+lose her greatest source of wheat supplies. There was no time to be
+lost. A gigantic effort must begin immediately, and the Russians must be
+cleared out of Galicia altogether.
+
+Preparations were at once made with the utmost secrecy and dispatch, and
+before the Russians had more than an inkling of what was on foot,
+Germany was ready to strike. Never before in the history of the world
+have so many guns and men been so silently and swiftly brought up to an
+enemy's front. The secret was wonderfully kept. Train after train
+heavily laden with hundreds of big guns and three-quarters of all the
+shells that had been made in the busy munition factories of Germany
+during the winter was hurried to Galicia, and soon the new depots
+erected near the Donajetz were full to overflowing. Then followed many
+pontoons and much bridging material, for many rivers would have to be
+crossed on the line of the proposed advance. New hospital stations were
+established, a network of telegraph lines was erected, and great herds
+of cattle for feeding the armies were penned behind the German lines.
+Then, with the same speed and secrecy, masses of troops were hurried
+into Galicia, and before long there were two millions of men between
+Bukovina and Cracow. Not until everything was ready did Dmitrieff
+discover his danger.
+
+The plan of campaign was as follows. Von Mackensen was to be provided
+with not less than 1,500 guns and ten army corps, and with these he was
+to batter his way through the Russian lines. He meant to overwhelm the
+Russian trenches by means of a hurricane of artillery fire, and then
+thrust forward his men in close order, wave after wave, and drive the
+broken and dazed enemy before him. He was going to do what we had done
+at Neuve Chapelle, but he had far better prospects of success, for the
+Russians had neglected to prepare second and third lines of defence, and
+they were woefully deficient in artillery, rifles, and ammunition. Once
+he could get the Russians on the run he might envelop and utterly
+destroy them. At any rate, he would hurl them back to the river San.
+
+[Illustration: The Russian Retreat from the Donajetz to the San.]
+
+This map shows you the Russian line on 28th April. By this time
+Dmitrieff was aware that a mighty force of Germans was in front of him.
+He sent an urgent message to Ivanov, begging for two corps as
+reinforcements; but by some mistake the message never reached
+headquarters, and he was forced to meet the terrible thrust of the enemy
+with only his winter strength.
+
+Von Mackensen began the action by an advance on Gorlice, and Dmitrieff
+was forced to weaken his centre in order to strengthen his left wing.
+Meanwhile the real attack was beginning farther north. Midway between
+Gorlice and Tarnow you will see a break on the Russian front. It was
+against this point that von Mackensen made his great effort. On the
+morning of 1st May hundreds of his big guns began to roar, and soon
+shells were falling fast and thick on the Russian trenches. It is said
+that no less than 700,000 shells were hurled against the Russian
+positions on that day. Nothing could live in the whirlwind of death, and
+speedily the Russian trenches were wiped out, and thousands of Russians
+with them.
+
+Meanwhile pontoons were pushed across the river, and as soon as the
+bombardment ceased wave after wave of Germans in close order surged
+forward. By the next day they had broken through the Russian line, and
+the whole of the front was turned. There was nothing for it but swift
+retreat. Nor were the Russians able to make a stand until they were
+twenty miles from the position which they had occupied all winter.
+
+On the little river Wisloka they halted, and turned their faces to the
+foe. The line of the river gave them but a poor defence; but it was
+necessary that they should hold back the enemy if Brussilov's army,
+which lay along the foothills of the Carpathians, was to escape. By this
+time the famous Caucasian corps had been hurried up to stem the German
+torrent. These devoted men, though they had no heavy guns, defied the
+terrible artillery fire of the enemy, and at length managed to get to
+grips with him. They fought with supreme valour; they captured one of
+the German batteries, took 7,000 prisoners, and slew many thousands
+more. Not until they had lost 10,000 men did they perceive that no human
+valour could avail against Mackensen's merciless guns. For five
+priceless days they held out, and then were forced to retreat towards
+the little river Wistok.
+
+Soon the retreat became something like a rout, and Brussilov's army was
+in deadly peril. For a moment it looked as if von Mackensen was about to
+roll up the two halves of Dmitrieff's army and achieve another Sedan.
+But the Russians managed to push out strong forces towards Sanok and
+check the advancing enemy. The five days' stand on the Wisloka and this
+new movement enabled Brussilov, after much desperate fighting, to
+withdraw his troops from the foothills, and to retreat eastwards. Many
+of his men who were south of the Dukla and Lupkow Passes were cut off
+and made prisoners.
+
+This check enabled the Russian armies to withdraw towards the San and
+take up the position shown upon the map (page 293). There was now no
+fear of a rout, and they reached the new position in perfect order. So
+far all von Mackensen's efforts to roll them up had failed. He had won
+a great victory, it is true; in a fortnight he had pushed back Dmitrieff
+some eighty-five miles, and had taken large numbers of prisoners and
+much war material. He had loosed upon the Russians such a storm of fire
+as had never been known before in the history of the world, and, blasted
+and scorched, they had fallen back hurriedly with overwhelming numbers
+hard on their heels. They had suffered awful losses, but they had not
+been destroyed. Most armies under such terrible punishment would have
+broken into flying fragments, but the Russians showed all the dourness
+and fortitude of their race and managed to hold together. Their
+rearguards freely sacrificed themselves, that the army might make good
+its escape. It was unbroken and undefeated at the Wistok, and the latter
+part of its retreat to the San was slow and orderly. The German victory
+was thus matched by an equally great Russian achievement. On 12th May
+the Russian army, after passing through an agony that seemed to promise
+its total destruction, lay along the San with its face still to the foe.
+
+While the Russians were retreating from the Wistok to the San, the Grand
+Duke Nicholas and his staff looked the facts fairly in the face. They
+knew that they were hopelessly outclassed by the Germans both in guns
+and in number of men, and it was idle to suppose that they could resist
+von Mackensen's terrible thunderstorm of shell until they were equally
+well supplied. If they gave battle to the foe they would be utterly
+wiped out. As a Russian soldier put it, "We have only one weapon, the
+living breast of the soldier." The Grand Duke finally decided to
+retreat, not for leagues, but for hundreds of miles. He would draw the
+Germans on and on until he led them into the very heart of Russia if
+need be. As the Germans followed him eastwards they would leave the
+railways behind them and be forced to move their monster guns and heavy
+loads of shell over country without railways and without good roads.
+Thousands of square miles of territory would have to be given up to the
+invader, but as he pushed eastward his strength would grow less and
+less, and the time would be gained for Russia to supply herself with the
+guns and munitions which she so sorely lacked. Then, at last, her hour
+would strike. She would be able to turn and rend the weakened foe.
+
+[Illustration: A Night Scene before the City of Warsaw. An Engagement in
+Front of the doomed Capital.
+
+(_From the picture by Frédéric de Haenen. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News._)
+
+"Night fighting," says a correspondent, "is one of the splendid
+spectacles of war. Flashing batteries, wavering lines of musketry and
+machine-gun fire, make a picture painted in silver and gold on a
+background of black. The moon shines behind the gray clouds, shedding a
+soft radiance just strong enough to shape the shadows. On the western
+horizon flash after flash springs out of the darkness; these are the
+distant German guns. Nearer to us the Russian batteries are firing, each
+piece cutting a red flash of flame into the darkness before its muzzle.
+Suddenly a blazing rocket shoots up into the heavens and bursts into a
+shower of silver stars. As they fall slowly, the country beneath is
+lighted in high relief. A long arm of searchlight shoots across the
+heavens. A line of sparks reveals a battalion of the advancing enemy."]
+
+Such was the Grand Duke's plan. He knew full well all that it involved.
+Przemysl and Lemberg, at whose capture joy bells had rung throughout
+all Russia, would have to be left behind. The great city of Warsaw,
+which had thrice defied von Hindenburg, must be abandoned. The line of
+the Vistula must be allowed to fall into German hands, and probably the
+German flag would wave above the great Polish fortresses; but if the
+armies could be saved, all might yet be well.
+
+In our first volume (page 64) I told you how Napoleon, the greatest war
+lord that Europe has ever known, marched a great army into Russia in the
+year 1812, and by so doing rang his death knell. The Russians were now
+about to repeat the tactics of 1812, and observers in the West
+prophesied that the Kaiser would be led into the same trap and suffer
+the same fate. But we must remember that the conditions had changed in
+many respects since Napoleon's day. He failed chiefly because he could
+not obtain sufficient supplies. The country through which he advanced
+had been swept clear of everything but wood and water, and all the food
+and munitions that his armies needed had to be sent forward by
+horse-drawn wagons along tracks which frequently ended in morasses. When
+these wagons failed to reach the troops, the men starved. Nowadays every
+army is accompanied by engineers who can build roads and light railways
+very quickly, and so keep the advancing army in touch with its bases.
+For example, during the campaign which I am about to describe, a German
+general boasted that his men, who then lay within a hundred miles of
+Riga, were eating bread baked in Berlin the day before. He also said
+that his engineers could construct fifty miles of asphalted road in two
+days. Motor transport has largely superseded the horse, and long
+distances, given fair roads, can be covered very quickly. Thus you see
+that in our time Napoleon's great difficulty need not be fatal.
+
+There was, however, much danger in pushing far "into the bowels of the
+land." As the German lines of communication grew longer and longer,
+supplies would take more and more time to reach the armies, and there
+would be more and more chances that the line might be impeded or cut.
+Thousands of men would have to be taken from the firing-line to hold the
+railways and roads along which the convoys travelled, and thus the
+attack would gradually lose force, and at last be unable to resist a
+vigorous onset by the enemy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we must return to the San, where the Russian armies were lying ready
+to retreat when the word was given. From the map on page 293 you notice
+that the Russian lines bulged out in front of Przemysl. Ivanov was
+prepared to give up this fortress, but not until he had cleared it of
+everything that might be useful to the enemy. In order to gain time he
+fought a holding battle in the centre and struck hard on the flanks. On
+the morning of 15th May his right began a three days' battle, in which
+the Austrians were well beaten, and after losing 30,000 men had to fall
+back. The enemy was caught in the open and the Russians plied the
+bayonet with deadly effect. On the borders of Bukovina the Russian left
+also had a success, and the enemy was driven back as much as thirty
+miles. But in the centre, where Mackensen was advancing, a very
+different state of things prevailed. The salient round Przemysl was
+fiercely attacked in three places, and its sides were driven in until
+the neck was less than ten miles across. Attacks were also made at two
+places farther north. When the Russian line was pierced at these points,
+the Austro-Germans were able to swing southwards towards the main
+railway, and the days of Przemysl were numbered.
+
+On 31st May the fortress fell, and at 3.30 on the morning of 2nd June
+von Mackensen entered the city. The Russians had held it a little over
+two months. The capture of Przemysl was a great feather in von
+Mackensen's cap, but it was no great prize. He found it little more than
+an empty shell. Guns, rolling stock, and supplies had been moved
+eastwards, and only a little booty fell into his hands.
+
+Why, you ask, did not von Mackensen push on more quickly and keep the
+Russians on the run? You must remember that his great weapon consisted
+of an enormous number of heavy guns which could only be moved slowly. As
+soon as the great machine lumbered up, the Russians were bound to
+retreat, but while it was slowly advancing to a new position, they were
+able to hold back the enemy on the wings and send away eastward all the
+valuable contents of the city. The great danger was always in the
+centre, where von Mackensen was making his terrible thrust; on the wings
+the Russians were able to delay the enemy.
+
+The fall of Przemysl compelled the Russians to give ground once more,
+and on 14th June their line ran as shown in the map on page 293. While
+the retreat was proceeding, Brussilov scored a victory. When the German
+right wing had pushed through the forests from Stryj, had crossed the
+Dniester, and was travelling by bad country roads, Brussilov caught it
+at a disadvantage. A three days' battle followed, in which the enemy was
+flung back across the Dniester with heavy loss. Some 17 guns, 49 machine
+guns, and more than 15,000 prisoners were captured, including a whole
+company of the Prussian Guard. Successes on the wings, however, could
+avail nothing while von Mackensen was blasting his way through the
+centre.
+
+A glance at the map shows you what a very strong position the Russians
+held from Grodek southward. In front of the city for fifteen miles there
+is a series of shallow, swampy lakes, with but few roads crossing the
+dry ground between them. Farther south lies a great district of marshes.
+The Russian lines behind the lakes and the marshes could not be forced,
+but they would be turned if the Germans could break through to the north
+of Grodek and force the line of the Dniester to the south of the city.
+
+Von Mackensen now moved on a broad front towards Rava Russka, and as
+soon as his great guns began their terrific onslaught on the Russian
+lines, the fate of Lemberg was no longer in doubt. On 19th June he broke
+through, and on the same day the German right wing crossed the Dniester.
+Next day a fierce battle was fought for Rava Russka. Von Mackensen won
+it, and then swung his forces southwards in the direction of Lemberg.
+The Grodek position had been turned, and once more the Russians were
+forced to retreat. The way to Lemberg was open, and on 22nd June the
+Austrians entered the city. After nine months the capital of Galicia
+passed once more into their hands. Vienna, Buda Pest, and scores of
+other places in Austria-Hungary broke into loud rejoicing. Towns and
+villages were bedecked with flags, and joyous peals rang out from every
+belfry.
+
+There was good reason why the Austrians should rejoice at the recovery
+of Lemberg. They had not only regained the capital of Galicia, but they
+were once more masters of a city that afforded them a splendid
+jumping-off place for carrying the war into Russia. As you see by the
+map, Lemberg is almost on the Russian frontier, and six lines of
+railway meet in it. So long as the Austrians could hold on to Lemberg,
+Galicia was safe. Its recapture was, therefore, a triumph for von
+Mackensen; but though he had reconquered a province and its capital, he
+had not brought the war any nearer to its end. He had neither shattered
+the Russian armies nor split them in twain.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is said that one day in June, just before the fall of Lemberg, the
+Kaiser met von Hindenburg and his Chief of Staff, von Falkenhayn, in the
+castle at Posen. The Kaiser was in high spirits, and he declared that
+the moment had now arrived for the capture of Warsaw. He already saw
+himself riding into the city at the head of his troops as the conqueror
+and deliverer of Poland. The two generals gladly agreed with his
+proposal. They believed that the Western front could be held without
+much effort, and that with the mighty engine of artillery which they now
+possessed they could batter through the Russian lines, and seize the
+great city which had so long defied them.
+
+After the fall of Lemberg, Warsaw formed the apex of a great salient. It
+could only hold out so long as the two great railway lines which meet in
+the city were in the hands of the Russians. The first of these routes
+runs north-east through Grodno, Vilna, and Dvinsk to Petrograd. The
+other line runs south-east through Ivangorod, Lublin, Cholm, and Rovno
+to Kiev.[54] Von Mackensen was already pushing northwards towards this
+southern line of railway, and the Russians were falling back before him.
+It was now the business of von Hindenburg to advance from East Prussia
+and capture the northern line. Once the railways were cut, Warsaw would
+fall. Von Falkenhayn, however, hoped to do more than merely capture the
+city and a few more thousand square miles of Polish ground. He hoped to
+make an end of the Russian armies in the salient, and this he proposed
+to do by carrying out a great enveloping movement. While von Mackensen
+was pushing on towards the southern railway, he would make a fierce
+thrust at the northern part of the same salient, in order to cut the
+Petrograd line between Warsaw and Bialystok. But this was not the whole
+of the plan. A German army under von Buelow had already overrun
+Courland,[55] and was not far from Riga. While the two thrusts were
+being made at the salient, this force was to hack its way south, seize
+Kovno and Vilna, and cut the Petrograd line far to the eastward. The
+Russians in the salient would thus be taken in flank and in rear; they
+would be squeezed between the enemy on the north and the south, and
+probably would be surrounded and forced to surrender. Russia would thus
+be crippled for many a month to come, and then the might of Germany
+could be flung against the Western front.
+
+We will now follow the fortunes of the three great thrusts that were
+about to be made--the thrust against the southern railway, the thrust
+against the Petrograd railway between Warsaw and Grodno, and the thrust
+against the same railway still farther east. Before the end of June five
+German armies, with von Mackensen in the centre, were moving steadily
+northwards to cut the southern railway line between Lublin and Kovel.
+They had now left the railways of Galicia behind them, and were crossing
+a country of forests, marshy plains, and bad roads. The great guns moved
+slowly, but the armies met with little opposition, and by 2nd July they
+were less than thirty miles from the railway.
+
+Round about Krasnik they came into touch with the Russians, who held a
+strong position, with marshes and streams on their flanks. The army of
+the Archduke Joseph, to the left of von Mackensen, was heavily assailed,
+and during four days of attack and counter-attack was driven back with
+the loss of 15,000 prisoners, a very large number of machine guns, and
+heavy casualties in dead and wounded. For a week the German advance was
+checked. It began again on 16th July, when von Mackensen, who had
+bridged the marshy streams, was able to get his big guns working. Once
+more he blasted his way through, and on the 18th was within ten miles of
+the railway.
+
+Now let us see what was going on in the north. On 14th July von
+Buelow's army in Courland began to push forward, and at the same time
+another army attacked the Niemen front. The great thrust against the
+Warsaw salient was entrusted to von Gallwitz, who now advanced against
+the line of the Narev. He made good progress, and the Russians fell
+back, fighting stubbornly. They retired across the Narev on the 20th,
+and three days later von Gallwitz won several crossings of the river. By
+means of one of these crossings he pushed forward until by 25th July,
+though the river line had not yet been won on a broad front, he lay
+within twenty miles of the Warsaw-Petrograd railway. Meanwhile the
+German heavy guns were battering down the outworks of the river
+fortresses, and the army of the Niemen was within sixty miles of Vilna.
+
+The Warsaw salient was now in great peril. Spears had been planted
+against its breast in three different directions. At the apex a
+spearhead was but fifteen miles away; another was only ten miles from
+the southern railway, and a third was but twenty miles from the northern
+railway. The fortified line of the Narev had been broken through, and
+the salient was doomed. Once more the Grand Duke had to make a decision
+upon which hung the fate of the Russian armies. Should he try by means
+of the great Polish triangle of fortresses--Novo Georgievsk, Ivangorod,
+Brest Litovski--to hold the salient, or should he sacrifice Poland and
+fall back to the east? The second course was by far the more difficult.
+To withdraw his armies along the three railways left to him, while the
+spearheads were closing in hour by hour, and any day two of the three
+roads of escape might be lost, was a most perilous task. His wornout
+troops would have to hold the sides of the salient for some weeks while
+the main body retired. If the sides were forced in, it was more than
+likely that his armies would be utterly overwhelmed. It seemed easier to
+hold on to the fortresses, and hope that in some way or other the enemy
+might be checked.
+
+The Grand Duke refused to take any risks; he chose the more difficult
+task. He determined to withdraw his armies from Poland altogether, and
+fall back eastward and ever eastward, until his forces could be properly
+fed with munitions and were ready to make a stand. It was a great
+resolve, and few commanders would have dared to make it. Probably no
+other army could have made such a retirement without losing heart
+altogether, and hopelessly breaking down.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The last days of July saw strange scenes in Warsaw. The whole city was
+stripped of everything that might be useful to the enemy. The great
+factories were dismantled, and their plant sent eastward. Gold from the
+banks, books and papers from the Government offices, relics and sacred
+pictures from the churches, bells from the towers, copper from the
+roofs, wire from the telegraph poles--all were piled on great wagons
+which followed each other in a long procession across the Vistula
+bridges. Half a million of the city's inhabitants streamed eastwards in
+carts and in hackney carriages. Only the Poles and the poorest of the
+Jews remained.
+
+About 24th July the forces in front of Warsaw began to fall back into
+the suburbs of the city. Meanwhile along the Narev a fierce holding
+battle was being fought to enable the troops in the northern part of the
+salient to get away. Five days later Mackensen cut the southern line
+between Lublin and Cholm, and the sides of the triangle were fast
+closing in. By this time all the stores and guns were safe, and the
+troops in the centre were moving through the city. Every day German
+aeroplanes dropped bombs in the streets, and soon, as the German shells
+burst among the houses, great fires began to flame up in the western
+suburbs. At three o'clock on the morning of Thursday, 5th August, three
+loud explosions shook the city. The Vistula bridges had been blown up.
+
+Three hours later German cavalry galloped in, and that evening Prince
+Leopold of Bavaria with his suite rode through the streets on the way to
+the palace. On the eastern horizon he saw the red glow which Napoleon
+had seen--the flames rising from crops and villages which the Russians
+had fired as they fell back before the invader.
+
+The Kaiser made no state entry into Warsaw. His exultation, however,
+appeared in the following telegram which he sent to his sister, the
+Queen of Greece: "My destructive sword has crushed the Russians. They
+will need six months to recover. In a short time I will announce new
+victories won by my brave soldiers, who have shown themselves invincible
+in battle against nearly the whole world. The war drama is now coming to
+a close."
+
+[Footnote 53: _Pan-dō´ra._ In ancient Greek story, a goddess who
+possessed a box containing every kind of ill; this was opened, and the
+ills escaped and spread all over the earth, Hope alone being left at the
+bottom of the box.]
+
+[Footnote 54: For these railway lines, and other places mentioned in
+this chapter, see map, p. 311.]
+
+[Footnote 55: Or Kurland, Baltic province of Russia between the Gulf of
+Riga on the north and the province of Kovno on the south. It has many
+small, scattered lakes, and almost one-third of the surface is covered
+with forest.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIX.
+
+  STORIES OF THE GREAT RETREAT.
+
+
+A correspondent with the Russian armies tells us that no mind can
+picture the awful effect of the German bombardment which drove the
+Russians out of their positions on the Donajetz. Von Mackensen, as you
+know, had 1,500 guns, and many of them were monster howitzers. It is
+said that a thousand wagon-loads of shell were used in a single
+day--that is, twice as many as would have sufficed, under ordinary
+conditions, for the six months' siege of a great and well-provisioned
+fortress. Ten shells, each weighing 800 lbs., were hurled on every yard
+of the Russian front. An officer calculated that the part of the line
+which he was holding received no less than 10,000 shells in the course
+of a few hours. The wreckage was awful, and those who survived were
+dazed and stupefied, and unable to resist.
+
+[Illustration: Where the Cossacks score: a Cavalry Skirmish in the Rear
+of the Russian Retreat.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)]
+
+Another correspondent describes what he saw in Warsaw prior to the entry
+of the Germans. Day and night, he tells us, one heard the muffled roar
+as factory plant, too heavy or too deeply embedded in concrete to be
+moved, was blown up. Every fragment of the metal was carried eastwards.
+The newspapers made their last appearance with a notice that the city
+was to be abandoned, after which the lino-types were uprooted and the
+very floors carted away. Police and soldiers visited every printing
+works and newspaper office, taking away founts of type and dismantling
+presses. Hardly a ton of copper fittings was left in the city. . . .
+Warsaw knew no sleep over that week end. Through the streets passed
+endless columns of carts and lorries heavily laden, and all making for
+the bridges across the Vistula. You could only distinguish a wagon
+loaded with millions of roubles in paper money from those containing
+sacks of potatoes, by the soldiers who sat swinging their legs over the
+side. Day and night gangs of soldiers were seen stripping league after
+league of copper telegraph wires from their poles. Church doors flung
+open revealed the interiors filled with weeping, praying Poles and
+Russians, amongst whom passed priests in their rich vestments. Aloft in
+the towers the huge bronze bells had been unslung, lest they should
+become food for Krupp's furnaces. Not only the bells, but all records
+and church plate, precious vestments, and ikons,[56] were carted away
+into the interior. In the Church of the Holy Cross there was a vault,
+and in it lay the heart of Chopin.[57] The vault was opened, and the
+precious relic was removed to Moscow. Wherever possible troops were sent
+out to garner the crops in the surrounding country. Where this was
+impossible the harvest was destroyed, and villages were burnt to the
+ground. Thousands of poor were ferried across the Vistula to begin their
+long tramp eastward.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is said that after the fall of Warsaw the Kaiser was very much
+annoyed that the Russian army had been allowed to escape. "We have paid
+too dearly," he said to his generals, "for the privilege of walking
+along the streets of Warsaw. Our success has been gained under such a
+cloud of mourning that at present I cannot think of rewards. You are not
+little children to be dazzled with a toy while the Russian troops are at
+liberty. You have secured the cage, but the bird has flown. While the
+Russian army is free the problem of the war is unsolved."
+
+A Russian journalist tells us that when the Kaiser seized the cage
+without the bird he began, like Jehu, to drive furiously in the hope of
+rounding up the retreating enemy. His soldiers were driven
+remorselessly. The advance guard was ordered not to beat the enemy but
+to detain him until the arrival of the main body. The leading
+detachments were hurried along so rapidly that they often lost touch
+with each other. Along the Vistula, on the bridges and at the fords,
+sentinels remained unchanged and without food for two or three days at a
+stretch. They were forgotten, and some of them died at their posts. All
+this time the Russians made great captures of their pursuers. So many
+Germans were seized that the captors scarcely knew how to deal with
+them. The prisoners when questioned said that they had been marching
+almost without pause for five days and nights. Each morning they were
+driven forward for three or four hours. Then they had twenty minutes'
+rest, and were again sent onward until midnight."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that a British boy fought with
+the Russians, and that he rose from the ranks to be an ensign.[58] His
+name was John Wilton, and he was a frail lad of seventeen when the Tsar
+gave him permission to serve in the ranks of the famous Petrograd
+Guards. He became a mounted scout, and took part in every battle in
+which his corps was engaged. He was one of the scouts who managed to get
+within eight miles of Cracow. After six months' service he was promoted
+ensign, and five months later was in command of the mounted scouts of
+his regiment. On one occasion he very cleverly withdrew his scouts from
+a position in which they had been ambushed by German cavalry, and got
+them away with the loss of only one man.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+You have read more than once in these pages of women fighting in the
+Russian ranks. A story from Petrograd tells us that twelve schoolgirls
+from a Moscow college somehow obtained uniforms, boarded a military
+train at a roadside station, and thus reached the Austrian frontier.
+When they left the train for the march towards Lemberg the major
+discovered them, and ordered them back home; but they persuaded him to
+let them go on with the army. "We had to have our hair cropped," said
+one of them, Zoe Smirnoya, a girl of sixteen. "That is what I felt most.
+My hair was long, and I confess I cried. I've carried it ever since in
+my haversack."
+
+The girls fought in many of the Galician battles. They never fell out of
+the ranks, and they shared all the hardships of the campaign. They took
+men's names, and their comrades treated them kindly. When von
+Mackensen's big guns swept away the Russian trenches they fell back with
+the army. An officer asked Zoe, "Were you afraid?" "Of course," she
+replied; "how could one help? When the big shells burst all around us we
+could not help crying out. Several of the girls were only fourteen, and
+in their terror they called for their mothers. For that matter, I think
+I blubbered too."
+
+During the retreat one of the girls was killed by a shell. "We buried
+her on the morning after the battle," said Zoe. "We put her in a
+hurriedly-made grave, and set up a little cross marked with her name. On
+the morrow we were far away, and now I hardly remember the place where
+she was buried." Zoe was twice hit, and the second time was left out in
+the open, but was rescued by stretcher-bearers. She spent a month in
+hospital, and returned to the firing line as a corporal, wearing the war
+medal and the Cross of St. George.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Amongst the names that Russians hold in high honour is that of
+Michaelovna Ivanova, who acted as a nurse under her brother, a
+regimental surgeon. She insisted on going out to tend wounded even in
+the midst of a hail of bullets from rifles and machine guns. Her brother
+and the other regimental officers begged her to seek shelter, but in
+vain. When all the officers had fallen, the men lost heart for a moment
+and began to retire. At once the heroic nurse ran in amongst them,
+rallied them round her, and at their head rushed forward and captured a
+trench. Unhappily she was struck by a bullet, and died shortly
+afterwards.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that British seamen, with
+armoured motor cars, were sent out to lend a hand to the Russians. They
+did not take part in the fighting described in the former chapter, for
+they only left England late in the year. On 12th December, when they
+were in the Arctic Ocean on the way to Archangel, they established a
+record by singing "God save the King" farther north than any British
+field force on active service had ever been before. We may be quite sure
+that, under Commander Locker-Lampson, they fully upheld the honour and
+glory of the British Navy. It is also said that Japanese guns and
+gunners fought for Russia during the year 1915.
+
+[Footnote 56: Sacred pictures found in all Russian churches and houses.]
+
+[Footnote 57: _Shō-pan´._ Frédéric François Chopin (1809-49), great
+Polish musical composer and the finest pianist of his time. No man has
+ever excelled him in writing music for the piano.]
+
+[Footnote 58: Equivalent to our second lieutenant.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XL.
+
+  FROM STORM TO CALM.
+
+
+When the Germans entered Warsaw the German High Command had to decide
+what the next move was to be. Should they entrench on the ground already
+won, and make the line of the Niemen, the Narev, and the Vistula a great
+bulwark of defence which would defy all Russian counter-attacks for many
+a day to come, or should they push their armies forward? There were good
+reasons why a halt should be called on the river line. The troops were
+weary with long months of fighting, and badly needed rest. On the other
+hand, the Russian armies were not crushed, but it seemed likely that
+another big push would destroy them altogether. With Warsaw gone, the
+southern railway cut, and the Narev line crumbling, it appeared almost
+impossible for the Russians to escape. The army in Courland was almost
+within striking distance of the Petrograd railway, and once this was
+captured in the neighbourhood of Dvinsk and Vilna, the whole Russian
+front would be split up into separate armies, each of which might be
+destroyed. Another great effort, and the Tsar would be on his knees
+suing for peace.
+
+The die was now cast; the Germans decided to push forward. The Russians
+were in perilous plight; for on the right the Germans bade fair to
+envelop their armies, and in the centre von Mackensen was thrusting them
+back towards the Marshes of the Pripet, in which they might be caught.
+The Grand Duke's business was to get his armies away eastward, and to
+refuse at all costs to fight pitched battles. In this he succeeded, and
+by doing so wrote his name high on the roll of great generals.
+
+You will remember that the bridges across the Vistula at Warsaw had been
+blown up. Prince Leopold now collected a number of the thousand-ton
+barges which ply on the river, and constructed a floating bridge, across
+which he carried a railway line. By 10th August he began to advance; but
+he found himself constantly held up by Russian attacks, and he made but
+slow progress. By 16th August von Gallwitz was across the Petrograd
+line, and von Mackensen was within twenty miles of Brest Litovski. The
+Russians had already fallen back, and were lying in front of the railway
+from Ossowietz through Bialystok to Brest. They were, however, still
+holding out in front of the old city and fortress of Kovno.
+
+Glance at the position of Kovno. You see (page 311) that it stands on
+the Niemen, at the point where the course of the river swings to the
+south. Should Kovno fall, the other fortresses on the Niemen would be in
+great peril, and the enemy would have a direct route to Vilna, where
+they would be in the rear of the Russians. On the day that Warsaw fell,
+the Germans were near enough to Kovno to begin the bombardment. For
+twelve days they rained shells upon the forts, while the infantry fought
+for the outworks. By this time the city had been stripped, and its
+valuable contents had been sent eastwards. Nevertheless it had to be
+held while arrangements were made for the Russian line to retire. The
+gunners in Kovno stuck to their posts for twelve desperate days, and all
+the time the big siege howitzers of the enemy played havoc among them.
+Nevertheless, the Russians held on, and, what is more, continued to work
+their guns.
+
+By Sunday, 15th August, the forts were in ruins, and two days later the
+heroic garrison yielded. The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and over
+200 guns. The Russians, however, were fully prepared for this loss. The
+holding of Kovno was a forlorn hope, and the men and guns in it were
+sacrificed to gain time.
+
+The fall of Kovno meant that the Russian right must now retire, and a
+day later it was clear that the centre must retire too. The Germans had
+cut the railway to the north of Brest, and were now attacking the
+western forts of the stronghold. Next day Novo Georgievsk, which had
+been besieged for about three weeks and was now a huddle of ruins, had
+to yield, and 20,000 of the garrison, along with 700 guns, most of which
+had been rendered useless, fell into the hands of the Germans. Shortly
+before the surrender, a daring Russian aviator was entrusted with the
+maps and secret papers of the fortress. He ascended, and though
+furiously assailed by the anti-aircraft guns of the enemy, managed to
+fly clear and carry the precious documents into safety.
+
+Two of the three great fortresses forming the Polish triangle had now
+gone; Brest alone remained, and its doom was already sealed. While the
+Russians were preparing for a further retirement, their right, which
+rested on the Baltic Sea, was threatened with a new danger. On Sunday,
+10th August, a German fleet tried to force a way into the Gulf of Riga;
+it was beaten off, but the attempt was renewed on the 15th and on the
+16th. During a thick fog the Germans got into the Gulf on the 16th, and
+two days later tried to land troops at an unfortified port on the road
+to Petrograd. Four very large flat-bottomed barges, filled with troops,
+attempted to get ashore on the 20th; but the Russian light craft swooped
+down upon them, and captured or destroyed the whole of the landing
+force. Meanwhile a naval battle was going on throughout the length of
+the Gulf. The Russians lost an old gunboat, while the Germans had eight
+destroyers and two cruisers either sunk or put out of action, and a
+submarine driven ashore. On the 21st the Germans left the Gulf. Their
+attempt to outflank the Russian right had failed.
+
+During the previous twenty days the Germans in the centre had pushed
+forward no less than one hundred miles; but the Russian armies had
+eluded them, and no crushing battle had taken place. The Germans had not
+yet given up all hope of overwhelming the Russians, but for the time
+being they were anxious to secure a strong line on which they might
+maintain themselves during the coming winter. They had also a new
+campaign in view. Already they were thinking of forcing a way through
+the Balkans to Constantinople, so as to open a road to the east and
+fling such forces into Gallipoli as would drive the British and French
+into the sea.
+
+Now we must return to the doomed fortress of Brest. On the day that the
+German warships left the Gulf of Riga, Prince Leopold was close to the
+western walls of the fortress, while von Mackensen, east of the Bug, was
+threatening to take the forts from the rear. On 25th August Brest
+Litovski fell. It had held out long enough to enable the Russians to get
+away with the guns and supplies, and only a little wheat was left
+behind. Soon after the Germans entered the place a mine exploded and
+destroyed a thousand of their troops.
+
+[Illustration: Map illustrating the various Stages of the Russian
+Retreat.
+
+A, after the fall of Lemberg; B, after the fall of Warsaw; C, after the
+fall of Grodno; D, after the fall of Vilna.]
+
+You will see from the map on page 311 that the Russians, who had been
+holding the front around Brest, could use two railways to help them in
+their retreat. Most of them, however, had to retire on foot through the
+Marshes of the Pripet. Prince Leopold, in following them up, had to
+fight his way through the great forest region which lies to the north of
+Brest. It is said that in the recesses of this forest the European
+bison, elsewhere extinct, is still found. In the woods on the edges of
+the marshes the Russian rearguards fought fierce delaying actions, while
+their comrades trudged, unhasting but unresting, eastwards. Happily, the
+summer had been fairly dry, and it was possible for large numbers of men
+and guns to cross the swamps. By the end of August the Germans were
+thirty miles east of Brest, and were well within the marshy region.
+
+Meanwhile, the chief interest of the struggle lay in the north. On 28th
+August von Buelow began his great attack on the line of the Dvina. In
+all the valley of that river, from Dvinsk to Riga, there is no crossing
+save at the little town of Friedrichstadt, some fifty miles from the
+coast. Below the town great stretches of marshy forest line the left
+bank of the stream, and no road follows its course on that side. On the
+other side the ground is harder, and along the line of the river runs
+the main Riga-Vilna Railway. The Russians held the left bank of the
+river, and von Buelow urged his men to the assault in the following
+words: "After the brilliant campaign on the Russian front, and the
+occupation of many cities and fortresses, you must make one more effort
+to force the Dvina and seize Riga. There you will rest during the autumn
+and winter, in order to march on Petrograd in the spring." On the
+morning of 2nd September the Russians were forced back for ten miles
+from the left bank of the river; but the bridgehead at Friedrichstadt
+still held out.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+With the close of August the worst was over, and the turn of the tide
+had come. The tornado had blown itself out, the skies were clearing, and
+those who had been hurled back by the mighty blast were able to keep
+their feet and hold their own once more. The Russian line was nearly
+straight; the wings were hard pressed, but they could still resist; and
+the centre was too far within the Pripet marshes for easy capture. The
+struggle for dear life was over. Thenceforward the Russians were masters
+of their fate. They could retreat when and where they chose into the
+limitless expanses of their land. If they halted to fight a battle, it
+was because they saw some advantage to be gained, not because they were
+compelled to do so.
+
+[Illustration: The Tsar and Tsarevitch with the Russian Army.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The Tsarevitch, the eldest son of the Tsar, is the Grand Duke Alexis,
+who was born on August 12, 1904. He was therefore eleven years old when,
+on September 5, 1915, his father took command of the Russian armies.
+Both father and son are seen wearing the uniform of the Caucasian
+Cossacks.]
+
+With the passing of all immediate danger, confidence surged up in their
+breasts, and at this moment the Tsar placed himself at the head of his
+soldiers. "We shall," he said, "fulfil our sacred duty to defend our
+country to the last." The Grand Duke Nicholas, who had so long borne the
+heat and burden of the day, gladly yielded place to his sovereign. Twice
+before in the history of Russia had a Tsar come forward to lead his
+armies in the day of dire peril. What Peter[59] and Alexander I.[60] had
+done, Nicholas II. now did. It was a sign to the whole Russian people
+that the war was to be waged to a triumphant end. The Germans were
+prepared to make a separate peace with Russia; they believed her to be
+crushed and broken and war-weary. Now came the reply: the Tsar, the head
+and front of Russia both in Church and in State, followed the example of
+his forefathers in the hour of trial and took chief command.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look carefully at the large map on page 311, and find Grodno, on the
+Niemen. At the end of August the Russians were holding a salient round
+this fortress. September was but three days old when Grodno fell, and
+the Russians had to retire in order to avoid being surrounded. They had
+two railways to help them in their retreat--the main line to Petrograd
+and a line connecting with the Riga-Vilna-Rovno Railway. At all costs
+the enemy must be held back from these railways until the guns, troops,
+and stores in and around Grodno could be got away. Rearguards behind
+Grodno and a screen of troops farther north, where the Germans had to
+cross a district of lakes and forests, fought gallantly, and by 12th
+September the salient was clear. The Germans claimed to have captured
+4,000 prisoners; but even if they did so, the price was not too high to
+pay for the safety of the army corps that escaped.
+
+Now we must turn to Vilna, against which von Hindenburg had prepared a
+great thrust. On 2nd September a ten days' struggle began fifteen miles
+to the north-west of the city. By sheer weight of artillery the trenches
+of the Russians were carried, and a gas attack gave the Germans an
+important pass between a group of lakes which formed the main defence of
+the fortress on their left. Other forces were pushing up from the south,
+and retreat was again necessary. By the 13th it was clear that Vilna
+must fall. The Germans had cut the Petrograd railway only twenty miles
+from the city.
+
+[Illustration: The Coming of the Big Guns that mean Victory.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+Russian artillery being hauled through the snow to the battlefield by
+long teams of horses. By September 1915 the Russians had managed to
+provide themselves with sufficient artillery and ammunition to meet the
+Germans on equal terms.]
+
+The forces in front of Vilna had only one good railway line by which
+they could retire eastward, and only one good road--a causeway running
+across the marshes towards Minsk. On 15th September it was discovered
+that some 40,000 German cavalry, with 140 guns, were sweeping round so
+as to cut the railway and capture the causeway. Here was a terrible
+danger. If the cavalry could hold the railway and the causeway, the
+Russians in the Vilna salient would be surrounded, and nothing could
+save them. Not an hour must be lost. Vilna was abandoned on 18th
+September, and the troops were hurried eastwards by means of the road
+and railway. Rearguards on the right fought desperate holding battles,
+but on the 20th the gap through which the Russians were retreating had
+shrunk to little more than fifty miles. The Minsk railway was in danger;
+only the causeway, densely packed with guns, wagons, convoys,
+ambulances, and troops, was clear.
+
+Suddenly, in this moment of peril, the German thrust weakened. While the
+cavalry were sweeping round to the rear, the artillery and infantry to
+the west of the fortress made no push. Owing to the bad and crowded
+roads they could only proceed very slowly, and thus the Russians were
+afforded what they most needed--time. No longer were they without arms
+and ammunition. The Russian factories had worked miracles, and now the
+Tsar's armies were able to meet the enemy on equal terms. On the evening
+of 20th September, when the retreating Russians were thirty miles east
+of Vilna, their right wing fell upon the German cavalry and drove them
+back with the bayonet. For some days there was heavy fighting, but by
+the end of the month the Russian line was straight again. Once more the
+Germans had been foiled.
+
+Meanwhile the army of Brest, which had never been in serious danger, had
+been pursued, but the pursuers were now firmly held. On the Dvina von
+Buelow had made but little progress, while in the south Ivanov had held
+his ground, and had even won victories against the German right. He had
+overthrown a force moving against Tarnopol and another which was
+advancing further south, and had won one of the most successful of the
+smaller battles. Of course the Germans had made counter-attacks upon
+him, but they had been unsuccessful, and Ivanov had advanced in some
+places as much as twenty miles. His captures at the end of the month
+amounted to 80,000 men and many guns.
+
+Thus the end of September saw the Germans held in check. They had won
+Vilna and Grodno, but they had failed to cut off the troops in these
+salients, and had not made good the line of the Dvina. Winter was almost
+upon them, yet they had not found a suitable position for winter
+quarters. Meanwhile the Russians were growing in strength every day.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the terrible months from May till September the nation had
+suffered greatly, and misfortune had been heaped on misfortune. The
+spectacle of troops falling back day by day, the endless stream of
+wounded arriving at the bases, the highroads thronged with homeless
+peasants, and the seeming hopeless struggle would have broken down the
+spirit of most nations and brought about revolution; but in Russia,
+though there was some unrest, there was no revolution. Even the peasants
+who had lost their all, and had not where to lay their heads, bore their
+sufferings without complaint. A correspondent who talked with some of
+them tells us they felt that they were playing their part in defeating
+the hated enemy, as their fathers had done before them. They hoped for
+an early winter in order that their enemy might perish of cold and
+starvation, and they thought nothing of the sufferings that the winter
+would bring to them and their children. "I have heard them say again and
+again: 'We must win now, regardless of the cost and the time it takes.
+The sacrifices we have suffered are too great for us to hesitate at
+anything short of victory.'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the German cavalry were flung back from the rear of Vilna, the
+retreating Russians once more breathed freely. The end of the summer
+campaign had come, and still the Germans had delivered no smashing blow.
+During the month of October von Hindenburg strove fiercely to carry the
+line of the Dvina, in order to secure Dvinsk and Riga as winter
+quarters. The Russian right lay on the sea, and behind the river
+stretched a wilderness of marsh and lake almost impassable for troops
+and big guns. Riga and the line of the river south of it were defended
+by great stretches of bogland, and the patches of dry ground were cut up
+by many sluggish streams flowing in reedy channels. General Ruzsky, who
+was holding Dvinsk, had learned the lesson of Verdun and pushed out his
+defences far from the city. In the course of a big attack on 26th
+September the Germans came within eight miles of the fortress, but they
+could approach no nearer. An attempt to reach Riga by the coast road was
+foiled by the guns of the Russian fleet.
+
+On 3rd October von Hindenburg began a new series of thrusts against the
+line of the river, but made very little progress, and when the Russian
+counter-attacks began the German losses were very great. Before long
+50,000 of the enemy had fallen, and their goal was as far off as ever.
+Von Hindenburg now saw that he could not succeed against Dvinsk, and
+began a determined effort to capture Riga. He managed to win a marshy
+island in one of the arms of the river; but here he was stayed, and soon
+his troops were blown off the island. He was now fighting an army that
+was as strong as his own and could return shell for shell and shot for
+shot. By the end of October all his efforts against Dvinsk and Riga had
+come to nothing, and he was forced to dig in for the winter in a most
+inhospitable land. The snows were beginning to fall, bitter north winds
+were sweeping over the land, and no great movement was possible until
+the spring.
+
+So the tragic year came to an end. The Russians had passed through their
+fiery ordeal, and had emerged with a new courage and a new hope. On the
+map the Germans looked like victors, but actually they had failed. The
+Russian armies were intact; the Germans could not push on in the
+wilderness, and at the close of the year they lay waiting the uncertain
+future amidst dismal swamps and meres.
+
+[Footnote 59: In 1707, when Charles XII. of Sweden invaded Russia and
+bade fair to overrun the country, Peter the Great put himself at the
+head of his army, and on July 5, 1709, inflicted a great defeat on the
+Swedes and drove them out of the country.]
+
+[Footnote 60: In 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia and marched to
+Moscow (see Vol. I., p. 64), Alexander I. placed himself at the head of
+the army, and by wasting the country forced Napoleon to retreat.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLI.
+
+  MIDSUMMER ON THE WESTERN FRONT.
+
+
+Three days after the Battle of Festubert[61] came to an end, another
+European nation flung itself into the welter of strife. Italy declared
+war on Austria. The story of why she did so, and how she fared during
+the year 1915, will be told in our next volume. We may safely postpone
+an account of the Italian campaign, for, like our great adventure in
+Gallipoli, it was a side-show. Nevertheless it employed no less than
+twelve Austrian army corps, and thus largely reduced the forces which
+the enemy could employ in France and Flanders and the Eastern theatre of
+war.
+
+Italy set herself the very difficult task of conquering the
+Trentino,[62] and in order to do so had to force the barrier of the
+Alps. For six months she fought with great firmness and much sacrifice
+amidst lofty snowclad mountains, and battered unceasingly at the great
+Austrian fortresses established amongst them. By the end of the year her
+soldiers had occupied a rich and well-populated portion of what the
+Italians call "Unredeemed Italy," had secured their northern flank, and
+had firmly established themselves along the line of the river
+Isonzo.[63] They had also captured 30,000 of the enemy, 5 guns, 65 Maxim
+guns, thousands of rifles, and a great deal of other war material, and
+were in a favourable position for an advance in the spring. Should this
+advance be successful, Austria would lose her two great seaports, and,
+except along the coast of Dalmatia,[64] would be cut off from the sea.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+July was but nine days old when good news arrived from South Africa. The
+Union forces under General Botha[65] had conquered German South-West
+Africa,[66] and the colony had passed into British hands. The story can
+wait until our next volume, in which we shall survey the progress of our
+arms not only in "German South-West," as South Africans call it, but in
+the Cameroons and in German East Africa as well. From the first the
+Germans knew that their overseas possessions were doomed. Powerless on
+the ocean, they were utterly cut off from their colonies. Their overseas
+forces were fighting, as it were, in water-tight compartments, without
+hope of reinforcements or supplies from the Fatherland.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We will now return to the Western front, and learn something of what
+happened in North France between the close of the Battle of Festubert
+and the great British attack of September. At home people believed that
+a big push would be made in the West during the summer months; but to
+their astonishment the Allies did not attempt an offensive on a large
+scale. The Russians, as you know, were then passing through a fiery
+ordeal; and their newspapers constantly asked why the Allies did not
+attack the enemy, and draw off from Russia some of the fury of the
+German onset. The fact was that the Allies were not in a condition to
+assault the German lines with any great hope of success. Though they now
+outnumbered the Germans on the Western front, they were still deficient
+in machine guns, heavy artillery, and stores of shell. The battles of
+Festubert and of the Artois had taught them that to hurl infantry
+against trenches which had not been previously wrecked by artillery fire
+was simply to send men to their death. They had also learned that
+piercing the enemy's line on a narrow front served no useful purpose.
+Driving tiny wedges into the German position was not only costly, but a
+waste of time. A big rent must be made, in order that cavalry might be
+launched through the breach against the lines of communication. For
+such an operation they had not as yet sufficient artillery, so they
+decided--
+
+  "'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
+    So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
+    Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
+    Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness."[67]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The war on the Western front during the months of June, July, and August
+was little more than the old "nibbling." All along the line there were
+many small attacks followed by small counter-attacks, and in some places
+fierce little struggles for strongholds. Trenches were lost and won
+almost daily, but a week's advance could be measured by yards. In these
+affairs we gained little ground, but we lost many men. I cannot attempt
+to describe all the minor engagements of the summer months, but I must
+say something about the fighting around Givenchy in the middle of June.
+
+In front of the 7th British Division there was an enemy stronghold known
+to our troops as "Stony Mountain," and from it to another fortified
+point, known as "Dorchester," ran two lines of German trenches. The 7th
+Division was ordered to make a frontal attack on "Stony Mountain," and
+the 1st Canadian (Ontario) Battalion at the same time was to carry the
+two lines of trenches.
+
+At three o'clock on the afternoon of 15th June the Ontario regiment was
+brought up to the British trenches opposite to the position to be
+attacked, and the men began to beguile the hours of waiting by singing
+popular songs. The attack was timed to commence at six in the evening,
+and at a quarter to six two 18-pounder guns in the Canadian trenches
+opened fire on the German position. One of the guns swept away the
+German wire, and knocked out two enemy Maxims; but the other was wrecked
+by a shell. Bullets from the German trenches rained down upon the guns,
+tearing and twisting their shields as though they had been made of
+paper.
+
+[Illustration: The Canadians in a Hot Corner.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)
+
+Lieutenant Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his
+companion (Private Vincent) and poured a stream of bullets upon the
+enemy.]
+
+Just before six, Canadian sappers exploded a mine on their front, and
+several of their own bombers were killed or wounded by the force of the
+explosion. Immediately the leading company dashed forward through the
+smoke and flying dirt, and though met by a withering flank fire from
+"Stony Mountain," rushed the German front trench, and gained possession
+of "Dorchester." Those, however, who attacked on the "Stony Mountain"
+side were stopped by the fire of that fort, and all were killed or
+wounded. Bombing parties and sappers now went forward, but almost all of
+them were shot down. A sapper who reached the trench set out alone to
+bomb his way along it. He did not retire until he had flung his last
+bomb, and then he had no less than ten wounds in his body.
+
+The second company closely followed on the heels of those who had won
+"Dorchester," and the two companies charged towards the German
+second-line trench, which was carried. Many of the Huns who put up a
+fight were bayoneted, and some prisoners were taken. Meanwhile the third
+company, after losing heavily in its advance, was busy putting the
+captured first-line trench into a state of defence. Two machine guns
+were hurried forward, but the entire crew of one of them was killed or
+wounded before the trench was reached. The crew of the other gun, now
+reduced to two men, Lieutenant Campbell and Private Vincent, a
+lumber-jack from Bracebridge, gained the position, and Lieutenant
+Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his companion, and
+poured a stream of bullets upon the enemy. Later in the day, when the
+Canadians were obliged to retire, Lieutenant Campbell fell wounded, but
+Private Vincent dragged the gun away into safety. Lieutenant Campbell
+crawled into the Canadian trench a dying man. "And no man died that
+night with more glory; yet many died, and there was much glory."
+
+The supply of bombs ran short, and Private Smith of Southampton,
+Ontario, volunteered to go forward with a fresh supply. Festooned with
+bombs, he crawled forward on all fours, and twice handed over his load
+to his friends. So hot was the fire that he had to toss the bombs[68]
+into the trench. His clothes were shot to rags, but he escaped
+unwounded. But all Private Smith's efforts to supply the bombers were
+unavailing. Soon all the grenades were gone, and meanwhile the machine
+guns and rifles on "Stony Mountain" were rapidly thinning the Canadian
+ranks. "One unknown wounded man was seen standing on the parapet of the
+German front-line trench. He had thrown every bomb he carried, and,
+weeping with rage, continued to hurl bricks and stones at the advancing
+enemy till his end came."
+
+The British division had been held up on the left, and the enemy was now
+gathering in strength. The unsupported Canadians were therefore forced
+to retire, and give up the ground which they had gained. During the
+retirement many men fell, and some fine deeds of bravery were done.
+Private Gledhill of Ben Miller, near Goderich, Ontario, though hurled
+out of the trench by a bomb explosion which broke his rifle but did not
+injure him, found another rifle, and continued to fire while his
+comrades retired and he was almost alone. As he crawled towards his own
+lines he fell over a wounded lieutenant, and offered to carry him back.
+"Thanks, no," said the lieutenant; "I can crawl." "Will you take me?"
+asked a man with a leg missing, who lay hard by. "Sure," replied the
+gallant fellow, and amidst a tempest of fire he dragged the wounded man
+into safety. Out of twenty-three officers who went into battle that day
+only three were alive and untouched at nightfall. The fort on "Stony
+Mountain" could not be captured, and all the valour and perseverance of
+the Canadians went for nothing.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The account which you have just read gives you a very fair idea of the
+midsummer fighting on the Western front. Before I turn to the great
+offensive of September, let me describe briefly the struggle which took
+place at Hooge towards the end of July and the beginning of August. It
+had no real importance; it was only an incident in the constant tug of
+war that went on along the opposing lines. Hooge is a hamlet on the
+Ypres-Menin road, about two miles east of the city. On the 16th of June
+we had attacked the enemy's line, and had captured 1,000 yards of German
+front trenches, a part of the line, and 150 prisoners. During the
+fighting the Liverpool Scottish did specially fine work.
+
+[Illustration: Plan of the Hooge Area.
+
+The black line shows German position on morning of July 30, 1915.]
+
+This map shows you the scene of the struggle which I am about to
+describe. Notice the chateau and the lake to the north: both were in the
+hands of the Germans, who had pushed their front to the west and
+south-west of the lake, and had thus made an ugly sag in our line. Just
+north of the Hooge-Menin road there is a big hollow marked "Crater" on
+the map. About 3 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 30th July, the Germans
+violently attacked our trenches to the east of the Crater. They were
+held by men of the New Army. The Germans had already sapped up close to
+our line, and now they launched a torrent of liquid fire against us. At
+the same time big guns on the high ground to the north-east and
+south-west bombarded our lines, trench mortars joined in, and bombers
+stormed our trenches with grenades. This terrible onset of fire, flame,
+and bombs could not be resisted, and the Germans carried the first line
+and the Crater. Our men fell back to the second line, which ran
+north-west from the corner of Zouave Wood. Then the enemy began to shell
+the second line, and Zouave Wood became a death-trap. You will read on a
+later page how Second Lieutenant Sidney Woodroffe won the Victoria Cross
+by holding his trenches in Zouave Wood to the last.
+
+A counter-attack was made in the afternoon, but it failed. Our men were
+mown down as soon as they advanced into the open. The Rifle Brigade had
+been entrusted with the task; it pushed forward to certain death with
+wonderful steadiness, but was almost wiped out. During this unsuccessful
+attack we lost 2,000 men. No further attempt was made for ten days,
+during which time our gunners shelled the enemy's lines, and stopped the
+fire of their artillery. So successful was the bombardment that it put
+new heart into our men, and they were quite ready for the next act of
+the drama, which was timed for Monday, 9th August. Just before dawn on
+that day the 16th and 18th Brigades advanced from the west and from the
+south against the Crater. They had to push uphill in black darkness for
+500 yards. The 2nd York and Lancaster issued from Zouave Wood with the
+2nd Durham Light Infantry on their right. The two battalions made a race
+of it, and the Durhams won. Over the horrible No Man's Land, strewn with
+barbed-wire entanglements and the bodies of the unburied dead, the
+infantry swept on, and in a few minutes were busy with the bayonet and
+bomb amongst the sorely shaken Germans. Many of them were sheltering in
+their dug-outs, which were very large and deep. The two hundred who held
+the Crater were killed to a man.
+
+A correspondent tells us that, on scrambling over the enemy's parapet, a
+sergeant lost his balance and fell on his back to the bottom of the
+trench, close to a mortar in charge of a sentry. Immediately the sentry
+rushed at him with a bomb poised in his hand. With a great effort the
+sergeant slewed round and dealt his opponent a kick in the ribs which
+sent him spinning against the parapet, where he was dealt with by a
+private who had followed hard on the heels of his sergeant.
+
+When the trenches were cleared the infantry swept on to the chateau, and
+captured the ruins of the stables, where they dug in. The attack had
+been very successful, and our losses were very few, because of the
+searching bombardment which had preceded the attack. Correspondents
+describe the high spirits of our men on that day. It is said that many
+of the less seriously wounded failed to report themselves, because they
+did not wish to miss the rest of the fighting.
+
+At half-past nine that night German shells began to fall fast and thick
+on our new positions, and our men dropped fast. We lost some of our
+trenches north of Sanctuary Wood, and had to retire to a little way in
+front of the Crater. The enemy had made a curtain of fire behind our
+lines, and reliefs could only be brought up at great loss. The battalion
+which had dug in near the stables was ordered to withdraw; but four
+officers and 200 men did not receive the order, and hung on until
+relieved late the next morning. A small party of Durham Light Infantry,
+under Corporal Smith, held out even longer, and only retired when fresh
+troops took over their position.
+
+Gradually the fighting died away. We had recovered our former position,
+and what is more, we had proved that, given proper artillery
+"preparation," the strongest German lines could be pierced. The New Army
+won its spurs at Hooge, but at a very heavy cost.
+
+[Illustration: The Liverpool Scottish and other Regiments charging at
+Hooge.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture shows the British charge at Hooge (June 16, 1915) which won
+the whole of the enemy's first-line trenches on a front of a thousand
+yards and parts of his second line. By noon on the day of this charge
+over a hundred and fifty prisoners had been passed to our rear. (See
+page 327.)]
+
+The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross for deeds
+of remarkable courage during the period between the Battle of Festubert
+and the end of the first week in August:--
+
+Private William Mariner, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.
+
+During a violent thunderstorm on the night of May 22, 1915, Private
+Mariner left his trench at a place just south of Cuinchy, for the
+purpose of destroying an enemy machine gun that was annoying our men. He
+took with him a supply of bombs, and just before starting out on his
+perilous mission, asked his sergeant to open fire on the enemy's
+trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. This meant that he was
+prepared to sacrifice himself, for he was bound to be in the line of
+fire from his own trench, and could only escape death or wounding by a
+miracle. He crept out into "No Man's Land," wormed his way through the
+German wire entanglements, and reached the emplacement of the gun.
+Climbing on to the top of the parapet, he hurled a bomb on to the roof
+of the emplacement. When the roar of the explosion subsided, he heard
+the noise of men running away. About a quarter of an hour later he heard
+the enemy returning. At once he climbed up on the other side of the
+emplacement, and with his left hand threw another bomb. Then he lay
+flat, while the Germans fired round after round on the wire entanglement
+behind him. For more than an hour he lay unseen and unheard. If the
+sergeant had opened fire as Mariner had wished, nothing could have saved
+him. Fortunately his own people did not pull a trigger, and he was able
+to crawl back to his trench unharmed. He had been out all alone for an
+hour and a half.
+
+Lance-Corporal Leonard James Keyworth, 24th Battalion, London Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+At Givenchy, on the night of May 25-26, 1915, the 24th Battalion made a
+successful assault on the German trenches, and strove to follow up their
+success by a bomb attack, during which fifty-five men out of the
+seventy-five who took part in it were either killed or wounded. During
+this very fierce encounter Lance-Corporal Keyworth, a Lincoln man, stood
+fully exposed for two hours on the top of an enemy's parapet, and threw
+about one hundred and fifty bombs amongst the Germans, who were only a
+few yards away. In a letter to his sister Lance-Corporal Keyworth thus
+describes the incident: "I was with the bombing party, and was the only
+one to come through without a scratch. I went along a ridge on my
+stomach, and threw bombs into the German trench, my distance being about
+fifteen yards. Men were shot down by my side. Still I continued, and
+came out safe. I was at once recommended for a decoration. It is
+supposed to be for bravery, but I cannot understand where it came in. I
+only did my duty; but how I came out God only knows." Unhappily this
+gallant lad, who was only twenty-two when he won the Victoria Cross,
+died of wounds six months later.
+
+Lance-Corporal William Angus, 8th (Lanark) Battalion, Highland Light
+Infantry (T.F.).
+
+On the night of 11th June Lieutenant Martin of the Highland Light
+Infantry went out with a bombing party to wreck a German sap. Suddenly a
+mine was exploded by the enemy, and the lieutenant fell stunned and
+bleeding at the foot of the enemy's parapet, only a few feet away from
+the foe. He was half buried, but after a night of horror managed to
+extricate himself from the heap of earth that covered him. As he
+struggled to get free, his own men saw him through their periscopes and
+made signs to him. He called aloud to them for water, and the Germans
+hearing him, flung a bomb at him. Happily it was unlighted. Our men now
+determined that their fallen officer should not be murdered. The best
+shots lined the parapet, and neither side dared lift a head. At last a
+German sniper shot the wounded officer in the side, and he feigned death
+so well that his men began to prepare a cross for his grave. About three
+o'clock, however, he was seen to move, and a Canadian officer proposed
+that, under a hot covering fire, a man should rush out with a lasso and
+haul him in.
+
+Lieutenant Martin belonged to Carluke, a village in the Clyde valley;
+and there was another Carluke man watching him--Corporal Angus, who had
+just returned to the front fresh from an hospital bed in Rouen, where
+his leg, badly smashed at Festubert, had healed. He now went up to his
+officer and said, "Let me go, sir." He was assured that he would be
+going to certain death; but he replied, "Well, sir, _sooner or later,
+what does it matter_?" So saying, he crawled out, and wormed his way
+along the torn and heaped ground, amidst fragments of burst shells,
+broken wire, and the stark, still bodies of the slain, and in half an
+hour reached the officer, and put a flask of brandy to his lips. The two
+men lay side by side for a space, gathering strength for the return
+journey.
+
+Suddenly the Germans lobbed a bomb over the parapet, and a cloud of
+smoke and dust arose, under cover of which Angus, half carrying, half
+dragging the wounded man, was seen staggering forward. When the smoke
+drifted away the German rifles cracked viciously, and more than a dozen
+bombs were hurled at him. Angus was literally riddled with wounds. "I
+could see the bombs coming," he said later. "I actually watched the one
+that cost me my left eye. I thought both were blown out in that awful,
+burning flash, so fearful was the pain in my face." The sight of the two
+wounded men being mercilessly pelted by the enemy aroused the fiercest
+indignation in the British trench, and only with the greatest difficulty
+were the men restrained from dashing out against the cowardly foe. A
+hurricane fire broke out on both sides, and in the midst of it the two
+men rolled into the Scottish trench.
+
+When the heroic collier lad was sufficiently recovered to present
+himself at Buckingham Palace, and the King pinned the coveted cross on
+his breast, his Majesty murmured, "Forty wounds!" "Yes, your Majesty,"
+responded Angus; "but _only fifteen of them serious_!" The gallant
+fellow's father was called into the presence of the King, who said,
+"Your son has won his decoration nobly. It is almost a miracle he is
+spared to you, and I sincerely hope he may fully recover and live long
+to enjoy it. May you, too, be long spared to feel pride in him and his
+achievement."
+
+On a Saturday afternoon, a few days later, the village of Carluke,
+crowded with dwellers from all parts of the Clyde valley, made holiday,
+and prepared to welcome the hero who had dared death a hundred times to
+save the life of a friend. Flags waved, bands played, troops presented
+arms, and amidst loud cheering Angus limped through the streets with the
+man whom he had saved supporting him on the one side, and Lord Newlands
+on the other. Thus did he receive the deep gratitude and the handsome
+gifts of his neighbours and friends, and return home to his moorland
+cottage to nurse his "honourable" wounds. He was the first Scottish
+Territorial to win the Victoria Cross.
+
+[Illustration: Rushing a British Gun through the deserted streets of
+Ypres to a hard-pressed position on the Salient.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid dash with which the Horse
+Artillery bring up their guns to points of danger. It also shows the
+ruined condition of the beautiful old city of Ypres.]
+
+Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell, 1st Canadian Battalion.
+
+I have already mentioned the heroism of Lieutenant Campbell and Private
+Vincent during the Canadian attack on the German trenches near Stony
+Mountain. When war broke out, Lieutenant Campbell was farming at Mount
+Forest, Ontario; but he was so eager to "do his bit" that he sold one of
+his farms, his horses, and his stock, and forthwith joined the army. He
+very soon made his mark as a gallant soldier, and became very popular
+with his men. At the Battle of Ypres he went fearlessly to and fro,
+smiling and urging on his comrades, with death nudging his elbow. "How
+is it, Mr. Campbell, this morning?" asked one of his men; and his cheery
+reply was, "Oh, fine--we are going to have a scrap to-day." You will
+remember that at Givenchy, on 15th June, he took two machine guns over
+the parapet, and arrived at the German first line with one gun, which he
+hoisted on the back of Private Vincent, and continued to fire in spite
+of the hail of bullets and bombs which fell around him. When the supply
+of bombs ran out, Lieutenant Campbell advanced still further with his
+gun, and in an exposed position fired about one thousand rounds and held
+back the enemy's counter-attack. Later on he was wounded, and died in
+hospital at Boulogne. The Victoria Cross, which was awarded after his
+death, became the proud and cherished possession of his bereaved wife
+and three young children.
+
+Second Lieutenant Sydney Clayton Woodroffe, 8th Battalion, Rifle
+Brigade.
+
+You will remember that during the fighting at Hooge, when our men were
+fiercely attacked by big guns, liquid fire, and bombs, Second Lieutenant
+Woodroffe held a trench in the Zouave Wood. He was one of three
+brothers, all of them Marlborough boys, and head prefects of the famous
+school in their day. Sydney was still in his teens when he was called
+upon to resist torrents of shell, sprays of blazing petrol, and showers
+of bursting bombs. Despite the awful storm of fire and flame, he gave
+the enemy bomb for bomb; and when his supply was exhausted, withdrew his
+men, rallied them anew, and at their head pushed forward once more. The
+gallant lad was killed in the act of cutting his way through the
+barbed-wire jungle of the enemy. One of his brothers had already made
+the supreme sacrifice at Neuve Chapelle.
+
+Second Lieutenant Arthur Boyd Rochfort, Special Reserve, 1st Battalion,
+Scots Guards.
+
+On August 3, 1915, Lieutenant Rochfort was standing with a small working
+party in a communication trench just south of Cuinchy, when an enemy
+mortar threw a bomb which landed on the inside of his parapet. He might
+easily have stepped back round a traverse and avoided the danger; but,
+shouting to his men to look out, he sprang upon the bomb, picked it up,
+and hurled it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. There is no
+doubt that his splendid presence of mind saved the lives of many of his
+men.
+
+[Illustration: The September Battle in Champagne.
+
+A. Showing the German front which the French attacked on the first day,
+September 25, 1915. B. Showing the position of the French front on
+September 29, 1915.]
+
+[Footnote 61: See chap. xxxi.]
+
+[Footnote 62: South Tirol, on the north-east frontier land of Italy;
+part of Austria, but inhabited chiefly by Italian-speaking people, and
+therefore claimed by Italy, which also claims the coast-lands round the
+head of the Adriatic Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 63: River rising at the junction of the Julian and Carnic Alps
+and flowing southwards in a winding course to the Gulf of Trieste. Its
+length is about seventy-five miles, of which but little is navigable.]
+
+[Footnote 64: Austrian territory along the eastern side of the Adriatic
+Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 65: Louis Botha, born 1863, commanded Boer forces during the
+South African War; became first prime minister of the Union of South
+Africa (1910); and in 1914 was appointed commander-in-chief of the Union
+defence forces.]
+
+[Footnote 66: For an account of German South-West Africa, see Vol. III.,
+p. 177.]
+
+[Footnote 67: Shakespeare's _Julius Cæsar_, Act IV., Sc. iii.]
+
+[Footnote 68: As the safety pins were not withdrawn, they did not
+explode.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLII.
+
+  IN CHAMPAGNE.
+
+
+We are now to read the story of the great offensive which the Allies
+undertook in the West during the month of September 1915. I have already
+told you that the German lines were by this time so studded with
+skilfully placed forts, full of machine guns, that no living infantry
+could carry them until a road had been blasted through by artillery
+fire. You remember the maze of trenches and forts known to the French as
+the Labyrinth. The same sort of fortification extended along the whole
+German line. It was folly to break through the enemy's line on a narrow
+front, for the troops which entered the gap were at once enfiladed and
+exposed to a murderous fire on their flanks. This is precisely what
+happened in the unsuccessful attack at Stony Mountain. If the German
+front was to be really broken, a rent of at least fifteen miles must be
+made in it. In order to do this, long preparation was necessary.
+Thousands of guns and mountains of ammunition were required, and, above
+all, the part of the line to be broken must be carefully selected.
+
+Look at the map on page 336, and note the position of that portion of
+the German line which extends between the Argonne on the east and
+Auberive on the west. The cross railway line, by means of which the
+Germans supplied their front in Champagne, was in some places only four
+or five miles from the French trenches, and the main line was not more
+than ten or twelve miles away. If the French could break through in this
+region on a wide front, they could send their cavalry forward to cut the
+German lines of communication; in which case the enemy would be obliged
+to fall back, and his retreat might easily become a rout. The French,
+therefore, decided to make their big push in Champagne. An advance on
+this part of the line not only promised success, but Champagne itself
+was very suitable for a great combined attack of infantry and
+artillery. Unlike Artois and Flanders, the country consists of rolling
+chalk downs, with open, bare, and shallow valleys. Guns could thus be
+used to the best advantage, and infantry could push forward without
+being impeded by villages, mounds of refuse, railway embankments, and
+small enclosed fields. On the dull levels of Champagne the freedom of
+France had thrice[69] been won. Was history to repeat itself, and was a
+fourth deliverance to result from the great movement now about to be
+made?
+
+A writer[70] thus describes the district:--
+
+    "There is scarcely a region in all France where a battle could
+    have been fought with less injury to property. Imagine, if you
+    please, an immense undulating plain, its surface broken by
+    occasional low hills and ridges, none of them much over six
+    hundred feet in height, and wandering in and out between these
+    ridges the narrow stream which is the Marne. The country
+    hereabouts is very sparsely settled; the few villages that dot
+    the plain are wretchedly poor; the trees on the slopes of the
+    ridges are stunted and scraggly; the soil is a chalky marl,
+    which you have only to scratch to leave a staring scar, and the
+    grass which tries to grow upon it seems to wither and die of a
+    broken heart. This was the great manoeuvre ground of Châlons,
+    and it was good for little else, yet only a few miles to the
+    westward begin the vineyards which are France's chief source of
+    wealth, and an hour's journey to the eastward is the beautiful
+    Forest of the Argonne."
+
+The French devoted most of the summer to preparations for the great
+attack. The British took over thirty additional miles of the line, and
+thus released a large number of troops for the venture. New units were
+formed, and the factories worked night and day to produce the immense
+quantity of ammunition which would be needed. Artillery of every size
+and pattern, from light mountain guns to monster howitzers, were
+gradually brought together, until nearly 3,000 guns faced the Germans.
+Had these guns been placed side by side they would have extended for
+more than fifteen miles. Every battery knew exactly the portion of front
+which it was to attack. About twenty captive balloons, fitted with
+telephones and wires, were provided for directing the fire of the guns.
+A network of light railways was built in order to bring up the vast
+supplies of ammunition, and from the railhead a highroad nine miles
+long and forty feet wide was constructed across the plain.
+
+Dug-outs for men, stores for ammunition, and underground first-aid
+stations were constructed; and, so that the infantry could reach their
+positions without being destroyed by German shell fire, no less than
+forty miles of reserve and communication trenches were made. In some
+places saps and tunnels had been run out towards the German lines, so
+that the men making the first assault could spring suddenly from the
+earth. The hospitals were emptied ready for the stream of wounded that
+would soon flow into them. Officers and men were diligently instructed;
+everything was foreseen and provided for; nothing was left to chance.
+
+Now let us look closely at the portion of the German line which was to
+be assaulted. From the village of Auberive (page 336) the trenches ran
+eastward. Beyond Souain a series of hills lay in front of the French
+line, and on each of them a redoubt had been erected. The Germans had
+held this position since the Battle of the Marne, and for more than a
+year they had striven to make it impregnable. In many cases the trenches
+had walls of concrete, and the wire entanglements were as much as sixty
+yards deep. In front of the entanglements the ground had been
+honeycombed with mines, and strewn with sharpened stakes and obstacles
+of all kinds. Every German fired from behind a shield of armour plate,
+and at every fifteen yards along the trenches there was a machine gun.
+Here and there were revolving steel turrets, each containing a
+quick-firing gun. In some places there were five lines of trenches, one
+behind the other, all linked together so as to form a labyrinth very
+similar to that which the French had captured in Artois. Remember that
+these trenches only formed the first line of German defence. Behind them
+was a second line, and between the two were the artillery. Light
+railways came right down to the front, so that troops and ammunition and
+supplies could be moved very readily and speedily. The Germans boasted
+that they had created an inland Gibraltar, and they smiled superior when
+their aviators told them what preparations were going on behind the
+French lines. They were quite certain that nothing could shift them.
+
+[Illustration: The Great French Advance in Champagne.
+
+_By permission of The Graphic._
+
+While the British advanced between La Bassée and Lens, the French
+assaulted the German lines on a seventeen-mile front in Champagne. They
+carried all before them, and captured 21,000 prisoners and over 120
+guns. A British surgeon who witnessed the onslaught tells us how the
+French dashed forward like an avalanche. "They are superb, these
+Frenchmen."]
+
+Of course it would never do for the French to attack in Champagne while
+the rest of the Allied troops lay quiet in their trenches. The enemy
+must be engaged at various points all along the line, so that he could
+not mass reinforcements against the great attack. Further, he must not
+be allowed to know exactly where the main thrust was to take place. The
+Allies intended, as we shall learn later, to make a big offensive
+between La Bassée and Lens, and to fight holding battles elsewhere.
+
+Early in the month of September, during perfect autumn weather, a
+general bombardment began along the whole front. The airmen were very
+busy, and in the third week of the month there were no fewer than
+twenty-seven fights over the British front alone. On 23rd September the
+bombardment began to grow very violent. The guns had begun the overture
+to the great drama on which the curtain was now about to rise.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+All was now ready. The French trenches were packed with men, waiting for
+the guns to cease fire and the order to advance. Meanwhile the greatest
+bombardment that the world had ever known was in progress. General
+Joffre had instructed his artillery commanders to smash up the enemy's
+trenches, and to destroy their dug-outs in such a fashion "that may make
+it possible for my men to march to the assault with their rifles at the
+shoulder." It is impossible to describe in words the awful din of the
+guns. The sky overhead was a canopy of flying shells, and a rain of
+death fell upon the German trenches. Wire entanglements were blown into
+a myriad fragments; concreted trenches were swept into shapeless ruin,
+and the troops holding them were buried alive in their dug-outs.
+Hundreds of men went mad through sheer terror. The big shells raised
+huge geysers of earth and smoke wherever they fell, and the French
+gunners, stripped to the waist, never ceased or slackened their fire for
+three days and two nights. Upon and behind the German trenches a cascade
+of fire continued to fall; the enemy could neither advance nor retreat.
+
+At 5.30 on the morning of 25th September the _réveillé_ rang out along
+the French lines. It was a gray, dismal morning, but the men were in
+good heart. They drank their morning coffee, looked to their equipment,
+and waited for the word that would launch them against the foe. Every
+man wore a patch of white calico on his back, so that the French gunners
+might know their own men, and not fire upon them. At 9.5 the regimental
+flags were unrolled; for the first time in this war the troops were to
+go into action with colours flying.
+
+At 9.15 the guns suddenly ceased to fire, whistles shrilled all along
+the line, and bugles pealed the charge. "_En avant! Vaincre ou
+mourir!_"[71] shouted the officers, and a human wave of blue-gray,
+fifteen miles in length and topped with steel, surged from the trenches.
+Onward, with hoarse cheering and snatches of song, they went, under a
+hail of fire from the German batteries and from machine guns hurriedly
+withdrawn from deep dug-outs which the French guns had not wrecked.
+Despite the terrible gunfire, stretches of unbroken wire still remained,
+and amidst these death-traps many men fell. Numerous others were shot
+down in front of steel obstacles which had to be blown up before the
+advance could proceed. Nevertheless the French infantry swept on, and
+plunged into the ruin of the German first line. Leaving detachments to
+ferret out prisoners from the deeper dug-outs, the French made for the
+second line. So fierce did the German fire become, that they frequently
+had to lie flat on the ground and crawl forward. But in a lull they rose
+again to their feet and advanced once more. Soon they were on the edge
+of the woods, where the German field guns, unable to get away, were
+firing at point-blank range. They flung themselves upon the guns, and in
+a few seconds had captured whole batteries. Prisoners were taken by the
+hundred--broken, stricken men, dazed and stupefied by the terrible
+bombardment.
+
+In some places the assault was pushed into the second German line; in
+other places men still battled furiously in the first line. Battalions
+became mixed up, but in a short time order was restored, and the troops
+surged on again. Wounded men cried out to their comrades to leave them
+and proceed. "Go on," they cried, "don't mind us. It's only you who are
+whole who matter now." Then the guns came up with a thunderous rumble,
+and unlimbering like magic, prepared the way for a further advance of
+the infantry. African troops were ordered up to finish the business with
+cold steel, and behind them came the cavalry--dragoons, chasseurs, and
+Spahis--making a charge and fighting from the saddle for the first time
+since the trench war began. They sabred the fleeing Germans and swept up
+hundreds of prisoners, while the "trench cleaners," as the Algerians and
+Senegalese are called, scoured the ruined earthworks for the lurking
+foe.
+
+The most desperate fighting was on the left, where the cavalry charged
+the line of wooded hills between Auberive and Souain. The French
+infantry on the extreme left were held up before they had advanced
+little more than half a mile, but, later on, they took trench after
+trench, and by midday were two miles in front of their starting-point.
+It was in this part of the line that the Colonial troops, led by General
+Marchand,[72] made a splendid advance, in the course of which their
+brave leader fell. He was standing on the parapet of a German trench,
+smoking his pipe and urging his men forward, when he was struck down.
+
+All through the wet afternoon the battle continued, and only when
+twilight fell was it possible to reckon up the gains of the day. On a
+front of fifteen miles, the French had pushed forward, on the average,
+two and a half miles. Our allies had drawn near to the village of
+Tahure, but they had not captured it, neither had they seized the
+Butte[73] of Tahure which overlooks the railway, nor the Butte of Mesnil
+which you see to the south-east of Tahure. Eastward of the latter hill
+there is high ground from which spurs stretch out southwards like the
+open fingers of a hand. On each of the fingers of this Hand of
+Massiges,[74] as the French called it, the Germans had constructed a
+great stronghold of criss-crossed trenches with forts at intervals. It
+was as though five labyrinths lay side by side. So strong was the
+position that the Germans said it could be held against a whole army by
+two washerwomen with machine guns. The French, however, had already
+carried part of it, and also the farmhouse which you see on the westward
+edge of the high ground. The whole German first line had gone, and large
+parts of the second line west of Navarin Farm and east of Tahure had
+been captured.
+
+For every yard of front which the French had won they had taken an
+unwounded prisoner, and for every mile, nine guns. During the fighting
+some 21,000 prisoners were captured. The Germans surrendered by hundreds
+at a time. Most of them had been without food for several days and were
+suffering from thirst, and all of them had been completely cowed by the
+terrible bombardment.
+
+Though the French had made such good progress, the battle was far from
+over. German counter-attacks were already preparing and might be
+expected any moment. At all costs the enemy must be prevented from
+bringing up his reserves and strengthening his remaining line of
+defence. So while the French infantry worked like inspired giants all
+through the night, digging themselves in, building parapets, and
+installing their machine guns, heavy batteries lumbered and swayed
+forward over the scarred and pitted ground, and began a new bombardment
+from advanced positions. On the next day, Sunday, all the summits of the
+downs were cleared from Auberive to the Butte of Souain. A hill facing
+the Butte of Tahure was captured by the evening, and the northern slopes
+of the Hand of Massiges were won.
+
+By means of artillery and bomb attacks the line slowly advanced and was
+knitted up all along its length. The fighting during Sunday was far more
+trying than that of Saturday. "If you only knew what these days and
+nights are like," wrote an officer; "condemned to remain crouching in
+the mud under an avalanche of shells, under an almost unceasing rain,
+with but few supplies brought up, in the midst of bodies more or less
+mangled by shot and shell, and in our ears always the groans of the
+dying and the moans of the wounded."
+
+The Germans rushed up all the men that they could spare from other parts
+of the line, and on Monday the Crown Prince tried to break through the
+French trenches in the Argonne. His troops advanced after a gas attack,
+but they were too weak to do more than carry a few yards. It was not
+necessary to draw off a single man from the Champagne armies to repulse
+him.
+
+The second great French effort began on Wednesday, 29th September, when
+an attack was launched against the German position to the west of
+Navarin Farm. Already the French had pierced the second line on a front
+of about five-eighths of a mile. They strove hard to widen the gap so
+that the cavalry might push through, but again and again they were
+repulsed, and all that they could do was to dig shelter trenches and
+cling to the breach in the face of a murderous fire that assailed them
+in front and in flank. With this check the great battle of Champagne may
+be said to have ended.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The French had probably about 110,000 casualties in the five days'
+fighting. It was estimated that the Germans lost 140,000 men, including
+21,000 prisoners, and 121 guns. Despite their great sacrifice of life,
+the distance gained by the French was too small to be shown on an
+ordinary map. But we shall make a great mistake if we measure the effect
+of the French effort by the amount of ground gained. The aim and object
+of generalship is not to occupy territory, but to foil the enemy's plans
+and destroy his forces. The victory at the Marne stopped any further
+invasion of France and ruined the German plan, while the resistance in
+Flanders and Artois prevented the enemy from reaching the Channel ports.
+The Champagne battles threw the enemy upon the defensive; it wore down
+his numbers and disheartened him, and proved that his most strongly
+fortified lines could be pierced, if the Allies were willing to pay the
+cost.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Though there was no great offensive on the Western front during the rest
+of the year, fighting continued in Champagne during October. The Germans
+sent reserves to this region, and on 6th October the French made an
+effort to carry the village and Butte of Tahure, in order that they
+might command the cross-railway which supplied the German front. After a
+long and strong bombardment by massed guns the French carried the crest
+of the Butte, and their guns now cut off the Germans in the village from
+support and reinforcements. Then they swept from the west and south into
+a wood in which the enemy had constructed seven lines of parallel
+trenches, and, after carrying them, entered the village, where over a
+thousand prisoners were taken. The summit of the Butte was now in the
+hands of the French, and this was the farthest point they reached during
+the year 1915.
+
+This success and the capture of very strong trenches to the north of the
+Navarin Farm drove the Germans to desperate efforts. They knew that
+another vigorous thrust would push them back from their railway and
+force them to retreat. On the night of 8th October they made a great
+counter-attack on the Butte, but achieved nothing. Meanwhile their hold
+on the Butte of Mesnil, which formed an awkward sag in the French lines,
+had been greatly shaken. On 24th October the French carried a very
+powerful fortress in this position, and afterwards beat off numerous
+attacks. They had thus removed a danger from their flank and were
+enabled to straighten out their line.
+
+On the 30th of the same month the Germans attacked the Butte of Tahure
+and retook the summit, capturing 21 officers and 1,215 men. They forced
+the French back to the southern side of the hill, but they could do no
+more. Nevertheless, they had eased their position. They could still use
+the cross-railway for supplying their lines during the winter's lull
+which was soon to set in.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A correspondent who visited the battlefields of Champagne during the
+month of September tells us that the ground over which the struggle had
+raged looked and smelled like a garbage heap. "Over an area as long as
+from Charing Cross to Hampstead Heath, and as wide as from the Bank to
+the Marble Arch, the earth is pitted with the craters caused by bursting
+shells, as is pitted the face of a man who has had the small-pox. Any of
+these shell-holes was large enough to hold a barrel; many of them would
+have held a horse; I saw one, caused by the explosion of a mine, which
+we estimated to be seventy feet deep and twice that in diameter. In the
+terrific blast that caused it five hundred German soldiers perished."
+
+The battlefield was thickly covered with unexploded shells,
+hand-grenades, and bombs. In a captured trench the correspondent saw one
+of the steel revolving turrets, some six feet high and eight or nine in
+diameter, in which the Germans had installed a quick-firing gun. The
+door of the turret was fastened by a chain and padlock, and when burst
+open the bodies of three Germans were discovered. They had been locked
+in by their officers, and left to fight and die with no chance of
+escape.
+
+[Footnote 69: In 451, when Attila, the King of the Huns, was overthrown;
+in 1430, when the English hold on France was shaken by the victorious
+progress of Joan of Arc from Orleans to Rheims; and in 1792, at Valmy,
+where the Prussians were beaten and the young republic of France was
+saved.]
+
+[Footnote 70: Mr. E. A. Powell in _Vive la France_.]
+
+[Footnote 71: "Forward! Conquer or die!"]
+
+[Footnote 72: French officer who crossed Africa from the Atlantic coast
+to the White Nile in 1898 and claimed Fashoda for the French. He was met
+by Lord (then Sir Herbert) Kitchener, who said to him, "I congratulate
+you on all you have accomplished." "No," replied Major Marchand,
+pointing to his troops, "it is not I but these soldiers who have done
+it." Kitchener surrounded Marchand's forces and ordered him to withdraw
+his troops or to haul down his flag. For a moment there was a chance of
+war between Britain and France, but the French Government decided to
+withdraw the troops, and the incident ended with an acknowledgment of
+our right to the Nile valley.]
+
+[Footnote 73: French word for rising ground, knoll.]
+
+[Footnote 74: _Mass-seige._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIII.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF LOOS.--I.
+
+
+You will remember that, in order to prevent the Germans from massing
+their forces to resist the great French offensive in Champagne, the
+Allies had prepared attacks on other parts of the enemy's line. While
+the French were pushing forward across the miry downs of Champagne, six
+separate assaults were launched on the German front between Lens and
+Ypres--four to the north of the La Bassée Canal and two to the south of
+it. The four attacks which were made to the north of the canal were
+merely for the purpose of distracting the enemy's attention; the two
+attacks which were made to the south of the canal were part of the main
+movement against the enemy's lines of communication. While the French in
+Champagne strove to capture the railway by which the Germans maintained
+themselves in this region, the French and British tried to seize the
+railway junction of Lens and open a road into the plain of the Scheldt.
+Had these thrusts from the south and the west fully succeeded, the enemy
+would have been forced to retire, probably into Belgium.
+
+I shall not trouble you with an account of the "holding" attacks which
+were made to the north of the La Bassée Canal. Three of them served
+their purpose and resulted in some gains, but the fourth, which was made
+against the Aubers Ridge, came to grief. The two attacks which I shall
+describe at length are those which were made by the French and the
+British south of the canal.
+
+Turn back to the map on page 223 and find the village of Souchez. South
+and east of this village you observe that there is high ground, which is
+nowhere more than 400 feet above sea-level. This high ground is known as
+the Vimy Heights, from the name of the village which you see by the side
+of the railway line running from Arras to Lens. On 26th September the
+French began to attack these heights, and by the morning of the 29th
+had fought their way up them foot by foot, and were in a position to
+command the railway from Lens to Arras. I wish I had space to describe
+this fine achievement fully. As, however, this book is specially meant
+for British boys and girls, I must pass over the splendid work done by
+the French in capturing the Vimy Heights, and turn to the exploits of
+our own men. By winning the Vimy Heights the French had cut off Lens
+from Arras; the British were now to try to cut off Lens from La Bassée.
+
+Look carefully at the map on page 349 and follow the German first line
+of trenches from north to south. Less than a mile and a half south of
+the canal, and about half a mile inside the German line, you see a
+position marked Fosse 8, and south of it the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Fosse
+8 was a great slag heap which commanded the country to the south and had
+been strongly fortified. The Hohenzollern Redoubt was a pear-shaped
+stronghold situated on a gentle rise about 500 yards in front of the
+line. Its broad end pointed northwards and it had a clear field of fire
+before it, every inch of which could be swept by the machine guns
+inside. The whole position was criss-crossed by trenches and resembled
+the famous Labyrinth. It was connected with the main line by two
+trenches. That which ran to the rear from the south end was called "Big
+Willie," and the corresponding trench at the north end was known as
+"Little Willie."
+
+South of the Hohenzollern Redoubt the line ran along the western slope
+of the downs which you see marked on the map. Then the line curved
+westwards, passing the Loos Redoubt, and after crossing the Béthune-Lens
+road, curved back eastwards in front of what was known as Double
+Crassier,[75] another slag heap which had been strongly fortified.
+
+Now look at the German reserve line, which was roughly parallel with the
+front line, and from less than a mile to two miles behind it. Notice the
+Quarries, which had been turned into a stronghold, and the mining
+village of Loos, which lies in a shallow hollow. Behind the village
+rises Hill 70, on which there was a strong redoubt.
+
+[Illustration: Battle of Loos.--The Front from La Bassée to Lens.]
+
+Now follow the third line. Behind it you will see a string of mining
+villages--Haisnes,[76] Cité St. Elie, and Hulluch. The line crossed the
+Lens-La Bassée road at Hulluch and then ran a little east and south
+behind a chalk pit and Pit No. 14. The villages and the pits which I
+have mentioned were fortresses, and there were numerous other mounds and
+hillocks that had been turned into strongholds.
+
+From the British front the country seemed a dead-flat plain studded with
+the head-gear of pits and groups of small houses, and seamed with roads.
+There was scarcely a tree in sight, and except for the collieries and
+slag heaps, the plain looked something like the South African veldt.
+But behind the downs which shut in the view of our men facing the
+northern half of the line, there were innumerable places where batteries
+of machine guns lay concealed.
+
+The map shows you that two corps of the First Army, under Sir Douglas
+Haig, were arrayed for the assault. The 1st Corps, under General
+Gough,[77] consisted of the 2nd, 9th, and 7th Divisions: the 2nd
+Division lay north of the canal, the 9th Division opposite to Fosse 8,
+and the 7th Division facing the Quarries. The 9th Division consisted of
+Scottish regiments--Highland and Lowland, "kilties" and men wearing the
+trews. South of the road from Vermelles to Hulluch lay the 4th Army
+Corps, under General Sir Henry Rawlinson. The 1st Division of his
+command was posted just south of the road; opposite to the Loos Redoubt
+was the 15th Division, also a wholly Scottish division, composed of men
+of the new army. This division had been for three months or more in the
+trenches facing Loos, and it was well acquainted with the ground over
+which it was soon to charge. On the extreme right was the 47th Division
+of Londoners.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the guns began to roar in Champagne, the British artillery along
+the whole five-mile front from Givenchy to Grenay joined in the tumult.
+Across the plain a tornado of shells swept upon the German positions,
+and in many places the trenches were pounded into utter ruin. At 6.30 on
+the morning of 25th September the guns lifted their muzzles, and the
+high explosive shells rained a deluge of fire behind the first line of
+German defence. Then the whistles blew, and five miles of British troops
+with fixed bayonets clambered over their trenches. The great advance had
+begun.
+
+[Illustration: The Storming of Loos Road Redoubt.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This redoubt (see map, page 349) was a fortified tongue of land jutting
+out of the German first-line trench. It was semicircular in form, and
+was protected by a perfect jungle of barbed wire entanglements. The
+British guns smashed the redoubt to ruin, and on September 25, 1915, it
+was carried. (See page 357.)]
+
+We will first follow the fortunes of the 9th Division, now making for
+Fosse 8 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Enfilading fire from the village
+of Auchy streamed down upon the Lowlanders on the left, and took a heavy
+toll of them as they advanced. Nevertheless they pushed on, crossed the
+railway, and in a few minutes were thrusting and bombing in the German
+trenches. So fierce, however, was the fire that they could not cling to
+them, and slowly during the day they were driven back. Meanwhile the
+26th Highland Brigade on the right had rushed the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
+The bombardment had wrecked it, and saps had been run up to within a
+short distance of "Little Willie." Our losses were heavy, but the
+stronghold was won.
+
+Camerons, Seaforths, and Black Watch now advanced over a bare,
+shell-swept piece of ground towards Fosse 8, from which a hail of
+machine-gun fire beat down upon them like a thunderstorm in autumn. As
+the Lowlanders on their left had been held up, and their flank was in
+the air, the 27th Brigade was hurried up in support, and was soon busy
+with bomb and bayonet in the maze of trenches and cottages to the east
+of the Fosse. By midday we had pushed forward a broad salient on this
+part of the line, and had captured the chief works of the enemy, though
+the Germans were not entirely cleared out of them. The rear was so
+studded with little forts, each pouring out a murderous fire, that
+little further progress could be made. Our men fell fast, and as we had
+but few reserves, it was clear that we could not long hold on to our
+gains in this part of the line.
+
+Now let us see how the 7th Division was faring. There were no great
+strongholds in their front, so they swept forward right across the
+German first line, and reached the western end of the Quarries, where
+for a time the Reserve Line held them up. Nevertheless the van pushed
+on, entered the village of Cité St. Elie, gained the highroad, turned
+northwards, and by ten o'clock was in the village of Haisnes. Judging
+from the map, you would say that the Germans still clinging to the
+eastern edges of Fosse 8 and Hohenzollern Redoubt were now taken between
+two fires, and that nothing could save them. But the vanguard, which had
+pushed northwards along the highroad to Haisnes, was not strong enough
+to hold on to the village, and by midday it had fallen back, and the
+front of the 7th Division lay from the western side of the Quarries
+eastwards to Cité St. Elie. In the Quarries was a German howitzer
+battery which we could not destroy and the enemy could not use.
+
+[Footnote 75: _Krass-e-a._]
+
+[Footnote 76: _Haine._]
+
+[Footnote 77: Killed by a chance bullet on October 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIV.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF LOOS.--II.
+
+
+The 1st Division, lying to the south of the 7th Division, made excellent
+progress. Its 1st Brigade swept forward for a mile and three-quarters,
+and by noon was across the highroad, on the outskirts of Hulluch, and up
+against the last German line. On the right, however, the 2nd Brigade was
+checked by wire and trenches which our artillery had not destroyed; and
+it lay pinned to the ground till afternoon, when reserves were sent up
+through the wide rent which, we shall learn later, had been torn in the
+German lines by the 15th Division. These reserves cut off and captured a
+German detachment 700 strong, and enabled the 2nd Brigade to go forward
+and join the 1st Brigade in front of Hulluch.
+
+Now we come to the most brilliant advance of the day, that which was
+made by the 15th and 47th Divisions against Loos. This advance resulted,
+as you will learn, in the capture of the village, and shook the whole
+German front. For a brief time the Germans thought that all was lost,
+and they began to move their big guns out of Lens. The 47th Division of
+Londoners meant to "make good" that day. For weeks they had been busy
+with preparations, and when the hour arrived everything went like
+clockwork. They had constructed a big model of the countryside, and had
+studied it so well that every man knew the lie of the ground, and
+exactly where he had to go. One battalion--the 19th London--lost all its
+officers; yet the men went on without them, and carried out the arranged
+plan without a mistake. The 18th (London Irish), the 19th (St. Pancras),
+and the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) were on the left of the attack,
+and the 6th, 7th, and 8th (Post Office Rifles) on the right. Cannot you
+imagine the amazement of the French gunners who watched the start when
+they saw one of the London Irish kick off a football from the parapet
+and dribble it towards the German lines?
+
+[Illustration: British Troops swarming over the German First Line
+Trenches and dashing onwards towards Loos, the "Tower Bridge," and Hill
+70.
+
+(_From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)
+
+Notice the Tower Bridge, as it was called by our soldiers. It was the
+head-gear of a pit, and consisted of twin towers connected by a bridge.
+It had been seen by our men, foreshortened over the downs, for many
+months past. They believed that the Germans had constructed it before
+the war as an observation station.]
+
+In half an hour the stronghold of the Double Crassier had been carried,
+and the men of the 47th Division were pushing on to the village of Loos
+through clouds of bursting shrapnel. Before long they had seized the
+cemetery, and their left was on the outskirts of the village. A few
+minutes later and they were surging into the shattered streets of Loos,
+where they joined hands with the Highlanders of the 15th Division
+beneath the "Tower Bridge." Then began a fierce and deadly struggle.
+Every ruined house was packed with Germans from cellar to garret; the
+muzzles of rifles and machine guns peeped out of every window and
+through every grating. Through the wet, slippery streets went our men,
+bursting through barricades, battering down doors, fighting upstairs and
+downstairs, bombing the enemy out of cellars, slag heaps, and
+pit-workings, and gradually clearing the place. In a deep cellar a
+German officer was discovered directing by telephone the fire of the
+batteries, which were smashing the ruined village to atoms. So the
+fierce, red work went on, and by nine in the morning Loos was won.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The inhabitants of Loos were overjoyed when the British entered the
+village and set them free from German bondage. Though the place had been
+heavily shelled for many months, some of the people had lived in their
+cellars all the time. When our men appeared they came out of their
+hiding-places, and while doing so some of them were killed. The
+remainder, however, were sent to a place of safety, and were given food.
+Some of the women greeted the Highlanders with hearty kisses. A pretty
+girl of eighteen, named Emilienne Moreau, was one of the first to assist
+our wounded. She helped to carry in the stricken men and to bandage
+them. As the poor, helpless fellows lay on their stretchers two German
+snipers in a neighbouring house opened fire on them. This was more than
+the brave girl could bear. Suddenly, without a word, she bent down
+beside a wounded officer and took his revolver out of his holster. Armed
+with this weapon, she disappeared down a side street and made her way to
+the house in which the snipers were hidden. She managed to get inside by
+means of a side entrance, and, taking steady aim, shot them both. Such
+is the story of the girl who will go down to history as "the heroine of
+Loos." On November 27, 1915, she was decorated with the French Military
+Cross. When General de Sailly pinned the decoration on her breast, he
+said, "I congratulate and admire you, young lady. You do honour to the
+women of France. You are a fine and inspiring example." And so say all
+of us.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The most remarkable success of the day was obtained by the 15th
+Division. Let me remind you that this division consisted of Scottish
+soldiers, and that they lay in front of the Loos Redoubt. The 44th
+Brigade of this division was to make its thrust direct at the village;
+the 46th Brigade, on the left, was to sweep round and enter it on the
+north side; while the 45th Brigade was held in reserve. We will now
+follow the fortunes of the 9th Black Watch and the 8th Seaforths of the
+44th Brigade. They were now about to assault the village; the 7th
+Camerons were in support, and the 10th Gordons were to follow on.
+
+Do you remember the great gas attack of the Germans at the Second Battle
+of Ypres? You will remember what a shock of horror went through the
+civilized world when the Germans resorted to this foul weapon. We had
+never dreamed of sending clouds of poisoned gas against our enemies, but
+now we were forced to pay them back in their own coin. Many people at
+home thought that we ought to refrain from using gas, but our generals
+thought otherwise, and in times of warfare their word is law. But the
+gas which we were now about to use was not poisoned. It was far less
+hurtful than that of the Germans. Men who breathed it were rendered
+insensible for a time; they were neither killed nor subjected to
+horrible tortures. We also used, for the first time in this battle,
+clouds of smoke to screen our advance.
+
+At ten minutes to six on the morning of 25th September the nozzles of
+the gas cylinders in front of our trenches were opened, and the men
+watched anxiously as the whitish cloud moved slowly upwards towards the
+German lines near the crown of the slope. A very light wind blew from
+the south-west, and in the hollow where Loos stands formed an eddy which
+blew back the gas on to the 46th Brigade. Our men were wearing their gas
+helmets, but for a moment the choking cloud caused them to hesitate,
+whereupon Piper Daniel Laidlaw climbed the parapet and played a march
+that put new heart into his comrades. You will learn on a later page
+that he received the Victoria Cross for this fine deed.
+
+The Highlanders saw before them the line of green-gray sand-bags which
+they had watched through their periscopes day by day for months past.
+The parapets of the enemy, which had so long barred their way, were soon
+to be the starting-point for their advance. Now the great guns got to
+work, and in less than half an hour the barrier was crushed and pounded
+into ruin. The wire was blown into a million fragments, and the parapets
+were utterly destroyed. The strong redoubt of Loos was raked fore and
+aft, and the German trenches were full of dead.
+
+At 6.30 the whistles blew; the Highlanders scrambled over the parapets,
+and with a rush dashed into the wrecked trenches. At five minutes past
+seven the whole of the German first line position, several trenches
+deep, was in their hands. Even in the first rush many men were mown down
+by the machine guns which desperate Germans had hidden in deep dug-outs
+and had brought into play when the bombardment ceased. But nothing could
+stay the Scots. On they went, cheering and singing, through the reeking
+cloud of gas and smoke, and in a few minutes were rushing down the slope
+towards Loos. The entanglements of the reserve line had been broken in
+many places, but here and there patches of uncut wire remained, and the
+Black Watch had to cut them under heavy fire. The ground was carpeted
+with their dead, but they did not waver; they swarmed over the reserve
+line, and at twenty minutes to eight, an hour and ten minutes after they
+had left their trenches, they were shooting and stabbing and hurling
+bombs in the four rambling streets and in the gardens and enclosures of
+Loos, along with their comrades of the 47th Division, who had entered
+from the south. One Cameron sergeant was seen with a machine gun on his
+shoulder, pouring a stream of bullets into window after window. The 46th
+Brigade was rapidly closing in from the north. Two and a half hours
+after the advance began, Loos was clear of the enemy.
+
+[Illustration: A Scottish Highlander rescuing a French Girl in the
+Village of Loos.
+
+Many moving incidents took place when the British entered Loos. Many of
+the inhabitants, who had been living in the cellars, came out to heap
+blessings on the head of their deliverers. A Highlander is here seen
+carrying a fainting French girl into a place of safety.]
+
+The Highlanders, however, were not content. It was their business not
+only to take Loos, but to capture the broad down marked on the map as
+Hill 70, and some of them believed that when it was won supports would
+follow them, and they were to push on as far as they could. The remnants
+of the Highland Brigade, with Camerons and Gordons leading, now rushed
+up the western slope of Hill 70, and were at once met by a fierce fire.
+The Germans came out of their trenches as if to attack, and at the sight
+the Highlanders streamed up the hill like hares, the green tartans of
+the Gordons mingling with those of the Camerons. They were fired at from
+front and flank, but on they swept, carrying all before them, and by
+nine in the morning they were on the summit of the hill.
+
+They stormed the redoubt at the top, and many of the garrison
+surrendered. Without pausing to secure the place, they sped down the
+eastern slope and reached the outskirts of the village of Cité St.
+Auguste. They were now right through the last line of German trenches,
+and were in a district where every fold in the ground sheltered a
+machine gun. By this time they were reduced to a few hundreds; they had
+no supports south or north, and no reserves were following them up. The
+redoubt on Hill 70 opened fire again, while from several strongholds in
+the neighbourhood streams of lead played upon them. In the course of
+three hours they had advanced nearly four miles, and the last line of
+the German defence was in their rear. Had reserves been available, and
+had their flanks been secure, Lens must have fallen and the Germans must
+have retreated.
+
+The Highlanders had gone too far, and they were now hidden in the fog
+and smoke of the eastern slope from the eyes of their comrades who were
+battling against the redoubt on the hill. They must be recalled, and two
+officers volunteered to go forward with the order to retire. Both fell
+on the way, but the order reached the stragglers, who turned and began
+to fight their way back through the encircling fire. Few of them
+returned to the British lines on the hill. "All down the slope towards
+Lens lay the tartans, Gordon and Black Watch, Seaforth and Cameron, like
+the drift left on the shore when the tide has ebbed."
+
+You will probably ask, Where were the reserves at this time? Why were
+they not brought up promptly, so that the gains of the Highlanders might
+be made good? There was a whole army corps in reserve. Where was it at
+this critical time? Sir John French tells us that he kept it under his
+own command, so that he might throw it into that part of the line where
+the need was greatest. On the night before the battle two divisions of
+this corps were about five miles from our old firing-line; another
+division--the Guards--lay nearly twenty miles from Loos, while other
+divisions were still more remote. All the reserves which Sir Douglas
+Haig possessed at the beginning of the battle consisted of the 3rd
+Cavalry Division. After the fall of Loos, when the Highlanders were in
+front of Cité St. Auguste, Sir John French sent him the 21st and 24th
+Divisions. At that time they were about eight miles from our front, and
+they could not possibly arrive before the German counter-attacks began.
+Long before they appeared the enemy was hurrying up fresh troops and
+flinging them against our worn and weary men. All through the drizzling
+rain of the afternoon until the sun set in a stormy sky our men were
+heavily assailed. They were clinging to their gains; but their hold on
+Fosse 8, on Pit 14, and on Hill 70 was weakening.
+
+Through the wet, dark night two divisions of the Eleventh Army marched
+towards the firing-line, in order to relieve two brigades of the 15th
+Division. They were quite new to the work of war, and some of them had
+only landed in France a few days before. Sir John French had reviewed
+them, and had been struck by their fine martial appearance, and he now
+proposed to send them into the thick of the fighting. On the morning of
+Sunday one of these divisions began to advance towards the trenches
+across open ground under a terrible fire. It was an ordeal too great for
+any unseasoned troops, and they gave way.
+
+The German counter-attacks continued all night. The 7th Division were
+driven out of their trenches at the Quarries, but in the afternoon of
+Sunday they regained the lost ground. By this time the 21st and 24th
+Divisions had arrived. One brigade of the 24th Division pushed forward
+most gallantly between Hulluch and the Chalk Pit; but the advance was
+carried too far, and in the afternoon it was forced to retrace its steps
+with heavy losses. Meanwhile the 21st Division had to bear the brunt of
+a very heavy German attack. The men had been without food and water for
+many hours, and were worn out with much fighting. Three times their
+officers rallied them, but they were forced back, and our advanced
+positions towards Hulluch were lost. Some of the trenches on Hill 70 had
+also been recaptured, and it was feared that we could not hold on to the
+rising ground much longer. Many a British soldier, half dead with
+fatigue, his eyes bloodshot and bleared with powder smoke, looked
+anxiously to the rear and muttered beneath his breath, "Will the
+reserves never come?"
+
+The Guards were coming up, but they were then eight miles away; and were
+not being hurried, for they were intended to carry on the next stage of
+the advance. The fate of the two new divisions had upset all the plans,
+and troops that had been withdrawn from the trenches had to be sent back
+again. The 45th Brigade of the 15th Division was ordered to retake the
+lost ground on Hill 70. It advanced, but was met by a terrible shell
+fire, and could not proceed. Four times Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas
+Hamilton led forward the Camerons; he fell at the head of the fifty men
+who alone survived. The position of affairs was now desperate, and it
+continued to be so all that day and all through the following night. So
+weak were our lines during the hours of darkness that the Germans could
+easily have driven us out of Loos had they made an attack in force. Not
+until Monday at noon did the Guards arrive and take over the front from
+the heroic 15th Division. In the two days' fighting it had lost more
+than 6,000 men. The fiery spirit of the Gael and the dogged endurance of
+the Lowlander had added new glory to the fighting fame of Scotland.
+
+Nothing was more surprising in the Battle of Loos than the high spirits
+of our men, even in the darkest hour of trial. Even the badly wounded
+came out of action singing and waving blood-stained bayonets. Those who
+were sent back to billets woke from their much-needed sleep ready and
+even eager to plunge again into the fray. During the wet and misty
+Monday Sir Douglas Haig was reinforced by the 28th Division; but before
+it could arrive we had lost Fosse 8, and the Germans were bombing our
+men out of the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
+
+In the afternoon the news spread like wildfire that "the Guards were
+going in." They were now to take the field for the first time in this
+war as a division, and great things were expected of them. They were to
+win back the three-quarters of a mile of ground which we had lost
+between Hulluch and the Loos-La Bassée road, and right nobly did they do
+it. The 1st Brigade carried all before it, and reached the road; the
+Irish Guards and the Coldstreams of the 2nd Brigade also crossed the
+road, and, facing a terrific fire, which lost them their colonel and
+eleven officers, carried the Chalk Pit; while the Welsh Guards and the
+Grenadiers of the 3rd Brigade, advancing as though on parade, swept
+through Loos, and advanced through a storm of gas shells towards Hill
+70. As they pushed on, the wearied Londoners and the other troops
+holding our line cheered themselves hoarse. The Guards gained the crest
+of the hill, but being too much exposed to fire from the Redoubt, dug in
+about a hundred yards to the west of it.
+
+Next day a very determined effort was made to carry Pit 14; but it
+failed, and the much-debated ground became a No Man's Land which neither
+side dared cross. The battle was now drawing to a close. While the enemy
+continued to shell our trenches we laboured to strengthen our lines. On
+a front of 6,500 yards we had everywhere carried the enemy's first line,
+and broken up his reserve line, while in one case we had pushed through
+his last position. We had captured over 3,000 of the enemy and more than
+fifty of his officers. Twenty-six field guns and forty machine guns, as
+well as much war material, had fallen into our hands. Some of these guns
+were afterwards exhibited in London and in other parts of the kingdom as
+trophies of war.
+
+The Battle of Loos was a real success. It had resulted in useful gains,
+and it had proved that our infantry were second to none in the world.
+But even in the midst of our rejoicings we could not help feeling
+disappointment. Much had been done, but more might have been done. We
+had struck a weak place in the enemy's line, but we were not ready to
+take full advantage of our good luck. Our first push had given us much
+ground; but we could not proceed because our reserves were not ready to
+follow up the advance. For twenty-four hours--from Saturday at midday
+until noon on Monday--broken and weary brigades clung heroically to the
+positions which they had won, waiting for supports to arrive. There was
+mismanagement somewhere--the same sort of mismanagement which we had
+suffered at Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. Our generals had not yet fully
+learnt the lessons of the new warfare. They were learning them in the
+best possible of all schools, but at a great cost of human life and
+effort. Between the 25th of September and the 1st of October we lost
+about 45,000 men, many of whom, however, were only slightly wounded. The
+French Staff calculated that the Germans had lost in the September
+battles not less than 200,000.
+
+For the first time for hundreds of years there was widespread mourning
+throughout Great Britain. The men of the new armies came from every
+class in the nation, and many households which had never before had a
+soldier son were plunged in grief. Three commanders of divisions fell,
+three Members of Parliament, and many who had distinguished themselves
+in civilian life as scholars or as captains of industry. But we know
+that all who fell, whether distinguished or undistinguished, generals or
+privates, played their parts like men for the land of their love and
+pride. Somewhere in Flanders there is a grave above which a wooden cross
+bears these words:--
+
+  "Tell England, ye that pass this monument,
+   That we who rest here died content."
+
+Equally content were those gallant men who fell in Artois during the
+closing days of September.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The results of the fighting in the West from 1st October to the end of
+the year may be summed up very briefly. Both in Champagne and on the
+British front between the La Bassée Canal and Lens, the Germans made
+fierce counter-attacks; but nowhere did they win more than momentary
+successes. On the 8th of October they assembled behind the Chalk Pit,
+and came on in four great waves, marching shoulder to shoulder, only to
+be shattered to fragments by our fire. Five days later we launched an
+attack against the German line between the Hohenzollern Redoubt and
+Hulluch; but though we won a thousand yards of trenches we could not
+remain in them. By this time nearly all the Redoubt and Fosse 8 had been
+recovered by the Germans, and on 13th October we began a three days'
+attack upon these positions. The North Midland Division covered itself
+with glory during two crowded days of incessant battle. The most
+desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place, and many notable deeds of
+gallantry were done. We won the main trench of the Redoubt, but no more.
+At the end of October our line was a little farther forward than it had
+been at the beginning of the month; but when we came to reckon up the
+losses of friend and foe, it was hard to say on which side the balance
+lay. Thereafter, to the end of the winter, both sides settled down to
+the long weariness of trench warfare.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLV.
+
+  BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.--I.
+
+
+The fighting on the Western front from the beginning of the September
+offensive to the close of the year abounded in heroic incidents, and
+many Victoria Crosses were won. In this and the next chapter I shall
+give you brief accounts of those who received the highest award of
+valour.
+
+Captain Anketell Montray Read, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.
+
+Near Hulluch, on the morning of 25th September, Captain Read, though
+suffering from gas, went out several times to rally men who had lost
+their units and were retiring. Utterly regardless of danger, he formed
+them up and led them back to the firing-line. While carrying out this
+gallant work he was mortally wounded. On several former occasions he had
+shown outstanding bravery.
+
+Lieutenant George Allan Maling, M.B., R.A.M.C.
+
+During the great offensive of September, Lieutenant Maling slaved
+unceasingly for twenty-six continuous hours in attending the wounded out
+in the open and under heavy fire. He ministered to no less than 300 men,
+but was at last flung down by the bursting of a high-explosive shell
+that killed several of his patients, wounded his assistant, and stunned
+him. When he had recovered, a second shell covered him with a torrent of
+earth; nevertheless "his high courage and zeal never failed him, and he
+continued his gallant work single-handed."
+
+Second Lieutenant Frederick Henry Johnson, 73rd Field Company, R.E.
+
+During the attack on Hill 70, Second Lieutenant Johnson, though wounded
+in the leg, stuck to his duty and led several charges against the
+redoubt. At a very critical time he rallied the men near him, and by his
+splendid example and cool courage saved the situation. He remained at
+his post until relieved in the evening.
+
+Sergeant H. Wells, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.
+
+On 25th September, when his platoon officer had been killed, Sergeant
+Wells took command and led his men forward to within fifteen yards of
+the German wire. By this time he had lost nearly half his platoon, and
+the remainder were much shaken. Nevertheless, with the utmost coolness
+and bravery he rallied them and led them forward. Again, when but few of
+them were left, he stood up and urged them on once more, but while doing
+so was killed. Rarely has a soldier shown a more splendid example of
+courage and devotion to duty.
+
+Piper Daniel Laidlaw, 7th Battalion, K.O.S.B.
+
+When Piper Laidlaw bade farewell to his wife, she said, "Mind you bring
+back the V.C." He thought it a fine joke--the V.C. was for heroes, not
+for pipers; but his opportunity came, and he nobly seized it. When on
+the morning of 25th September an eddy blew back the gas fumes upon the
+Borderers, some of the gasping, choking men were not ready to advance.
+"Laidlaw," shouted Lieutenant Young, "pipe 'em together." Without a
+moment's hesitation Laidlaw mounted the parapet and, marching up and
+down, played his company out of the trench. "I began," he said, "with
+the regimental march, 'Blue Bonnets over the Border.' My, but there's
+fire in the old tune, and the lads set up a cheer, sick as they were
+from the gas and the terrific pounding. I ran with 'em, and soon the
+whole line was advancing. I changed to 'The Braes o' Mar'--and then my
+shell burst." Lieutenant Young fell dead, and a fragment of barbed wire
+tore the piper's feet and brought him down. But even this did not put an
+end to his piping. He still played on, and many a lad felt his courage
+mount high as the old familiar tune rang in his ears. "Laidlaw," said
+the Colonel, when all was over, "you've done well this morning!" The
+gallant piper thought nothing of his exploit, but mourned for the young
+officer who had been stricken down by his side. In due course he
+returned home, proud to show his wife that he had obeyed her parting
+behest.
+
+[Illustration: Piper Daniel Laidlaw outside the British Trench playing
+"Blue Bonnets over the Border" to hearten his comrades to the Attack.
+
+(_From the picture by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)]
+
+Private George Peachment, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.
+
+Near Hulluch, on 25th September, Private Peachment saw his company
+commander lying wounded, and crawled out to assist him. He knelt in the
+open by the side of his officer, and while bandaging him was struck
+first by a fragment of a bomb, then by a bullet which found its billet.
+Private Peachment was one of the youngest men in his battalion.
+
+Private Arthur Vickers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
+
+During the advance on the first line of German trenches the
+Warwickshires found themselves held up by wire. Without waiting for
+orders, Private Vickers ran forward through very heavy shell, rifle, and
+machine-gun fire and cut the wire. It was broad daylight, and as he
+stood up to do the work, he was in full view of the enemy. Thanks to his
+fine pluck, a way was opened for the battalion to advance again.
+
+Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Falconer Douglas-Hamilton, 6th Battalion,
+Cameron Highlanders.
+
+You will remember that on Sunday, 26th September, the Germans flung
+their reserves upon our wornout men, and the situation was desperate.
+On Hill 70, when the battalions to the right and left had retired,
+Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas-Hamilton rallied his men again and again and
+led them forward three times. There were now only about fifty of his
+brave lads left; nevertheless he cried, "Come on, men. We will show them
+how to charge." As they pressed forward he fell--"the bravest man the
+Camerons have lost."
+
+Rifleman Kulbir Thapa, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha
+Rifles.
+
+This gallant Gurkha, though badly hit, found a wounded man of the 2nd
+Leicestershire Regiment behind the first-line German trench, and strove
+to help him in. The British soldier urged him to save himself; but the
+Indian refused to leave his white comrade, and remained with him all day
+and night. In the early morning of 26th September, when a mist hung over
+the battlefield, he managed to get the Leicestershire man into a
+sheltered place. He then went out again and brought in two wounded
+Gurkhas. Finally he returned to the British soldier, and in full view of
+the enemy staggered with his burden across the zone of fire into safety.
+
+Private Robert Dunsire, 13th Battalion, Royal Scots.
+
+Private Dunsire, who was a collier before the war and had only been
+married six months when he enlisted, was one of that noble band who
+freely risked limb and life to save others. He was sitting on the
+parapet of a trench on Hill 70 when he saw a wounded comrade crawling
+painfully along. At once he made a dive out of the trench, got the
+wounded man on his back, and brought him in. A quarter of an hour later,
+he spied and rescued another poor fellow in distress. "This time," he
+said, "it was worse than the first, as the shells were bursting all
+around, and the snipers kept up a continuous fire." Early in February
+1916 the sad news arrived that he had been killed.
+
+Corporal James Dalgleish Pollock, 5th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders.
+
+About noon on 27th September, when the enemy's bombers in superior
+numbers were working up the "Little Willie" towards the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt, Corporal Pollock got out of his trench, and walking along the
+top edge reached a position from which he was able to bomb the bombers
+from above. He was under heavy machine-gun fire the whole time, but was
+not wounded for a whole hour, during which time he prevented the Germans
+from advancing.
+
+Corporal Alfred Alexander Burt, 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+At Cuinchy on 27th September Corporal Burt's company had lined the front
+trench, ready for an attack, when a bomb from a trench mortar fell
+amongst them. In a moment Corporal Burt rushed forward, put his foot on
+the fuse, wrenched it out of the bomb, and threw it over the parapet,
+thus rendering the terrible missile harmless. His presence of mind and
+great pluck saved the lives of his men in the traverse.
+
+Second Lieutenant Alexander Buller Turnbull, 3rd Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), Royal Berkshire Regiment.
+
+On 28th September, when his regimental bombers could not make headway at
+Fosse 8, Lieutenant Turnbull went along a communication trench
+practically alone, and threw bombs so quickly and accurately that he
+drove back the Germans about 150 yards. By his gallantry he enabled the
+reserves to advance and to cover his regiment in its retirement.
+Unhappily this hero died shortly afterwards of wounds.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVI.
+
+  BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.--II.
+
+
+Second Lieutenant Arthur James Terence Fleming-Sandes, 2nd Battalion,
+East Surrey Regiment.
+
+Lieutenant Fleming-Sandes saved the situation at Hohenzollern Redoubt on
+29th September, when his own men and the troops on his right were
+beginning to retire owing to the heavy fire and their lack of bombs.
+Collecting a few grenades, he leaped on to the parapet and flung them at
+the Germans, then only twenty yards away. An enemy bomb wounded him, but
+he struggled to his feet and went forward, still hurling his missiles at
+the enemy. Again he was hit, and this time was put out of action; but
+his gallant example had put new heart into his men, and they beat off
+the attack.
+
+Private Samuel Harvey, 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.
+
+Private Harvey was in the "Big Willie" trench on 29th September, when
+the enemy were heavily attacking and our supply of bombs ran short. He
+volunteered to fetch more, and went to and fro across the open, under
+fearful fire, carrying boxes of grenades. He managed to bring up no less
+than thirty boxes before he was wounded in the head. By his cool bravery
+he enabled his comrades to drive back the enemy.
+
+Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.
+
+Near Loos on 8th October, when a strong party of the enemy had captured
+200 yards of our trenches, Lance-Sergeant Brooks, without waiting for
+orders, led forward a party of bombers with such fine dash and
+determination that the ground was regained. On 28th October the King,
+who was visiting his troops at the front, was thrown from his horse, and
+was badly bruised and shaken. His Majesty bore his sufferings with great
+fortitude, and while lying in a hospital train on the way home, desired
+that Lance-Sergeant Brooks should be brought to him to receive the
+Victoria Cross. The soldier knelt on the floor of the saloon and bent
+over the prostrate King; but his Majesty was so weak that he could not
+pin the decoration on the hero's breast. The incident was most
+touching--the King, helpless and suffering, yet determined to do honour
+to a gallant soldier who had served his country nobly. King and soldier,
+each in his sphere, thus set the nation an inspiring example of devotion
+to duty.
+
+[Illustration: His Majesty the King and Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks.
+
+(_From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)]
+
+Second Lieutenant Rupert Price Hallowes, 4th Battalion, Middlesex
+Regiment.
+
+At Hooge, between 25th September and 1st October, Lieutenant Hallowes
+over and over again inspired his men by his bravery and untiring energy.
+On one occasion he climbed on to the parapet and risked immediate death
+to encourage his comrades. Frequently he went forward into German
+positions during the night to spy out the land. During one of the
+attacks he went back under a heavy fire and brought up a fresh supply of
+bombs. Even when mortally wounded he continued to cheer his men and urge
+them to hold on.
+
+Sergeant-Major John Crawshaw Raynes, "A" Battery, 71st Brigade, R.F.A.
+
+When taking leave of his comrades before setting out for France,
+Sergeant-Major Raynes said to a chum, "I'll bet you a shilling I win the
+V.C." The wager was taken, and on 11th October, near Béthune, the
+sergeant won his bet. His battery had been very heavily bombarded, and
+when "Cease fire" was ordered he went out under a burst of heavy shells
+and bandaged Sergeant Ayres, who lay wounded forty yards in front. He
+then returned and worked his guns once more. During a pause in the
+firing he again went out to his friend and carried him into a dug-out. A
+gas shell burst at the mouth of the dug-out, and the wounded man was in
+peril of being suffocated. Seeing this, Sergeant-Major Raynes ran back
+across the open to fetch his gas helmet, which Sergeant Ayres donned and
+thus saved his life. Then the gallant Sergeant-Major, now badly gassed,
+staggered back to serve his guns once more. On 12th October he was
+buried in the ruins of a house, but was the first man to be rescued. He
+had been wounded in the head and the leg; nevertheless he worked might
+and main to save his comrades. As soon as his wounds were dressed he
+returned again to his battery.
+
+Second Lieutenant C. G. Vickers, 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battery, Sherwood
+Foresters.
+
+You will remember that on 13th October a division, consisting of
+Territorials from Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Grimsby, and
+other North Midland towns, was ordered to assault the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt. "It is a story of men attacking machine guns, of rushes across
+the open with no spot of cover, of fierce work with bomb and bayonet in
+a narrow trench. What flesh and blood could do they did." The Sherwood
+Foresters were sent in on the afternoon of the 13th, and bombing
+encounters went on all night. When reliefs were arrived at one o'clock
+on the morning of the 14th, Lieutenant Vickers was discovered holding a
+barrier against fierce German attacks from front and flank. All his men
+but two had been killed or wounded, and single-handed he was beating
+back the foe while his men built a barrier behind him. At last he was
+badly wounded, but not before he had secured the safety of his trench.
+
+Corporal James Lennox Dawson, 187th Company, R.E.
+
+Prior to the war Corporal Dawson was a science master in Hill's Trust
+School, Govan. On 13th October, at Hohenzollern Redoubt, we prepared a
+gas attack against the enemy. Corporal Dawson, who had already proved
+himself a gallant and resourceful leader, discovered that three of our
+gas cylinders were leaking, and that many of our own men would soon be
+rendered insensible by the fumes. Under a heavy fire he rolled the
+cylinders one by one out of the trench, and then returning, lay down and
+fired at them with a rifle. The cylinders were broken open, and the gas
+escaped towards the enemy. There is no doubt that by his cool gallantry
+he saved many men from being gassed. You may be sure that when the hero
+visited his old school he was received by his former pupils with
+rapturous applause.
+
+Private Thomas Kenny, 13th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.
+
+On the thick foggy night of 4th November Lieutenant Brown and Private
+Kenny went out towards the German lines on patrol. They were sighted by
+the enemy, and Lieutenant Brown was shot in both thighs. He begged his
+companion to leave him, but Kenny would not do so. He took the wounded
+officer on his back, and for more than an hour crawled about under
+heavy fire, trying to find his way back. At last, when quite exhausted,
+he reached a ditch which he recognized, and, placing the lieutenant in
+it, went on alone to look for help. At last he came across a listening
+patrol, and with help brought in the wounded man. During the last part
+of the journey the Germans fired on him with rifles and machine guns,
+and threw bombs at him from a distance of thirty yards.
+
+Private John Caffrey, 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.
+
+On 16th November Private Caffrey and Corporal Stirk, R.A.M.C., started
+out to rescue a comrade lying about three or four hundred yards in front
+of the enemy's trenches. They were beaten back by shrapnel fire, but
+nothing daunted they pushed out again, and in spite of the bullets of
+snipers and machine guns reached the wounded man. A bullet struck
+Corporal Stirk in the head just as he was lifting the man on to
+Caffrey's back. At once the gallant private put down his burden,
+bandaged Stirk, and helped him into safety. He then returned and brought
+in the other wounded man. Three times he had crossed the zone of fire on
+his errands of mercy.
+
+Corporal Samuel Meekosha, 1/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+On 19th November, near the Yser, a platoon was holding a trench close to
+the German lines when the enemy's shells burst upon it, killing and
+wounding thirteen men and burying the rest. At this terrible moment
+Corporal Meekosha took command, sent a runner for assistance, and in
+full view of the enemy dug out his comrades and saved at least four
+lives.
+
+Corporal Alfred Drake, 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
+
+Corporal Drake was out on patrol with an officer and two men on the
+night of 23rd November. When close to the German lines the party was
+discovered. One man who was shot down was carried off by his comrades,
+and when the officer fell Corporal Drake remained with him. When last
+seen, he was kneeling beside the officer bandaging his wounds, quite
+regardless of the heavy fire. A rescue party crawled out later on, and
+found the officer unconscious but alive, and Corporal Drake beside him,
+dead and riddled with bullets.
+
+Shoeing-Smith Charles Hull, 21st Lancers.
+
+Somewhere in Flanders, when the Lancers were under heavy fire, Captain
+Learoyd's horse was shot under him, and he fell to the ground.
+Shoeing-smith Charles Hull, seeing his officer's peril, galloped into
+the storm of fire, and taking up the captain behind him, dashed back
+into safety. It was a striking deed, and the shoeing-smith fully
+deserved the highest award of valour for his prompt and gallant rescue.
+
+Private Harry Christian, 2nd Battalion, Royal Lancaster Regiment.
+
+The Germans had opened fire with trench mortars on five or six of our
+men who were holding a crater. When the order was given to withdraw it
+was discovered that three men were missing. At once Private Christian
+returned to rescue them. While bombs were continually bursting on the
+edge of the crater, he dug out the men from under a heap of earth, and
+carried them, one by one, into safety. Later on, he placed himself where
+he could see the bombs coming, and directed his comrades when and where
+to seek cover.
+
+Private William Young, 8th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.
+
+On 22nd December, seeing that his sergeant had been wounded, Private
+Young went out under a very heavy fire to rescue him, and almost
+immediately received terrible injuries, both his jaws being shattered.
+Nevertheless, with the help of a comrade, he brought in the sergeant. At
+the dressing-station, to which he went unaided, it was discovered that
+this most gallant man had also received a bullet in his chest. Happily,
+he survived.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Nurse Cavell--Heroine and Martyr.
+
+The heroic woman whose tragic story I am now about to relate finds a
+fitting place in this roll of heroes. Miss Cavell was the daughter of
+the Rev. Frederick Cavell, for forty years Vicar of Swardeston, Norfolk.
+She was trained as a nurse at the London Hospital, and in 1900 became
+head of a nursing institution in Brussels. Every one who knew her
+admired her noble character; she followed in the footsteps of the
+greatest of all nurses--Florence Nightingale.
+
+[Illustration: The Martyrdom of Edith Cavell.
+
+(_From the picture by A. Forestier. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+When the news of Nurse Cavell's murder was received, the following
+message was sent to her mother: "By command of the King and Queen I
+write to assure you that the hearts of their Majesties go out to you in
+your bitter sorrow, and to express their horror at the appalling deed
+which has robbed you of your child. Men and women throughout the
+civilized world, while sympathizing with you, are moved to admiration
+and awe at her faith and courage in death."]
+
+When the Germans occupied Brussels Nurse Cavell was allowed to remain at
+the head of her hospital. She and her assistants nursed German and
+Belgian wounded with equal devotion. During the retreat of the Allies
+from Namur and Mons a large number of British and French soldiers were
+cut off or lost their units. Many of them were discovered and shot;
+others hid themselves in trenches, woods, or deserted houses, and some
+of them were sheltered by friendly farmers, who gave them civilian
+clothing and helped them to escape into Holland. Many Belgian soldiers
+also lay in hiding, waiting for a chance to get out of the country. Some
+of the fugitives, hearing of Nurse Cavell, managed to get into touch
+with her, and asked her to help them to escape. This she did. She
+believed that she was only doing her duty to her country in coming to
+their assistance.
+
+Spies informed the Germans of what she was doing, and on August 5, 1915,
+she was arrested and put in prison. Mr. Brand Whitlock, the American
+Minister in Brussels, pleaded for her, but in vain. Her trial began on
+7th October, and she was found guilty of acting as a spy. The Germans
+kept the sentence as secret as possible, and on the evening of Monday,
+11th October, Miss Cavell was informed that she would be shot at two
+o'clock the next morning.
+
+The British chaplain who visited Miss Cavell on the eve of her execution
+found her very calm and resigned. "She was brave and bright to the last.
+She professed her Christian faith, and said that she was glad to die for
+her country."
+
+It is said that the final scene was horrible. Miss Cavell, so it was
+reported, fainted on the way to execution, and was shot by the officer
+in command of the firing party as she lay unconscious. When the news
+leaked out a wave of horror and loathing swept over all the
+world--except Germany. At home Nurse Cavell was mourned alike in palace
+and in cottage. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's, and many
+plans were proposed for keeping her beautiful memory green. On the
+battlefield our men charged with the cry, "For Miss Cavell!" and the
+French hailed her as a new Joan of Arc. In the long, black list of
+German atrocities there is no more inhuman deed than the murder of Nurse
+Cavell.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVII.
+
+  THE WAR IN THE AIR.
+
+
+Over and over in these pages you have read of "airy navies grappling in
+the central blue." Every soldier, fighting his battles over again by the
+home fireside, loves to describe the aeroplanes that hovered above his
+trench while white, fleecy clouds of shrapnel burst around them. No
+returning soldier but can thrill his hearers with stories of deadly
+combats in the high heavens. The exploits of aircraft in this war open a
+new chapter of military history.
+
+Nothing is more remarkable than the rapid progress which has been made
+in the conquest of the air. In October 1897 a daring man succeeded in
+flying about three hundred yards; in October 1915 men frequently made
+flights of hundreds of miles. Twenty years ago the aeroplane was
+unknown; to-day it is a recognized arm of warfare. No army or navy dare
+enter upon war without its air service.
+
+Our French allies were the pioneers of these new powers of the air, and
+when war broke out they were well equipped with aircraft. It is said
+that at the close of the year 1915 they possessed more than three
+thousand aeroplanes, and that the number was being constantly increased.
+
+French aircraft are divided into three classes, according as they are to
+be used for scouting, for fire control, or for bombardment. The scouting
+machines are of various kinds, and include a new type of small machine
+known as the "Baby" Nieuport. This machine, which only carries a pilot,
+is no more than 25 feet wide, but it has a motor of 80 horse-power, and
+can attain the amazing speed of 120 miles an hour. The "Baby" Nieuports
+can rise higher and quicker than an eagle.
+
+[Illustration: A German Machine brought down and fired by a British
+Battle-plane.
+
+(_From the drawing by John de G. Bryan. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid feat by which Second Lieutenant
+Insall won the Victoria Cross. (See page 384.)]
+
+The machines used for directing artillery fire are bigger, and carry one
+or more observers as well as the pilot. They usually have two motors,
+so that they can still fly if one of them is put out of action. For
+making raids still bigger machines are used. In 1915 the French pinned
+their faith to a giant triplane, which well deserved to be called "the
+Dreadnought of the Air." It was 63 feet from wing to wing; it was driven
+by four powerful motors, carried two quick-firing cannon and four
+machine guns, as well as 1,200 pounds of explosives, and on a raid was
+manned by a crew of four men.
+
+You have frequently read in these pages of the scouting work done by
+aeroplanes. When they fly over the enemy's lines they have huge cameras
+fitted to the bodies of the machines. Exposures are made, and the
+machine speeds back to its own lines, usually amid a storm of bursting
+shrapnel. Every aerodrome has a dark room in which the plates are
+developed. An enlargement is made, and the staff is thus provided with a
+picture of the German trenches as seen from above. If a good photograph
+is taken, the positions appear as clear as daylight; even the barbed
+wire and the situation and number of the machine guns can be seen. Poor
+photographs, however, do not show the details, and cannot distinguish a
+trench from a watercourse. Sometimes large kites are used for
+photographic purposes.
+
+You can easily understand what a great change the aeroplane has produced
+in warfare when I tell you that during the Russo-Japanese War the
+Japanese fought for weeks, and sacrificed thousands of men, in order to
+capture the top of a hill from which their observers could overlook Port
+Arthur. Nowadays an aeroplane can supply all the information needed in a
+single hour, and howitzers can be directed from the air so that their
+shells will drop on the required position, though the gunners cannot
+possibly see their targets.
+
+A modern general would be almost lost without his air service. From dawn
+to dark aircraft hover over the enemy's position, photographing his
+trenches, "spotting" his batteries, noticing the movement of troops and
+trains, and bringing back priceless information. More than once French
+aeroplanes have landed spies behind the German lines, and have returned
+to pick them up again days later.
+
+We British were the last of the great European nations to apply
+themselves to the air, but by the outbreak of war we were well equipped.
+The British Royal Flying Corps consisted of a military and a naval wing.
+Each wing was divided into squadrons, consisting of twenty-four
+aeroplanes and twenty-four pilots, under a major or commander. The
+squadron was in turn divided into six flights, each flight comprising
+four machines. Every squadron had its own motor wagons and armoured
+motor cars. Our airmen, if they were not so skilful as the French, were
+competent and very daring, and had been trained to act with other arms.
+The Germans at first gave most of their attention to airships, but they
+were also provided with a strong force of aeroplanes. The Austrian
+service, though it contained some skilful pilots, was much inferior to
+that of Germany; while the Russians were short of machines, though they
+possessed giant biplanes which could carry over a ton weight of
+explosives.
+
+As far back as Christmas Day, 1914, our airmen made raids upon fortified
+places in Germany. Seven seaplanes, escorted by cruisers and submarines,
+flew over Cuxhaven, where German warships were lying, and dropped bombs
+which, it is said, destroyed one or more Zeppelin sheds. Three of the
+aviators returned to the escorting ships safely; three others, who were
+rescued by submarines, had to destroy their machines in order to prevent
+them from falling into the hands of the enemy; and the seventh was
+picked up by a Dutch trawler. On January 22, 1915, another raid was made
+by two of our aviators on the new German naval base of Zeebrugge. A
+submarine lying in the harbour was destroyed, and probably other damage
+was done. Commander Davies, one of the two British aviators, had a most
+adventurous home journey. At one time he was surrounded by seven of the
+enemy's craft. He managed to elude them, however, and returned safely,
+but slightly wounded.
+
+Raids such as these increased in number as the year advanced. On 11th
+February thirty-four of our seaplanes and aeroplanes made another attack
+on Zeebrugge, under the leadership of Commander Samson, whose daring has
+already been mentioned in these pages.[78] Great damage was done, and
+five days later the visit was repeated. Forty machines, including eight
+belonging to the French, dropped bombs on various batteries and gun
+positions, on an aerodrome, and on mine-sweepers off the shore. During
+the Battle of Neuve Chapelle the railways in the rear of the German
+lines were bombarded, and the junction at Courtrai, seventeen miles east
+of Ypres, was destroyed. On a later page I shall tell you how Second
+Lieutenant W. B. Rhodes-Moorhouse won the Victoria Cross and lost his
+life during this raid. On 7th June two of our airmen destroyed an
+airshed and a Zeppelin north of Brussels.
+
+It is impossible in these pages to describe all the air raids of the
+year. Each was much like the other, except for the number of the
+machines engaged and the extent of the damage done. As an illustration,
+I will give you a brief account of the great French raid on the German
+city of Karlsruhe on 3rd June. It was made in retaliation for Zeppelin
+raids on open French and British towns, and was the biggest enterprise
+of the kind so far undertaken. Twenty-three aeroplanes set out at the
+first flush of dawn. Mr. E. A. Powell in _Vive la France_ thus describes
+the progress of the raid:--
+
+    "So rapid was the pace at which the aeroplanes were travelling
+    that it was not yet six o'clock when the commander of the
+    squadron, peering through his glasses, saw, far below him, the
+    yellow gridiron which he knew to be the streets, the splotches
+    of green which he knew to be the parks, and the squares of red
+    and gray which he knew to be the buildings of Karlsruhe. The
+    first warning that the townsfolk had was when a dynamite shell
+    came plunging out of nowhere and exploded with a crash that
+    rocked the city to its foundations. The people of Karlsruhe were
+    being given a dose of the same medicine which the Zeppelins had
+    given to Antwerp, to Paris, and to London. . . . For nearly an
+    hour it rained bombs. Holes as large as cellars suddenly
+    appeared in the stone-paved streets and squares; buildings of
+    brick and stone and concrete crashed to the ground as though
+    flattened by the hand of God; fires broke out in various
+    quarters of the city and raged unchecked; the terrified
+    inhabitants cowered in their cellars or ran in blind panic for
+    the open country; the noise was terrific, for bombs were falling
+    at the rate of a dozen to the minute; beneath that rain of death
+    Karlsruhe rocked and reeled."
+
+Of the four squadrons which set out for Karlsruhe only two machines
+failed to return. The Germans were furious, and the Kaiser telegraphed
+his "deep indignation at the wicked attack on beloved Karlsruhe." He had
+conveniently forgotten the murderous raids of his own Zeppelins.
+
+[Footnote 78: See Vol. III., page 74.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVIII.
+
+  HEROES OF THE AIR.
+
+
+Before I describe very briefly the Zeppelin raids upon England, let me
+set down the names and exploits of the five gallant airmen who were
+awarded the Victoria Cross during the year 1915.
+
+Second Lieutenant William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse, Royal Flying Corps.
+
+The first Victoria Cross ever conferred on an airman was won by
+Lieutenant Rhodes-Moorhouse, for extraordinary daring and endurance
+during the raid on Courtrai, which I mentioned on page 381. While
+dropping his bombs he descended to 300 feet, and was furiously assailed
+by anti-aircraft guns, which seriously wounded him in the thigh. He
+determined to save his machine at all costs, and made for home, flying
+at a height of only 100 feet. Though again wounded, he did not lose
+control of his machine, but flew thirty-five miles to his base, where he
+landed and made his report as if nothing had happened. Shortly
+afterwards he died in hospital of his wounds.
+
+Flight Sub-Lieutenant R. A. J. Warneford, R.N.
+
+On the morning of June 7, 1915, Lieutenant Warneford, who was flying in
+a very light monoplane, sighted a Zeppelin between Ghent and Brussels,
+and made straight for it. While approaching it he was too low, and was
+fired at by the Zeppelin's guns. Keeping to the rear of the airship, he
+climbed upwards by a series of jerks, until he was well above it. Then
+he swooped down until he was only fifty feet above the great gas bag,
+and dropped six bombs, the last of which burst the Zeppelin's envelope.
+A loud explosion followed, and the airship fell to the ground in the
+midst of smoke and flame. The force of the explosion turned his machine
+upside down, but he succeeded in righting it. Shortly afterwards his
+pressure pump failed to work, and he was obliged to come down in the
+German lines. He got out of the machine, repaired the pump, scrambled
+in again, and soared off. For two and a half hours he continued flying,
+and then he came down, happily behind his own lines. He was so weary
+that he fell fast asleep by the side of the machine, and was finally
+discovered by French soldiers only twenty yards from the cliffs of
+Gris-nez.[79] The story of his brilliant feat was flashed over the
+world, and his name at once became a household word in two continents.
+He had, by superb courage and skill, destroyed the first of the
+Zeppelins in flight. The Allies vied with each other in doing him
+honour; but, alas! his career, which promised so much, was soon brought
+to a close. Ten days later, while trying a new machine at Versailles, he
+was thrown out and killed.
+
+Captain Lance George Hawker, D.S.O., Royal Engineers and Royal Flying
+Corps.
+
+On 19th April Captain Hawker dropped bombs on a German airshed from a
+height of only 200 feet. He was under heavy fire all the time, and ran
+terrible risks. To avoid the shells hurled at him, he took refuge behind
+a German captive balloon, and was enabled to make good his escape. For
+this feat he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. On 25th July,
+when flying alone, he fell in with three German aeroplanes, and attacked
+them one after the other. The first escaped, but he damaged the second
+and third so badly that they were forced to descend. For this splendid
+feat he received the V.C.
+
+Captain John Aidan Liddell, 3rd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and
+Royal Flying Corps.
+
+During a scouting flight from Ostend to Ghent an enemy shot broke
+Captain Liddell's thigh, smashed the control wheel, and otherwise
+damaged his machine. For a brief time he was unconscious, and his
+machine dropped nearly 3,000 feet. With a great effort he pulled himself
+together, and, though continually fired at, managed to bring his
+aeroplane into our own lines half an hour after he had been wounded.
+Only an airman can appreciate the extraordinary skill and determination
+which the wounded officer displayed.
+
+Second Lieutenant Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall, No. 11 Squadron, Royal
+Flying Corps.
+
+On 7th November Lieutenant Insall was out patrolling with a mechanic as
+gunner, when he was sighted and attacked by a German machine. With great
+skill he got to close range with his opponent, and his gunner fired a
+drum of cartridges which brought the German aeroplane to the ground.
+When the Germans scrambled out of their machine Lieutenant Insall dived
+towards them, and his gunner opened fire on them and they fled. An enemy
+party now fired at him; but, undeterred, he dropped a bomb on the fallen
+machine and set it on fire. He then flew over the German positions, and
+descended so low that his gunner was able to fire on the German trenches
+as they passed over them. His petrol tank was damaged, and he was forced
+to land in a wood inside our lines. At once the enemy's artillery opened
+fire on him, and some 150 shells fell around the machine as it lay on
+the ground. That night, behind screened lights, he repaired his machine,
+and at dawn flew home safely with his gunner.
+
+Squadron Commander Richard Bell Davies, D.S.O., R.N.
+
+Commander Davies was the hero of one of the most striking incidents
+known to aerial warfare. On 19th November lieutenant Smylie made a raid
+upon the Turkish railway station of Ferijik, on the Turkish river
+Maritza. He planed down over the station, and dropped all his bombs but
+one. While doing so his machine was badly hit, and he had to come to
+earth in a neighbouring marsh. In order to prevent the enemy from
+capturing his machine he set it on fire. He had hardly done so when he
+saw Commander Davies coming to his rescue. Fearing that the commander
+would descend near the burning machine, and thus run the risk of being
+blown up by the remaining bomb, Lieutenant Smylie took out a pistol,
+fired at the missile and exploded it. Then Commander Davies swooped
+down, picked up the lieutenant, and hurried off with all speed into
+safety. Seldom, if ever, has such a feat of pluck and gallantry been
+performed.
+
+[Footnote 79: _Gree-nay´_, French cape fronting the Strait of Dover.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIX.
+
+  THE COMING OF THE ZEPPELINS.
+
+
+On page 144 of our first volume I gave you a brief account of the great
+airship invented by Count Zeppelin and called after his name. It is said
+that the newest type of Zeppelin is about 700 feet long, and has
+eighteen compartments, which hold about a million cubic feet of
+hydrogen. Each compartment is a separate balloon, and in theory the
+airship can remain afloat if two of the balloons are damaged. The
+framework is of wood and aluminium. The engines, guns, stores, and crew
+are contained in two cars or gondolas, which are built into the
+framework of the airship, almost flush with its keel. The engines are
+four in number, and drive the propellers, a pair being coupled to each
+car, two forward and two astern. When they are working they make a
+terrible din, and a Zeppelin thus advertises his approach.
+
+Some of the latest vessels have a speed of from forty to sixty miles an
+hour. Two sets of rudders are provided--one set for steering the ship
+horizontally, and one set to guide it when ascending or descending. It
+can ascend with remarkable speed--it is said that a modern Zeppelin can
+soar upwards at a speed of 4,500 feet per minute, and can reach the
+safety zone of about 12,000 feet almost before artillery on the ground
+has secured the range. A large Zeppelin can carry about seventeen tons,
+of which about two tons consist of explosives. All Zeppelins are fitted
+with powerful searchlights, and a car which can be let down from the
+gondola by steel ropes so as to enable the men in it to make
+observations from a lower level. The weakest part of a Zeppelin is its
+upper envelope. Attacking aeroplanes always endeavour to rise above the
+airship in order to drop bombs upon it. You will remember that Warneford
+destroyed his Zeppelin in this way.
+
+[Illustration: Sub-Lieutenant Warneford bombing a Zeppelin in Mid-air.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)
+
+A description of this exploit, which won Sub-Lieutenant Warneford the
+Victoria Cross, is given on page 382.]
+
+Before the war a Zeppelin had travelled 1,800 miles on a single journey,
+and had remained in the air for thirty-five hours at a stretch. I have
+already told you that the Germans had built great airship sheds on the
+island of Heligoland. From this base to Yarmouth, on the east coast of
+England, is a distance of only 280 miles. It was, therefore, clear that,
+given suitable weather, a Zeppelin could not only cross the North Sea
+and return, but could sail over large areas of Great Britain as well.
+The Germans had long dreamed of making Zeppelin raids on London and
+destroying it by means of big bombs; but most people in this country
+laughed at the notion. We pinned our faith to the aeroplane, and
+believed the Zeppelin to be little more than an expensive failure. No
+real efforts were, therefore, made to cope with the threatened danger. A
+few anti-aircraft guns were stationed round the capital, searchlights
+were installed, street lamps were obscured, and windows were darkened,
+but that was all.
+
+On the evening of January 19, 1915, the people of Yarmouth were startled
+by the sound of loud explosions in their streets. The Zeppelins had at
+last arrived. Bombs were dropped, two persons were killed, houses were
+wrecked, and holes were blown in the streets. The raiders then flew to
+Sandringham and King's Lynn, at both of which places bombs were dropped.
+Happily the King and Queen had left their Norfolk home for London on the
+previous morning. At King's Lynn four houses were destroyed, several
+others were damaged, and the widow of a soldier and a boy of fourteen
+were killed. People stood aghast at this new form of German
+"frightfulness." It was directed not against fortresses or places of
+military importance, but against peaceful civilians in open, unprotected
+towns. It was sheer murder, and was intended to terrorize the British
+people and bring them to their knees. The Germans have never been able
+to understand our national temper. They had still to learn that such
+blows only weld us the more firmly together, and steel us to greater
+resistance. Every Zeppelin raid brought flocks of fresh recruits to our
+banners.
+
+A month later a German aeroplane appeared over the Essex coast and
+dropped bombs on and near Colchester, but no lives were lost. The summer
+air campaign began in earnest on 14th April, when airships appeared on
+Tyneside and attempted to destroy the great shipbuilding yards. Bombs
+were dropped, but almost at random, and very little damage was done,
+probably because the pilot was out of his reckoning. There were three
+other raids on the East Coast in the same month; but though houses were
+wrecked, no lives were lost. On 10th May Southend was attacked. At the
+first alarm people left their beds and rushed into the streets half
+dressed. They could see the body of the Zeppelin outlined against the
+sky, and the bombs falling like balls of fire. Many houses were
+destroyed, and others blazed furiously, but only one person was
+killed--the wife of a labourer. During the first nine months of the war
+the results of the air raids must have been very disappointing to the
+Germans. Half a dozen people had been killed, a few had been injured,
+and damage to the extent of some hundred thousand pounds had been done.
+The Germans were soon to improve on this record. "London has not felt it
+yet," they said.
+
+A week later a Zeppelin passed over Ramsgate, on which it dropped two
+dozen bombs, happily without causing any loss of life, and then over
+Broadstairs and Dover. News of this raid had been sent to the station of
+the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk, and eight seaplanes at once set
+out to intercept the Zeppelin. Flight-Commander Bigsworth dropped four
+bombs on the airship, but it managed to get home, though seriously
+damaged. On 26th May there was another raid on Southend just as the
+people were leaving places of entertainment. A lady visitor and a little
+girl, seven years old, were killed, and others were gravely injured.
+
+The first attack on London was made on the last day of May. The
+Zeppelins passed over Colchester at ten o'clock in the evening, and
+twenty-three minutes later were dropping bomb after bomb on the most
+crowded part of the East End of London. Six people were killed, amongst
+them a little girl of three, who was burnt in her bed. Many houses burst
+into flames, and a great deal of damage was done. Earlier in the month
+German tradesmen, who had been allowed to remain and carry on business
+in London, had been mobbed; now the people, angered by the murderous
+raid, attacked their shops, and in many cases wrecked them. In June the
+raiders once more visited the East and North-East Coast. On 6th June
+they reached a town on the East Coast during the night and dropped many
+bombs on it. A large drapery house was destroyed, but a beautiful Norman
+church hard by escaped almost uninjured. Twenty-four persons were killed
+and about sixty others seriously wounded during the attack. The outrage
+was speedily avenged by Lieutenant Warneford, who, you will remember,
+destroyed a Zeppelin in Belgium the next day.
+
+On 15th June there was another raid on the North-East Coast. A number of
+workmen ran out of their shops to see the Zeppelins, and were caught by
+the bomb explosions. Some sixteen of them were killed, while thirteen
+others were injured. Only one raid, and that an unsuccessful one, took
+place in July; but in August there were three, all of them on a large
+scale, and all on the eastern counties. On 9th August Zeppelins swept
+over a large area and killed one man, nine women, and four children,
+besides wounding at least fourteen others. One of the Zeppelins was
+damaged, and on the homeward voyage was attacked and destroyed by our
+aircraft.
+
+On the 12th the visit was repeated, and three men, eleven women, and
+nine children fell victims to the bombs, while many others were badly
+injured, and numerous houses were wrecked. One bomb fell into the middle
+of a little crowd of old men, women, and young children standing at a
+street corner in a little country town, and worked frightful havoc.
+Though the Zeppelins were attacked by anti-aircraft guns, they succeeded
+in escaping. The third raid was on 17th August, when ten persons were
+killed and thirty-six persons were injured, including three children. In
+this case, too, the Zeppelins came under the fire of our guns, and
+perhaps, as in the former case, one of them was hit.
+
+By this time it was evident that we were without proper means of defence
+against the enemy airships. They could come and go almost at will, and
+scatter death and destruction amongst us almost unchecked. After every
+raid the German newspapers published glowing accounts of the destruction
+which had been wrought. One of them said, "We cannot rain bombs enough
+on England." Our Government had given us only the briefest accounts of
+the raids, and people began to ask why they could not be told the whole
+truth. Mr. Balfour said that it was necessary to keep the Germans in
+ignorance of what they had done, and it would be folly to give them
+information which would help them on future voyages. Up to the end of
+August, he told us, no soldier or sailor had been killed, and only seven
+had been wounded. Only on one occasion had damage of military importance
+been done.
+
+Raids were made on London on the evenings of 7th and 8th September. On
+the first night outlying districts were attacked, and on the following
+night bombs were dropped in the very heart of the city. The Zeppelins
+arrived between ten and eleven o'clock, when the places of amusement
+were open, and the streets were full of people. Suddenly the sound of
+explosion after explosion was heard. An American writer thus described
+the scene:--
+
+    "Traffic is at a standstill. A million quiet cries make a
+    subdued roar. Seven million people of the biggest city in the
+    world stand gazing into the sky from the darkened streets. . . .
+    Among the autumn stars floats a long, gaunt Zeppelin. It is dull
+    yellow--the colour of the harvest moon. The long fingers of
+    searchlights, reaching up from the roofs of the city, are
+    touching all sides of the death messenger with their white tips.
+    Great booming sounds shake the city. They are Zeppelin
+    bombs--falling, killing, burning. Lesser noises--of
+    shooting--are nearer at hand, the noise of aerial guns sending
+    shrapnel into the sky. . . . If the men up there think they are
+    terrifying London, they are wrong. They are only making England
+    white-hot mad."
+
+Many people were killed, great fires arose, but no important public
+building was damaged. The Germans reported that they had practically
+wrecked London; but though they had done mischief enough, the result
+fell very, very far short of their boastful claims. Shortly afterwards
+Admiral Sir Percy Scott was placed in charge of the air defences of the
+capital.
+
+There were four raids on the East Coast in September, and on 13th
+October London and parts of the eastern counties were again attacked. In
+London alone thirty-two persons were killed and ninety-five injured, and
+the total casualties of that night were fifty-six killed and one hundred
+and thirteen wounded. A cry now arose that our aircraft should treat
+German towns to a dose of their own medicine; but there were many who
+believed that we ought not to repay evil for evil, and that reprisals
+would not bring the war any nearer to its close.
+
+The October raid was the last which took place during the year 1915. On
+twenty several occasions during that year the Zeppelins had paid visits
+to various parts of the East Coast of England. They had murdered no
+fewer than 199 people, and had inflicted injuries upon 421 others.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER L.
+
+  THE OVERRUNNING OF SERBIA.
+
+
+December 1914 saw Serbia gloriously victorious; December 1915 saw her
+plunged in hopeless defeat, the remnants of her army on alien soil, her
+people in bondage, her aged king a fugitive. Since that August day when
+the Austrians "let slip the dogs of war" her peasant soldiers had fought
+like heroes. Thrice had Serbia been invaded, and thrice had she flung
+back the invader; but every success had drained her of lifeblood, and
+had brought the hour of her downfall nearer. She must have lost 150,000
+men in action, and disease and pestilence had robbed her of another
+50,000. The Serbian army was now only 200,000 strong, and there was no
+possible hope of increasing it. The Allies could not spare her
+reinforcements, nor did she ask for them. She felt that she could still
+hold her own, and perhaps she might have done so had not a neighbouring
+nation treacherously joined the enemy and flung a large and
+well-equipped army upon her flank.
+
+Serbia's eastern neighbour is Bulgaria. I have already told you that
+Bulgaria owes her very existence to Russia. In 1878, when the Russians
+were nearing Constantinople, they agreed to a treaty by which the
+province of Bulgaria was to be formed into a new state. In the next year
+the Bulgarians elected a German prince as their sovereign; but his
+attempts to increase his territory brought about a quarrel with Russia,
+and in 1886 he was forced to give up the throne and leave the country. A
+new prince was elected--another German, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
+In 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria an independent kingdom, and became
+its first king.
+
+On page 313 I told you that just before the fall of Brest the Germans
+prepared to force a road from Austria to the Bosphorus. What was the
+object of this new move? The Germans were in much the same position as
+the British and French: they were cut off from their Allies by hostile
+country. As you know, we undertook the ill-starred expedition to
+Gallipoli in order to open up communication between the Western Allies
+and Russia. The Central Powers were now about to invade Serbia in order
+to open up communication between Austria and Bulgaria and Turkey. If
+they could get into touch with these Balkan Powers, they could provide
+Turkey with munitions and supplies; they could send reinforcements into
+Gallipoli, and generally direct the operations of the Bulgarians and the
+Turks. Further, they could secure a right of way into Asia Minor, which
+would enable them to attack Egypt and perhaps advance to the Persian
+Gulf and threaten India. It was also hoped that new supplies of food,
+cotton, metals, and men would be tapped.
+
+Look carefully at the map on page 393. Follow the main railway line,
+which runs from the Austrian town of Semlin on the Danube through
+Belgrade, Nish, and Sophia, the capital of Bulgaria, to Constantinople.
+If the Central Powers could capture this railway, they would secure a
+through route from Germany to the shores of the Bosphorus. The whole aim
+and object of the invasion which I am about to describe was to get
+possession of this railway.
+
+What was the plan of campaign? Von Gallwitz, with the great artillery
+engine which had driven the Russians back from Galicia into the marshes
+of the Pripet, was to cross the Danube between Orsova on the Rumanian
+border and Belgrade, and blast his way through the triangle of country
+between the railway and the Bulgarian frontier. At the same time the
+Austrians were to strike south to the west of Belgrade, and while these
+two movements were in progress Bulgaria was to fall upon Serbia from the
+east. The little Serbian army was to be taken in front and in flank at
+_nine_ different points by forces which outnumbered it by at least three
+to one. The invaders were furnished with huge guns and vast supplies of
+ammunition, against which the Serbians could not hope to stand. The
+moment that the blow was launched the fate of Serbia was sealed.
+
+[Illustration: Map to illustrate the Campaign in Serbia.]
+
+In 1897 Bulgaria proposed to form a league uniting Greece and the Balkan
+States against Turkey, and in 1912 the league was formed. Shortly
+afterwards the First Balkan War began. Turkey was badly beaten, and much
+territory was taken from her; but when the time came for dividing up
+the booty the victors fell out and fought amongst themselves. Greece and
+Serbia took the field against Bulgaria, and overcame her. Ever since
+that time Bulgaria bitterly hated Serbia. Her king, Ferdinand, was a
+vain and cunning man, without a spark of personal courage, but with a
+keen eye for the main chance, and with no scruples to prevent him from
+seizing it. During the present war he watched and waited, and bided his
+time. When he saw the Russians retreating day after day, and the British
+and French making no progress in Gallipoli or in the West, he felt sure
+that Germany would win. He was a German himself, and he was now
+prepared to range himself with the Central Powers--at a price. On 17th
+July he signed a treaty by which, as a reward for joining the two
+Kaisers, he was to receive Serbian Macedonia, Salonika,[80] and some
+Greek territory. All August and September he was busy making his
+preparations, and by the beginning of October he was ready to obey his
+masters' orders, and fall upon Serbia.
+
+Why did not the Allies hasten to the defence of threatened Serbia?
+"Thereby hangs a tale." On 11th September the Greek Premier, who
+believed that his country ought to stand by its treaty with Serbia and
+enter the fray, asked France and Britain for 150,000 troops. About a
+fortnight later the Allies agreed to furnish these troops, and the Greek
+army began to mobilize. Ferdinand had already called up his armies, but
+he told the world that he had only done so for the purpose of
+self-defence, and that he had no intention of making war on his
+neighbours. Serbia, however, knew better, and towards the end of
+September she informed the British that she was not going to wait until
+the Bulgarians were fully prepared, but was about to attack them at
+once. The British Government persuaded her not to do so, because it
+still had hopes that Bulgaria might be persuaded to stay her hand. You
+will soon learn that Serbia, by taking the advice of the British
+Government, suffered terribly.
+
+By agreement with the Greek Premier, the Allies began to land troops at
+the Greek port of Salonika in the first week of October. The Greeks
+objected, but did not hinder us; indeed, they helped our army to occupy
+the place. Then came a remarkable change of front on the part of the
+Greek king. He had married the Kaiser's sister, and he went in fear of
+his brother-in-law. Probably he believed that Germany was going to win;
+he knew that Bulgaria was strong and Serbia weak, and that the 150,000
+troops of the Allies could not turn the balance in his favour. So he
+informed his Prime Minister that he had never consented to fight on
+behalf of Serbia; whereupon the Prime Minister resigned, and a new
+Government was formed. It declared that Greece meant to remain neutral,
+though it was very friendly to the Allies.
+
+While our transports were crowding the harbour at Salonika and the
+Allies were busy putting the place into a state of defence, Ferdinand
+threw off the mask. A week later, on 12th October, when his advance
+guards were over the border, he declared war on Serbia. Four days later
+Britain declared war upon Bulgaria. Von Mackensen had already crossed
+the Danube, and was pressing against the Serbian front with 200,000 men;
+a quarter of a million Bulgarians were moving eastwards against the
+exposed right flank of Serbia; and in Salonika there were 13,000 French
+and British troops preparing to march inland against the Bulgarian left.
+Such was the position of affairs on 15th October.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now let us return to the Danube and briefly follow the stages of
+Serbia's agony. By means of the great river, which is linked with the
+canals of the Elbe and the Rhine, barges full of big guns and supplies
+had been conveyed to the scene of action. On 19th September, before the
+big guns arrived, Austrian batteries opened fire on Belgrade; but the
+Serbians and the British sailors who were fighting with them prevented a
+crossing. On 3rd October the enemy's big guns were placed in position,
+and the Serbian trenches were pounded to dust. It was the Donajetz
+bombardment all over again. Belgrade could no longer be held, and by the
+8th of October the Austrians and Germans had crossed the Danube and the
+Save at six places between Shabatz and Belgrade. There was a desperate
+struggle in the streets of the capital, but on the morning of the 9th
+the place was in the enemy's hands. The lesson of Warsaw had been
+learned, and all that was valuable in the city had been carried off.
+
+By 11th October the Austro-Germans held a hundred miles of front on the
+south banks of the Save and the Danube. The Serbians had fought
+desperately, but they could not stand before the mass of artillery
+brought against them. The Serbian left had been forced back towards the
+hills on which it had made its first stand against the third Austrian
+invasion, the centre had fallen back to a ridge seven miles south of the
+capital, and the right was being harried across the river plain and up
+the valleys of the Morava and the Mlava. On the Serbian right Mackensen
+moved his big guns slowly. He was waiting for the Bulgarians to take the
+Serbians in flank and in rear. On the 12th the Bulgarians attacked the
+Serbians at five different points, and it was clear that, if the
+Serbians were to avoid being completely surrounded, they must retreat,
+as the Russians had done. But, unlike the Russians, they had no vast
+land into which they could retire. Their only line of withdrawal lay to
+the west and south-west, into the bare, rugged highlands of Montenegro
+and the wilderness of Albania.
+
+The French and British in the south were by this time struggling
+northwards in the attempt to reach Uskub, the great meeting-place of all
+routes in Southern Serbia. They were, however, too late: the Bulgarians
+entered Uskub on 22nd October, and the Allies were thus cut off from all
+communication with the interior.
+
+The Serbians were now in a desperate plight. Along every road and track
+left open to the south-west thousands of old men, women, and children
+trudged wearily onward, bearing with them the few household goods which
+they could carry off. Food was scarce, carts could not be obtained for
+love or money, and on the desolate hills thousands of wretched peasants
+perished of cold and hunger. By 26th October the whole north-east corner
+of Serbia was in the hands of the enemy. The Serbian army which lay
+between the Drina and Nish was cut off from that which lay in the shape
+of a half-moon in front of the southern Bulgarian army. There was no
+more fighting for the northern army; it was slowly but surely being
+enclosed, and was now in full retreat along the valley of the river Ibar
+on the road to Montenegro. Meanwhile the southern army made a last
+despairing effort to stem the Bulgarian advance in the passes between
+Prisrend and Monastir, and, having failed, retreated into Albania.
+
+Look at the railway line running from Uskub to Mitrovitza and find the
+pass of Katchanik. If the northern army was to get away safely into
+Montenegro, the Bulgarians must be prevented from pushing to their rear
+and swinging to the north to cut off the retreat. It was therefore
+necessary to hold the enemy at Katchanik Pass. Five thousand men, all
+that was left of the garrison at Uskub, along with three regiments from
+the north, now prepared to make a stand. Their guns were on the heights,
+and they had sufficient ammunition for a battle of several days. The
+Bulgarians advanced on a fifteen-mile front, but the Serbian guns drove
+them back. On the third day the Serbians attacked with bombs and the
+bayonet. All night the desperate struggle continued, and after twelve
+hours' fighting the Bulgarian line was pierced. But the enemy in
+overwhelming strength formed up behind the gap and began to enclose the
+little Serbian force. It fell back fighting and joined the retreating
+northern army. But it had done its work--the danger of disaster was
+over.
+
+Another stand was made at the Babuna Pass, which you will see on the
+map, about fifty miles south of Katchanik Pass. You will notice from the
+map that if the Bulgarians could get to Prilep no supplies could reach
+the Serbians from the south. If, too, the Allies could retake the town
+of Veles,[81] Uskub would be threatened, and the Bulgarians would not be
+able to follow up the northern army. In the first days of November some
+5,000 Serbians actually held the crest of the Babuna Pass for more than
+a week. The Allies, however, could make no headway from the south, and
+the gallant rearguard, finding six divisions of the enemy before it, was
+forced to fall back into Albania.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+What of the Allies in Salonika? On 12th October General Sarrail arrived
+to take command of the French 2nd Division, which had been brought from
+Cape Helles. Before our 10th Division from Suvla was ready to move, the
+French moved up country in the hope of joining hands with the Serbians
+in the neighbourhood of Uskub. You will see on the map a railway running
+up the Vardar to Veles. Along this railway Sarrail moved his troops. It
+was a single, grass-grown track, quite inadequate for the advance of an
+army. Ninety miles north of Salonika, at a point marked X on the map, it
+begins to run through a narrow gorge with steep rocky walls, called the
+Iron Gate. If the Bulgarians once gained this ravine, the Allies would
+be held up and unable to advance. Early in the month of October
+Bulgarian raiders cut the railway at X, but on the 19th the French
+advance guards reached the place and drove them out. Four days later the
+rest of the division arrived, and detachments which were ferried across
+the Vardar seized positions on the left bank of the river, which was
+then swollen by the autumn rains. Meanwhile the British 10th Division
+extended the French right to Lake Doiran. It was now proposed to capture
+a steep wall of mountain which commanded the valley. In order to reach
+it the French left had to cross the swollen river once more. It had no
+pontoons, but by means of an old ferry-boat a detachment got across. The
+French scaled the summit, drove off the Bulgarians who held it, and dug
+themselves in. On 4th and 5th November the Bulgarians made a strong
+attack on the summit, but were repulsed after fierce fighting at close
+quarters.
+
+Now that the French commanded the valley southward, they began to push
+on towards the Babuna Pass in order to join hands with the Serbians who
+were holding the crest. By the time they were within ten miles of the
+Serbian position the Bulgarians were flinging 125,000 men against the
+heroic rearguard. The French dared not proceed further. Supplies could
+only reach them along a hundred miles of single-line railway, which
+might be cut any day; their only means of crossing the Vardar was by a
+crazy wooden bridge, and there were twenty miles of bad road in their
+rear. The Serbians had already retreated from the Babuna Pass, and an
+advance could be of no service to them. Further, the Bulgarians were
+trying to cut them off from the bridge. They were, therefore, obliged to
+retreat; no other course was open to them. The Allied endeavour had come
+to nothing. The French and British fell back on Salonika, and there
+remained throughout the winter.
+
+[Illustration: "Remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow."
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of the Sphere._)
+
+This picture shows old King Peter and his court retreating on foot
+through the snows of winter into the wilds of Albania.]
+
+In those November days heartrending scenes were witnessed on the Serbian
+hills, now white with the first snows of winter. Fugitives in ox wagons,
+in country carts, and on foot, men, women, and little children, thronged
+the roads--a long procession of woe. The army which, a year ago, had
+flung the Austrians out of the country, was now a mere remnant of
+150,000 famished and weary men. With it marched our British Naval
+Brigade and its guns. The devoted doctors and nurses, who had for nine
+months been ministering to the wounded and diseased, were scattered far
+and wide. By roundabout roads some of them reached the Allies at
+Salonika; others gained the Adriatic coast; and some, such as Lady
+Paget, remained and trusted to the tender mercies of the Bulgarians.
+Retreating with the army were the officials of the Court and the
+Government. Perhaps the most pathetic figure of all was the Serbian
+King, racked by rheumatism and sore of heart because his age and
+infirmities prevented him from fighting in the ranks with his heroic
+people. But behind all his sorrows there was a ray of hope. His army,
+though but a remnant, was still an army, and not a broken and dispirited
+mob. It would live to fight again.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So, for the Allies, the year 1915 closed in gloom. A visitor from Mars,
+presented with a map of the German conquests, might have been pardoned
+had he proclaimed the two Kaisers victorious. From the Yser to the
+Dvina, from the Baltic to the Bosphorus, and thence to the Tigris, they
+and their fellow-conspirators were masters of 177,000,000 people. They
+had driven the Russians before them; they had made another Belgium of
+Serbia; the French and British had failed in their Eastern enterprises,
+and could not break through in the West. The Germans loudly boasted of
+their triumph; but, to their amazement, there was no sign of
+war-weariness or faint-heartedness amongst the Allies. Conscious that
+the enemy had passed the first flush of his mighty strength, the Allies
+endured the heaviness of the night, and, while waiting for the morning,
+
+        "Never doubted clouds would break,
+  Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph;
+  Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,
+              Sleep to wake."
+
+[Footnote 80: _Sa-lo-nēka_, port of Greece on the gulf of the same name,
+12 miles to the east of the mouth of the river Vardar. After
+Constantinople it is the chief port of what was formerly European
+Turkey. The harbour is safe and roomy, and before the war the town had a
+population of over 160,000. Salonika is the Thessalonica of the New
+Testament.]
+
+[Footnote 81: _Ve-leze._]
+
+
+  END OF VOLUME IV.
+
+
+  PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War,
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diff --git a/35386-0.zip b/35386-0.zip
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4
+(of 10), by James Edward Parrott
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)
+
+Author: James Edward Parrott
+
+Release Date: February 28, 2011 [EBook #35386]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDRENS' STORY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Marcia Brooks, Ross Cooling and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Canada Team at
+http://www.pgdpcanada.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: cover--THE CHILDREN'S STORY OF THE WAR
+
+By Sir Edward Parrott, M.A., LL.D.]
+
+THE CHILDREN'S STORY OF THE WAR
+BY
+SIR EDWARD PARROTT, M.A., LL.D.
+
+Author of "Britain Overseas", "The Pageant of English Literature", etc.
+
+VOLUME IV.
+
+The Story of the Year 1915
+
+TORONTO
+THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd.
+London, Edinburgh, and New York
+1916
+
+    "_How sleep the brave, who sink to rest
+     By all their country's wishes blest!
+     When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
+     Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
+     She there shall dress a sweeter sod
+     Than Fancy's feet have ever trod._
+
+    "_By fairy hands their knell is rung;
+     By forms unseen their dirge is sung:
+     There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,
+     To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
+     And Freedom shall awhile repair,
+     To dwell, a weeping hermit, there!_"
+
+                               WILLIAM COLLINS
+
+
+[Illustration: The Sinking of the Bluecher--January 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CONTENTS.
+
+
+        I. Setting the House in Order                      1
+       II. The Loss of the "Formidable"                   17
+      III. The Battle of the Dogger Bank                  23
+       IV. The Turkish Descent upon Egypt                 33
+        V. Winter Warfare on the Western Front.--I.       44
+       VI. Winter Warfare on the Western Front.--II.      49
+      VII. Stories from the Battlefield                   58
+     VIII. The German Success at Soissons                 62
+       IX. Winter Fighting in Champagne, the Argonne,
+             and the Vosges                               65
+        X. The Submarine Blockade begins                  77
+       XI. The Sinking of the "Lusitania"                 81
+      XII. Stories of Submarines                          90
+     XIII. More Stories of Submarine Warfare              97
+      XIV. Winter Fighting in Poland and East Prussia    105
+       XV. A Battle of the Middle Ages                   113
+      XVI. The Fall of Przemysl                          117
+     XVII. Stories from Eastern Battlefields             126
+    XVIII. The Battle of Neuve Chapelle                  129
+      XIX. Soldiers' Stories of Neuve Chapelle           145
+       XX. The Dardanelles                               157
+      XXI. Ships _versus_ Forts                          161
+     XXII. How we failed at the Narrows                  170
+    XXIII. The Story of Hill 60                          177
+     XXIV. The Poisonous Cloud                           188
+      XXV. The Battle Glory of Canada                    193
+     XXVI. Days of Struggle and Anxiety.--I.             205
+    XXVII. Days of Struggle and Anxiety.--II.            209
+   XXVIII. Heroes of the Ypres Salient                   217
+     XXIX. The Battle of the Artois.--I.                 222
+      XXX. The Battle of the Artois.--II.                225
+     XXXI. The Battle of Festubert                       229
+    XXXII. The Heroisms of Festubert                     237
+   XXXIII. The Gallipoli Peninsula                       241
+    XXXIV. The Battle of the Landing                     245
+     XXXV. Heroes of the Landing                         257
+    XXXVI. Battering at the Barriers                     266
+   XXXVII. A Splendid Failure                            273
+  XXXVIII. The Storm bursts                              289
+    XXXIX. Stories of the Great Retreat                  305
+       XL. From Storm to Calm                            310
+      XLI. Midsummer on the Western Front                321
+     XLII. In Champagne                                  337
+    XLIII. The Battle of Loos.--I.                       347
+     XLIV. The Battle of Loos.--II.                      353
+      XLV. Bravest of the Brave.--I.                     364
+     XLVI. Bravest of the Brave.--II.                    369
+    XLVII. The War in the Air                            377
+   XLVIII. Heroes of the Air                             382
+     XLIX. The Coming of the Zeppelins                   385
+        L. The Overrunning of Serbia                     391
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration:
+THE
+CHILDREN'S
+STORY OF
+THE WAR
+
+VOLUME IV]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER I.
+
+  SETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER.
+
+
+In this volume I am going to tell you the story of the war as it
+unfolded itself during the year 1915. It was a year of life-and-death
+struggle, during which two other nations were swept by the seething
+whirlpool into the waters of strife, and eight out of ten persons in the
+continent of Europe were living under war conditions. It was a year
+during which the three greatest empires of the world, and seven other
+Powers, fought fierce and bitter combats on five different battle fronts
+in Europe alone. It was a year in which some millions of men fell on the
+stricken field, and yet the issue of the vast and terrible struggle
+remained undecided.
+
+It was a year in which the Allies, who were quite unready when war was
+forced upon them, strained every nerve to set their military houses in
+order; to enlist and train for the field their reserves of manhood; and
+to furnish themselves with those weapons and munitions in which they
+were deficient. It was a year in which millions of hard-earned money
+were spent every day, and the combatants piled up mountains of debt for
+future generations to pay off.
+
+It was a year during which the Allies had good cause to thank God for
+the long years of peaceful industry which had given Britain great
+riches, and for the splendid navy which maintained for her the freedom
+of the seas. Britain's vast reserves of wealth enabled her to raise
+plentiful money for carrying on the war, and thanks to her navy her
+merchant ships were able to carry the products of her mines, mills, and
+factories to other lands. Great Britain alone of all the combatants was
+thus able to produce wealth in time of war, and to assist her
+sorely-hampered friends with timely loans.
+
+[Illustration: The Modern Pied Piper.
+
+(_From the picture by A. C. Michael. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+You remember Browning's poem about the Pied Piper who drew the children
+after him by the magic of his music. This picture shows the pipers of a
+Highland regiment drawing men after them to the recruiting offices. "I
+rejoice in my Empire's effort," said the King, "and I feel pride in the
+voluntary response of my subjects all over the world. . . . The end is
+not in sight. More men and yet more are wanted to keep my armies in the
+field, and through them to secure Victory and enduring Peace."]
+
+During 1915 the British nation for the first time began to organize
+itself for warfare on a vast scale. It found itself forced to raise an
+army thirty times as great as it had ever marshalled before, and to
+equip millions of men with every weapon known to the science of war.
+Moreover, it had to do this while the small forces which it had already
+placed in the field were struggling to maintain themselves against
+terrible odds. It was a work that called for every ounce of energy and
+determination that the Empire possessed, and it could never have been
+done at all had not the British people, as a whole, given willing
+support to their leaders.
+
+The year was not many months old when it became evident that we could
+not hope to hold the enemy in check and drive him from his strongly
+fortified trenches unless we had an almost unlimited supply of big guns
+and high explosive shells. Early in the struggle the French had set
+their gun and ammunition factories working at high pressure, and they
+had taken good care that they should be fully manned with skilled
+workmen. Britain, on the other hand, had far too small a number of
+factories for manufacturing the vast supplies of war material which she
+needed, and many of her skilled workmen had been allowed to enlist and
+proceed to the front.
+
+Committees were formed to organize all the workshops in the country
+capable of making weapons and ammunition, and vast supplies of machine
+tools, guns, and shells were ordered from the United States and Canada.
+While this was being done, a strong feeling gained ground that the
+government of the country should no longer be in the hands of a
+particular political party, but should be composed of the best men of
+all parties in the State. In May a National Government was set up, and a
+minister was appointed to devote himself wholly and entirely to the
+business of speeding up the production of munitions by every possible
+means in his power. Mr. Lloyd-George filled this post, and forthwith
+flung himself with great zeal and energy into the work. His first duty
+was to convince the nation of the great and crying need for more
+munitions. He pleaded with workmen to realize the danger, and to ally
+themselves with brothers in the trenches by working early and late and
+at the very top of their energy. Great posters appeared all over the
+country, showing a soldier and a workman clasping hands. Behind the one
+was a battery of big guns, and behind the other the smoking chimneys of
+a munition factory. Above was the legend, "We're both needed to serve
+the guns," and beneath the cry, "Fill up the ranks! Pile up the
+munitions!"
+
+Unhappily, even in this time of great national danger, there were labour
+troubles. Masters and men quarrelled about rates of wages and hours of
+work, while their sons and brothers were dying at the front for lack of
+shells with which to keep down the fierce bombardment of the enemy. Not
+until laws were passed preventing masters from making undue profits out
+of the nation's needs, and punishing workmen who kept bad time, was the
+strife allayed. The Trade Unions were persuaded to relax their rules,
+and gradually most of the difficulties were removed. Slowly but steadily
+the supply of arms and ammunition increased, until in the latter part of
+the year the shortage was overtaken, and it was possible to meet the
+enemy on more than equal terms. A well-known public man who visited the
+trenches in November was able to say, "For every shell which the Germans
+throw to-day, we are throwing five." "Mr. Lloyd-George's compliments,"
+said a British gunner to the shell, as he closed the breech of his gun,
+"and there's plenty more where that came from."
+
+Britain had not only to supply the needs of her own army and navy, but
+to help her Allies as well. Before the year was half over, the Russian
+supply of rifles and shells almost gave out. Russia, as you know, is far
+more an agricultural than an industrial country. She has no great number
+of machine shops that can be turned into munition factories, nor has she
+anything like the number of skilled workmen required to furnish her with
+the enormous supplies of war material which she needs. In May, when the
+Germans brought against her a tremendous force of artillery and machine
+guns, her shortage was so great that she could not resist, and was
+obliged to make a long retreat from Poland and Galicia. Many of her
+recruits had no rifles at all, and at one time the artillery of her
+Second Army could only reply to the incessant fire of the enemy with two
+shells a day!
+
+The Russians strove manfully to increase their supply of munitions, and
+Great Britain and Japan gave them much help. By November they had
+increased their supplies to such an extent that they were able not only
+to resist the enemy, but to attack him. Some idea of the spirit shown by
+the Russian munition workers may be obtained from the following message
+which was found written on an ammunition box: "Do not spare the shells;
+there are plenty more coming, comrades. We are working hard to keep you
+supplied. Cheer up!"
+
+Poor little Serbia had all along to struggle against a great lack of war
+supplies. Her factories were never able to give her more than a tithe of
+her needs. You will remember that, but for the ammunition which the
+Allies sent to her in December 1914, she could not have driven the
+Austrians from her country. In December 1915, when the Serbian army was
+driven into Albania,[1] it became entirely dependent for food and
+supplies upon Britain, France, and Italy.
+
+Great Britain had not only to produce weapons and other munitions for
+herself and her friends, but she had to enlist and train more and more
+men to fill up her ranks and to repair the wastage of war. While every
+other nation engaged in the struggle could force men to serve in the
+army, she alone used no compulsion, but left each man to decide for
+himself whether he would take up arms or remain in civil life. Great
+efforts were made to persuade sound men of military age to join the
+army. Every blank wall was covered with posters calling upon men to
+serve their king and country, and recruiting meetings were as the sands
+of the sea for number. But though the response was wonderful, it was
+felt that some better method of securing men was needed. Many people
+thought that all suitable men should be compelled to serve, but the
+Government was reluctant to change the system which had served the
+country's needs so well in former times.
+
+[Illustration: The Minister of Munitions introducing the Munitions Bill
+in the House of Commons, June 23, 1915.
+
+_From the drawing by S. Begg._
+
+"Three millions of young men have offered their services for their
+country; it depends upon us at home to support them with skill,
+strength, and every resource of machinery and organization at our
+disposal, so as to drive the conviction into the heart of nations for
+all time to come that those governments who deceive their neighbours to
+their ruin do so at their peril."]
+
+At the end of June a law was passed which enabled the Government to
+discover exactly what resources of men and women the country contained.
+All persons, male and female, between the ages of fifteen and sixty-five
+were required to fill up a form stating their names and ages, the number
+of those who were dependent on them, whether or no they were married,
+and what was the nature of their occupation. Early in October Lord
+Derby, who had shown great energy in raising recruits in Lancashire, was
+appointed Director of Recruiting for the whole country, and speedily he
+put forward a new plan for bringing in men. The registration forms were
+sorted out; those men who were engaged in Government work were
+"starred"--that is, they were not to be considered as available for the
+army--and the names of all other men between the ages of nineteen and
+forty-one were placed on cards, which were handed over to joint
+committees of the political parties, in order that a great national
+canvass might be conducted.
+
+The canvassers used all their powers of persuasion to get men of
+military age and sound health to enlist in one or other of forty-six
+"groups," which were arranged according to the ages of the men, and
+whether they were married or unmarried. Men were permitted to enlist in
+their respective groups, and remain in civil life until their own
+particular group was called up. Courts were set up, before which
+enlisted men could appear and ask to be "starred" or transferred to some
+later class. Only those persons without whose services the business of
+the country could not be properly carried on could claim to be
+"starred." While the canvass was in progress the Government gave notice
+that unmarried men would be called up before married men, and that if
+the unmarried men did not come forward in sufficient numbers, they would
+be compelled to do so. The canvass was successful--it resulted in the
+enrolment of very many recruits; but whether compulsion could be staved
+off by this system remained to be seen. Late in November it was said
+that Britain would have four million men in arms by the following March.
+
+Money, as you know, is "the sinews of war." Without money, and a great
+deal of it, armies and navies cannot be arrayed, or kept in the field.
+The British Empire, according to the statement of the Prime Minister,
+has a yearly income of �4,000,000,000. This sum is vast, but so was the
+cost of the war. In March we were spending five millions of money a day.
+If you work out a little sum, you will see that one year of war at this
+rate uses up not far short of half the total money earned in a year by
+the whole British Empire. Of course, in war time the Empire cannot
+produce as much wealth as it can in times of peace. Large numbers of men
+are taken away from their work, and, instead of being producers, they
+have to be kept and fed by the nation. Thousands of factories are
+engaged in making war material for the Government, and they do not,
+therefore, add to the national wealth at all. Our overseas trade falls
+off greatly, because we need many of our merchant ships for transport
+and supply, because we cannot produce such large quantities of goods for
+export, and because we cannot trade with enemy countries at all.
+
+In time of peace the goods which we get from other countries are paid
+for by the goods which we send to them, by the money which we receive
+from foreigners for carrying goods to all parts of the world, and by the
+interest which comes to us from money which we have invested abroad.
+Usually these three items not only pay for our imports, but give us a
+large profit as well. In time of war, however, we are in quite a
+different position.
+
+At all times we must import much material from abroad. We are always
+obliged to import the greater part of our food and the raw materials for
+our factories. During the present war we have also been obliged to
+import large quantities of machinery and munitions from the United
+States. Our imports of goods always exceed our exports of goods in
+value, but in time of war the imports soar up to a great height, while
+the exports sink. For example, the excess of imports over exports during
+the first nine months of 1914 was 99 millions, while for the same period
+of 1915 it was 256 millions.
+
+Thus you see that, while the war lasts, our exports, the profits on our
+shipping trade, and the interest which we receive from foreign
+investments are not sufficient to pay for our imports. In order to make
+up the balance, we must either draw on our national savings or run into
+debt. If we draw on our savings, we shall have so much the less money
+left for the expenses of the war. If we run largely into debt, we shall
+find ourselves heavily burdened when the day of peace arrives.
+
+By the end of May the Government was seriously considering the
+all-important question of money, and before long was urging on the
+people the necessity of being as thrifty as possible, and of saving
+every penny that they possibly could. Speakers went to and fro pointing
+out that householders must avoid waste and stint themselves of foreign
+goods if the nation was to have sufficient money with which to carry on
+a long war. Those who saved money, and gave up the use of such things as
+had to be imported from abroad, were doing a patriotic service, and were
+casting the "silver bullets" with which the war was to be won. In many
+thousands of homes these wise words were taken to heart; but, on the
+other hand, many people who were earning high wages showed but little
+desire to save. Something was also done to lessen the enormous sums
+wasted on strong drink in this country every year, by restricting the
+hours during which public-houses might be kept open, and by confining
+the sale of spirits to certain fixed times. The King set a splendid
+example, which was largely followed, by banishing strong drink from his
+table altogether.
+
+Probably you think that all this talk about exports and imports, and the
+necessity for saving, is very dull, and you are eager to hear of
+stirring deeds by land and sea. We shall come to them in good time; but
+I must claim a little more of your patience before I begin the story of
+the year's fighting. Always remember that when the money which a nation
+possesses, or can borrow, gives out, it must cease to fight, and must
+make peace with its foes. That nation wins which has money to continue
+the struggle when the resources of its opponents are exhausted.
+
+How do we obtain money with which to carry on the war? There is only one
+place where it can come from, and that is from the pockets of the
+British people. In time of peace the money for carrying on the
+government is raised by various kinds of taxes. People with incomes
+above a certain sum per year have to pay to the Government so much money
+for every pound which they earn or receive from investments. Those who
+have a lesser income do not pay what is called income tax, but you must
+not suppose that they go scot free. Spirits, beer, tea, coffee, tobacco,
+sugar, cocoa, dried fruits, and other things have to pay a duty--that
+is, a certain sum is added to their price, and this sum goes to the
+Government.
+
+In time of war, when the expenses of the Government are much greater
+than they are in time of peace, the old taxes are raised and new taxes
+are imposed. In September 1915, for example, the taxes were raised some
+40 per cent. Money is also raised from the savings of the people. They
+are asked to lend money to the State at a certain rate of interest, with
+the promise that the sum which they lend shall be paid back again in
+full at the end of a certain period. Of course, this interest has also
+to be provided by the taxpayers. Three hundred and fifty million pounds
+were borrowed in November 1914, but by June 1915 it was found necessary
+to borrow more money, and a loan of nearly six hundred millions--"far
+and away beyond any amount ever subscribed in the world's history"--was
+placed at the disposal of the Government. One feature of this loan was
+the attempt to get persons of small means to participate in it. Vouchers
+for 5s., 10s., and �1 were issued, and working men, and even school
+children, were encouraged to buy them. Unfortunately only about five
+millions were raised in this way, and later in the year other
+arrangements were made, in the hope of bringing in more money from the
+savings of the working classes. In September the people of the United
+States lent the British and French Governments one hundred millions, and
+this money was used to pay for some of the munitions and other things
+which we were buying from America.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+War brought about many changes in our national life. We became a soberer
+people, and we refrained largely from those sports which are so dear to
+us in time of peace. Expensive entertainments were frowned upon,
+holidays were shortened or given up altogether, and many men beyond the
+military age spent their annual weeks of leisure in munition or farm
+work. Special constables were enrolled to take the place of the police
+who had joined the colours, and volunteer corps sprang up everywhere.
+
+[Illustration: Women's Volunteer Reserve on a Route March in London.
+
+_Photo, Alfieri._]
+
+From the moment the war began, British women played a noble part. Not
+only did thousands of them qualify as nurses, and offer their services
+in the hospitals at home and abroad, but many of them became munition
+workers, ticket collectors, tram conductors, motor-car drivers, farm
+servants, and letter carriers. In every town and village there were work
+parties busily engaged in making socks, mufflers, mittens, etc., for the
+men in the trenches or for the wounded in the hospitals. The neglected
+art of knitting wonderfully revived, and women were seen plying the
+needles everywhere, in trams and trains, or at lectures and concerts.
+When the Germans first used poison gas against our troops, and the War
+Office asked for half a million respirators, wagon-loads of them arrived
+the next day. Girls' schools, women's societies, groups of friends and
+families buckled to, and in a remarkably short time the War Office was
+able to announce that no more respirators were needed.
+
+Thousands of charitable societies made appeals for almost every war
+purpose imaginable. There were flag days in every town, and singers,
+actors, and lecturers gave their services in every good cause. The
+British Red Cross Society received the most generous support, while the
+many Belgian refugees in Britain were carefully tended, and, wherever
+possible, provided with work. Money was freely given by the public in
+every part of the Empire to set up hospitals and send nurses, doctors,
+and ambulances to France, Belgium, Russia, and Serbia; and even wounded
+horses were not neglected. One notable gift announced towards the end of
+November was the sum of �10,000 sent by the Canadian Government to
+assist in the upkeep of the Anglo-Russian hospital. In Great Britain
+many country houses were offered as hospitals and convalescent homes,
+and on the great sporting estates game was shot for the sick and
+wounded. Children gathered apples for the men of the Fleet, worked in
+the fields for short-handed farmers, and collected eggs and sphagnum
+moss[2] for the hospitals. There was no lack of ready and willing
+helpers for every good cause.
+
+At this time of stress and anxiety the British nation learned the noble
+art of giving. There was scarcely a British household in the world which
+did not practise some self-denial in order to be able to send small
+luxuries and comforts to the men at the front, or much-needed help to
+the prisoners in Germany. Remote cottages in the Highlands of Scotland,
+lonely farms in the North-West of Canada, outlying homesteads in
+Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were thus linked together by
+the same generous impulse.
+
+[Illustration: Queen Elizabeth of Belgium visiting a Hospital.
+
+(_Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._)
+
+Queen Elizabeth is patron of the Belgian Field Hospital, to which the
+readers and friends of _The Children's Story of the War_ have presented
+a motor ambulance.]
+
+While I am speaking of the noble way in which our people, far from the
+din of strife, ministered to the gallant men who were fighting their
+battles, I must not neglect the small but very useful effort made by the
+readers of these pages and their friends. While our third volume was in
+the course of serial issue, it was suggested that our readers should
+combine in some practical work of war charity. Then came the questions,
+Whom shall we help? and, How shall we help?
+
+It was well known that the story of how poor little Belgium had been set
+upon by the great bully, Germany, and how her gallant sons had fought
+and suffered and died for us, had strongly moved the hearts of children.
+For this reason it was decided that the Belgian soldiers who were still
+struggling bravely, in the last bit of their native land that was left
+to them, should be assisted. They were terribly poor, and they had no
+money with which to set up hospitals and buy ambulances for their
+wounded. A number of devoted British doctors and nurses had established
+a hospital for the Belgian soldiers who had been stricken down in
+battle. Their hospital--the Belgian Field Hospital--was the only one on
+a proper footing which was caring for the wounded soldiers of our noble
+little ally. What better and finer work could we do than set about
+collecting money to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance?
+
+As soon as the object of our effort was decided upon, a letter was
+written to her Majesty the Queen, asking her to permit the motor
+ambulance to be named after Prince George, to whom these pages are
+dedicated. The Queen, who nobly devotes herself to every good work, was
+graciously pleased to express her warm interest in our effort, and to
+permit us to inscribe Prince George's name on the ambulance. Then an
+appeal was printed and inserted in successive parts of _The Children's
+Story of the War_.
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance.
+
+Our readers will be gratified to see this photograph of the ambulance
+which they and their friends have presented to the Belgian Field
+Hospital. It is a 15.9 Whitlock Motor Ambulance Express, specially
+constructed for field service, and can be adapted either to carry four
+stretcher cases, or two stretcher cases and four sitting cases, or may
+be used as an omnibus for eight persons. Its cost complete with four
+stretchers is �418.]
+
+The appeal was issued on 4th September, and on 6th September money began
+to flow in. Our first contribution came from Prince George. Collecting
+papers were returned from every part of the United Kingdom and Canada,
+and even from Ferrol in Spain, and from the West Indies. Most of the
+money consisted of the pence and halfpence of the children themselves.
+An infant school in a very poor part of London sent 298 farthings as its
+contribution, while a school of poor little blind children sent a sum
+which represented much self-denial. Day-school and Sunday-school
+collections were taken up; one generous vicar gave a church offertory in
+aid of the fund; lectures were delivered to help it, and on no single
+day for many weeks did the tide of money cease to flow. Many of our
+collectors wrote letters expressing their pleasure at being able to
+help, and sending us best wishes for the success of the scheme. When it
+is stated that �450 were raised by more than 11,000 subscribers, it will
+be seen how small the individual contributions must have been.
+
+Towards the end of November sufficient money was in hand to warrant us
+in offering an ambulance to the Committee of the Belgian Field
+Hospital. The following reply was received:--
+
+    "_I am directed by Lord Sydenham and the Committee of the
+    Belgian Field Hospital to thank you most cordially for your
+    splendid efforts, which have met with so much success, in
+    raising funds to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance.
+    We most gratefully accept the gift._"
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance. Interior arranged
+for four Stretcher Cases.]
+
+Lord Sydenham, the president of the hospital, also wrote a special
+letter of thanks, in which he said, "_It is splendid of the readers of
+'The Children's Story of the War' to have subscribed so large a sum._"
+
+Our warmest thanks are due to all who have in any way helped to make the
+scheme a success. We know that we shall have the unspoken gratitude of
+many wounded Belgians; but we did not set about this work in order to
+win gratitude. We wanted to be a real help to those who have helped us.
+We know in our hearts that we have done a little act of mercy and
+kindness, and that is a reward which we are all entitled to enjoy.
+
+[Footnote 1: Wild and mountainous country of the Balkans to the west of
+Serbia, with its coast on the Adriatic Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 2: Sphagnum or bog moss occurs in large patches of a pale
+green or reddish colour on moors, and sometimes fills up small lakes or
+pools. The growth of bog moss has played a large part in the formation
+of peat. There are many varieties of bog moss, and some of them have now
+been put to practical use in our field hospitals.
+
+The story of the discovery of the properties of the moss is interesting.
+One day in a peat moss litter works some distance from Kiel a worker met
+with a serious injury. There were no appliances to deal with the case at
+the works, but the men did the best they could. They took a quantity of
+the article which they manufactured, peat moss litter, and laying it on
+the wounds tied bandages over it. The injured man was then conveyed to
+Kiel, and taken to a hospital. When the doctors undid the bandages, and
+found the dirty-looking moss litter in the wound, they were horrified,
+and declared that the injured limb would have to be cut off. Very soon,
+however, their horror gave way to surprise, and they said, "Ah, here is
+something which we do not know about!" They found that, far from the
+poisoning which they had expected, the injury had been beautifully
+cleaned by the rude dressing, and had actually begun to heal. With
+German thoroughness, they made further experiments, and so "discovered"
+sphagnum moss from the surgeon's point of view.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER II.
+
+  THE LOSS OF THE "FORMIDABLE."
+
+
+The new year opened with a naval disaster. On 31st December eight
+vessels of the Channel Fleet left Sheerness for a cruise in the English
+Channel, and by three o'clock on the morning of 1st January were
+crossing the fishing-ground not far from the Start Lighthouse. The ships
+were steaming at a moderate speed and in a single line, the rearmost
+ship being the _Formidable_, a pre-Dreadnought of 15,000 tons, and a
+sister ship to the _Bulwark_, which had been mysteriously blown up at
+Sheerness in the preceding November. The sea was rough, the moon was
+shining brightly, and a cold, piercing wind was blowing.
+
+Soon after three o'clock the dull roar of an explosion was heard on the
+starboard side of the _Formidable_, and was followed shortly afterwards
+by another. The ship shook from stem to stern, and a cloud of black
+smoke and coal dust arose. She had been struck fore and aft by two
+torpedoes discharged by a German submarine. At once she began to list
+heavily to starboard; there were gaping holes in her side, and it was
+evident that she could not remain afloat very long.
+
+There was not the slightest sign of panic on board the doomed ship.
+Captain Loxley, one of the ablest of our younger sailors, was on the
+bridge, setting an example to his crew of cool courage and utter
+forgetfulness of self. The water-tight doors were closed, the men were
+piped to quarters, and telephone bells were set ringing all over the
+ship to give warning of danger. Captain Loxley might easily have called
+upon his consorts to come to his rescue, but he knew that the submarine
+which had discharged the fatal torpedoes was still lurking hard by; so
+he signalled to his sister ships, "Stand off; submarines about."
+
+A bugle rang out, and the men below sprang from their hammocks and
+rushed upon deck, some of them only half clad. They fell into rank on
+the sloping deck, and Captain Loxley gave his orders as calmly as though
+his ship were riding at anchor in harbour. He was smoking a cigarette,
+and his favourite old terrier Bruce was standing by his side. He was
+heard to say: "Steady, men; it's all right. No panic; keep cool; _be
+British_." Everything of wood that might help the men in the water was
+flung overboard, and finally the captain gave the order, "Every man for
+himself!" A survivor saw him standing with folded arms as the ship went
+down.
+
+[Illustration: Captain Loxley giving his Last Order as the "Formidable"
+went down.
+
+(_From the picture by C. M. Padday. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)]
+
+As the _Formidable_ was listing badly to starboard, it was not possible
+to launch boats on the port side. Owing to the rough sea a cutter was
+stove in; but the men stuffed their jumpers into the hole, and bailed
+out the water with their boots. A barge fell perpendicularly from the
+davits, and threw the crew into the sea. Meanwhile, the stokers had
+drawn all the fires and had shut off steam, so that when the ship went
+down there was no boiler explosion. By this time it was clear that all
+could not be saved. Many of the crew knew that their last hour had come.
+One of the survivors thus described the scene on the decks as the
+_Formidable_ sank into the waves:--
+
+    "On one part of the ship where the men could see there was no
+    hope, all eyes were turned upward to the flagstaff, and then the
+    Old Jack was saluted for the last time. The last impression of
+    the scene left on my mind was a long line of saluting figures
+    disappearing below the sky-line. At least half of the men got
+    clear of the ship, but many must have been lost while waiting
+    for rescue. It was almost dark at the time, and the water was
+    icy cold."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Let me tell you how a bluejacket nobly gave his life for another as the
+ship was sinking. You shall hear the story in the words of the man who
+owed his life to his comrade's splendid generosity. "When everything had
+been done to save the _Formidable_, the boats came alongside and took
+off as many as possible. There were five boats, and two were swamped.
+All the boats had left the ship when the crew of one cried, 'Room for
+one more.' Two of us tossed for it, and the other chap won; but he said,
+'You have got parents; I haven't. Go on--jump for it.' I did so. I had
+to swim for it, but I was saved."
+
+The men in the leaking cutter, after being tossed and buffeted by the
+sea, drenched to the skin by the waves, and numbed by the bitter wind,
+were picked up by the Brixham fishing smack _Providence_ about fifteen
+miles from Berry Head. The _Providence_, which was owned and skippered
+by William Pillar, was running before the gale to Brixham for shelter,
+but off the Start found herself obliged to heave to owing to the force
+of the wind. Just then one of the crew noticed a cutter tossing under
+the lee. An oar had been hoisted, and from it a sailor's scarf was
+flying as a signal of distress.
+
+The cutter was drifting towards the smack, and every now and then was
+lost to sight amidst the heaving waves. Four times did the gallant
+smacksmen try to get a rope to the boat, while the skipper at the helm
+manoeuvred his little vessel with great skill. At last a small warp was
+thrown from the smack, and was caught by the men on board the cutter. By
+means of the capstan the rope was hauled in, and the cutter was brought
+up on the lee. The rescued sailors jumped on board; but even in the act
+of doing so they were in great peril, for the seas at times were rising
+thirty feet above the deck of the smack. The work of rescue occupied
+half an hour. Seventy-one men, including two officers, were thus saved.
+
+All were on board the smack by one o'clock, and a course was shaped for
+Brixham. Before long the _Providence_ fell in with a tug, which took her
+in tow and brought her safely to harbour. The residents of Brixham gave
+blankets, coats, and boots to the survivors, and provided them with
+comfortable quarters. Many of the men were utterly exhausted. For hours
+they had been battling with the heavy winter seas, which had almost
+continuously washed over them, and they had hoped against hope until the
+brown sails of the _Providence_ had providentially come in sight.
+
+One of the _Formidable's_ boats came unaided to the shore. After tossing
+about for twenty-two hours in a raging sea, it drifted with the tide
+into Lyme Regis, with forty men on board. Nine of her crew had died of
+exposure, and had been buried at sea. A light cruiser also picked up
+some of the _Formidable's_ men; but when the final reckoning was made,
+only 201 had been saved out of a ship's company of well-nigh 800 souls.
+
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The splendid seamanship of Skipper Pillar, and the great courage and
+devotion of his crew, greatly impressed the country. On 8th February he
+and his men attended at Buckingham Palace, where the King pinned the
+silver medal for gallantry on their breasts, and handed them the money
+rewards which had been bestowed upon them by the Admiralty. The King
+addressed them in the following words:--
+
+    "I congratulate you most heartily on your gallant and heroic
+    conduct. It is indeed a great feat to have saved seventy-one
+    lives. I realize how difficult your task must have been, because
+    I know myself how arduous it is to gybe[3] a vessel in a heavy
+    gale."
+
+Amongst the crew of the _Providence_ was Daniel Taylor, an apprentice.
+In reply to the King, he said that he had been at sea for just over
+twelve months, and that he was seventeen years of age. The King
+observed, "You are small for your age, but you have taken part in a very
+gallant deed, and I congratulate you." Some time later, Skipper Pillar
+was given a commission in the Royal Navy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I must not close this account of the disaster without dwelling for a
+moment upon the manner in which Captain Loxley went down with his ship.
+The history of the British navy is full of stories of cool, calm courage
+and selfless devotion in the face of death; and it is good to know that
+the sailors of our Navy are as true as ever to the spirit of those who
+built up its glorious fame in years gone by. On the very verge of doom,
+when men's courage is apt to fail them, Captain Loxley showed no sign of
+flinching. In his last moments he thought only of others. He strove
+manfully to save as many of his crew as possible, and he refused to
+endanger the lives of his comrades in the sister ships by calling them
+to his aid. He went to his death like the gallant gentleman that he was;
+and his last appeal, not only to his crew, but to you and me, was, "_Be
+British!_"
+
+How kind and thoughtful he was to others is seen from the following
+letter, which he wrote to his old nurse just before leaving
+Sheerness:--
+
+      "H.M.S. _Formidable_.
+
+    "My dear old Nan Nan,--I'm afraid that my Christmas present will
+    be a bit late. I meant to have sent it off yesterday, but
+    forgot. Anyhow, I hope it will arrive safely. My very best love
+    and best wishes to you and William for Christmas and the New
+    Year, and may we soon beat the Germans.
+
+    "We are having really quite a quiet time, but you never know
+    when anything may happen. I was out at Malta when war began, but
+    soon came home. Had three days' leave, and then came to this
+    ship, where I am likely to remain for the present.
+
+    "Peter [his son] has gone to school, and is just home for his
+    first holiday, which I expect he is enjoying just as much as I
+    did; but he was much braver going to school than I was. Every
+    one seems well at Gloucester, but I have only seen mother once,
+    for about ten minutes, during the last two years. With much
+    love, yours lovingly, Noel Loxley."
+
+One word more before I pass from this tragic story. The loss of the
+_Formidable_ clearly showed that the lessons taught by the sinking of
+the _Cressy_, _Hogue_, and _Aboukir_ had not been learned. Our Navy had
+not yet fully appreciated the fact that the only way to avoid the peril
+of the enemy submarines is for battleships to steam at high speed,
+frequently changing their course, and always accompanied by a flotilla
+of guardian destroyers. The eight ships that sailed down the Channel on
+the first day of the year 1915 steamed slowly in the bright light of the
+moon. They were thus a good target for the enemy's submarines, and were,
+indeed, courting disaster. As the year went by the Navy learned its
+lesson, and learned it well. Before many months had passed our sailors
+were more than a match for the under-water boats of the enemy, and the
+time was soon to arrive when the German submarines were fearlessly
+hunted and constantly trapped.
+
+[Footnote 3: To change from one tack to the other without going about;
+to shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side to the other when the wind is
+aft or on the quarter.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER III.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE DOGGER BANK.
+
+
+Up to the 24th of January 1915 squadrons of the German High Sea Fleet
+had adventured four times into the North Sea. The first occasion was on
+28th August, 1914, when the Battle of Heligoland Bight was fought, and
+the enemy lost three cruisers and two destroyers. On 17th October a
+squadron of German destroyers was encountered off the Dutch coast by a
+similar British squadron, and before long four of the enemy ships were
+sent to the bottom of the sea. Twice afterwards the enemy, greatly
+daring, left his fortified harbours and mine-fields; but on such
+occasions his object was not to fight, but to dodge the British fleet,
+and inflict "frightfulness" on more or less undefended coast towns. On
+3rd November he shelled Yarmouth beach; but was very uneasy during his
+ineffective attack, and scuttled homewards immediately he was warned
+that a British fleet was after him. Even on this occasion he did not
+escape without loss: the cruiser _Yorck_ ran on a German mine, and was
+sunk. This raid was followed by the attack on Scarborough, Whitby, and
+the Hartlepools, which I described at length in Chapter XXXV. of our
+third volume.
+
+Elated by their success in killing the defenceless townsfolk of
+unprotected towns, the Germans now prepared for another dash across the
+North Sea. We do not know exactly what their object was. Some tell us
+that an attack was to be made on the Tyne or the Forth; others say that
+the enemy hoped to get one or more of his battle cruisers round the
+north of Scotland, so that they might prey on British commerce. Whatever
+the object may have been, Rear-Admiral Hipper, who was in command of the
+Battle Cruiser Squadron detailed for the work, knew that he would
+probably have to meet a British fleet. If so, he intended to run for
+home without delay, and to lure the British ships into a trap. He
+enlarged the minefield north of Heligoland, and gathered there a large
+force of submarines. He fondly believed that he could entice our
+vessels into this dangerous area, where his submarines, together with
+the seaplanes and Zeppelins which were in readiness on the island, would
+make short work of them. Such was his plan. We are now to see how it
+failed.
+
+The night of Saturday, the 23rd, was foggy, and our destroyers scouting
+east of the Dogger Bank tossed all night on the waves, scarcely able to
+pierce the gloom for a hundred yards around them. Sunday morning,
+however, dawned sharp and clear; the wind had changed to the north-east,
+and had swept the mists from the seas. About seven in the morning the
+light cruiser _Aurora_ sighted the German squadron off the Dogger. At
+once she signalled the news to Admiral Beatty, and opened fire.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The German squadron which the _Aurora_ had sighted consisted of the
+_Seydlitz_ (which flew the flag of Rear-Admiral Hipper), the _Moltke_,
+the _Derfflinger_, the _Bluecher_, together with six light cruisers and
+a flotilla of destroyers. The first three of the vessels named had a
+speed of nearly 27 knots, and were armed with either 12-inch or 11-inch
+guns. The _Bluecher_ was an older and much slower vessel; she could
+steam 24 knots, and her main armament consisted of 8.2-inch guns. It was
+clear that in a chase she would have to be left behind, and thus would
+fall a prey to the enemy.
+
+To meet this force, Admiral Beatty had under his command the great
+battle cruisers _Lion_, _Tiger_, _Princess Royal_, and _New Zealand_;
+together with the _Indomitable_, four cruisers of the "town" class--the
+_Southampton_, the _Nottingham_, the _Birmingham_, and the _Lowestoft_;
+three light cruisers--the _Arethusa_, the _Aurora_, and the _Undaunted_;
+as well as two destroyer flotillas. His squadron was superior to that of
+the Germans in numbers, speed, and weight of fire.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Dogger Bank, off which the Germans were sighted, is a great shoal
+almost midway between England and Denmark, and extending to within forty
+miles of the Yorkshire coast. Its length from north to south is about
+160 miles, its breadth is 70 miles, and the average depth of water over
+it varies from ten to twenty fathoms.[4] South of the Dogger is a second
+and smaller shoal, known as the Well Bank. Still further south are
+deeps, such as the "Silver Pit," where the depth is as much as
+forty-five fathoms.
+
+The Dogger is the chief fishing ground of the North Sea. During the
+winter the waters above it are alive with trawlers, all engaged in
+reaping the rich harvest of the waters. Immense quantities of halibut,
+soles, turbot, brill, plaice, cod, haddock, and whiting are taken,
+packed in boxes--to be carried off by fish-cutters to the ports, or
+stored in ice until the trawler is ready to return home. Somewhere near
+the Dogger, probably on its north-eastern edge, the Germans were
+encountered. The naval battle which followed was not the first to be
+fought near the great shoal. In 1781 an English and a Dutch fleet met in
+these waters, and struggled fiercely; but the action was undecided, and
+the Dutch claimed a victory.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the _Aurora_ opened fire, Admiral Beatty's squadron, which was not
+far away, steered in the direction of the gun flashes. Immediately the
+German scouting cruisers perceived that a British squadron was after
+them they turned tail and fled to the south-east. Hipper did not wait to
+discover the strength of his opponents, but took to his heels at once.
+This seems to show that his real object was to lure the British ships
+into the position which he had prepared for them, and there engage them
+on his own terms. There were 120 miles of open sea to be crossed before
+the mine-fields were reached.
+
+When the signal was made, "Seven enemy ships--four battle cruisers and
+three cruisers with destroyers--to the south-west," there was fierce
+glee on board the British ships. Every man was agog for the fight; all
+were eager to avenge the women and children who had been murdered so
+brutally at Scarborough and the Hartlepools. Every gun was manned with
+men who had vengeance in their hearts, and down below the "black squad"
+were striving with all their might to get every knot possible out of
+their engines. A commander was heard to remark, "One would think this
+was a game of football, the boys are enjoying it so much." The _Lion_
+and _Tiger_ were soon racing ahead at thirty knots an hour, and were
+leaving the less speedy _Princess Royal_ and _New Zealand_ behind. At
+eight o'clock the situation was as follows: the Germans were moving
+south-east in line, with the _Moltke_ leading; followed by the
+_Seydlitz_ and the _Derfflinger_, the _Bluecher_ bringing up the rear.
+Their destroyers were on the starboard beam, and their light cruisers
+ahead. Close upon them were the British destroyers and the light
+cruisers, which now crossed to the port side in order that their smoke
+might not hide the big German ships from the British gunners. The
+_Lion_, _Tiger_, _Princess Royal_, _New Zealand_, and _Indomitable_ did
+not follow directly behind the German ships, lest the enemy should throw
+out mines, but held on a parallel course to the westward.
+
+By nine o'clock the _Lion_ was within 11� miles of the _Bluecher_. She
+fired a shot which fell short, but when the squadrons were ten miles
+apart she got her first blow home. Do you realize what this means? At
+ten miles the _Bluecher_ appeared no bigger than a pin point, and she
+was moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour across the sea. You will
+agree that the British gunnery must have been superb for hits to be made
+under these conditions.
+
+Soon the _Lion_ overhauled the slow _Bluecher_, and in passing gave her
+a broadside which caused frightful damage. The _Lion's_ quarry, however,
+was further ahead; and as she began to engage the _Derfflinger_, the
+_Tiger_ began to hit out at the _Bluecher_. She also passed by, and the
+_Princess Royal_, the _New Zealand_, and the _Indomitable_ in turn
+turned their guns on the rearmost ship of the German line, while the
+leading British ships were engaging the foremost ships of the enemy. At
+half-past nine the situation was as shown in the diagram on the next
+page.
+
+As early as a quarter to ten the _Bluecher_ began to show signs of the
+heavy punishment inflicted on her. It was now evident that she was
+doomed. She had been abandoned by her speedier consorts, and her end was
+only a matter of time. By eleven o'clock the _Seydlitz_ and the
+_Derfflinger_ were on fire; the _Bluecher_ had fallen behind, and was
+being mercilessly pounded by the _Indomitable_.
+
+Meanwhile, the German destroyers had attempted an attack, but had been
+driven off by the British destroyers. Shortly afterwards the German
+destroyers got between the _Lion_ and the _Tiger_ and the leading enemy
+ships, and began to raise huge volumes of smoke, so as to screen the
+targets from the British gunners. Under cover of this smoke the Germans
+changed course, and made a half-turn to the north. Again the enemy
+destroyers attacked at close quarters, hoping to torpedo the _Lion_ and
+the _Tiger_. They were, however, driven off by the 4-inch guns of our
+battle cruisers.
+
+[Illustration: The Sinking of the German Dreadnought "Bluecher," during
+the Battle of the Dogger Bank, fought on January 24, 1915.]
+
+And now while the chase continues, we must return to the _Bluecher_,
+which had made a gallant fight, but was nearing her end. Ship after ship
+had turned its guns upon her with terrible effect: her upper works had
+been smashed to atoms, and practically every gun which she possessed had
+been put out of action. Shot and shell had rained upon her, and she was
+burning furiously.
+
+[Illustration: Battle of January 24, 1915--9.30 a.m.]
+
+    "We were under fire first in the action and last," said a German
+    survivor. "Almost every British ship flung shot and shell at us.
+    It was awful. I have never seen such gunnery, and hope that as
+    long as I live I never shall. We could not fight such guns as
+    the British ships had, and soon we had no guns with which to
+    fight anything. Our decks were swept by shot, and the guns were
+    smashed and lying in all directions, their crews wiped out. One
+    terrible shell from a big gun I shall never forget. It burst
+    right in the heart of the ship, and killed scores of men. It
+    fell where many men had collected, and killed practically every
+    one of them. We all had our floating equipment, and we soon
+    needed it. One shell killed five men quite close to me, and it
+    was only a matter of time when nothing living would be left upon
+    the ship, if she continued to float. When we knew that we were
+    beaten, and that our flag was not to come down, many of us were
+    praying that the ship would sink, in order that no more men
+    would be killed. We would rather trust to the British picking us
+    up after our ship had sunk than to their missing us with those
+    terrible guns so long as she kept afloat."
+
+About noon a British destroyer, the _Meteor_, torpedoed the _Bluecher_,
+and she began to sink. Here is an officer's description of the final
+scene:--
+
+    "She heeled completely over, and sank in eight and a half
+    minutes, hundreds of men clambering over her side, and standing
+    there, just as if it were the upper deck, waiting for the final
+    plunge. But there was no plunge. Slowly and slowly she sank, and
+    as she went down some were sliding into the sea, others taking
+    running leaps. A few seconds more, and there was no sign of her
+    left, except her dead and living clustered in the water
+    together. We were about three hundred yards away, and watched
+    her go down, and I was particularly struck with the ease and
+    slowness with which she sank. Not till the waves had almost
+    entirely closed over her did the bow heave slightly out of the
+    water, and she disappeared stern first."
+
+The _Bluecher_ went to her doom with her flag flying. Some of the crew,
+while waiting the order to leap into the water, sang "_Die Wacht am
+Rhein_." Officers were seen to shake hands and link arms together, and
+thus sink into their watery grave. Though the Germans had made no
+attempt to save the crews of the _Monmouth_ and the _Good Hope_ during
+the fight off Coronel, and though our men were furious at the fiendish
+work done by the German cruisers at Scarborough and the Hartlepools,
+they began the work of rescue at once. Torpedo boats and pinnaces rushed
+to the scene to pick up survivors, and light cruisers stood by to help.
+
+    "A cry of 'Jump!' went up from the deck of the _Arethusa_, and
+    in a few seconds the sea was dotted thickly with men swimming
+    for their lives. Most of them were equipped with a life-belt of
+    inflated rubber, and this supported them in the water until the
+    British boats were able to pick them up. Among them were men who
+    had been wounded. The faces of all were blackened with smoke,
+    and in some cases the nerve of the men had almost completely
+    broken down in face of the severe ordeal through which they had
+    passed. Their joy at escaping destruction found expression in
+    many ways. The officers, of whom eight were taken aboard the
+    _Arethusa_, offered their rings, watches, and money to the
+    British sailors. Our men wished for no reward for performing a
+    humane duty; but the officers pressed the gifts upon them,
+    saying, 'You have saved our lives; take these as little
+    mementos.' One of them, speaking quite good English, said, with
+    a sigh of relief, 'It's been a terrible time, and I am jolly
+    glad it's all over.'"
+
+About one hundred and twenty men were saved from the _Bluecher_, and more
+would have been picked up but for the German aircraft, which by this
+time had arrived from Heligoland. To the intense anger of our sailors, a
+seaplane and a Zeppelin now began dropping bombs upon the rescue
+parties. They were careful to give a wide berth to those vessels which
+were armed with the latest anti-aircraft guns, and confined their
+attacks to the destroyers, which promptly scattered and then proceeded
+to drive them off. The airmen, no doubt, thought that the _Bluecher_ was
+a sinking British ship, and this may have given rise to the absurd tale,
+which was readily believed in Germany, that one, at least, of our battle
+cruisers had been sunk.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We must now return to the leading ships of the British squadron. Shortly
+after the Germans had changed course, Admiral Beatty himself sighted the
+periscope of a submarine on the starboard bow of the _Lion_, and
+promptly turned to port to avoid it. At this time the flagship, though
+she had been under much fire, had suffered but little. At three minutes
+past eleven, however, she was struck in the bow by a chance shot, which
+damaged her feed tank. According to German accounts, the _Lion_ was then
+about seventy miles from Heligoland. The accident, for it was no more,
+disabled the _Lion_. She had to reduce speed and fall out of the line.
+Admiral Beatty at once called up the destroyer _Attack_, and in it
+proceeded full speed in pursuit of the German squadron.
+
+The _Lion_ moved away to the north-west, and in the afternoon her
+engines began to give serious trouble. The _Indomitable_, which had by
+this time settled with the _Bluecher_, took the _Lion_ in tow, and after
+some hours of great anxiety brought her safely to port. The towing home
+of the _Lion_ by the _Indomitable_ was a very fine feat of seamanship.
+She could only proceed at five knots an hour, and at this snail's pace
+was a fair target for submarines. None, however, dared attack her; for
+she bristled with torpedo defence guns, and was surrounded by
+destroyers.
+
+By twenty minutes past twelve the _Attack_ overtook the _Princess
+Royal_, on which Admiral Beatty hoisted his flag. He now discovered that
+his squadron had broken off the fight, and was retiring northwards. We
+do not know exactly why the enemy was not followed up; but as the
+British ships were then only forty miles from the minefield, it is
+probable that the admiral in temporary command thought that his vessels
+would be endangered if he proceeded any further. After orders had been
+given to clear away and make for port, the grimy stokers of the
+_Princess Royal_ swarmed on deck and greeted Admiral Beatty with a shout
+of "Well done, David!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Only by sheer good luck did any of the German ships escape. Had the
+_Lion_ not been disabled, or had the squadron included another battle
+cruiser, it is probable that none of the German ships would have reached
+home to tell the tale. There was much disappointment in Britain when it
+was known that only the slowest and weakest of the German Dreadnoughts
+had been accounted for. Our losses were few: only fourteen men had been
+killed and six wounded; no British vessel had been lost; the _Lion_ had
+been hit fifteen times, and the _Tiger_ eight times, but the damage was
+soon repaired, and when a party of journalists visited the ships in the
+following October they could not see the scars of battle until they were
+pointed out. The Germans lost the _Bluecher_; the _Seydlitz_ and
+_Derfflinger_ were very hard hit, and many of their crews must have
+perished.
+
+During the remainder of the year 1915 the German Fleet wisely remained
+in harbour. The German High Sea Fleet had become the Kiel Canal fleet,
+and nothing more.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+There was great excitement in the Forth ports when the good news was
+received, and thousands of eyes were turned seawards to watch for the
+homecoming of the battle cruisers. Shortly after four o'clock the sound
+of cheering was heard. A moment later ringing "Hip, hip, hurrahs!"
+echoed from vessels farther up the river, and from the misty dimness of
+the upper reaches. "Got 'em this time!" said a smiling old salt on board
+a mine-sweeper. "Hark to the boys!"
+
+A batch of about 280 prisoners, including the captain of the _Bluecher_,
+was taken to Edinburgh Castle. As they were marched through the streets
+of the city one of the men asked the officer in charge, "What place is
+this?" When he was told that it was the capital of Scotland, he smiled
+superior. "Oh no," he said; "Edinburgh is in ruins, and the Forth Bridge
+is destroyed."
+
+[Footnote 4: A nautical measure = 6 ft.]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The Suez Canal at El Kantara.
+
+(_Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._)]
+
+
+  CHAPTER IV.
+
+  THE TURKISH DESCENT UPON EGYPT.
+
+
+Two days after the Battle of the Dogger Bank we learned that a Turkish
+force was advancing upon Egypt. Why were the Turks about to invade the
+"Land of the Nile"? First of all, because they believed that the
+fellahin[5] of Egypt were ready to revolt and join hands with them
+against the British. The Egyptians are Mohammedans, and are therefore
+linked with the Turks by the bond of a common religion. For three
+hundred years Egypt was part of the Turkish Empire.
+
+As far back as the year 1517 Egypt became a Turkish province, and fell
+under the sway of the Sultan of Turkey. In 1798 Napoleon tried to found
+a great empire of the East, and invaded Egypt as the first step. He
+stormed Alexandria, and won the Battle of the Pyramids; but Nelson
+destroyed his fleet in Aboukir Bay, and he was forced to leave the
+country.
+
+[Illustration: Bedouin Arabs--Advance Guards of the Turkish Army which
+invaded Egypt in January 1915.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+The Turkish pasha who ruled Egypt soon afterwards made himself
+independent of the Sultan, and his successor, Ismail Pasha, became
+Khedive or Viceroy. The overlordship of the Sultan was, however, still
+supposed to continue, though it grew more and more shadowy as the years
+passed by. Ismail governed his country badly; and when it became
+bankrupt, Britain and France had to step in to protect the interests of
+those of their subjects who had lent money to the Egyptian Government.
+What was called the Dual Control was set up in 1879, and Britain and
+France became the real rulers of Egypt.
+
+The Dual Control lasted until 1882, when an Egyptian officer named Arabi
+Pasha raised a rebellion, with the watchword, "Egypt for the Egyptians."
+The French were unwilling to take part in quelling this revolt, so the
+British had to act alone. Alexandria was bombarded, and Arabi was
+defeated by Lord Wolseley at Tel-el-Kebir. Thus, the Dual Control came
+to an end, and Britain stood alone in Egypt.
+
+Right well has Britain borne the "white man's burden" in the land of the
+Nile. When she began her work in Egypt, the only notion of law in the
+minds of the fellahin was the unchecked will of the "strong man armed"--
+
+  "The good old rule, the simple plan,
+   That they should take who have the power,
+   And they should keep who can."
+
+It has been said that Egypt requires two things for her
+prosperity--water and justice. Britain has given Egypt both water and
+justice. The laws have been reformed, and fair dealing between man and
+man is assured to the people. The taxes are heavy, but they are not
+unfair, and Egypt now pays her way. Schools and colleges have been
+opened, and Britain has striven with all her might to make the lot of
+the people happier and better.
+
+Britain has been equally careful to give the country as good a
+water-supply as possible. She has strengthened and altered the great dam
+or barrage which was built across the Nile at the point where it divides
+into the Rosetta and Damietta branches, for the purpose of storing up
+water to irrigate the Delta regularly throughout the year. The whole
+canal system of the country has been overhauled and greatly improved. At
+Assiut, and higher up the river at Aswan, huge bars of solid masonry
+have been thrown across the Nile, and stretches of the river have been
+turned into vast lakes. These dams store up sufficient water to fill the
+"summer canals" of Upper and Middle Egypt. Never before has the
+cultivated area of the Nile Valley had a supply of water for the fields
+during both summer and winter. Further, by conquering the Sudan, Britain
+has gained control of the upper waters of the Nile.
+
+Though Britain has done so much for Egypt, we must not suppose that all
+the Egyptians are content with her rule. The great bulk of the people
+are quite satisfied to live and flourish under British control, but
+there are some pashas who long for the "good old days" when the people
+were at their mercy. Amongst these discontented persons German and
+Turkish agents have long been busy, trying to bribe them to rise against
+the British Government. By the beginning of the war they had won over
+the Khedive to their side, and in January 1915 they believed that the
+Egyptians were ready to take up arms against their rulers. As a matter
+of fact, the Egyptians as a whole had no intention of doing anything of
+the kind. They remained quite calm, even when the Turk was knocking at
+their gates. Very few of them wished to bring back the old days of
+Turkish tyranny and misgovernment.
+
+Another reason why the Turks prepared to descend upon the land of the
+Nile was that, on 17th December 1914, we announced to all the world that
+thenceforth Egypt was a British possession. The traitor Khedive had been
+deposed, and a new ruler who was friendly to the British Government had
+been set up in his place. Up to this time the British had recognized the
+overlordship of the Sultan of Turkey. Now they did away with it
+altogether, and the Turks saw that the last vestige of their hold on
+Egypt had vanished.
+
+In January our forces in Egypt consisted of Australians and New
+Zealanders, Territorials from Great Britain, Indian troops, and, of
+course, the regular Egyptian army. The Germans thought that, if the
+Turks made an attack on the country, Britain would be forced to keep
+large forces in Egypt, and that she would therefore be unable to
+strengthen her armies on the Western front. For these reasons, political
+and military, a Turkish expedition was prepared in Syria for the
+invasion of Egypt. It was 65,000 strong, and was led by Djemel Pasha,
+who cherished a deep hatred for Britain.
+
+To reach Egypt from Syria this force had to cross an almost waterless
+desert, which varied in breadth from 120 to 150 miles. Across this
+dreary tract of rock and sand there were three routes, all of them
+difficult. The first ran from El Arish, on the Mediterranean coast, to
+El Kantara, on the Suez Canal. It was 120 miles long, and except for a
+few muddy wells, there was no water on the road. If you look at the map
+below, you will see a road crossing the base of the Sinai Peninsula
+from Akaba, at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, to Suez, at the southern
+end of the Suez Canal. This road was the old pilgrim route from Egypt to
+the holy city of Mecca. It is 150 miles long, and there are but few
+wells by the way. From El Arish you will observe another road which
+strikes south, and meets the pilgrim's road about midway between Suez
+and Akaba. This road runs through a dry valley, in which it was possible
+to lay down a light railway. Only by these routes could the Turks reach
+Egypt from Syria.
+
+[Illustration: The Suez Canal and the Sinai District.]
+
+You will notice that before the Turks could set foot in Egypt they would
+have to cross the Suez Canal, which could not be turned, because it runs
+from sea to sea. If the Turks could seize the Suez Canal they would
+command our short route to India, and would be able to impede greatly
+the bringing of troops to Europe from the East. No doubt this was
+another of the reasons which led the Turks to make a descent upon Egypt.
+So important is the Suez Canal to the defence of the country that I must
+briefly describe it.
+
+The canal is nearly 100 miles long--76 miles of it actual canal, and 24
+miles of dredged and buoyed waterway through lakes. In all this length
+there is not a single lock! The canal varies in width from 80 to 120
+yards, and it is deep enough to float the heaviest of Dreadnoughts.
+Begun in 1859, it was completed ten years later, at a cost of
+�16,000,000. It is not the property of any one nation, but the United
+Kingdom is by far the largest shareholder: it holds 35 per cent. of the
+shares.
+
+Let us follow the course of the canal. For the first few hours the canal
+crosses the shallow arm of the Mediterranean known as Lake Menzala. Two
+long parallel embankments cross this so-called lake, which is very
+shallow, and is studded with rocks. When this section is passed, we have
+the red sands of the desert to right and left of us. Side by side with
+the canal runs a sweet-water canal. It is a simple ditch, and its course
+can everywhere be traced by the grass and trees which flourish along its
+margin. Except for this fringe of verdure, no vegetation but desert
+scrub can be seen.
+
+At the station of El Kantara there is a ferry, and here one may
+sometimes see caravans of Arabs with laden camels setting out on a
+journey across the desert to El Arish. Later in the day we cross Lake
+Bal�h, pursuing our way between rows of buoys. Another stretch of canal
+follows, and we cross Lake Timseh, and see away on our right the town of
+Ismailia, from which a railway strikes off westwards. Then comes another
+long, straight channel, with high sand dunes on the left bank. We pass
+the signal station of Touss�m, set in a pleasing frame of trees, and two
+and a half miles further on is Serapeum. We now steam across the Bitter
+Lakes, which are said to represent an old arm of the Red Sea. After
+these lakes are passed we enter the last stretch of the canal, and
+finally reach Suez, beyond which lies the Red Sea.
+
+During our voyage we notice that the ground to the east of the canal is
+very flat, and that from the deck of our ship, or from the higher ground
+on the western bank, we can see far and wide over the desert across
+which the Turks would have to advance. Just south of El Kantara, and
+again between Lake Bal�h and the Bitter Lakes, there are sand dunes; but
+elsewhere there is no cover for an attacker. The defenders of Egypt
+thought it probable that the Turks would make their descent upon the
+canal along the line of the sand dunes.
+
+By 28th January small advanced parties of Turks had crossed the desert.
+One party, marching by the direct route from El Arish to El Kantara, was
+met and driven back by Gurkhas; another party, advancing by the road
+from Akaba, suffered the same fate. On 2nd February the main attack was
+delivered by about 12,000 troops, who had marched along the valley from
+El Arish towards the Sinai Peninsula. When they were about four hours
+distant from the canal they divided into two columns, and proceeded
+westwards. One column moved towards the sand dunes opposite to Ismailia,
+while the second and much stronger column pushed on towards Touss�m.
+Small flanking attacks were also made against El Kantara and Suez.
+
+[Illustration: Fighting at the Suez Canal, February 2-4, 1915.]
+
+The advance of the enemy had been known for some days, and our troops
+were in position ready to meet it. They were full of confidence, and
+were quite sure that the Turks would never enter Egypt save as
+prisoners. As the sun sank in a flaming sky on 2nd February our patrols
+saw the enemy moving towards the hummocks of sand that fringe the canal.
+When night fell, the Turks pushed their main force through the scrub and
+dunes towards a gap which gave them an easy road to the canal opposite
+Touss�m. The Turks had dragged across the deserts in carts some
+twenty-five or thirty galvanized iron pontoons, each weighing about 850
+lbs. When they approached the canal, the pontoons were shouldered by men
+and carried towards the water. By means of these pontoons, and a few
+rafts made out of kerosene tins with a wooden frame, the Turks proposed
+to cross the canal.
+
+The first warning of the enemy's approach was given by a sentry of a
+mountain battery, who heard voices across the water. Soon the noise
+increased. The Turks were loudly encouraging each other by crying out in
+Arabic, "Brothers, die for the faith; we can die but once," and so
+forth. The defenders were on the alert, but they were in no hurry to
+fire. They did not even pull their triggers when the invaders were
+carrying the pontoons down to the canal. Not until numbers of the enemy
+were crowded together under the steep bank, and were pushing their
+pontoons into the water, did the machine guns and rifles of the British
+begin to rattle. Then the fire was deadly; the Turks were speedily mown
+down, and the pontoons, riddled with bullets, were soon at the bottom of
+the canal.
+
+[Illustration: The Turkish Attack on the Suez Canal.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+On the night of February 2nd, 1915, two Turkish columns, numbering about
+12,000 in all, moved towards the canal--the front and smaller column
+against Ismalia; the second against Touss�m. Our illustration shows the
+latter attack in progress. To the right, the Turks are seen advancing
+under heavy shell and rifle fire, and vainly trying to launch boats. To
+the left are the Punjabis resisting the attack. The Turks were driven
+back at this point, and an attempt to cross at Ismalia suffered a
+similar fate. The Turks retired in good order, and unfortunately were
+able to march back to Syria without much molestation.]
+
+The Turks now lined the banks, and redoubled their efforts to get
+across.
+
+    "They first tried to get men across by boats and by swimming, in
+    order to hold a place as a bridgehead. Five boats filled with
+    riflemen were rowed over; three sank with most of their
+    occupants, and two touched the western bank. One boatload
+    charged up the bank, but not a man reached the top. The crew of
+    the other boat jumped into the water, and getting ashore,
+    scraped holes in the bank with their hands to make a temporary
+    shelter trench. Most of them were shot, and a few survivors gave
+    themselves up as soon as it was daylight."
+
+A little torpedo boat, with a crew of thirteen, dashed to and fro,
+firing point-blank at the enemy, and smashing into fragments the
+pontoons which lay unlaunched on the bank. The duel continued through
+the dark, cloudy night.
+
+When morning dawned, the battle became general all along the canal. The
+enemy brought up field guns, and the British and French warships in the
+canal joined in the fray. A few Turks who had swum across the canal
+began to snipe our men from the rear, but they were soon disposed of.
+Those who swam across later were deserters eager to surrender.
+
+At about eleven in the morning two 6-inch shells from the Turkish
+batteries hit H.M.S. _Hardinge_, an old Indian marine transport. One of
+the shells fell with a terrific crash on the bridge, almost severing the
+leg of Pilot Carew. He calmly looked down at his mangled leg, and,
+gripping the rail, shouted, "Bring me a chair. I am going to take this
+ship into port!" During the battle Pilot Carew received no fewer than
+eighteen wounds. The guns of the warships began to fire salvos, and soon
+the Turkish batteries were silenced.
+
+Now that the pontoons of the enemy had been destroyed, the German
+commander had been killed, and the troops lying in cover had been
+shelled out of their hiding-places, the Turks realized that their
+attempt at invasion had hopelessly failed. Half-hearted flank attacks at
+El Kantara and Suez had been held up by our wire entanglements, and the
+time had arrived for our Indian troops to take the offensive. Excellent
+artillery and rifle fire cleared the greater part of the eastern bank,
+and by three o'clock in the afternoon of 3rd February the Turks were in
+full retreat. They had done nothing more than engage our outpost line.
+
+Early next morning the British troops crossed the canal in force, and
+began the work of rounding up the enemy. Many Turks were found in a
+hollow, and some of them held up their hands when our men approached. As
+a British officer advanced to take the surrender he was shot down. A
+sharp fight with the cold steel followed, during which one of our
+officers engaged a Turkish officer in single combat and ran him through.
+Some 400 dead were counted, more than 600 prisoners were taken, and the
+total Turkish casualties were probably well over 2,000. For days
+following deserters drifted in, and by 8th February there was not a
+single Turk within twenty miles of the canal.
+
+Unfortunately the bulk of the enemy, with baggage and guns, got away
+safely. A heavy sandstorm came on, and our Camel Corps were unable to
+follow up the beaten and dispirited enemy. Had this not happened, it is
+probable that the whole force would have been captured or destroyed. The
+Turks declared that their advance on the canal was merely for the
+purpose of discovering the strength of the enemy and the character of
+his defences. Whatever the object was, it was not repeated during 1915;
+Egypt remained unmolested for the rest of the year.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One incident which occurred during the fighting is worthy of special
+mention. An officer on board the torpedo boat which did such good work
+in harassing the enemy thus tells the story:--
+
+    "It was now 3 p.m., so we went back down the canal to finish off
+    some boats which the Turks had abandoned inshore on the east
+    bank. As the 3-pounder could not get on to these, we landed and
+    blew up two. To get at the third boat it was necessary to go up
+    a gully some fifty yards inland, where we could see the bow
+    sticking up. The enemy held this bank, so, of course, we were
+    under fire the whole time. I called for volunteers, and a
+    sub-lieutenant and a petty officer landed with me in a dinghy.
+    We left an A.B. in her, and darted up with our gun-cotton
+    charge. I went ahead and got up to the boat, when I saw five
+    Turkish soldiers on the other side about ten yards away. I
+    stepped round the boat to have a shot at them, and fell into a
+    trench full of Turks. You never saw any one so surprised in your
+    life as they were, and I myself confess to a certain
+    astonishment.
+
+    "I was too close to them to allow them to get their rifles on
+    me, and, realizing that every second was of value, I gave one
+    whoop and dived out of the trench. The sub-lieutenant shot a
+    fellow who stuck his head over to pot me, and all three of us
+    trekked back to the dinghy under a heavy fire at about thirty
+    yards range. The Australian and Indian troops holding the west
+    bank opened fire to cover our retreat, as did also the torpedo
+    boat. It really seemed as if the air was full of lead--one long,
+    continuous whistle overhead, and the sand all round flying up in
+    spurts. I was still laughing from the comic expressions I had
+    seen on the faces of the Turks in the trench; nevertheless, I
+    got over the ground like a two-year-old. We had thirty yards to
+    row to the torpedo boat, and, would you believe it? we all got
+    aboard untouched. I did not blow up that boat, as I saw it had
+    already been riddled with bullets from the other bank."
+
+[Footnote 5: Plural of _fellah_, an Egyptian or Syrian peasant.]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Men of "Princess Pat's" Canadian Light Infantry on the
+March.
+
+_Photo, Central Press._]
+
+
+  CHAPTER V.
+
+  WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.--I.
+
+
+Now we must return to the battle front in the West, and see how the
+Allies fared during the months of January and February. You will
+remember that when the year 1914 closed the rival armies were facing
+each other in trenches which extended over well-nigh 500 miles--from the
+North Sea across the flats of Flanders, through the coalfield of North
+France, along the ups and downs of the Oise Valley and the heights of
+the Aisne, through the Forest of Argonne into Lorraine, along every high
+valley of the Vosges, right through Alsace to within sight of Alpine
+snows. The cold and storms of winter had put an end to operations on a
+large scale, but scarcely a day passed without artillery duels and local
+attacks.
+
+When General Joffre was asked to describe his operations during the
+winter months he replied, "We are nibbling away at them." He was not yet
+strong enough to pierce the German lines on a large scale, even if the
+weather had permitted him to do so. His policy was to wear down the
+Germans by provoking attacks in which they were likely to lose more men
+than the Allies. You know that the Germans believe in attacking, and
+that they consider it the best form of defence. In modern warfare the
+attackers always lose more men than the defenders.
+
+Let us look for a moment at the position of the Germans in the month of
+January. They had overrun Belgium, and they held a very valuable part of
+North France; but otherwise they had made many mistakes, and had failed
+to accomplish what they had set out to do. They had aimed at Paris, but
+had never got there; they had flung away life like water to reach the
+Channel ports, but had failed to capture them; they had intended a short
+war, in which victory would be achieved before the Allies could meet
+them on equal terms, but they were now faced by a long struggle. Every
+day the Allies were bringing fresh troops into the field, and were
+making good their many deficiencies. Meanwhile the Germans, by their
+brutal treatment of the poor people who had fallen into their hands, had
+lost the sympathy of every civilized country.
+
+Germany was now at the very top of her field strength. It was calculated
+that she was losing some 260,000 men every month, and that as time went
+on she would be less and less able to bring up reserves with which to
+repair the wastage of war. Experts declared that by the end of the year,
+or by the end of the following January, the supply of German reserves
+would fail, and the armies in the field would then begin to decline in
+numbers and in quality. On the other hand, the Allies had not yet come
+anywhere near their possible strength. The new British armies, which had
+been under training since September, would be ready in the spring.
+France was forming at least three new armies, and the Russians hoped to
+be able to equip their third and fourth millions and put them in the
+field some time in April. Great efforts were being made by the Allies to
+increase their artillery, and it was expected that in the early summer
+they would be able to strike a decisive blow. In these circumstances it
+was to Germany's interest to strain every nerve to win during the early
+months of the year.
+
+It was thought by the Allies that the great German effort would be made
+in the West; but, as we shall see in later chapters, they were mistaken.
+The Germans launched their chief attacks against the Russians, who by
+the middle of the year were so woefully lacking in munitions that they
+were forced to retire eastwards from the Vistula for about two hundred
+miles; and owing to this misfortune the "big push" of the Allies in the
+West had to be postponed.
+
+Now let us see what actually happened in the West during January and
+February. You already know that, until the new armies of the Allies were
+ready to take the field and the British supply of big guns and shells
+was greatly increased, they could do nothing but worry portions of the
+German front.
+
+Such being the policy of the Allies, you will not expect to hear of big
+battles. The story of the fighting during January and February is the
+record of small things--"a sandhill won east of Nieuport, a trench or
+two near Ypres, a corner of a brickfield near La Bass�e, a few hundred
+yards near Arras, a farm on the Oise, a mile in northern Champagne, a
+coppice in the Argonne, a hillock on the Meuse, part of a wood on the
+Moselle, some of the high glens in the Vosges, and a village or two in
+Alsace." A cartoon published in a German comic paper in January showed
+two French Staff officers measuring the day's advance with a footrule.
+No doubt the gains were small; but we must remember that our object was
+not so much to win ground as to take toll of the two million Germans
+holding the trenches, and by reducing their numbers bring the day of
+their exhaustion nearer.
+
+We will begin our story with the Belgian-French forces on the Yser. They
+then held the bridgehead at Nieuport and the whole western bank of the
+river. During January the Germans fiercely shelled the chief centres in
+the little bit of Belgium over which King Albert still held sway.
+
+The German right rested on the dunes fronting the sea, and their big
+guns amongst the sandhills had Nieuport at their mercy. On 28th January
+the Allies attacked the Great Dune, which lies just east of Nieuport,
+and managed to win a good position from which they could sweep the east
+bank of the Yser and protect their own left wing. Nothing else of
+importance happened in this section for the next two months.
+
+On the Ypres salient, trenches were taken and retaken during January and
+the first fortnight of February. On the last day of February, Princess
+Patricia's Regiment of Canadian Light Infantry distinguished itself in a
+brilliant little affair. This regiment, which consisted almost entirely
+of old soldiers, many of whom possessed medals for previous war service,
+had been equipped by Mr. Hamilton Gault of Montreal. Lieutenant-Colonel
+F. D. Farquhar was appointed colonel, and the founder of the regiment
+became second in command, with the rank of major. The regiment was named
+after Princess Patricia, the younger daughter of the Duke of Connaught,
+then Governor-General of Canada.
+
+[Illustration: Canadians on Salisbury Plain.
+
+_Photo, Sport and General._
+
+A portion of Stonehenge, the oldest monument in the British Isles, is
+seen in the background. It was ancient in the days when Boadicea called
+her kinsmen to arms against the Romans.]
+
+Princess Patricia embroidered colours and presented them to the regiment
+on August 23, 1914, when she wished the men good luck, and said that
+she should follow their fortunes with deep interest. In due course the
+regiment, which was generally known as "Princess Pat's," arrived with
+the Canadian contingent at Plymouth, and after training on Salisbury
+Plain, where most of the men had their first experience of the rain,
+sleet, and slush of an English winter, was dispatched to France, where
+the Christmas dinners were eaten within sound of the guns. By 26th
+January they had become inured to the hardships of the trenches, and had
+already suffered casualties. On the 28th of February, when they were
+holding a position not far from St. Eloi, about two miles south of
+Ypres, the regiment was ordered to capture a German trench. The
+following brief account of the affair is from the pen of a corporal who
+took part in it:--
+
+    "On the last day of February, just before dawn, our company was
+    ordered to attempt to force one of the German trenches. As we
+    climbed over the parapet the enemy, by means of their magnesium
+    flares, spotted us, and immediately opened up on us a withering
+    machine-gun fire. We lost men--some of my best friends and
+    comrades--but on we kept, plodding through a quagmire of mud,
+    and when we jumped over the enemy's parapet into their trench,
+    we had to tramp over dead men. The rest of the Huns, afraid of
+    cold steel, fled screaming like children or went down on their
+    knees and begged for mercy. This, in true British fashion, was
+    granted them."
+
+The attack was led with great dash and spirit by Lieutenants Crabbe and
+Papineau, the latter of whom received the distinguished Service Order
+for conspicuous gallantry on the occasion. He was in charge of
+bomb-throwers during the attack. He shot two of the enemy himself, and
+then ran along the German sap, throwing bombs into it. As soon as the
+news of the success became known, congratulations were poured upon the
+gallant fellows. They were the first of all Canadian regiments to come
+into prominence, and they had given ample evidence of that gallantry
+which was soon to be exhibited on a larger scale, and to thrill the
+Empire with pride.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+There were other similar successes on the Ypres salient, but the almost
+continual rain, snow, and fogs of the latter part of February made
+important attacks almost impossible.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The La Bass�e Canal in Time of Peace.]
+
+
+  CHAPTER VI.
+
+  WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.--II.
+
+
+The heaviest winter fighting in the British section of the front took
+place in the neighbourhood of La Bass�e. The German Emperor's birthday
+occurs on 27th January, and his soldiers were eager to present him with
+a success in order to commemorate the event. If you look at the map on
+page 52, you will see to the east of the hamlet of Cuinchy, south of the
+canal, a district marked "Brickfields." Still further east you observe a
+triangle of ground bounded by three railway lines. The British 3rd
+Brigade was holding a sharp salient in this district. Its left rested on
+the canal, its centre was pushed forward towards the "railway triangle,"
+and its right was on the road running from Bethune to La Bass�e. All the
+ground was covered with old kilns and smoke stacks, and a few hundred
+yards behind our first line we had constructed a "keep" of bricks.
+
+On 24th January the Germans shelled our position, hoping to smash the
+canal lock, and so flood our trenches. About six o'clock next morning a
+German deserter came in to our lines and warned us that an attack would
+be made in about half an hour. Deserters had so frequently told similar
+tales that we took no notice of him. The man, however, had told the
+truth, and the half-hour had scarcely ended when a tremendous
+bombardment began. Our first-line trenches, which were held by half a
+battalion each of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards, were blown in,
+and before the damage could be repaired the Germans flung forward great
+numbers of men for an attack. After a severe tussle, in which our men
+used the bayonet with great effect, they were forced to fall back across
+the brickfields. The London Scottish and the 1st Camerons, with the
+remainder of the Coldstream and Scots Guards, were ordered up to hold
+the second line. These troops fought hard, and punished the Germans
+severely with rifle and machine-gun fire; but so numerous were the
+attackers that they managed to get in amongst the brick stacks and into
+the communication trenches on both sides of the "keep," and even to the
+west of it.
+
+Much-needed reinforcements were pushed forward, and at one o'clock a
+counter-attack was begun. Together with the French on their right, our
+troops moved forward in short, swift rushes, taking cover behind piles
+of bricks or lying close on the soggy ground. Good progress was made on
+the flanks, but the centre could not advance. Late in the afternoon
+another battalion was sent up in support, and the struggle continued
+throughout the night. By the morning of the 26th we had cleared out the
+enemy between the "keep" and our trenches, and had partially recovered
+the ground lost in the morning. The Germans had paid heavily for their
+trifling gain. Fifty-three prisoners were captured, and over a thousand
+German dead strewed the brickfields.
+
+[Illustration: The Fighting in Givenchy Village.
+
+(_From the drawing by Alfred Bastien. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+The mining village of Givenchy stands on high ground, and commands the
+highroad from Bethune to La Bass�e. Our illustration shows the fierce
+fighting in the village on January 25, 1915, when our men in many cases
+fought with bayonets in their hands and even knocked out many Germans
+with their fists. In the above drawing, British troops, including
+Highlanders, are seen advancing from the left.]
+
+Meanwhile an equally severe fight was going on north of the canal. The
+Germans heavily bombarded the coveted village of Givenchy, which we had
+held ever since the second week of the preceding October. At 8.15 they
+swarmed out of their trenches, passed over our front trenches, and broke
+into the village, where a furious struggle raged in the streets and in
+the houses for more than an hour. "Our men," says Eye-witness, "in many
+cases fought with bayonets in their hands, and even knocked out many
+Germans with their fists. A story is told of one man who broke into a
+house held by eight Germans. He bayoneted four, and captured the rest,
+while he continued to suck at a clay pipe."
+
+Five separate times the Germans attacked the north-east corner of
+Givenchy, but each time they were driven back with great loss. "On the
+whole," continues Eye-witness, "the 25th January was a bad day for the
+enemy in this portion of their line." The German birthday gift to the
+Kaiser was a heap of his own dead.
+
+[Illustration: Sketch Map to illustrate the Fighting near La Bass�e of
+the 1st Corps, January 25-26, 1915.]
+
+For the next ten days the struggle continued. On the 29th the Germans
+again attacked south of the canal, and tried to get into the "keep" by
+means of scaling ladders, but were beaten off with severe losses. On 1st
+February, very early in the morning, the Coldstreams were driven from
+their trenches south of the canal, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. As the light grew better, our artillery came into action,
+and so accurate a fire was kept up on the lost trenches that the Germans
+could not hold them. At ten o'clock fifty men of the 2nd Coldstreams and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, along with sappers carrying sand-bags and
+barbed wire, rushed forward, and not only recovered the lost trenches,
+but seized one of the enemy's posts on the embankment of the canal. It
+was during this attack that Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary won the
+Victoria Cross by a remarkable feat of gallantry which will be described
+in the next chapter.
+
+    "Our men," says Eye-witness, "were enabled to take in flank one
+    of the enemy's trenches to the south, and they fought their way
+    along it, throwing hand grenades, until they dislodged the
+    Germans from a considerable length. We thus established
+    ourselves firmly in a good position on the canal bank and in the
+    adjoining trenches. During the action we captured fourteen
+    prisoners and two machine guns, also many wounded. Our losses
+    were not severe, but the enemy suffered heavily, especially from
+    our artillery fire. . . . Our men were in excellent spirits
+    after the encounter, and on being relieved somewhat later,
+    marched back to their billets singing to the accompaniment of
+    mouth organs and the roar of guns."
+
+About 2 p.m. on the night of the 5th-6th February the British and French
+artillery turned their heavy howitzers on the "railway triangle," and
+began a fierce bombardment. The boom of the guns and the roar of the
+exploding shells were clearly heard twenty miles away, and to those near
+at hand the noise was terrific. One lyddite shell blew a house bodily
+into the air; while others, exploding amongst the brick stacks, wrought
+awful havoc amongst the enemy. At 2.15 a.m. an attack was launched at a
+strong position held by the Germans amidst stacks of bricks. Our
+storming columns rushed the position from three sides at once, and
+captured it with very little loss. Prisoners afterwards said that the
+noise of the bursting shells, and the thick clouds of dust which arose,
+prevented them from hearing or seeing our men until they were almost
+upon them. Other trenches were captured, and the next day the Germans
+tried hard to recover the lost ground. Our gunners, however, were too
+much for them, and succeeded in destroying one of their heavy batteries.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I have told you the story of these small fights to give you an idea of
+how the "nibbling" process was carried on. Dozens of similar encounters
+took place in various parts of our line, and in all of them the Germans
+lost more heavily than we did. You will notice that early in February
+our artillery was able to compete with that of the Germans. Every day
+more and more big guns and more and more shells were sent to the front.
+The time was soon to arrive when a big combined effort could be made to
+pierce the German line.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER VII.
+
+  STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.
+
+
+You are now to read some soldiers' stories of the fighting during the
+winter months. The first story tells how Algerian horsemen, by a skilful
+ruse, managed to get a footing in the Great Dune[6] between the Ostend
+road and the sea.
+
+One morning six fine Arab horses strayed, as though by accident, between
+the French and German lines. The Germans did not fire on the horses,
+because they hoped to capture them when they came sufficiently near to
+their trenches. The animals, however, wandered off again. Towards
+nightfall on the following day twenty-four Arab horses appeared on the
+same ground. In the half light the Germans could only just distinguish
+the forms of the animals, and perceive that they were unmounted. They
+were preparing to seize them when suddenly a sharp cry was heard, and
+the horses, kicking up their heels, galloped back to the French lines.
+
+Almost immediately twenty-four gray forms rose from the ground and
+dashed towards the German trench. They were Algerians, who had concealed
+themselves under the bodies of their horses, and had thus got close to
+the German line. They rushed upon the enemy, and a furious struggle took
+place. The Germans in the second line dared not fire for fear of
+shooting their own comrades. The Algerians managed to get a footing in
+the German trench, and shortly afterwards French infantrymen rushed up
+to their support. By ten in the evening a portion of the Great Dune had
+been won.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Sniping" went on almost continuously during the winter. A Canadian
+officer thus describes his adventures while scouting in front of the
+German trenches:--
+
+"Off I went, crawling through the sodden clay and branches, going about
+a yard a minute, listening and looking. I went out to the right of our
+lines, where the Germans were nearest. At last I saw the Hun trench. It
+was about ten yards from me. I waited for a long time, and then I heard
+some Germans talking, and saw one of them put his head up over some
+bushes behind the trench. I could not get a shot at him, as I was too
+low down. Of course, I could not get up; so I crawled on again, very
+slowly, to the parapet of their trench.
+
+"It was exciting. I peered through their loophole, but saw nobody in the
+trench. Then the German behind put up his head again. He was laughing
+and talking. I saw his teeth glisten against my foresight, and I pulled
+the trigger. He just gave a grunt and crumpled up. His comrades behind
+the bushes got up, and whispered to each other. There were five of them.
+They could not place the shot. I was flat behind their parapet, and
+hidden. I just had the nerve not to move a muscle and stay there; my
+heart was fairly hammering. They did not advance, so I crept back, inch
+by inch.
+
+"The next day, just before dawn, I crawled out there again, and found
+the trench still empty. Then a single German came through the woods
+towards the trench. I saw him fifty yards off. He was coming along
+upright, quite carelessly, making a great noise. I heard him before I
+saw him. I let him get within twenty-five yards, and then shot him.
+
+"Nothing happened for ten minutes. Then there were noise and talking,
+and a lot of Germans came along through the wood behind the trench,
+about forty yards from me. I counted about twenty, and there were more
+coming. They halted in front. I picked out the one I thought was the
+officer. I had a steady shot at him. He went down, and that was all I
+saw.
+
+"I went back at a sort of galloping crawl to our lines, and sent a
+message that the Germans were moving in a certain direction in some
+numbers. Half an hour afterwards they attacked the right in massed
+formation, advancing slowly to within ten yards of our trenches. We
+simply mowed them down. It was rather horrible. There were 200 of them
+dead in a little bit of our line, and we only lost ten.
+
+"Our boys were rather pleased at my stalking and getting the message
+through. All our men have started stalking now. It is quite a popular
+amusement."
+
+[Illustration: "The Three Musketeers" of Princess Patricia's Own.
+
+(_Painted by S. Begg from material supplied by an officer of Princess
+Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry present at the action. By permission
+of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+"Princess Pat's Own" first went into the firing line on 5th January.
+The trenches in which they received their baptism of fire were only
+about a hundred yards away from those of the Germans, who subjected them
+to a very heavy bombardment. About the second or third night three of
+the men established themselves during the darkness on a mound a little
+to the rear of the Canadian position. They cut a couple of dug-outs in
+the base of the mound, and fortified the top with a few bricks, behind
+which they took cover. At daybreak they discovered that they commanded a
+very fine view of the German first-line trench, and of its supporting or
+reserve dug-outs, which were occupied by the Prussian Guard. There was
+no shell fire from the British at the time, and the Germans, thinking
+themselves quite safe, were strolling about between the dug-outs and the
+trench. The "three musketeers" on the mound opened a brisk fire on the
+Germans; whereupon they scuttled off to their holes like rabbits, but
+not before nine or ten of them lay on the ground, wounded or killed. All
+day long the men on the mound were under every kind of fire, but they
+"stuck it" without flinching, and in their turn kept the enemy from as
+much as showing a finger. When darkness fell they retired to their
+trenches. Only one of the men was hurt, and he had only a slight bullet
+wound in the hand.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Here is a strange story of how some British soldiers foolishly and
+recklessly risked their lives in order to settle a bet.
+
+"Fighting had been very severe in front of one section, and during a
+lull an officer was surprised to see a number of khaki-clad figures
+fully exposed to the German bullets, should the enemy resume firing.
+They were peering into the trench, and were so deeply interested in what
+was 'down below' that they did not notice the officer's approach.
+
+"'What have you got there?' he asked.
+
+"'A dead German, sir,' came the reply.
+
+"'A dead German! What on earth are you doing with a dead German?'
+
+"Then he was told the whole story. It appeared that in the course of the
+attack the British soldiers had noticed a particularly tall and bulky
+Hun. When the fighting was over they began to discuss his proportions.
+He was now lying dead in front of the trench, and two of the men made a
+bet about his height and weight. To settle the bet, they crawled out
+and risked death in order to drag the dead German in. He was found to be
+six feet nine inches in height, and to have a waist measurement of
+fifty-three inches.
+
+"The officer gave the men a severe warning, and then asked how much the
+bet was. To his amazement he received the following reply: 'A bob,
+sir!'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+In a dispatch published by Sir John French during February he regretted
+that it was impossible for him to bring before the notice of the public
+many acts of gallantry performed by his men. Here is an account of a
+very brave deed done by a sergeant-major in the North Somerset Yeomanry;
+the story is told by a corporal of the same regiment:--
+
+"I had a marvellous escape. A German bomb fell in the trench barely a
+foot from me. I did not see it coming, and nothing could have saved me,
+or Dick Moody, or the other fellows with us, had not Sergeant-Major
+Reeves made a dash for it. He picked up the bomb, pulled out the fuse,
+and threw it out of the trench. It was the bravest thing I have ever
+seen."
+
+Later on, when our men became more used to grenade fighting, such
+incidents were of almost everyday occurrence. Over and over again men
+pounced upon live bombs, and hurled them back towards the enemy's
+trenches before they had time to explode.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On one part of our line the trenches of friend and foe were so close to
+each other, and they changed hands so often, that it was difficult to
+know at any particular moment whether they were held by British or by
+Germans. One night, after a fight, two British officers set out to
+discover whether certain trenches were occupied by their own men or by
+those of the enemy. They soon chanced upon a communication trench which
+seemed to lead in the desired direction. They walked down it, and came
+to a dug-out with a candle burning in it and German equipment scattered
+about. Thinking that the communication trench had been captured, they
+blew out the candle and pushed on. At length they reached a trench
+running at right angles to the communication trench. No sooner had they
+entered it than they were challenged sharply in German. Then came a
+shower of bullets, and in a moment the officers were rushing back by
+the way which they had come, with Germans close upon their heels. They
+floundered through the mud and dodged round the traverses, and, thanks
+to the darkness, managed to get back to their own lines unhurt, where
+they told their comrades how they had spent several breathless minutes
+in the enemy's fire trenches.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now I must give you an account of one of the most striking deeds of
+gallantry ever performed by a British soldier. The _Gazette_ of 18th
+February contained an announcement that the Victoria Cross had been
+awarded to
+
+Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, for an
+achievement of such a character that, according to Sir Arthur Conan
+Doyle, "no writer of fiction would dare to fasten it on any of his
+characters."
+
+At sixteen years of age O'Leary joined the Navy, but was discharged
+because he suffered with rheumatism. He soon recovered, however, and
+enlisted in the Irish Guards. After serving his time with the colours
+and passing into the reserve, he was accepted as a member of the famous
+North-West Mounted Police of Canada. The hard open-air life was much to
+his liking. All the patrol work was done on horseback, and he rode on an
+average thirty miles a day. As a North-West mounted policeman, O'Leary
+gave a taste of his cool courage in capturing two robbers, armed with
+revolvers, after a running fight which lasted two hours. For this feat
+he was presented with a gold ring, which he still proudly wears. The
+donor of it must have been a prophet, for he said to O'Leary when
+handing it over, "If you do as well on active service, you will win the
+Victoria Cross." At the outbreak of war O'Leary rejoined his old
+regiment in France. He was not then twenty-five years of age.
+
+I am sure you remember the occasion when the Coldstreams were driven
+from their trenches near Cuinchy, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. At ten in the morning of 1st February a desperate effort
+to win them back was made by fifty men of the 2nd Coldstream Guards and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, accompanied by sappers with wire and
+sand-bags. The Coldstreams went first. With fixed bayonets they rushed
+across the 200 yards that separated them from the German trenches. They
+were met by a heavy fire, which checked them a little; and then the
+Irish Guards went forward in support. O'Leary, fleet of foot,
+outdistanced his comrades. He had not gone far before he felt the ground
+give beneath his feet, and springing back, he saw a German bomb-thrower
+in a pit. He shot the man, and hurrying on to the angle of a barricade
+which he had marked all day, fired five shots and killed the five
+Germans who were holding it. Leaving his comrades to take possession of
+the barricade, he dashed towards a second position, sixty yards ahead,
+where a machine-gun section was frantically trying to turn its weapon
+upon the stormers. O'Leary, however, was too quick for them. A German
+officer had his finger on the button of the gun, and was about to
+release the hail of lead, when "crack" went our hero's rifle, and the
+officer dropped dead. Again and again O'Leary fired, and two other men
+fell, while their comrades, with white, scared faces, threw up their
+hands and begged for mercy. A few moments later and the Guards, with a
+wild rush through the flying mud, secured the position. "Lance-Corporal
+O'Leary thus practically captured the enemy's position himself, and
+prevented the rest of the attacking party from being fired on." He was
+promoted sergeant on the field.
+
+
+[Illustration: The Great Exploit of Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary.
+
+(_From the picture by A. C. Mitchell. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)]
+
+Sergeant O'Leary, V.C., had a great reception when he returned to London
+in July on leave. A demonstration was held in Hyde Park by the United
+Irish League, and the hero, who was presented with a purse of gold, made
+a recruiting speech, in the course of which he said, "There are many
+others who have fought and are fighting, who have attempted and have
+done more than I for King and country. I have had the luck." In his own
+country the sergeant was enthusiastically received, and was so lionized
+that he said he must get back to the trenches to rest. At a banquet to
+his honour in his native county he asked for lemonade, and when some one
+thoughtlessly pressed him to take wine, he refused, and said that he
+must "keep fit." Not only did he receive the Victoria Cross at the hands
+of the King, but the highest awards for valour from the French and the
+Russian Government.
+
+[Footnote 6: See page 46.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER VIII.
+
+  THE GERMAN SUCCESS AT SOISSONS.
+
+
+In this British book, written for British boys and girls, I naturally
+give the foremost place to the doings of British soldiers. We must,
+however, always remember that up to the middle of the year the British
+only held about one-twentieth of the Western battle-front. From La
+Bass�e, through Arras, to Noyon, thence eastwards along the valley of
+the Aisne, in a wide curve round the fortress of Verdun, to the west
+bank of the Meuse, onwards to the Moselle, through Lorraine to the
+crests of the Vosges, and southwards to the borders of Switzerland--all
+this long and varied line was held by our French Allies. All through
+January and February they did not cease to nibble at the German
+trenches. In Champagne, in the section between the Meuse and the
+Moselle, and in Alsace, they were able to do more than nibble--they were
+able to seize many vantage points, and advance their front slowly but
+surely.
+
+In January the chief centre of interest was in that part of the Aisne
+valley which lies to the north of the old city of Soissons.[7] You will
+remember that the Allies had captured the city, and the flat lands to
+the north of it, during the great advance in September 1914. Turn to the
+map on the next page and find the village of Cuffies.[8] On 18th January
+this village was in French hands, and so was the village of Crouy,[9] to
+the east of it. On the road from Soissons to Laon, and between Cuffies
+and Crouy, you will notice a spur of the plateau marked Hill 132.[10] To
+the south-east of Crouy there is another spur, marked 151. On 8th
+January the French made attacks on both these hills. They specially
+wished to capture Hill 132, because it would give them a gun position
+from which they could command the road to Laon.
+
+In the drenching rain the French pushed forward, dragging their guns
+with great difficulty up the slippery slope. They carried three lines of
+German trenches, and were soon in possession of the hill. Meanwhile
+other troops had seized Hill 151. Though the Germans tried hard to
+recover the positions next day, they could not do so. Nothing happened
+on Sunday, 9th January; but on Monday, about noon, no less than two
+German corps, under von Kluck, were launched against the French, who
+were holding the hills. On the 12th the struggle grew very violent. The
+French were pushed off the eastern side of Hill 132, but with great
+difficulty they managed to cling to the western slopes.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+During the four preceding days the weather had been very bad. Torrents
+of rain had descended without ceasing, and by the 12th the river was in
+high flood. It had been rising for days, and now it was swirling along
+like an angry torrent, threatening to carry away the only bridges by
+which the French could bring up reinforcements and ammunition. By the
+13th all the bridges but two had been swept away, and the French decided
+to retreat across the river while they had the means of doing so.
+
+They retired slowly and skilfully. Their batteries were withdrawn from
+the hills one by one, without letting the Germans know that they were
+being moved to the rear. The commander of one battery did not give the
+order to retire until the Germans were within five hundred yards of him.
+It was perilous and difficult work getting the guns down the steep
+slope. The gunners man-handled them until they reached the foot, and
+then they were limbered up and taken across a shaky pontoon bridge
+which had been thrown across the river at Missy. Guns on the right and
+centre had to be abandoned, but not before they were rendered useless.
+
+By the evening of the 14th the Germans had advanced their line until
+they held the whole of the north bank of the Aisne from a mile east of
+Soissons to Missy. By this time the French, who only numbered 12,000,
+had been reduced to half their strength, and they had lost about twenty
+guns. Von Kluck had begun well, and, under the eye of the Kaiser, he now
+made a great effort to capture Soissons. Had he done so, he would have
+been in possession of a railway junction and the best bridge over the
+Aisne. He would also have been able to force the French to retire from
+the whole line of the river.
+
+The floods had not reached Soissons, so the French were able to pour
+reinforcements into the city. A great struggle took place at the village
+of St. Paul, on the right bank of the river, about a mile to the east of
+Soissons. The Germans advanced in dense masses, and won the village; but
+the French artillery speedily drove them out, and von Kluck found that
+he could advance no further.
+
+The Germans trumpeted abroad this little success as a smashing victory;
+but it was of no particular consequence, for they had only slightly
+improved their position, and in doing so had suffered a loss of at least
+10,000 men. It was not so much German guns and rifles that drove the
+French from the spurs which they had won as the flooding of the river.
+Nature had fought for the Germans, but still they could not "make good."
+Some writers thought that it was very clever of von Kluck to postpone
+his big counter-attack until his enemies had a swollen river and flooded
+fields behind them; but the fact was that he could not attack earlier,
+because his reinforcements were late in arriving. The Germans owed their
+success not to good generalship, but to good luck.
+
+[Footnote 7: See Vol. II., p. 237.]
+
+[Footnote 8: Ku�fee.]
+
+[Footnote 9: Croo�ee.]
+
+[Footnote 10: Unnamed hills are numbered on the map by their height
+above sea-level. Thus Hill 132 means a hill which is 132 metres, or 440
+ft., in elevation.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER IX.
+
+  WINTER FIGHTING IN CHAMPAGNE, THE ARGONNE, AND THE VOSGES.
+
+
+We now come to that part of the French front on which the most
+successful attempts of the Allies were made during January and February.
+You have already heard of the little river Suippe, a tributary of the
+Aisne. Between the upper waters of this river and the Forest of the
+Argonne there is a chalk plain, dotted with plantations of firs and
+crossed by rolling downs. In many respects it resembles Salisbury Plain,
+and for many years has been put to the same use. Before the war it was
+the great training ground of French troops and the scene of their yearly
+manoeuvres. The plain is sparsely populated; scattered farms and
+straggling homesteads are few and far between, and lack of villages
+means lack of roads. After heavy rain the whole district is a sea of
+shallow mud; but the ground does not become water-logged, and as soon as
+the rain ceases the ground dries very quickly. Operations during the
+winter were therefore possible. General Joffre decided to nibble more
+vigorously on this plain than elsewhere.
+
+Look at the little map on page 70. You notice a railway running from
+Ste. Menehould,[11] on the Aisne at the edge of the Argonne forest, to
+Rheims. By means of this railway the French troops operating on the
+plain were supplied with all their needs. The Germans relied on the line
+which you see running from Grand Pr� in the Argonne to Bazancourt. The
+object of the French was to nibble at the German lines in the hope of
+pushing back the enemy and seizing this railway. If it could be cut or
+commanded, the Germans would be obliged to fall back along their whole
+line. At any rate, a French advance towards the railway would compel the
+enemy to waste men and shells, and would force him to keep in the region
+large forces which otherwise would have been sent to the East, where von
+Hindenburg was badly in need of assistance.
+
+I want you to fix your attention on the little towns of Souain[12] and
+Perthes,[13] and the farm of Beau S�jour,[14] all of which are marked on
+the map. Beau S�jour, you will notice, is about 3� miles east of
+Perthes. At the beginning of January the French line ran through Souain,
+south of Perthes and south of Beau S�jour. Almost every day during
+January the French attacked the German positions. They won a hill to the
+north of Perthes, which gave them the best gun position in the
+neighbourhood, and on the 16th of February a general advance began. The
+Germans held a strong post north of the farm, on a ridge between two
+little glens. On this ridge they had constructed a fort, which was held
+by about 500 men.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The French attacked on a plan which was soon to become the regular
+method of puncturing the German lines all along the Western front. Let
+me give you some account of this plan--the only possible method of
+capturing the strongly fortified trenches of the enemy without a
+terrible loss of life. As you know, the first obstacle to an attack on a
+line of trenches consists of the barbed wire entanglements which are
+fixed up in front of them. The attackers are held up by the network of
+wire, and can be shot down in droves by rifles and machine guns. Then
+the trench itself has a strong parapet, with loopholes through which the
+defenders fire on the attackers. For infantry to charge the barbed wire
+while the parapets are held by an enemy is to court almost certain
+disaster.
+
+Study the diagram on page 67. AB is a line of trenches to be attacked,
+and X is a line of big guns. These guns throw a shower of high explosive
+shells on to the enemy's trenches. So terrible is the explosion that the
+barbed wire is blown into a thousand fragments, the parapets are beaten
+down, the whole trench is utterly wrecked, and the defenders are either
+killed or wounded, or so stunned by the violence of the bombardment that
+they cannot make much resistance. When this is done, the gunners lift
+their sights and lengthen their fuses, and behind the trench create at C
+a curtain of fire through which no enemy reinforcements can possibly
+pass. Then the attacking infantry rush forward and occupy the wrecked
+trench. They work away with their entrenching tools, make a new parapet
+facing the enemy's second line of trenches, and prepare to beat off
+counter-attacks. Trenches are thus captured by gun fire alone. You can
+easily understand that advances made in this way will be slow. Telephone
+wires have to be laid, ranges calculated, and a thousand details
+arranged before an assault can be made.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+If such an attack is to succeed, two things are necessary. In the first
+place, the attackers must have many big guns and an almost unlimited
+supply of ammunition for them; and secondly, they must bring up their
+guns at X unknown to the enemy, and take him by surprise. If he is able
+to see the big guns being brought up, he will fire on them before they
+can be concealed. He will also mass his own guns, and the affair will
+become an artillery duel on a large scale. Happily, in Champagne the
+French were able to mass their guns secretly. Their airmen had become so
+expert that they were able to beat back all the German aircraft that
+attempted to scout over their lines, while at the same time they could
+fly over the German lines without much hindrance.
+
+Here is a description of such an attack as seen by a British observer in
+Champagne:--
+
+    "Looking at the battle at a distance of about 2,000 yards from
+    the enemy's lines, the stillness of what one sees is in marked
+    contrast with the turmoil of shells passing overhead. The only
+    movement is the cloud of smoke and earth that marks the burst of
+    a shell. Here and there long white lines are visible when a
+    trench has brought the chalky subsoil up to the top; but the
+    number of trenches seen is very small compared with the number
+    that exist, for one cannot see into the valleys, and the top of
+    the ground is an unhealthy place to choose for sitting in a
+    trench. The woods are pointed out, with the names given them by
+    the soldiers; but it needs field-glasses to see the few stumps
+    that remain when the artillery has done its work. And then a
+    telephone message arrives, saying that the enemy are threatening
+    a counter-attack at a certain point; and three minutes later
+    there is a redoubled whistling of shells. At first one cannot
+    see the result of this fire--the guns are searching the low
+    ground where the enemy's reserves are preparing for the
+    movement; but a little later the ground behind the threatened
+    trenches becomes alive with shell bursts, for the searching has
+    given place to the building up of a wall of fire, through which
+    it is impossible for the foe to pass without enormous loss."
+
+When a successful attack of this kind is to be made on a large scale,
+the work of the directing staff must be very perfect. Every trench in
+the line of attack must be thoroughly shelled at the same time. If
+certain trenches are left unwrecked, the infantry will be badly mauled
+when they move forward. Then all the guns of the attacking side must
+lift their sights and lengthen their fuses before the infantry reach the
+enemy's trenches, or the men will be caught by their own fire.
+Everything must work together like a well-oiled machine. A single
+mistake will be paid for by heavy loss of life.
+
+
+[Illustration: French Infantry returning to their Quarters after driving
+the Germans from their Trenches near St. Mihiel.
+
+(_From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The French infantry came back into their second line after the action
+with their bands playing and their colours flying. Their uniforms were
+covered with mud, and they were as dirty as they could possibly be.
+Their comrades saluted the colours with love and devotion, and the
+German prisoners seemed astonished to see such patriotic fervour.]
+
+Such was the general character of the attacks made by the French in
+Champagne during February. The ridge, which I have already described,
+was captured by French Colonial troops towards the end of January, after
+a month's struggle; but elsewhere progress was slow. About five yards a
+day was the average gain. One by one the little woods and ridges were
+carried, but as late as 24th March the French were not sufficiently near
+the railway from Grand Pr� to Bazancourt to threaten it seriously. We
+must not, however, reckon the gains by the amount of ground which was
+won, but by the number of men which the enemy was obliged to maintain on
+this part of the front, and by the losses which he suffered. Some five
+and a half German corps, which were badly needed in the East, had to be
+massed in Champagne, and their losses were out of all proportion to
+those suffered by the French. It is said that the Germans lost 10,000
+dead and 2,000 prisoners during these attacks. The famous Prussian Guard
+suffered very heavily at a point about three-quarters of a mile east of
+Beau S�jour, where two of their regiments were almost wholly destroyed.
+The Germans themselves admitted that their losses in Champagne were
+greater than those of the Battle of the Mazurian Lakes,[15] where they
+had some fourteen army corps engaged.
+
+[Illustration: Scene of the Fighting in Champagne.]
+
+The severe fighting in Champagne drew off some or the Crown Prince's
+forces, and he was therefore obliged to slacken his efforts in the
+Forest of the Argonne. There, too, in January our Allies won a success
+by the capture of more than a mile of German trenches. It is interesting
+to note that the regiment of Italian volunteers which captured the
+trenches was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Garibaldi, a descendant of the
+famous Italian patriot who played such a large part in bringing about a
+united Italy. During this woodland fighting the Germans also had
+successes; but, generally speaking, there was a deadlock in this region.
+The real zones of fighting were to the west and east of the Forest.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The line which the French held from Beau S�jour to Switzerland during
+the first four months of the year 1915 made a wide curve round the
+fortress of Verdun, and then ran south across a wooded plateau to St.
+Mihiel, on the left bank of the Meuse. At St. Mihiel the Germans were
+clinging to a bridgehead which they had captured as far back as
+September 1914. From St. Mihiel the line crosses the river to the right
+bank, and then proceeds eastwards to the river Moselle. It then strikes
+south-eastwards to the crest of the Vosges mountains.
+
+If you look at the map on the next page, you cannot fail to notice that
+St. Mihiel is the point of a very marked wedge or salient, something
+like that at Ypres, only with the point facing westwards instead of
+eastwards. A mile to the south of St. Mihiel the Germans had a strong
+position on high ground, called the Camp of the Romans, from which they
+could command the country for ten miles around. If you look at the map
+on the next page, you will see two railways within the salient. The one
+runs northwards from a place about five miles east of the Camp of the
+Romans, and crosses the French line at a village called Les Eparges;[16]
+the other runs northwards from a place about fifteen miles east of the
+Camp of the Romans, and runs along the valley of a tributary of the
+Moselle, past Thiaucourt,[17] until it reaches the main river, which it
+follows to Metz. The Germans had constructed a field railway, which
+enabled them to reach St. Mihiel from Thiaucourt.
+
+The French nibbled unceasingly at this salient during the winter. Their
+object was to squeeze in its sides so as to capture the railways and
+force the enemy to withdraw from St. Mihiel. During February there was
+fierce fighting at Les Eparges, which was taken by the French along with
+a part of the neighbouring heights. At the same time they pressed
+northwards along the left bank of the Moselle, and won the Wood of the
+Priest, from which they bombarded the railway running through
+Thiaucourt. They also smashed the German bridges at St. Mihiel. Day by
+day they were pinching the German wedge more and more, and were
+threatening the railways by means of which the Germans were able to
+maintain themselves in this region.
+
+The French were eager to capture the heights to the east of Les Eparges,
+because guns on these heights would command much of the northern part of
+the salient. The Germans, knowing how important these heights were to
+the French, had turned them into a very strong fortress. They had lined
+the steep slopes with trenches, and had honeycombed them with shelters
+and dug-outs. About 4 p.m. on 5th April, when the rain was falling
+heavily and the hillsides were sodden, the French made a great attack
+on these fortified heights. They gained some ground, but next morning
+they were driven back. That evening they made a second attempt, and by
+means of bayonet charges captured 1,500 yards of trenches, and gradually
+approached the summit.
+
+[Illustration: The Fighting between the Meuse and the Moselle.]
+
+Next morning the Germans brought up reinforcements, and strove with all
+their might to hurl the French down the slopes. The French guns,
+however, prevented the Germans from massing, while the German guns held
+off the French. On the morning of the 8th the French made another bold
+bid. They could scarcely keep their footing in the slime, and it is said
+that many of them were drowned in the mud. Never was an attack made
+under greater difficulties. Slipping in the greasy mud, buffeted by the
+wind, and almost blinded by the rain, the French advanced against
+endless machine guns posted at carefully-chosen points. So determined
+were the Germans to hold the position that they had chained the machine
+gunners to their weapons. After an hour's struggle the French won the
+summit, and managed to clear the Germans off the heights, except for a
+small triangle at the east end.
+
+On the morning of the 9th French reinforcements struggled up the
+hillside. So violent was the storm, and so miry was the ground, that
+they took fourteen hours to reach their comrades. In the afternoon an
+assault was made on the eastern triangle, and the Germans were swept
+from it. A fog descended, under cover of which the Germans
+counter-attacked, and pushed the French back. But as soon as the fog
+lifted the French guns came into action, and another bayonet charge was
+made. By 10 p.m. the French held the whole of the spur, and were able to
+command the northern part of the salient. They had performed a notable
+feat of arms during five days of tempest. The German loss was estimated
+at more than 30,000.
+
+Elsewhere the French also won ground. On the south side of the salient,
+where the country is covered with thick, scrubby woods, the fighting was
+very severe. Small gains were made, and by the month of May the French
+were about four miles from Thiaucourt, and were able to hurl shells from
+their heavy guns within the outer fortifications of Metz. It seemed that
+any further advance would endanger the whole position of the Germans at
+St. Mihiel, and force them to retreat towards the highlands west of
+Metz. Nevertheless, when the year 1915 came to an end, the Germans were
+still holding St. Mihiel, and the salient was theirs, though it had worn
+very thin.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now let us briefly glance at the campaign in the Vosges.
+
+Look closely at the map on the next page, and notice the river Ill, a
+tributary of the Rhine. Its most important feeder is the river Thur,
+which runs down a long glen. It was in the valley of this river that the
+French made their chief advances during the winter. On 3rd January the
+Chasseurs Alpins, fighting their way down the valley of the Thur,
+captured the village of Steinbach, which stands just where the mountains
+fall steeply to the Alsatian plain, about ten miles as the crow flies
+from Mulhouse. Steinbach, which had been converted by the enemy into a
+series of blockhouses, was only secured after ten days of deadly combat.
+
+The French were trying to take Mulhouse in flank, and they had therefore
+to capture the village of Cernay, which blocked the way. Meanwhile
+another force attacked Altkirch, to the south of Mulhouse, and quite
+close to the Swiss border. During the fighting some of the shells
+actually fell on Swiss ground. The force advancing from Steinbach could
+not capture Cernay, so it turned to the south, and tried to seize the
+village of Burnhaupt in order to attack Mulhouse from another angle. The
+village was taken by the French; but was retaken, though with heavy
+loss, by the Germans. Strive as they would, the French could get no
+nearer to Mulhouse.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+If you look to the north of Cernay, you will see a spur of the Vosges
+known as Hartmannsweilerkopf. It stands 2,000 feet above the plain, and
+consists of rugged rocks covered with pine trees. He who possesses the
+kopf can command a very large part of the plain, for he can shell many
+roads and railway lines. The French greatly coveted it, and they had
+already established a small advance post on it. Let me tell you how this
+post was lost and won again. Soon after the fighting at Altkirch,
+violent winter storms began to rage. Snow fell without ceasing for a
+fortnight, and the upper glens were choked with drifts. When the sky
+cleared the chasseurs donned their skis and made some daring raids on
+German posts in the hills. The Germans were active too. On 19th January,
+during a blinding snowstorm, they climbed Hartmannsweilerkopf and
+attacked the French post at the summit. Four companies of chasseurs
+made a most gallant attempt to relieve the defenders, and for two days
+fought fiercely amidst the icy rocks and snow-laden bushes. They could,
+however, make no headway, and the post was captured by the Germans on
+21st January.
+
+Not until the 27th of March was it recaptured. On that day the Chasseurs
+Alpins made a fierce onset and carried the last line of the German
+defence, which was protected by a blockhouse. Once more they were in
+possession. At once the Germans hurried up reinforcements from all parts
+of Alsace, and the order went forth that the position was to be
+recaptured at all costs. They attacked in dense masses with great
+courage, and were able to entrench themselves hurriedly on the edge of
+the summit and along the slopes. During the night, however, the French
+Alpine troops were reinforced, and by dint of tremendous efforts guns
+were dragged up the icy slopes to the top of the spur, and were placed
+in position on the right and left flanks of the enemy. Next morning the
+chasseurs attacked the Germans and drove them back, while the guns
+assailed them with a terrible fire. The enemy made a stubborn resistance
+and brought up fresh troops, specially trained for mountain warfare and
+supplied with mountain guns. For three days the struggle continued, and
+at the end of it the whole of the slopes were clear of the enemy. The
+recapture of the spur was a great feather in the French cap. Again and
+again during the year the Germans made efforts to seize it, and more
+than once it fell into their hands. Late in December the Germans claimed
+to have recovered the whole position, but this was denied by the French.
+
+[Illustration: Chasseurs Alpins attacking a Custom House in the High
+Vosges.
+
+(_From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This incident took place in the district south of the Schlucht Pass. The
+blockhouse was defended by Germans. A French lieutenant rushed forward
+and attempted to batter down the door with his rifle, but was
+immediately shot. A second officer fell, and then the men rushed the
+house and captured it. The French soldiers shown in the picture are
+Chasseurs Alpins. Notice that some of them are on skis.]
+
+For the rest of the year the battle-front in Alsace showed but little
+change. The French held every gun position on the eastern slopes of the
+Vosges, and were in command of all the roads leading down to the plains.
+The Germans held the plain and its railways, and were able to oppose any
+movement from the mouths of the valleys towards the Rhine. The French
+had secured one great advantage. Should they wish to push towards the
+Rhine through the Gap of Belfort, their left flank was secure.
+
+[Footnote 11: _Sant meh-nou�._]
+
+[Footnote 12: _Soo-ahn._]
+
+[Footnote 13: _Pert._]
+
+[Footnote 14: _Boh say-joor._]
+
+[Footnote 15: See Vol. II., chap. ix.]
+
+[Footnote 16: _Lays-ay parge._]
+
+[Footnote 17: _Tee-o-koor._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER X.
+
+  THE SUBMARINE BLOCKADE BEGINS.
+
+
+So far the Germans had failed hopelessly at sea. The battle off Coronel
+had been their only success, and the squadron that had achieved it was
+now no more. The bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby, and the Hartlepools
+had been hailed in Germany as a great victory, and the enemy loudly
+boasted that the British fleet no longer commanded the North Sea. We at
+home were filled with anger, but we showed no panic; while in America
+the bombardment of innocent townsfolk in unfortified places was held to
+be sheer murder, and there were many jeers at the German commanders who
+had struck foul blows at those who could not strike back, and had then
+run away. The German navy was covered with ridicule. It dared not come
+out and risk a battle, while to sit still and do nothing was to proclaim
+itself a mere sham.
+
+The British fleet, ever since the beginning of the war, had stopped and
+searched all merchant ships bound for ports on the North Sea and the
+Baltic Sea, in order to ascertain whether they had on board contraband
+of war--that is, arms, ammunition, explosives, or other articles or
+materials which might be used against us. It is a rule of international
+law that if such goods are sent by a neutral to a State which is at war,
+they may be seized by the enemy of that State. We had sent lists to all
+neutrals setting forth the kinds of goods which we would not allow the
+enemy to receive, and our warships had discovered many vessels which
+were laden with such goods. These ships were taken into port, and a
+court sat to decide whether or not they were guilty of carrying
+contraband. If found guilty, they were seized by the State. You can
+easily understand that the trade of neutrals with our enemies almost
+came to an end. The exporters of New York, who were chiefly
+German-Americans, found their business falling off greatly, and they
+tried hard to stir up quarrels between the United States and Great
+Britain.
+
+The United States had determined to be strictly neutral in the war. Most
+of the people were friendly to the Allies, but there were about four
+millions of Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians in the country, and many
+of them were strongly in favour of the Central Powers. Germany sent
+agents to stir up these people, and to do everything in their power to
+bring about quarrels between Great Britain and the States.
+
+The Germans, as you know, were powerless on the seas, while we were
+all-powerful. From the States we imported large quantities of munitions
+of war. The Americans would gladly have sent munitions to Germany also,
+but as no German ship dared cross the Atlantic, the Germans were
+altogether cut off from this source of supply; hence their anger with
+the United States. We shall see later that the German agents in the
+States committed all sorts of crimes in the hope of stopping the
+manufacture of munitions and preventing their export to Great Britain.
+
+About a week after the Hartlepools raid, von Tirpitz, who was then at
+the head of the German Admiralty, told the Americans that they had
+stopped their trade with Germany because Great Britain had ordered them
+to do so, and he asked them how they would like to see all trade with
+Britain stopped by German submarines. Then came the Battle of the Dogger
+Bank, in which the German vessels scuttled for home as soon as they
+sighted the British fleet, but in the course of their flight lost the
+_Bluecher_. It was after this discreditable affair that von Tirpitz
+decided to carry out his threat. He gave notice to the President of the
+United States that on and after 18th February the waters surrounding the
+British Isles would be considered to be within the seat of war, and that
+all enemy merchant ships found in these waters would be sunk by German
+submarines. He also said that it might not always be possible to save
+the crews and the passengers of these ships, and that neutral vessels
+within this zone of war would be exposed to danger, and might even be
+sunk. To this the President replied, begging Germany to consider
+carefully before taking any such action, and warning her that the
+destruction of a United States ship or the death of American citizens
+would be considered an unfriendly act which might lead to war. The
+President then went on to point out that, until a blockade--that is, a
+complete stoppage of sea trade--could be carried into effect, the sole
+right which fighting nations possessed with regard to neutrals was to
+visit and search their ships in order to discover whether or not they
+were carrying contraband, and, if so, to bring them into port, where a
+court would adjudge them guilty or not guilty.
+
+[Illustration: A German Submarine awash.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+Of course, the German submarines could not completely blockade the
+coasts of the British Isles, nor could they take into port the ships
+which they stopped and searched. In the latter case they might be
+justified in sinking the ships, but they would be guilty of crime if
+they did not save the crews and passengers. A submarine cannot possibly
+take off the crews of merchant vessels, for it has no accommodation for
+them. Von Tirpitz's plan was piracy, and nothing else. In order to find
+an excuse, the Germans declared that all the wheat and flour coming into
+Germany from abroad belonged to the Government. The British now seized
+the cargoes of ships thus laden, because they were the property of an
+enemy Government. Then the Germans began to call heaven and earth to
+witness that Great Britain was trying to starve German women and
+children. Horrible pictures were painted of innocent people perishing of
+hunger. A German newspaper put the enemy's view in a nutshell when it
+said, "England wants to employ every means to shorten the war. The
+number of lives that would be lost if she could starve Germany is
+nothing to her. . . . Whether we wish it or not, we must seek to destroy
+England's life-nerve--namely, her merchant shipping." How she attempted
+to do this we shall read in the next chapter.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XI.
+
+  THE SINKING OF THE "LUSITANIA."
+
+
+The Germans were quite right in speaking of our mercantile marine as our
+"life-nerve." In 1913 we had nearly 39,600 merchant vessels, with a
+tonnage of more than 14,000,000 tons. You will get some idea of the
+vastness of our overseas trade when I tell you that the tonnage of ships
+owned in Liverpool alone exceeds that of the German Empire. On an
+average about 1,400 merchant vessels enter and leave our ports every
+week. This means that the submarines which were now going to destroy our
+"life-nerve" were presented with about two hundred targets a day.
+
+You must not suppose that the Germans waited until 18th February to
+begin their attacks on our merchant vessels. Early in February the
+German submarine U21 appeared in the Irish Sea, and proceeded to sink
+three small ships. On the same day other enemy submarines sank ships in
+the English Channel, one of them, the _Toko Maru_, being laden with
+mutton, stores, and clothing for Belgian refugees. Between "Pirate Day,"
+18th February, and 11th April, fifty-eight ships were attacked, most of
+which were sent to the bottom. Neutral as well as British ships were
+sunk by the submarines, several of them without warning. Sometimes the
+officers gave ten minutes' grace to allow passengers and crews to take
+to the boats; but in other cases the ships were sunk at sight, and more
+than once shells were fired at men in the boats who were trying to
+rescue their comrades struggling in the water. Frequently fast steamers
+escaped, and more than one vessel charged down on the attacking
+submarine. The _Thordis_, for example, crashed at full speed into the
+submarine which threatened her off Beachy Head, and sent it to the
+bottom.
+
+On 1st March Great Britain declared a blockade of Germany. By this time
+it was apparent that as a means of reducing our food supply or
+weakening our determination to continue the war, Germany's submarine
+"blockade" had proved to be a failure. Between 18th February and the
+middle of August less than one and a half per cent. of our ships were
+sunk, and we went on our way quite unmoved. Neutral countries, however,
+saw clearly what Germany's command of the sea would mean to them. The
+American nation was soon to be roused to the highest pitch of
+indignation by one of the foulest crimes ever committed.
+
+Already four American ships had been destroyed by the Germans, and
+several American citizens had been drowned. On 27th March the British
+steamer _Falaba_ was sunk off the Pembrokeshire coast with a loss of 112
+lives, including that of an American. The Germans did not wait until all
+the boats had been lowered before firing a torpedo into the steamer's
+side, and then, not content with sending so many helpless people to
+their doom, they watched them struggling in the icy waters without
+lifting a hand to help them. It is even said that they mocked and jeered
+at the drowning men and women. "This is not war; it is murder," said the
+_New York Times_. This crime, however, was soon to be outdone.
+
+On May 7, 1915, the Cunard liner _Lusitania_ was steaming a few miles
+south-west of the old Head of Kinsale, on her homeward voyage to
+Liverpool. She was one of the largest and finest liners afloat. She was
+totally unarmed, and she carried passengers and crew to the number of
+1,906, many of them being citizens of the United States. Before she left
+New York her passengers had been warned that the Germans meant to sink
+her. Nobody, however, dreamed that even Germans could descend to such
+depths of infamy.
+
+As the _Lusitania_ approached the Irish coast she received a message
+from the Admiralty warning her that German submarines were in the
+neighbourhood. She had reduced her speed to eighteen knots, so as not to
+arrive at the Mersey bar before the tide was high enough to enable her
+to cross. An artist who was saved thus described what happened:--
+
+    "The voyage from New York to London was made in excellent
+    weather. The sun shone all the way, and on the afternoon of the
+    disaster a golden sun lit up a beautifully blue, calm sea. I
+    think I can say that I was one of the four people who really saw
+    the torpedo discharged at the _Lusitania_. I was in the
+    dining-room about 2.15, and had just finished luncheon. I went
+    out, and leaned against the starboard side of the vessel, just
+    outside the palm lounge. I saw the periscope of a submarine
+    about 200 yards away. Then I noticed a long white streak of
+    foam. It gave me the impression of a frothy fizzing in the
+    water. A lady and two gentlemen came up to me and exclaimed, 'Is
+    that a torpedo?' I felt too sick to answer, and turned away.
+    Almost immediately there was a terrific impact, followed by the
+    explosion. . . ."
+
+Steam and smoke came up between the two last funnels, and almost
+immediately there was a second report, probably due to the bursting of
+the main steam pipe. "I at once gave the order," said Captain Turner at
+the inquest, "to lower the boats down to the rails, and I directed that
+the women and children should be got into them. The moment the vessel
+was struck she listed to starboard. I stood on the bridge as she sank,
+and the _Lusitania_ went down under me. She floated about eighteen
+minutes after the torpedo struck her." An English passenger thus
+described the scene as the _Lusitania_ sank:--
+
+    "Nearly a score of the boats on the port side were filled with
+    passengers, but it was found impossible to lower them owing to
+    that side of the ship standing so high above the water. I
+    managed to get across to starboard. The ship's deck was then
+    level with the sea. I made for a boat which was just putting
+    off, and, in fact, had one foot on the craft and the other on
+    the ship. Then, owing to something going wrong, the lifeboat
+    jammed, and all the occupants were thrown into the water. It was
+    a terrible moment. The passengers in the boat, including women,
+    screamed with terror, and soon sank. Other boats collapsed or
+    turned over, and hundreds of people, men, women, and children,
+    were struggling helplessly in the water, some clinging to boats
+    which had been upset. I struck out, and managed, after swimming
+    for about fifteen minutes, to come across a boat, into which I
+    was dragged. Hundreds of people were on rafts, and the sea was
+    alive with men and women."
+
+There was no ship of any kind in sight when the _Lusitania_ was
+torpedoed, except a Peel trawler which was lying inshore. She started at
+once to the rescue; but the wind was light, and she was slow in
+arriving. Nevertheless she managed to pick up over a hundred persons
+from lifeboats or rafts. So crowded was the trawler with rescued people
+that some had to sit with their legs dangling over the side. Other
+trawlers and boats from Kinsale came to the rescue, and later on the
+_Indian Prince_, a steamer from Queenstown, arrived, and began to pick
+up survivors. When the death-roll was finally made up, it was discovered
+that 1,134 persons had been killed by the explosion or drowned. Over a
+hundred American citizens went down that day.
+
+[Illustration: On the Face of the Waters--after the Sinking of the
+"Lusitania."
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+We can never know all the acts of heroism and self-sacrifice which were
+performed when the passengers and crew of the _Lusitania_ were
+struggling for life in the water, but we know that Mr. Vanderbilt, the
+American millionaire, though unable to swim, gave his life-belt to a
+woman, and remained steadfastly on the deck awaiting his end. One of the
+drowned sailors was found with a little child strapped to his back, and
+no doubt its weight cost the swimmer his life.]
+
+No incident of the war provoked more terrible indignation against the
+Huns. It is said that two wealthy American citizens who were saved in a
+lifeboat stood up amidst the scene of horror, and pledged themselves
+that, if the United States did not go to war with Germany within seven
+days, they would forswear their country for ever. The news was received
+with bitter anger in Great Britain, and in New York there was a hush of
+horror, broken only by "the sniggers of German-Americans." A coroner's
+jury which sat at Kinsale brought in a verdict of wilful murder against
+the Emperor of Germany and his Government. "Remember the _Lusitania_"
+became a watchword at recruiting meetings, and thousands of men flocked
+to the colours, eager to avenge this foul and cowardly crime.
+
+America had declared that she would hold Germany to strict account for
+every American life lost as a result of the submarine "blockade." Seven
+days after the sinking of the _Lusitania_, President Wilson sent a very
+calm and moderate Note to Germany, declaring that American citizens had
+the right to travel wherever their business called them on the high
+seas, without their lives being endangered by warships, and that their
+Government would do everything to maintain this right. At the same time
+the Note suggested that the sinking of American ships and the
+_Lusitania_ was due to mistakes on the part of the commanders of
+submarines, and it called upon the German Government to disavow these
+acts, and prevent them from taking place in the future. Germany replied
+in a shuffling fashion; and on 21st July President Wilson sent another
+Note which practically threatened war if the Germans did not cease their
+blockade.
+
+How did Germany reply to this Note? On 19th August one of her
+submarines, without warning, torpedoed the White Star liner _Arabic_ off
+Cape Clear. The loss of life was small, for the vessel remained afloat
+for ten minutes, and there was time to lower the boats. When it became
+known that the _Arabic_ had twenty-six American citizens on board, anger
+flamed up anew. The wrath of Americans was raised almost to war pitch,
+especially when the Germans put forward a series of falsehoods in
+excuse. The German Minister at Washington now saw that his Government
+had gone too far. He begged the United States Government to wait for a
+report, and a little later he promised that full amends should be made.
+On 1st September he gave a written pledge that thenceforward passenger
+liners would not be sunk by submarines without warning, and without
+ensuring the safety of the lives of those on board, provided that the
+liners did not try to escape or show fight. He also declared that
+Germany had decided to make this change in her policy before the sinking
+of the _Arabic_.
+
+The Americans were delighted with this very doubtful promise, and they
+believed that they had forced Germany to give up the worst features of
+the blockade. If you read the promise carefully, you will see that the
+Germans had so worded it that they could still proceed in the old way. A
+submarine might give passengers time to get into small boats in
+mid-ocean, but how could it ensure their safety? There was a case during
+the "blockade" of men who had escaped in a boat being afloat for four
+days without food and water, and some of them dying from exposure. Then,
+again, the promise only applied to passenger liners, and not to merchant
+ships. It was quite easy for a submarine commander to sink a liner, and
+then pretend that it had resisted or tried to escape. Above all, nothing
+was said about the right of Americans to sail the seas without their
+lives being endangered by warships. Nevertheless, the Americans were
+delighted with the promise, and plumed themselves greatly on having done
+a great service to mankind.
+
+Three days later came a rude awakening. On the night of 4th September
+the Allan liner _Hesperian_ was torpedoed by a German submarine _without
+warning_. The liner was then 130 miles west of Queenstown She kept
+afloat for some time, and was towed towards port, but went down at seven
+o'clock on the morning of 6th September. There was a small loss of life,
+and there were two Americans on board. It was now clear to everybody
+that the German promise was a mere "scrap of paper." Wrath surged up
+again in the United States, but it led to nothing. The Germans
+untruthfully declared that the vessel was sunk by a mine and not by a
+submarine.
+
+During the last three weeks of August and the first week of September
+ships of all sorts were sunk at the rate of about sixteen a week. Then
+came a rapid falling off, and during the week ending 10th October only
+two ships were sent to the bottom. The submarine blockade was fizzling
+out. The Germans had changed their policy, not because of the protests
+of the Americans, but because they had discovered that the game was not
+worth the candle. Mr. Balfour, in a letter to a correspondent, gave the
+true reason why the Germans were bringing the blockade to an end. He
+said that while the losses of German submarines had been very great, the
+British merchant navy was stronger than when the blockade began. Though
+many innocent persons, women and children as well as men, had been
+robbed and killed, the criminals had paid a heavy toll. The reason why
+the Germans had changed their policy was not because the United States
+had protested, not because the Germans had revolted against lawless
+cruelty. "No. The reason is to be found elsewhere. It is to be found in
+the fact that the authors of the submarine policy have had time to
+measure its effects, and that deeds which were merely crimes in May, in
+September were seen to be blunders."
+
+By the month of June the British navy had learnt the art of capturing
+the submarines of the enemy; and so expert had it become in this work
+that a U boat, once discovered, had but little chance of escape.
+Submarine-hunting became the great sport of the navy, and every young
+officer and bluejacket was eager to engage in it. We do not know how
+many German submarines were destroyed, but we were informed, through
+America, that seventy-eight of them had been seized or sunk, and that in
+December 1915 at least five of the Kaiser's submarines, manned by
+British seamen, were doing splendid work against his ships in the
+Baltic. The British only rarely announced their successes, and the
+German submarine crews were always in doubt as to the fate of their
+fellows. Before long their nerve failed them, and even at the beginning
+of their voyages they were disheartened and hopeless.
+
+The methods by which the enemy's submarines were captured or destroyed
+were not revealed, but we know that fast motor boats, each armed with a
+powerful gun, were employed in the hunt, and that steel nets were
+sometimes used. When a big fish was caught the floats of the nets gave
+warning, and destroyers promptly arrived to deal with it.
+Innocent-looking patrol boats were sometimes attacked, and, too late,
+the biter discovered that he was bitten. There is a story that a
+submarine commander, approaching one of these patrols, called out, "I
+give you ten minutes to take to your boats;" whereupon the skipper,
+whipping a concealed gun round and preparing to fire, returned answer,
+"And I give you three minutes to go to the bottom."
+
+No submarine loss caused such bitter chagrin in Germany as the sinking
+of the famous U29 late in March. You will remember that it was this boat
+which had sunk the _Hogue_, _Cressy_, _Aboukir_, and _Hawke_. Captain
+Weddigen, who commanded U29, had become a popular hero in Germany, and
+the Kaiser had showered honours on him. He was a good type of sailor,
+both skilful and brave, and it is to his credit that he was known in
+this country as "the polite pirate." He not only expressed his regret at
+having to sink merchant ships, but gave food and comforts to their
+crews, and towed their boats some distance towards the land. When it was
+known that Weddigen had gone down with all his crew in U29, the Germans
+put forth an absurd story that the submarine had been sunk while she was
+engaged in life-saving, and was unable to defend herself. One German
+newspaper demanded "revenge for Weddigen," and declared that no more
+sacrifices must be made to "the German system of humanity in war"!
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the troubles and
+trials which the Americans had to endure because of the attempts of
+German agents to stir up all sorts of strife in their country. Almost
+from the beginning of the year there were explosions and fires in the
+factories which were making munitions for the Allies, and there was
+little doubt that these outrages, which frequently led to loss of life,
+were the work of German hirelings. During August the _New York World_
+published evidence proving that German money was lavished amongst
+newspapers for the purpose of getting them to publish articles in favour
+of Germany. It also proved that men were paid to bring about strikes in
+engineering shops, to blow up ships laden with munitions, and to
+interfere in every possible way with American affairs, so as to cause
+trouble between Britain and the United States.
+
+On 6th September matters came to a head. Papers taken from an American
+journalist at Falmouth showed that Dr. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian
+ambassador, was at the bottom of a series of attempts to prevent
+factories from making munitions for the Allies, and to stir up American
+exporters against Britain. Amongst these papers was a private letter
+from Captain von Papen, a German soldier attached to the German Embassy.
+In it he spoke of "these idiotic Yankees." The Americans were indignant
+at these exposures and insults, and the Government demanded that Dr.
+Dumba should be recalled. He was handed his passports, and he left
+America--for America's good.
+
+On 10th November the Italian liner _Ancona_, bound from Naples to New
+York, was fired at and torpedoed in the Mediterranean Sea by two large
+submarines, probably German, but carrying the Austrian flag. Some 500
+persons were on board, and only some 260 were saved. Amongst those who
+perished were about 20 American citizens. At once President Wilson sent
+a sharp Note, demanding that Austria should disavow the crime, punish
+the captains of the submarines, and promise to safeguard American
+passengers in the future. To this Note Austria replied in a very defiant
+fashion, and by so doing again strained the patience of the American
+people almost to the breaking point. At the close it looked as though
+America was about to break off all relations with Austria.
+
+In December the German Government was obliged to recall Captain von
+Papen and another member of the Embassy. These two men had set the
+American Government at defiance, and had encouraged plots throughout the
+length and breadth of the country. Some of their agents were brought to
+trial, and were punished, and President Wilson announced that the men
+who were plotting to destroy property and to undermine the Government
+must be "crushed out." Thus, at the close of the year America seemed to
+be ready to put an end to the German mischief-makers who had done so
+much to disturb the peace of the country, and to foster lawlessness and
+strife.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: A German Submarine half submerged.]
+
+
+  CHAPTER XII.
+
+  STORIES OF SUBMARINES.
+
+
+  "_We'll duck and we'll dive like little tin turtles,_
+   _We'll duck and we'll dive beneath the North Seas,_
+   _Until we strike something that doesn't expect us:_
+   _From here to Cuxhaven it's go as you please._"
+
+      Rudyard Kipling.
+
+I have told you in these pages of many daring deeds and narrow escapes
+on the battlefield; but for exploits which really thrill us and make us
+hold our breath, we must go to the men who fight in the air or under the
+sea. Jules Verne never imagined anything half so marvellous as their
+doings. When the war is over, we shall hear stories of aviators and of
+the crews of submarines which will make the wildest inventions of
+writers of adventure seem tame and colourless.
+
+"The business of the submarines," says Mr. Kipling, "is to run monstrous
+risks from the earth, air, and water, in what, to be of any use, must be
+the coldest of blood." Submarine officers, he continues, "play hourly
+for each other's lives, with Death, the umpire, always at their elbow on
+tiptoe, to give them 'out.'" And consider the bowling and fielding in
+this nightmare game, where there is rarely a second innings. A bomb from
+a Zeppelin or an aeroplane, a shot from a 4-inch gun, a bump against a
+mine, a collision with a reef or the bows of a destroyer, trawler, or
+tramp, an accident to the complicated gear--and all is over.
+Nevertheless, the officers and crews of submarines soon lose the sense
+of imminent peril, and go about their business quite unconcerned.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following story shows how a submarine was trapped, but managed to
+free herself and turn the tables on her enemy. A British boat, which was
+cruising under water in the North Sea, ran her nose into a net and
+became entangled. She rose to the surface, meaning to cut away the net
+and get clear. No sooner did her conning tower appear above the water
+than her commander saw a Zeppelin hovering right above him, and in a
+moment a bomb plumped into the sea unpleasantly near. He had no
+alternative but to go below again; but this he had to do as gingerly as
+possible, for otherwise the submarine would have wrapped herself up in
+the net still more. Steadily she sank, and by slow working and wriggling
+managed to get clear of the entanglement. Then she lay on the bottom,
+and her commander began to think out the next move in the perilous game.
+Should he go back to warn the other submarines, or should he wait and
+try to "bag" something? He knew that the Zeppelin believed him to be
+entangled in the net, and that it was sure to signal for destroyers to
+come and finish him off, so he sat tight and waited. In a few minutes he
+heard the screws of the destroyers churning above him. Then he rose, and
+at the critical moment gave the signal to let loose a torpedo. The shot
+went home: the destroyer crumpled up, and was taken in tow by a consort.
+Unhappily, as the commander had no more torpedoes, he was balked of a
+second victim.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Since the war began, British submarines have penetrated into every
+harbour and river mouth on the coast of Germany. One day a British boat
+in the mouth of a German river was seen by the enemy. At once she went
+under; but though she lay on the silt at the bottom, she had not more
+than five feet of water above her. Almost any patrol boat could have hit
+her and destroyed her had her whereabouts been known; but somehow the
+Germans missed her. They meant to catch her, however, and began to sweep
+the river with a wire trawl. Before long the commander of the submarine
+heard the trawl rasping along his hull. He sat and listened, expecting
+every moment that it would catch on something, and reveal him to the
+Germans working above. The suspense was enough to turn a man's hair
+gray. Happily, the trawl slid off the hull, and the danger passed. At
+nightfall the submarine made her way into the open sea, and finally
+reached harbour safely.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following story has been told of a fight between a British submarine
+and a Zeppelin. One day a boat came to the surface, and found herself
+right underneath a Zeppelin that was flying only a few yards above the
+sea. The commander could not see the sky, only the shining bulge of the
+airship. Luckily he was not under the "stinging end" of the monster.
+Immediately he sank till his decks were awash, and went away to
+windward, so that the Zeppelin had to follow him with the wind in its
+teeth. Then he sent a man to the gun on deck. The waves were washing
+over the submarine, and the man was nearly drowned; but he hung on, and
+whenever he saw a chance, fired a shot at the airship, which by this
+time was dropping bombs. One of his shots got home, and the Zeppelin was
+obliged to steer to leeward and give up the chase. A fortnight later she
+was seen with a patch on the place where she had been hit.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On page 283 of our third volume I told you how Lieutenant Holbrook won
+the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery while in command of a
+submarine which was scouting in the Dardanelles during December 1914. In
+these narrow waters, and in the Sea of Marmora, some extraordinary feats
+were performed by our submarines during the year 1915. An American
+correspondent tells us that our under-water boats created a reign of
+terror amongst the peasants and villagers living on the shores of that
+sea. Turkish warships and gunboats and large numbers of transports and
+supply ships were sunk, and navigation was almost entirely suspended. On
+April 27, 1915, Submarine E14 dived under the enemy mine fields and
+entered the Sea of Marmora. In spite of strong currents, the presence of
+hostile patrols, and the hourly danger of attack from the enemy, she
+succeeded in sinking two Turkish gunboats and two transports, one of
+them large and full of troops; and after cruising in the enemy's waters
+for twenty-two days, returned in safety. For this remarkable exploit,
+which the admiral at the Dardanelles declared himself unable to do
+justice to, Lieutenant-Commander Edward Courtney Boyle received the
+Victoria Cross.
+
+Late in May the British submarine E11 had an extraordinary "bag." She
+succeeded in destroying one large Turkish gunboat, two transports, one
+ammunition ship, and three storeships, and drove another storeship
+ashore. Then she passed through the minefield on her homeward way; but,
+on sighting another Turkish transport, returned, and managed to torpedo
+it. In the course of her cruise she entered the Golden Horn, and
+actually discharged a torpedo at a transport lying alongside the
+arsenal. The Turks declared that the torpedo struck the quay and blew up
+two hundred yards of masonry. Lieutenant-Commander Martin Eric Nasmith,
+who was the heart and soul of these intrepid feats, was rightly awarded
+the highest token of valour.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Getting into and out of the Sea of Marmora is a terribly difficult
+business, as the "Narrows,"[18] through which all ships must pass, was
+strewn with mines; the shores were studded with batteries and concealed
+torpedo tubes. Lieutenant Holbrook, you will remember, had to dive under
+five rows of mines before he could torpedo the Turkish battleship
+_Messudiyeh_. Mr. Kipling tells us that "one boat went down the straits,
+and found herself rather canted over to one side. A mine and chain had
+jammed under her forward diving-plane. So far as I made out, she shook
+it off by standing on her head and jerking backwards; or it may have
+been, for the thing has occurred more than once, she merely rose as much
+as she could, when she could, and then 'released it by hand,' as the
+official phrase goes."
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes starting off with his Raft.
+
+(_Photo, Central News._)]
+
+Perhaps the most thrilling feat of daring ever associated with submarine
+warfare was performed by Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes on August 21,
+1915. Lieutenant Hughes had already distinguished himself during the
+operations of E11 which I have described above. He volunteered to make a
+single-handed attempt to blow up a Turkish railway. A raft was prepared,
+and on it were placed the charge, his clothes, a revolver, a bayonet,
+and an electric torch. Round his neck he carried a whistle. Towards
+dusk the submarine ventured within sixty yards of the land, and then
+Lieutenant Hughes, stripped to the skin, went overboard, and pushing his
+raft before him, swam to the shore. When he touched bottom he found that
+the cliffs were too high to scale. He therefore started off again, and
+swam along the shore until he reached a less precipitous landing-place.
+Having dressed, he clambered up the rocks, carrying his charge with him.
+After a stiff climb he reached the top of the cliffs, and proceeding
+with great caution, made his way to the railway line, which he followed
+towards a viaduct.
+
+He had only advanced about five or six hundred yards when he heard
+voices, and shortly afterwards caught a glimpse of three Turkish
+soldiers sitting by the side of the line and talking loudly. After
+watching them for some time he decided to leave the charge, which was
+heavy and cumbersome, and make a wide circuit inland, so as to get to
+the viaduct unseen. This he did, the only incident by the way being an
+unfortunate fall from a wall into a farmyard, where his sudden
+appearance startled the poultry and disturbed the household. He was not,
+however, detected. When he came in sight of the viaduct he found that it
+was guarded. A fire was burning at one end of it, and there were men
+close at hand. It was impossible to destroy the viaduct, so he returned
+to the place from which he had started, picked up his charge, revolver,
+bayonet, and electric torch, and looked for a spot where he might do as
+much damage as possible to the line.
+
+Searching about, he found a low brickwork support over a small hollow,
+and there he placed his charge. He was only 150 yards from the three
+soldiers, who were still sitting by the line. He muffled the fuse pistol
+as tightly as possible with a piece of rag; but when he pulled it the
+noise was sufficiently loud to be heard by the soldiers, who stood up,
+looked around them, and catching sight of the lieutenant, ran towards
+him. He fired two shots at them, but missed, and hotly pursued, beat a
+hasty retreat along the line to the eastward. A few shots were fired at
+him, but he was not hit, and after running about a mile he found himself
+close to the shore.
+
+At once, without discarding his clothes, he plunged into the water, and
+as he did so the charge exploded. Fragments of brick and earth fell
+around him, and even near the submarine, which was then in a small bay
+behind the cliffs about six hundred yards from the shore. After swimming
+for four or five hundred yards the lieutenant blew a long blast on his
+whistle, but the submarine did not hear it. Day was now rapidly
+breaking, so he turned back to the shore and rested for a short time.
+Then he threw away his revolver, bayonet, and electric torch, and
+entering the water once more, swam towards the bay in which the
+submarine was lying. Not until he had rounded the last point was his
+whistle heard.
+
+As his comrades prepared to come to his assistance he heard shouts from
+the cliffs above, and saw Turkish soldiers firing on the submarine,
+which now came out of the bay stern first. In the morning mist he
+mistook the bow, the gun, and the conning tower for three small rowing
+boats. Thinking that these boats were manned by his enemies, he swam
+ashore again and began to climb up to a hollow of the cliffs some
+distance above him. He had not climbed more than a few feet before he
+saw the submarine, realized his mistake, and began shouting to his
+comrades. Once more he entered the water, and about forty yards from the
+rocks was picked up in an exhausted condition. He had swum the best part
+of a mile in his clothes.
+
+Thus happily ended Lieutenant Hughes's daring adventure. I think you
+will agree with me that as a story of pluck, endurance, and resource it
+is hard to beat.
+
+[Footnote 18: The narrowest part of the Dardanelles, 14 miles from the
+Mediterranean. The width of the strait at the Narrows is about
+three-quarters of a mile.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIII.
+
+  MORE STORIES OF SUBMARINE WARFARE.
+
+
+You must not suppose that our submarines carried out their raids in the
+Dardanelles and in the Sea of Marmora without loss. Several of our
+under-water boats came to grief. E15, for example, while trying to
+torpedo a Turkish ship at the Narrows,[19] ran ashore on the Asiatic
+side. She was undamaged, and a Turkish destroyer speedily appeared on
+the scene. The admiral on the station was anxious that she should not
+fall into the enemy's hands, so he gave orders that she was to be
+destroyed. The story of how she was finally blown up is worth telling.
+Five different methods of destroying her were tried, but all in vain.
+Aeroplanes endeavoured to drop bombs on her, but without success;
+submarines tried to torpedo her, but failed; destroyers attempted to
+sink her, but could not manage to do so; and two battleships fired at
+her, but did not hit her. The battleships aimed their turret guns from a
+distance of 5� miles, and found that the conning tower of the submarine
+was too small a target. As a last resort the admiral gave the following
+order: "Two picket boats from _Triumph_ and _Majestic_ are to attack E15
+to-night (April 18) with torpedoes fitted to dropping gear. . . . Only
+volunteer crews to be sent."
+
+An officer in charge of the _Triumph's_ boat tells us[20] that he was
+joined by the boat from the _Majestic_ at 10 p.m.
+
+"We steamed about eight knots, as the current was strong, and until we
+reached the beginning of the dangerous area we chatted--to keep up our
+courage, perhaps! As a matter of fact, I wasn't in much of a funk, and
+felt fairly cool, for I have been under fire a good many times, and I
+recognized that I had got a chance that does not often come in a man's
+life. It was a bit eerie, though, steaming along in the pitch dark, with
+all lights out in the boat, towards the distant searchlights, not
+knowing whether death or life awaited us. . . .
+
+"We kept nearly in the centre of the channel, to avoid being spotted by
+the No. 7 searchlight, which was not a very high one. We had come along
+quite unobserved until we were abeam of it, passing the smaller
+searchlights without much trouble. Unfortunately the men stationed near
+the No. 7 searchlight saw us, and started firing 6 or 12 pounder
+shrapnel at us.
+
+"Thus the ball opened. We still had three to four miles to go. We
+continued our way and approached the other searchlights. The alarm
+having been given, all the other searchlights came on and sent their
+beams searching round to pick us up, and as each beam struck us, bang
+would go another gun. A few seconds later we would hear a ping as the
+projectile whizzed past us, or a sharp metallic crack as a shrapnel
+burst just over our heads."
+
+By the time they arrived near the stranded submarine eight searchlights
+were trained on them, and guns were firing at them from six different
+points. Presently they saw a dark mass which they thought to be the
+submarine, and fired a torpedo at it, but missed.
+
+[Illustration: The End of a Submarine.
+
+The cruiser has fired at the submarine and hit her, but to make
+assurance doubly sure, is now crashing down upon her at full speed.]
+
+"Suddenly we saw the _Majestic's_ boat in trouble and the crew calling
+for help. It appeared that coming up behind us, and whilst the
+searchlights were focussed on us, one of the beams passed us and shone
+right on E15; and the _Majestic's_ boat was luckily only two hundred
+yards away, and saw it. Lieutenant Godwin immediately fired one torpedo,
+which did not strike the object. At that moment his boat was struck by a
+shell under the water-line aft, and commenced to take in water rapidly.
+He gallantly turned his boat towards E15 again, steamed in a bit, and
+fired his second torpedo, which caught E15 just in front of the conning
+tower and on the forward whale-back of the hull, making a fine
+explosion. I consider this was a very brave deed, as Godwin knew he was
+in imminent danger of sinking, but ran in again to have a second shot.
+
+"When we saw them their stern-sheets were awash, and it looked as if
+they might have to swim for it. We manoeuvred the boat to go alongside;
+but the current was terrible, and it made the handling a very difficult
+matter. The enemy saw the disaster, and redoubled their efforts. The sea
+all round us was a mass of splashes from projectiles, some of them
+fifteen to twenty feet high, whilst the water where the shrapnel burst
+was pitted as if by heavy rain. How it was we were not hit I cannot say;
+one would imagine it was impossible to come out of such a hail alive.
+All I can say is that God preserved us, and not a shot actually hit us,
+though we were one and all wet with the splashes.
+
+"As we steamed round again before heading out, we saw a man crawling out
+of the other boat's stern-sheets. He had been forgotten in the hurry of
+the moment. It looked like suicide to go back, but of course we could
+not leave him there, so manoeuvred close again and shouted to him to get
+into the water and swim towards us, which he did, and we hauled him into
+the boat unconscious. . . .
+
+"By this time we thought we had better clear out, so turned our nose
+towards home and steamed away at half speed, still under heavy fire. We
+did not like to go full speed, as we thought it would shake up the
+wounded man too much."
+
+The officer who relates the story tells us that when he reached the
+_Majestic_ the commander, "with the true old Navy touch, instead of
+congratulating us on the success of the expedition, and our people on
+their lives being saved, only asked them if they had saved any of the
+boat's gear!" Congratulations, however, came later, when the
+Vice-Admiral signalled that he had read with much pride the report of
+the torpedo attack on the wreck of E15, and that he considered the
+service which had been rendered of the greatest value.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the early months of the war the Baltic Sea was Germany's own
+domain. Her merchant vessels went to and fro across its waters without
+molestation from the British. By July 1915, however, our submarines had
+got through the dangerous channels, and were busily engaged in
+destroying German shipping. It was no easy matter for our submarines to
+enter the Baltic. The Germans had laid mines in the narrow waters by
+which alone entrance could be gained, and had established a patrol
+service. They felt sure that they could keep out the British submarines,
+but they had underestimated British skill, courage, and caution. From
+that time onward German vessels were sunk at the rate of about two a
+day. A battleship and at least two cruisers were sunk before the end of
+November, and a state of panic reigned. It was all-important that the
+Germans should maintain sea communication with Sweden, from which they
+drew vast quantities of iron ore and other raw materials, and also with
+Denmark. You can imagine their consternation when they found that none
+of their merchant ships dare leave port without the risk of being sent
+to the bottom. I need not tell you that in every case the British were
+most careful to save the lives of the crews.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One of the most successful of our submarine officers was Commander Max
+K. Horton. He was present during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and you
+have already read (page 168, Vol. II.) how on September 13, 1915, he
+sank the light cruiser _Hela_, and was playfully dubbed by his comrades
+"The Double-toothed Pirate." The next day, at great risk, he examined
+the outer anchorage of Heligoland, and on 6th October sank a German
+destroyer off the mouth of the Ems. When or how he got into the Baltic
+Sea we do not know, but we do know that on July 2, 1915, he torpedoed
+the German battleship _Pommern_, and that shortly afterwards the Tsar
+recognized this important service by conferring on him the Order of St.
+George. At the same time the cross of the same order was awarded to the
+members of his crew. During the Battle of the Gulf of Riga, which I
+shall describe in a later chapter, Commander Noel Laurence torpedoed the
+German cruiser _Moltke_, which, you will remember, took part in the East
+Coast raids and in the Battle of the Dogger Bank. She was badly
+disabled, and was towed away, probably towards Kiel. The Tsar awarded
+Commander Laurence and his crew similar distinctions to those conferred
+upon Commander Max Horton and his comrades.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+One of our submarines, E13, ran aground early in the morning of 19th
+August on the Danish island of Saltholm, which lies in the Sound between
+Copenhagen and the Swedish town of Malm�. At 5 a.m. a Danish torpedo
+boat saw her, and signalled to her that she would be allowed twenty-four
+hours in which to try to get off. At the same time a German destroyer
+arrived, and remained close to the submarine until two other Danish
+torpedo boats came up, when she withdrew. The submarine, you must
+remember, was in Danish waters, and if the Germans should attack her
+they would commit an act of war against Denmark, which, as you know, is
+neutral. Nevertheless, at 9 a.m., two German destroyers appeared,
+launched a torpedo at the submarine, and fired at her with all their
+guns. The British commander ordered his men to abandon the vessel; but
+while they were doing so machine guns were turned on them, and shrapnel
+was burst above them. Fourteen of the poor fellows were killed, and not
+a soul of the crew would have remained alive had not a Danish torpedo
+boat gallantly steamed in between the submarine and the German
+destroyer, and thus covered the stranded vessel. This cowardly and
+murderous act caused great indignation not only in Britain but in
+Denmark. Once more German sailors had covered themselves with infamy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Russian submarines were also active in the Baltic. The following story
+tells us how a Russian submarine collided with a German warship which
+she had just torpedoed.
+
+Having picked up the smoke of enemy vessels on the horizon, the
+submarine approached them, and by means of her periscope discovered that
+they consisted of ten ships of the line and several torpedo boats. To
+prevent the enemy from seeing his periscope, the commander of the
+submarine steered to the port side of the squadron, where he was between
+the ships and the light. With his periscope six inches above the water,
+he approached the squadron, and then dived. When he rose again he
+sighted on his starboard the ram of the leading warship, which was
+cutting across his course at a distance of not more than sixty yards.
+
+Again he dived, and gave the order to fire a torpedo. The order was
+obeyed, and was immediately followed by a collision. A terrible crash
+was heard. The whole submarine trembled; the electric bulbs burst;
+crockery and all kinds of articles flew about; something above cracked,
+broke, and gave way. The submarine took a list to starboard, and the
+crew were unable to keep their feet. What had happened? The hull of the
+warship had struck the centre of the submarine. The men hung on to
+anything within reach, and fortunately kept their heads. "Full speed
+ahead" was the order, and soon the submarine regained her balance.
+
+She was 75 feet below the surface when a loud explosion was heard. The
+torpedo had got home. The noise was so great that the commander thought
+the shell of his boat had been damaged by the collision, and that it was
+collapsing under the pressure of the water. He therefore rose to 60
+feet, but the sound of the approaching screw of a large ship forced him
+to dive to 80 feet. Again and again he tried to rise, but every time he
+heard the screws of battleships and torpedo boats above him. He now
+discovered that his periscope was damaged, and that his boat was leaking
+and losing its buoyancy. Water had to be blown out of the tanks from
+time to time, and this revealed the presence of the submarine to the
+ships above. It was not until near midnight that she dared come to the
+surface. She rose carefully, and, thanks to the darkness, was not seen.
+Soon she was making her way to the shore, having been under water for
+four hours without a break.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+About the second week of May German submarines were reported in the
+Mediterranean. During the month of February the Germans completed the
+first of their big submarines which were capable of making the journey
+from Zeebrugge to the Dardanelles within three weeks. Secret bases had
+been established in Eastern waters, and the British Government offered a
+large reward for their discovery. Several of them were found on Greek
+islands. Before long the German submarines made their presence felt. We
+shall learn in a later chapter how, on 26th May, one of them managed to
+torpedo the _Triumph_, and the next day sent the _Majestic_ to the
+bottom. The submarines practically put an end to the bombardment of the
+Dardanelles forts by our ships of war. While firing at the forts the
+ships were obliged to move slowly, and thus were at the mercy of an
+enemy under water.
+
+Germany's new submarines in the Mediterranean mounted bigger and more
+effective guns than had formerly been employed on under-water craft, and
+they were able to destroy several vessels by shell fire. Not only
+British, French, and Italian vessels were sent to the bottom, but one if
+not two American ships. I have already told you of the sinking of the
+_Ancona_. Dastardly as it was, it was outdone on 30th December, when the
+Peninsular and Oriental liner _Persia_ was sent to her doom. She was on
+her outward voyage, and at lunch time was off the island of Crete, when,
+without warning of any kind, a torpedo was launched against her. Five
+minutes after she received her death-blow she had vanished utterly. More
+than 330 out of the 501 passengers and crew were lost, and amongst the
+victims were a large number of women and children. Lord Montagu, who was
+saved, cabled home as follows:--
+
+    "I have had a miraculous escape. The ship sank by the stern,
+    dragging me down with her. When I was blown up to the surface
+    again I saw a dreadful scene of struggling human beings. There
+    was hardly any wreckage to grasp. Nearly all the boats were
+    smashed, and only three remained afloat. After a desperate
+    struggle, I climbed on the bottom of a broken boat with 28
+    Lascars and three other Europeans. Our number was reduced to 19
+    by Thursday night, and only 11 remained on Friday, the rest
+    having died from exposure and injuries. We saw a neutral steamer
+    pass close by on Thursday evening at about 8 o'clock, but she
+    took no notice of the red flare shown by another of the
+    _Persia's_ boats. We saw a large steamer three miles away on the
+    next day; but she too ignored our signals, probably thinking
+    they were a ruse of an enemy submarine. Our broken boat capsized
+    constantly, and we were all the time washed by the waves, so
+    that we were almost exhausted when the second night began. At
+    8.30 p.m. we saw the Alfred Holt steamer _Ningchow_ near us, and
+    shouted as loudly as we could. On Friday night at 9 o'clock she
+    rescued us. We had been thirty-two hours in the sea without
+    water or food, except one biscuit, since breakfast time on
+    Thursday."
+
+Within a day or two of this outrage the British steamer _Glengyle_ was
+also sunk in the Mediterranean, but happily all the passengers were
+saved. In the North Sea we had got the submarine danger well in hand,
+but in the far more extensive Mediterranean the enemy remained powerful
+for mischief down to the close of the year.
+
+[Footnote 19: For an account of the Narrows, see Chapter XX.]
+
+[Footnote 20: _Blackwood's Magazine_, October 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIV.
+
+  WINTER FIGHTING IN POLAND AND EAST PRUSSIA.
+
+
+In chapter XXIX. of our third volume I told you how von Hindenburg's
+second attempt on Warsaw was foiled, and how the Russians during the
+last days of December 1914 stood firm on a front of great strength. At
+the beginning of the year 1915 the Russian front extended from the
+Baltic Sea right to the border of Rumania--a distance of at least nine
+hundred miles. In January 1915 the Russians were holding the longest
+battle front ever known in the history of the world.
+
+We may divide this very extended battle front as C�sar divided
+Gaul--into three parts. The trenches in the central or Polish zone ran
+from the mouth of the Bzura, on the Middle Vistula, to the Upper
+Vistula, at its confluence with the Donajetz, in a fairly straight line,
+for a distance of about two hundred miles. On either side of this
+central zone there were two wings which differed greatly in character.
+Both were bent back from the line of the central zone: the north or
+right wing followed a sickle shape through a region of lake and marsh
+from the Baltic to the Vistula, and was for the most part within the
+East Prussian frontier; while the south or left wing ran from the Upper
+Vistula to follow the line of the Carpathians.
+
+We will now learn something of the fighting which took place in the
+first three months of the year 1915 on the north or right wing. For the
+first few weeks there was ordinary trench warfare such as was going on
+in the West. Attacks and counter-attacks were frequent, but there was no
+action of any great importance. Most of the attacks were made by night,
+beneath the light of rockets and star-shells and the glare of
+searchlights. On the Bzura River the trenches of friend and foe were
+only sixty yards apart, and in this section of the line the Germans
+tried a very ingenious method of breaking down the Russian wire
+entanglements. They filled barrels with clay, and rolled them down the
+slopes towards the Russians, who believed that men with wire-cutters
+were hiding behind the barrels and pushing them forward. They therefore
+flung their hand grenades at the barrels, only to discover that they
+were moving by their own weight, and that there were no men behind them.
+When the Russians had thus exhausted their supply of hand grenades, the
+Germans pushed forward and tried to rush the trenches. They were only
+beaten off after a furious struggle. Shells and bombs containing poison
+gases were also used by the Germans on this part of the line.
+
+In Poland there was the same kind of warfare as on the Bzura. Across the
+plains the Germans had made a maze of very strong trenches and
+earthworks with deep underground chambers, floored and roofed with wood.
+
+In Galicia, towards the end of January the bright sun melted the snows
+of the Carpathians, and the streams became roaring torrents which made a
+very effective barrier against surprise attacks. Nevertheless the enemy
+kept up a very heavy bombardment across the flooded waters. On the
+Donajetz River the Austrians broke the rules of war, and fired from
+their machine guns explosive bullets, which when they entered a man's
+body blew away half his back.
+
+Towards the end of January the Russians began to take the offensive on
+the wings. At this time, you must remember, the new forces which the
+Allies in the West had raised were not yet ready to take the field. The
+"thin line of steel and valour" in Artois and Flanders was only just
+holding its own, and it was feared that if the Germans brought troops
+from the East they would be able to break through the Allied line and
+reach the Channel ports. The Grand Duke Nicholas was, therefore,
+requested to attack von Hindenburg, and prevent him from releasing
+troops for service in the West. Earlier in the war he had sacrificed
+large numbers of his men in East Prussia to give his Western Allies a
+breathing space. Now, although his forces were very weak in guns,
+rifles, and ammunition, he showed the same high courage and chivalry. He
+knew that, if he pushed forward into the sacred land of East Prussia,
+von Hindenburg would hasten to engage him, and that if he threatened
+Hungary, the great granary of the Central Powers, the enemy would be
+bound to oppose him. The Grand Duke Nicholas was well aware that he
+could not hope for conquest. All that he could do would be to worry the
+enemy and prevent him from sending troops to the West.
+
+[Illustration: The Russians retaking a Trench before Bolimov.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+The following account of the incident pictured above was given by a
+Russian soldier:--"They did not stay long when we came down on them with
+our bayonets. Our artillery had dropped many shells right in the trench
+before we got there. The machine guns played on us until the last
+minute, and we paused to fire at the gunners. The few Germans who were
+left tried to drag the guns away with them, but our men took them away
+from them."]
+
+In order to provide a sufficient force for these attacks, the Russians
+had to draw off men and guns from their centre. Von Hindenburg knew
+this, and he therefore determined to make another effort to capture
+Warsaw by a frontal attack. The fifty-sixth birthday of the Kaiser was
+drawing near, and what better present could be made to him than the
+great Polish capital? You will remember that at this time the Russians
+were lying along the right bank of the Bzura and its tributary the
+Rawka. Look at the map on the next page and find the town of Bolimov, on
+the western bank of the Rawka. It is about forty miles from Warsaw, and
+is connected with it by a fairly good road. In front of Bolimov there
+are rolling downs and belts of wood. You will notice that the Russian
+lines cross the Rawka south of Bolimov.
+
+On the last day of January von Mackensen, who had brought up large
+numbers of heavy guns all along the left bank of the Rawka, began a
+terrific bombardment of the Russian lines. This was done to puzzle the
+Russians and make them uncertain as to where the infantry attack was to
+be made. The Germans proposed to advance on a line of seven miles
+between Bolimov and the Bzura.
+
+On the night of 1st February, when the snow was falling heavily, the
+German guns fiercely shelled the Russian trenches between the Warsaw
+road and the Bzura River. When it was supposed that the wire
+entanglements had been blown into a million fragments and the trenches
+utterly wrecked, 140,000 Germans, including Prussian Guards, advanced in
+masses, sometimes ten and sometimes twenty-two deep. They were mown down
+by Russian shot and shell; nevertheless they carried the first line of
+trenches, and by the evening of the 2nd February had pushed the Russians
+back to the crest of a ridge behind the town of Borzymov. On Wednesday
+the Germans looked like succeeding; but by means of the railways which
+you see to the north and to the south of Borzymov, and also by means of
+the roads, the Grand Duke hurried up reinforcements from Warsaw. They
+marched through the driving snow, and arrived on the scene of battle
+late on Thursday. By this time the Germans had been checked. They had
+pushed across the crest of the ridge behind Borzymov, had advanced five
+miles along the railway, and had very nearly broken through the Russian
+front.
+
+[Illustration: The Battle on the Rawka.]
+
+The fighting was terribly fierce, and the Germans lost heavily. Around
+Borzymov the slaughter was so great that the ground was cumbered with
+German dead, and the survivors used the bodies of their fallen comrades
+to build up defences. The woods to the south of the Bolimov-Warsaw road
+were also strewn with dead. By 8th February the Germans had been flung
+back to the banks of the Rawka, and the Russians had crossed the river
+at Dachova. The German loss cannot have been less than 20,000 men. The
+great attempt had failed, and it was now clear that Warsaw could not be
+captured by a frontal attack.
+
+As soon as von Hindenburg saw that the Bzura-Rawka lines were too strong
+for him, he was ready with a new plan. He was now about to try a flank
+attack. Look carefully at the map on the next page and notice the
+railways which meet in the Polish capital. By these railways alone can
+a Russian army maintain itself westward of the Vistula. In front of the
+main railway (A A) from Warsaw to Petrograd you see a river line--that
+of the Niemen and the Narev. Von Hindenburg's plan was to push out from
+East Prussia, carry the river line, cut the railway, and thus force the
+Russians to retire from Warsaw, which would then fall into his hands.
+Meanwhile the Austrians, on the Russian left wing, were to drive back
+Brussilov, relieve Przemysl, and try to recapture Lemberg. If these
+operations should succeed, the Russians would be forced back from the
+line of the Vistula to the river Bug, and it would take them a year's
+fighting to recover the lost ground.
+
+First of all we will follow the fortunes of the East Prussian campaign.
+While the fighting was proceeding on the Rawka, the Russians, who
+numbered about 120,000, were making headway in East Prussia. Despite the
+keen frost, the icy winds, and the deep snowdrifts, they pushed back the
+weak German forces opposed to them, until, on 6th February, their right
+was not far from Tilsit, and their left rested on the town of
+Johannisburg. Nowhere were they less than twenty-five miles within the
+East Prussian frontier.
+
+On 7th February von Hindenburg sprang his surprise upon the invaders. He
+suddenly hurled 300,000 men against the whole line which the Russians
+were holding. According to custom, the German left wing made an
+outflanking movement. It was successful, and the Russians holding this
+part of the line were forced to retreat along the railway towards Kovno.
+The 20th Corps just to the south of it now had its right "in the air,"
+and was obliged to retire. In the forests and marshes north of Suwalki
+it was broken up into parties of stragglers. The remainder of the
+Russian line was also driven back, but only after a stern struggle. By
+15th February the Germans were on Russian soil, and were moving towards
+the river line which screens the railway from Warsaw to Petrograd. They
+were about to attack on the Niemen, the Bobr, and the Narev at one and
+the same time. If the river line should be forced, the railway would
+soon be reached and cut.
+
+I have told you what happened in East Prussia in a few sentences; but
+you must not suppose that the Germans won easy victories. The Russians
+resisted desperately, and many of them fought to the last cartridge.
+Though their losses were very heavy, they performed a great feat in
+retreating seventy miles with a force three times as great hard on their
+heels. The Germans had a good railway system to help them in their East
+Prussian advance, but more than half of the Russian army had to retire
+through thick forests and drag heavy guns across a rough, broken country
+deep in snow and without railways.
+
+[Illustration: Map to illustrate the German attack on the river line.]
+
+The Kaiser sent the following message to his people: "Russians
+crushingly defeated. Our beloved East Prussia liberated from the enemy.
+Our beautiful Mazurian land is waste. (Signed) Wilhelm." The Germans
+claimed that they had captured 75,000 prisoners and 300 guns, but this
+was false. The total Russian losses were, perhaps, 80 guns and 30,000
+men.
+
+[Illustration: Austrian Trenches.
+
+_Photo, Topical Press._
+
+This photograph gives a good idea of the way in which trenches are
+constructed and manned. It will be noticed that the front and rear
+trench communicate by means of a narrow cutting, and that the trenches
+are dug zigzag so that they cannot be enfiladed along the full length.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XV.
+
+  A BATTLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
+
+
+The Russians had already prepared positions on the river line, and by
+19th February they had occupied them, and were waiting for the Germans
+to attack. Next day the enemy launched forces against the Niemen, about
+fourteen miles to the north of Grodno. A thick belt of wood on the banks
+of the river screened them from view, and some of them succeeded in
+crossing the river, but could not emerge from the forests on the other
+side. Though the railway was less than ten miles away, they were unable
+to reach it.
+
+Meanwhile the fortress of Ossowietz, on the Bobr, was undergoing a
+second siege. You will remember that the Germans had tried to capture it
+in the previous September, but had failed, because the fortress stands
+amidst marshes, and they could not find solid ground from which to fire
+their big guns. Again they failed, though they used every possible
+device to bring about its downfall. Every knuckle of hard soil on which
+a howitzer could be placed was known to the garrison, and they were able
+to silence the big guns of the enemy before they could do much mischief.
+It is said that the Germans lost 15,000 dead in their attempts to storm
+the fortress.
+
+Thus the attacks on the Niemen and the Bobr had come to nothing. By the
+beginning of March the Russians were advancing everywhere along the line
+from Kovno to the Narev, and the Germans were slowly retiring towards
+East Prussia. There was desperate fighting with the bayonet amidst the
+marshy woods near Augustovo, where large captures were made of German
+guns, supplies, and prisoners. By the middle of March the Germans were
+covering the East Prussian frontier, and were only ten miles within
+Russian territory. Meanwhile a great battle had been fought and lost on
+the Narev.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look carefully at the map on p. 115; it shows you the country between
+the East Prussian frontier and the Narev. This river flows in a winding
+course through a district of marshes and heavy woods, with here and
+there a few ridges. To the north of the river, and to the east of the
+town of Przasnysz,[21] which stands midway between the frontier and the
+Narev, there are some fairly high hills with patches of forest on their
+sandy slopes. The crossing-places of the Narev are protected by
+fortified towns, some of which you see marked by a star on the map.
+
+Find the town of Mlawa, of which you have already heard. On a front
+stretching for some twenty-five miles to the north-east of that town,
+and about a day's march in front of the Prussian frontier railway, the
+Germans massed two corps, and on 22nd February began to advance in three
+columns. The right travelled from Mlawa by the railway which you see
+marked on the map, the centre marched along the main highway towards
+Przasnysz, and the left followed the valley of a little river towards a
+road which enters the same town from the north-east. There was only a
+single Russian brigade in front of Przasnysz, and it was easily driven
+back. On the 24th the Germans entered the town, in which they seized a
+number of guns and captured about half the brigade which had been
+defending it.
+
+On the previous day another Russian advanced body which lay on a ridge
+near the village of Vola, to the south of Przasnysz, had been attacked.
+Elsewhere the Germans were advancing without much difficulty, but on
+this ridge a violent battle raged, and the Russians made a most heroic
+stand. For thirty-six hours they held out, and on the evening of the
+24th their reinforcements arrived. Four columns of Russians had advanced
+on Przasnysz from the Narev line, and the invaders were pressed
+northward on three sides. They were driven through the town in
+confusion, and on the 26th it was once more in Russian hands. All the
+next day the battle raged amongst the snowy ridges to the north-east and
+north-west of the town, and by Sunday morning the enemy was in full
+retreat for the frontier, leaving 10,000 prisoners behind him. Thus the
+whole attempt to capture Warsaw by a flank movement had failed.
+
+[Illustration: Scene of the Fighting round Przasnysz.]
+
+The Battle of Przasnysz was more like a struggle of the Middle Ages than
+a modern battle. The Russians short of arms and ammunition, and they
+could not supply all their trained men with rifles. In this and in other
+fights the Russians kept unarmed troops in the rear. When the men with
+rifles fell, the unarmed were sent forward to take up the weapons of the
+dead and wounded and then fling themselves on the foe. Men rushed into
+the firing line at Przasnysz with a sword bayonet in one hand and two
+bombs in the other. They charged through rifle and machine-gun fire
+until they were near enough to fling their bombs, and then fell
+furiously upon the enemy with cold steel, utterly reckless of wounds and
+death. The Germans could not stand against such an onset, and fled. Thus
+by sheer bodily might the Russians had flung back in rout a foe superior
+to them in numbers, and once more von Hindenburg found Warsaw beyond his
+grasp.
+
+[Illustration: The Retreat of the Austrians across the Uzsok Pass.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+This spirited drawing shows Russian cavalry driving the Austrians across
+the snow-bound Uzsok Pass. (See page 120.) In this attack the Russians
+fell upon the flank and rear of the Austrians during a violent
+snowstorm, and pursued them for many miles. Hundreds of Austrians
+surrendered.]
+
+[Footnote 21: _Pshas�nish._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVI.
+
+  THE FALL OF PRZEMYSL.
+
+
+You will remember that while von Hindenburg was vainly attempting to
+pierce the river line of the Niemen and the Narev on the Russian right
+wing, the Austrians were in motion against the south or left wing. On
+page 249 of our third volume I gave you a map, which I repeat on page
+119, showing the line which the Russians were holding in Galicia at the
+close of the year 1914. They then held the northern entrances to the
+Carpathian passes, and had pushed up the Dukla Pass almost to the crest.
+Newspaper readers in this country believed that before long the Russian
+legions would be pouring down on the Hungarian plain, and that when the
+great granary of the Central Powers was invaded the end of the war would
+be in sight.
+
+During the month of January the Russians strove hard to push across the
+Galician passes, and their cavalry actually descended to the Hungarian
+plain thirty miles south of the mountains. Not only was fighting going
+on in Galicia, but in Bukovina[22]--that is, the country of the beech
+woods--which stretches southward from the Dneister, across the Pruth and
+the Sereth, to the eastern face of the Carpathians. Ever since September
+1914 the Russians had held Northern Bukovina, and they now wished to
+conquer the whole of it, for several reasons. In the first place, it was
+Germany's main source of supply for petrol; in the second place, it lay
+on the frontier of Rumania, and it was thought that the presence of a
+Russian army in Bukovina would induce Rumania to join the Allies.
+Further, if Rumania should elect to do so, she would be able to join
+hands at once with the Russians. In the third place, there are several
+fairly easy passes from Bukovina into Hungary, and one of them is the
+main route from the north to the plains of Hungary.
+
+The Russians had only a division in Bukovina, and the Austrians opposed
+them with a force which was not much stronger. By the middle of January
+almost all the country was in the hands of the Russians. They had,
+however, not yet secured the pass which would enable them to advance
+into Hungary.
+
+The time had now come for the Austrians to make a great effort to save
+Hungary, and to prevent Rumania, with her large and well-equipped army,
+from entering into the struggle on the side of the Allies. How was this
+to be done? Two campaigns were necessary--the one to drive back
+Brussilov from the passes and to relieve Przemysl, and the other to
+clear Bukovina of the invaders.
+
+Let us see how the campaign in Bukovina fared. Three Austrian corps and
+one German corps crossed the mountains and advanced in two columns. The
+Russians, you will remember, had only one division with which to meet
+these four army corps. They were obliged to fall back, and thus Bukovina
+was cleared. The Austrians captured town after town, and early in March
+they entered Stanislau,[23] a railway junction only seventy miles from
+Lemberg. They were delighted with their success, and they reported that
+they had made huge captures of prisoners. They had now reached a
+position from which they could threaten the Russian communications.
+Soon, however, it was discovered that the Russians had only fallen back
+to a point where they could be reinforced. As soon as their numbers were
+sufficiently increased they advanced again, and pushed the Austrians out
+of Stanislau, and almost back to the line of the Pruth. By doing so they
+removed the danger to their communications.
+
+[Illustration: Position of the Russians in Galicia at the end of 1914.]
+
+Meanwhile what had happened in Galicia? Two Austrian armies had been
+fighting fierce battles in the deep snows and slush of the Carpathians.
+With infinite labour guns and transports had been hauled up the icy
+slopes, where a foothold could barely be maintained. Infantry attacks
+were difficult; the white snow threw up the figures of the men, who thus
+became excellent targets, no matter what uniforms they wore. Even night
+attacks were revealed, for on moonless nights the light reflected from
+the snow made all things clear. Both sides suffered terribly from the
+cold, but it told more severely on the Austrians than on the Russians,
+who are accustomed to bitter winters. In the last week of January a
+bright sun shone, and often the pure white snow was stained scarlet with
+the blood of the fallen. Blizzards swept across the mountains during
+February, and checked the fighting on the uplands, though it continued
+to rage in the foothills. Perhaps the most terrible hand-to-hand
+fighting known to history took place at a little village near the Uzsok
+Pass. Large German forces for two months vainly tried to oust the
+Russians, who had captured the position from them. Some idea of the
+awful losses sustained by the Germans may be gathered from the statement
+that one regiment changed from colonel to drummer boy three and perhaps
+four times. The village stands on a height, and during the winter is
+shrouded in snow. While the furious battles were raging, the height was
+reduced to bare soil, every foot of its surface having been ploughed
+with shell and drenched with blood. You can imagine the horror of trench
+life in this region, with the thermometer below freezing-point and the
+icy blizzards blowing almost daily. In some places the trenches were
+only forty paces apart, and so fierce were the attacks and
+counter-attacks that eight out of every ten men engaged in them are said
+to have fallen. At the beginning of February the Russians in this region
+destroyed a whole battalion of Germans, save the commander and twenty
+men.
+
+The Austrian army which fought between the Dukla Pass and the Uzsok Pass
+was charged with the duty of relieving Przemysl, but it was held back by
+the Russians, as also was the army which was operating more to the east.
+During the last days of February and the first days of March Brussilov
+fought a fierce battle on a ridge near the Uzsok Pass. He held the
+heights, drove back the Austrians, and even the most desperate bayonet
+attacks could not force him from his position of vantage. The Austrians
+were held up, and the Russians gained sufficient time to reinforce their
+weak troops which had been driven out of Bukovina. I have already told
+you that they advanced again and pushed the Austrians back to the line
+of the Pruth.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The attempt to relieve Przemysl had failed, and on 22nd March the
+fortress fell. Before I proceed to tell you the story of this Russian
+success, let me give you some idea of the situation and importance of
+Przemysl. It has been famous as a fortress for a thousand years. In
+early times it was regarded as the key to the Hungarian plains, and in
+modern times it has been considered as the main outlying protection to
+the city of Cracow. The town claims to date back to the eighth century,
+and certainly is one of the oldest cities of Galicia. The river San,
+which washes its walls, descends in wide sweeps from the Uzsok Pass,
+through mountain glens filled with fir and beech trees, and then through
+the vales of the foothills, which are planted with groves of apricot,
+pear, and cherry, and are dotted here and there with brightly painted
+wooden houses. The valley of the San is the orchard land of Galicia.
+
+The first modern forts of Przemysl were erected in 1871, and since then
+have been several times enlarged and improved, until, on the eve of the
+war, the fortress was one of the strongest in the country. It was a ring
+fortress like Li�ge and Namur. At a distance of six miles from the city
+there was a circle of outer forts with smaller works connecting them.
+Within this ring, about a thousand yards from the city, there was
+another circular series of forts. Had Russia been supplied with heavy
+siege guns such as the Germans brought against the Belgian and French
+fortresses, Przemysl would have fallen in a month. As it was, it held
+out, during its second siege, for seven months.
+
+A glance at the map[24] shows you that Przemysl is chiefly important
+because of its situation with regard to the railways of Galicia. It
+stands on the main trunk line connecting Lemberg with Cracow, and it
+gives railway access to the Lupkow and Uzsok passes. While Przemysl held
+out the Russians had to send supplies to their armies by long and
+roundabout routes, and they could not readily mass troops for a big
+movement against the passes. As far back as September 27, 1914, the
+Russians had closed round it, and had sat tight in their trenches hoping
+to starve it into surrender. The town was not well supplied with
+provisions, and by the middle of October the defenders were on very
+short commons indeed. Then came a blessed respite. Von Hindenburg's
+first assault on Warsaw forced Ivanov to retire beyond the San, and the
+Austrians found themselves able to pour food, ammunition, and supplies
+into the besieged fortress. By the 12th of November, when the Russians
+had surrounded it once more, there were four Austrian army corps in the
+place, and these, with the townsfolk and refugees, numbered some 200,000
+souls.
+
+It is still a matter of wonder why the Austrians kept four army corps in
+Przemysl. To hold the twenty-five miles circuit of the fortress 50,000
+men would have been ample, and every extra mouth in the place only
+brought the day of surrender nearer. One would have supposed that during
+the retreat of the Russians in October distant lines of trenches would
+have been flung out from Przemysl, as had been done at Verdun. The
+Austrians, however, showed no foresight, and the governor seems to have
+considered the town a capital place in which to spend the winter. When
+the Russians returned they had nothing to do but sit down and let the
+garrison eat up its supplies. When food gave out the fortress was bound
+to fall.
+
+[Illustration: The Fall of Przemysl.
+
+(_From the picture by H. C. Seppings-Wright. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture, which was drawn by the artist on the spot, shows Russians
+advancing to occupy the fortress, and passing on the way large numbers
+of Austrians who had been captured in the final sortie. The town of
+Przemysl is seen in the distance on the right. In the background are
+seen Austrian forts and a railway bridge being blown up. Almost in the
+middle of the picture a land-mine is exploding.]
+
+In December the Austrians made an attempt to relieve the fortress. In
+Chapter XXVII. of our third volume I told you how the Austrians
+launched two armies against the Russians, who were then threatening
+Cracow, and how the Russians were forced to retreat to the position
+shown on the map on page 119. During the Russian retreat the Austrians
+were so near to Przemysl that they could hear its guns thundering, and
+exchange signals with its garrison by means of searchlights. The time
+had come for the Austrians within the fortress to dash out and break
+through the lines of their besiegers. On 15th December five regiments
+did so.
+
+They broke through the Russian lines at the south-east angle, and for
+four days there was fierce and doubtful fighting. The Russians, however,
+managed to drive the Austrians back into the town. The sortie had
+failed, with a loss of 3,000 killed and wounded. Shortly afterwards
+Brussilov cleared the mouths of the passes, and by Christmas Day
+Przemysl was once more girdled by a ring of iron. I have already told
+you how the Austro-Germans made another attempt late in January and
+early in February 1915 to relieve the strain on the fortress, and how it
+came to nought. Thereafter the fall of Przemysl was only a matter of
+time.
+
+Fighting went on night and day. Many times the Austrians strove to break
+out, but each time they were driven back, with huge losses on both
+sides. The Russians counter-attacked, and won several of the forts.
+"These unexpected blows," wrote a Russian general, "greatly excite the
+garrison. Right through the night their searchlights sweep to and fro
+over our positions, and the long white rays rest trembling on every fold
+of the ground. At times something alarms the forts, and the air is
+instantly filled with the thunder of Austrian guns. The fire is kept up
+for thirty minutes to an hour before it subsides again." It is worthy of
+note that not a single Russian shell fell within the town itself.
+
+But all the time famine was doing its deadly work. Up to December there
+was no shortage of food; but when the new year set in the rations were
+severely cut down, first for the civilians, then for the soldiers, next
+for the hospitals, and finally for the officers. The weather grew cold,
+and there was no firewood. Bread could not be obtained at all, and a
+fowl cost twenty-four shillings. Soon the cavalry began slaughtering
+their horses for food. By March a cow was selling for �140, and a dog
+for �2, 10s.
+
+Mr. Stanley Washburn, a correspondent with the Russian army, tells us
+that the place was greatly over-garrisoned by patient, haggard soldiers
+starving in the trenches and sleek faultlessly-dressed officers living
+on the fat of the land in fashionable hotels and restaurants. While the
+garrison became thin and half starved, the officers ate three meals a
+day, and enjoyed fresh meat, cigars, wines, and every luxury. While
+soldiers were falling fainting in the streets, their officers were
+leading the life to which they had been accustomed in Vienna during
+times of peace.
+
+On the night of 13th March the end began. The Russians pushed through
+the outer line of defences and began to bombard the inner forts. Four
+days later the Austrians strove for the last time to break out, but the
+Russian guns caught them and mowed them down in swathes. The survivors
+were driven back with heavy loss, and 4,000 prisoners remained in
+Russian hands. Early on the morning of the 22nd the besiegers were
+awakened by the noise of loud explosions. The Austrians were blowing up
+the forts before surrendering the city. We are told that the burning
+forts smoked like a circle of volcanoes. Soon a white flag was seen
+fluttering above the highest building in the town. Przemysl was ready to
+surrender. Meanwhile the officers were shooting their chargers, to
+prevent them from falling into the hands of the Russians, and the
+soldiers, crazy with hunger, were greedily devouring the raw flesh. Tons
+of explosives were sunk in the river, guns and rifles were destroyed,
+and bridges were blown up.
+
+About nine o'clock a letter reached the Russian headquarters from the
+Austrian general saying that hunger had forced him to yield the
+fortress. A few Russian officers entered and received the surrender; but
+there was no triumphal parade such as had been witnessed when the
+Germans entered Antwerp.
+
+    "Civilians inform me," wrote Mr. Washburn, "that they gladly
+    welcome the Russians, and that the first troops who entered were
+    greeted with cheers, while the garrison was frankly pleased that
+    the siege was over and their troubles at an end. I have seen on
+    the road and in the town tens of thousands of prisoners, and I
+    believe the Austrians, especially the Hungarians, are
+    first-class raw material, but that now they are utterly broken
+    and helpless." (This he considered to be due to their wretched
+    officers, who, if those seen in Przemysl were fair samples,
+    appeared to be the most selfish and incompetent in Europe.) "I
+    have never witnessed a more unpleasant sight than that of the
+    dapper, overdressed Austrian officers laughing and chatting
+    gaily as they were driven in carriages to the railway station
+    for departure, passing through columns of their own men, pale
+    and haggard from hardships which apparently had not been shared
+    in any particular by their officers."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So fell Przemysl. Its capture was not so much a Russian victory as an
+Austrian disgrace. By overcrowding the place with soldiers, and putting
+careless, ignorant officers in charge of them, the Austrians ensured its
+downfall. About 120,000 prisoners, including 2,600 officers, fell into
+Russian hands; about 1,000 guns were captured, 180 of them fit for use,
+as well as a large amount of shell and small-arm ammunition. Russia had
+obtained an excellent base from which to advance against the central
+passes of the Carpathians, and she had set free an army of 100,000 men
+for future operations.
+
+The fall of Przemysl was greeted with great delight by the Allies, and
+it was thought that before the end of the summer Cracow would be sure to
+fall, Silesia would be entered, and the Russian legions would be
+sweeping through Hungary. Alas! these rosy hopes were soon to be
+disappointed. Within five weeks clouds began to gather in the East. The
+Russians were caught napping. The strongest army which Germany had ever
+mustered was hurled against them, and huge guns drove them remorselessly
+back from the soil which they had so hardly won. Less than forty days
+after the Austro-Germans began to move, Przemysl was once more in their
+hands. Nor was the retreat stayed until the Russians were driven far
+back on their own soil, and the very existence of their armies was at
+stake.
+
+[Footnote 22: _Boo-ko-ve�na._]
+
+[Footnote 23: _Stan�is-low_, 75 m. S.S.E. of Lemberg. It has extensive
+railroad shops.]
+
+[Footnote 24: Vol. III., p. 247.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVII.
+
+  STORIES FROM EASTERN BATTLEFIELDS.
+
+
+In this chapter I shall tell you some stories illustrating the fierce
+fighting which took place in the Eastern theatre of war during the first
+three months of the year 1915. I have already told you that Russian
+women frequently disguised themselves as men and fought with great
+heroism in the ranks. A Russian girl named Alexandra Lagereva was
+awarded a commission early in the year for fine soldierly conduct in the
+field. During one of the battles fought near Suwalki her detachment was
+surrounded by the Germans, and forced to surrender. Alexandra noticed,
+from the way in which her captors looked at her, that they had guessed
+her secret. Perhaps for this reason they did not go through her pockets,
+in which she carried a watch and a compass.
+
+The prisoners were locked up in a church, and a sentry was placed at the
+door. At night, when all was quiet, Alexandra formed a plan of escape. A
+window was broken, and the girl crept through it. She stealthily
+approached the sentry, whom she felled with a stone. Then several of her
+comrades clambered out of the window, recovered their horses, and, along
+with her, made off. Soon, however, a force of eighteen Uhlans barred
+their way; but Alexandra and her comrades managed to capture them. When
+the German lieutenant learned that his eighteen men had been overpowered
+by a girl and six Russians, he tore his hair in rage. He was found to be
+carrying important papers, and these Alexandra took to the nearest
+Russian commander, whose report on her gallant conduct led to her
+promotion. She was described as of middle height, slender and graceful,
+and by no means of that masculine character which her deeds would lead
+one to suppose.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Mr. Washburn, who has already been mentioned in these pages, tells us
+that the Russian officer looks upon his men as his children, and that
+they call him "father." "It is a strange relation," he says, "that one
+sees between them. I recall seeing a grizzled old colonel marching his
+much-cut-up regiment past him on the plains of Poland after an action.
+As each company passed the old hero called out in his deep bass voice,
+'I am pleased with you, my children; you have done well,' And each
+company replied in unison, 'Thank you, father; we are willing to do as
+much again.' And then they all marched back to the trenches and took up
+the burden of the campaign once more."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+You have already heard much about the Cossacks, who used to be
+considered demons of cruelty, but are now known to be much like other
+Russians--easy-going, kindly, and good-natured. One of the Cossack
+regiments is described as being clad in baggy greatcoats of undressed
+sheepskin dyed a deep claret colour, while other regiments sport similar
+garments of a bright orange hue. All wear on their heads hairy busbies
+about the size of a bushel measure. Each man owns his horse, and grooms
+it until it looks like a racing thoroughbred. The Germans go in terror
+of the Cossacks. A story is told that when a German soldier was captured
+in Poland he looked uneasily about him. On being asked what worried him,
+he said, "The Cossacks." He then went on to say that he and his comrades
+believed that the Cossacks could not be trusted alone even by the
+Russians. They were, he said, brought to the front in huge vans, and
+when an action began the vans were turned towards the enemy, and the
+doors were thrown open, when out leaped the Cossacks, sword in hand, and
+dashed upon the foe. When the fight was over, so he told his captors,
+the Cossacks were rounded up and coaxed back into their cages, where
+they were kept in confinement until the next battle!
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+An American doctor who offered his services to Russia because "Russia
+stuck to us during the Civil War," tells us that though the Germans are
+better rifle shots than the Russians, they cannot compare with the
+Tsar's soldiers when it comes to the bayonet. "When these moujiks,"[25]
+said the doctor, "climb out of their trenches and begin to sing their
+national songs they just go crazy, and they aren't scared of anything;
+and believe me, when the Germans see them coming across the fields
+bellowing these songs of theirs, they just don't wait one minute, but
+dig right out across the landscape as fast as they can tear. I don't
+think there's a soldier in the world that has anything on the Russian
+private for bravery. They are a stubborn lot, too, and will sit in
+trenches in all weathers, and be just as cheerful under one condition as
+another. One big advantage over here, as I regard it, is the good
+relations between the soldiers and their officers."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Mr. Washburn tells us[26] how the colonel of a Russian battery "had a
+great laugh on the enemy. What happened was this. A German Taube flew
+over the line several times, and it kept coming back so frequently, and
+hovering over the battery, that the officers who were watching it became
+suspicious that they had been 'spotted.' When darkness fell the men of
+the battery became extremely busy, and by working like bees moved their
+guns perhaps 600 yards to the south, and by daylight had them in the new
+positions and fairly well masked. Shortly after sunrise back came the
+aeroplane, and when over the old position it gave a signal to its own
+lines and then flew back. Almost instantly shells fell fast and thick on
+the abandoned spot. Six hundred yards away the men of the battery
+watched the shells falling, and laughed their sides out at the way they
+had fooled the Germans. . . . From glancing at the field torn up with
+shell fire one begins to realize what observation means to the enemy.
+With modern methods a single signal from an aeroplane may mean the
+wiping out in a few minutes of an unsuspecting battery that has been
+safely hidden for months."
+
+[Footnote 25: _Moo�ziks_, Russian peasants.]
+
+[Footnote 26: _The Russian Campaign, April to August_, 1915, by Stanley
+Washburn.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+
+We now return to the sodden plains of Flanders, where the torn and
+slashed fields, the riven woods, and the tattered hedgerows are
+beginning to don the livery of spring. Men looking out of their trenches
+are gladdened by the pale sunshine, the tender green of the young
+leaves, the songs of the birds, the patches of blue in the showery sky,
+and the early flowers that coyly peep out amidst the grass. These signs,
+which in the happy days of peace foretell the manifold delights of
+summer, have no such meaning for the men in the trenches; yet they are
+welcome, for they indicate that the long inactivity of the winter is
+drawing to a close. The day will soon arrive when the soiled and
+battered men who have watched each other so long from muddy holes in the
+ground will come to close grips again. Fierce, relentless warfare will
+begin once more; with what result only the future can tell. One thing is
+certain--many of those who now watch the miracle of spring will never
+see the glory of summer.
+
+The month of March has come. The trenches are in much the same position
+as they were in the preceding November. The gains and losses of the last
+five months have been trifling. But amongst the Allies there is a
+feeling that their day has at last arrived. Especially strong is this
+belief in the British lines. New troops are crossing the narrow seas
+every day; the Canadians and many Territorial divisions are in the
+field, and before the month is over there are half a million Britons on
+French and Flemish soil. Never before have we arrayed such a mighty
+army. It is fifty-five times as great as that with which King Harry
+charged the French at Agincourt, twelve times as great as that with
+which Wellington won victories in the Peninsula, twenty-five times as
+great as the British part of the mixed army with which he made an end of
+Napoleon at Waterloo, and twice as great as that which brought the
+South African War to a close. Four months ago the little British army
+had barely been able to beat off the fierce attacks of an overwhelming
+enemy. By miracles of valour alone had our much-tried soldiers been able
+to stem the torrent in the first onset of its fury. Now, for every man
+who kept the gate at La Bass�e and Ypres there are four. Britons and
+Germans have now changed parts. It is ours to attack, theirs to defend.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+By the middle of February our General Staff felt itself strong enough to
+take the offensive. In Chapter IX. I told you how the French in
+Champagne had punctured the German line by means of an intense
+bombardment of the opposing trenches. We were now ready to make a
+similar attempt. If you look at the map on page 132, you will see a
+thick black line showing the position of our trenches about midway
+between La Bass�e and Estaires. In front of the village of Neuve
+Chapelle this line makes a distinct sag to the westward. It was upon
+this section of the line that we meant to operate, and we hoped that we
+might not only capture the village and straighten out our line, but push
+the Germans off the Aubers ridge, from which coign of vantage the La
+Bass�e-Lille railway line could be commanded. If fortune were kind, we
+might even reach Lille itself.
+
+Though Neuve Chapelle is only a small village, its fame is now world
+wide, and it will figure in the history books of the future. It is an
+unimportant collection of houses and small farms scattered about a
+junction of country roads, with a church in its centre. Our soldiers
+looking eastward from the British front could see the long, straggling
+line of houses among gardens, and the white church standing up tall and
+clear from the flat, marshy land. Let us suppose that we are aviators
+flying over the pretty village. What do we see? First, we notice the
+broad highway running from La Bass�e to Estaires (AA), and from this
+road see two other roads, less than a mile apart, running parallel in a
+north-easterly direction (BB and CC). A road (DD) almost parallel to the
+broad highway (AA) connects these roads, and thus forms a diamond-shaped
+figure which is divided into two by a winding cross road (EE). Neuve
+Chapelle lies within the northern half of the diamond. Along the road
+(DD) the houses are small, and stand close together; those along the
+roads CC and EE are surrounded by gardens and orchards. At the
+north-east of the village (F) there is a small piece of ground filled
+with enclosures, and bounded on three sides by roads. Here the Germans
+have made a strong post so as to flank the approaches to the village
+from the north. Between the houses and the La Bass�e-Estaires road are
+meadows and ploughland, seamed with German trenches. At the northern
+angle of the diamond our own trenches are but 100 yards away from those
+of the Germans. In other parts of the line the distance is greater.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+From our lofty eyrie we look eastward, and make out a clearly-marked
+ridge which is well known to us as the Aubers ridge. We see at a glance
+that Neuve Chapelle is the gateway to this ridge. Between the ridge and
+the village runs a small stream, and behind it, to the south-east, is
+the Biez wood. Along the stream is the German second line of defence,
+with strong posts at the bridgeheads. We notice that the stream crosses
+the La Bass�e-Estaires road, and that to the north of it is a group of
+ruined buildings which our men call "Port Arthur." A mile eastward from
+the village is Pietre[27] Mill, with a tall chimney, which is a landmark
+for miles around. From the mill to Port Arthur runs a great network of
+German trenches. Earthworks are also to be seen in the Biez wood to the
+south-east of the stream. It is clear that before our soldiers can
+attain the ridge and threaten Lille they must carry this formidable
+line.
+
+[Illustration: The Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
+
+The black line shows the general position of the British front before
+the battle. A, 24th Brigade; B, 23rd Brigade; C, 25th Division; D,
+Garhwal Brigade; E, Dehra Dun Brigade.]
+
+On 8th March Sir John French called his commanders together and
+explained his plans. The main assault was to be made by the First Army,
+and two Indian divisions were to share in it, while the Second Army was
+to form a general support. In order to prevent the Germans from sending
+up reinforcements to the scene of the main attack, two other attacks
+were to take place at the same time, the one from Givenchy, the other
+just south of Armenti�res. A great mass of artillery was to be brought
+up, and a bombardment four times as intense as any which we had yet made
+was to be undertaken. Then when the German trenches were wrecked, our
+infantry were to go forward and attempt to drive a deep wedge into the
+German line. If all went well, we might be in Lille within a few days.
+
+On the 8th and 9th of March our big guns were brought up very quietly
+and placed in position. We were able to do this quite unknown to the
+Germans, because our aircraft had gained the upper hand of theirs. All
+sorts of big guns were massed together, and their positions are roughly
+shown on the map (page 132). Meanwhile, from ten o'clock that evening
+endless files of men marched silently down the roads leading towards our
+trenches. Watch the troops as they file by. Here are sturdy Garhwalis,
+with slouch hats and kukris at their belts, and farther down the road
+you see Gurkhas. Here, too, are the Leicesters--"the Tigers," as they
+are called from their badge. Yonder go the Lincolns and the Berkshires.
+You see the silver cross of the Rifle Brigade, the star and bugle of the
+Scottish Rifles, the Black Watch in their bonnets, the North Hants and
+the Worcesters, heroes of Ypres. Halted by the road are the Middlesex,
+the West Yorks, the Devons. Every British dialect is heard; men are here
+from Land's End to John o' Groats. All are eager for the fray; all long
+for the moment when the whistles will blow and the command will be
+given, "Over the parapet! Charge!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before morning our trenches were literally wedged with men, waiting in
+silence for the dawn. From the enemy's front there was as yet no sign of
+alarm, though their trenches at many points were less than one hundred
+yards away. A prisoner afterwards said that his captain noticed the
+massing of our men, and sent urgent messages to the artillery to open
+fire, but with no result. Before sunrise on the morning of the 10th hot
+meals were served out all along our line, for, as everybody knows, a
+Briton fights best when his inner man is satisfied. Then came another
+long wait in tense silence. Aeroplanes buzzed aloft, and every now and
+then officers looked at their watches. Every man knew that with the
+earliest light of morning the guns would begin to speak, and that some
+time later he and his fellows would be out in the open, making for the
+enemy's line as hard as they could pelt. The minutes dragged on. Would
+the dawn never come?
+
+Away to the east the faint light of a gray and sullen day now began to
+appear. The heavy clouds hung low in the sky, and ahead the mist
+shrouded the view. Before long the Germans knew that a big attack was
+preparing, but they took no steps to meet it. Our artillery now began to
+boom; "ranging shots" were being fired, but soon all was silent again.
+On the stroke of 7.30 some 350 guns suddenly spoke with an overpowering
+din that racked the brain and split the ears. The terrific roar was
+incessant, and the discharges were so rapid that it seemed as if they
+came from a gigantic machine gun. The very earth shook as though struck
+by Thor's[28] hammer. The first shells that hit the German position
+raised huge clouds of smoke and dust, and nothing could be seen but the
+green fumes of lyddite and the spouting columns of red earth.
+Barbed-wire entanglements were blown into a myriad fragments, parapets
+crumbled like sand castles, and trenches on which men had worked for
+months were flung into shapeless ruin. Bodies of mangled men were hurled
+high into the air, and ghastly fragments were blown back into the
+British lines. Four shells were hurled on every yard of the German
+trenches, and more ammunition was used in the thirty-five minutes during
+which the bombardment lasted than in a year and a half of the South
+African War. Long before the awful cannonade ended the German trenches
+had ceased to exist. They were reduced to a welter of earth and dust.
+
+While the bombardment lasted our troops could walk outside their
+trenches in safety, for the Germans were so "pinned to the ground" that
+those of them who remained alive dared not lift their heads. From behind
+the ragged clouds in the sky where the aeroplanes were sailing the sun
+now began to shine, making still darker the black pall that hung over
+the German position, and flashing back from the rows of gleaming
+bayonets in the British trenches. At five minutes to eight our gunners
+lengthened their fuses, and shells began to fall fast and furiously on
+the village itself. Some of the houses were seen to leap into the air.
+Columns of dust like the sand spouts of the desert sprang up; trees went
+down like wheat before a sickle; bricks and stones fell in torrents.
+Then came the great moment. Whistles blew; our men swarmed over the
+parapets and rushed towards the German trenches.
+
+[Illustration: The Rifle Brigade racing headlong through the Ruins of
+Neuve Chapelle during the Attack on the Village.
+
+(_From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The village," says a writer who visited the scene a few days after the
+battle, "was a sight that the men say they will never forget. Once upon
+a time Neuve Chapelle must have been a pretty little place, big as
+villages in these parts go, with a nice clean church (whence it probably
+got its name), some neat villas, half a dozen inns, a red-brick brewery,
+and on the outskirts a little old white ch�teau. Now hardly stone
+remains on stone. It was indeed a scene of desolation into which the
+Rifle Brigade--the first regiment to enter the village, I believe--raced
+headlong. Of the church only the bare shell remained; the interior was
+lost to view beneath a gigantic mound of rubbish. Of all that once fair
+village but two things remained intact--the great crucifixes reared
+aloft, one in the churchyard, the other over against the ch�teau. From
+the cross that is the emblem of our faith the figure of Christ, yet
+intact, though all pitted with bullet marks, looked down in mute agony
+on the slaying in the village."]
+
+Five separate infantry attacks were made on the village. The first
+attack was made by the 24th Brigade, to the north of the village; the
+second, by the 23rd Brigade, against its north-east corner; the third,
+by the 25th Division, against the village itself; the fourth, by the
+Garhwal Brigade of Indians, against its south-west corner; and the
+fifth, by the Dehra Dun Brigade, against Port Arthur. The 25th pushed
+into the wreckage of the German trenches without difficulty. They were
+only occupied by the shreds and tatters of the dead and a few dazed and
+stupefied men, their faces yellow with fumes, their clothes torn from
+their backs, and their equipment and weapons destroyed. In some places a
+few machine guns which had escaped destruction kept up fire from
+concealed positions, and snipers took toll of our men as they advanced.
+The first to reach the goal were the 2nd Lincolns and the 2nd Royal
+Berkshires, who opened out to let the Irish Rifles and the Rifle Brigade
+pass through them and take the village. From a trench in front of the
+Berkshires came the rattle of machine-gun fire. Two German officers,
+alone, were working the gun, and they continued to fire until they fell
+beneath the bayonets of our men. Equally gallant deeds were done on the
+British side. A lance-corporal who had been wounded three times and had
+been told to lie down insisted on advancing with his fellows. Nor was he
+the only wounded man who plied bayonet and grenade on that red day.
+
+The village was now only a rubbish heap; the church was a broken shell,
+and the very graves in the churchyard had been torn open by our shells.
+Strange to say, while houses and trees were falling, a crucifix at the
+cross roads remained untouched, and spread its gaunt arms in mute
+protest above the terrible scene of slaughter and destruction. Once more
+our gunners lifted their sights and lengthened their fuses, and between
+the village and the German supports in the rear created a curtain of
+fire through which no living thing could pass. Then our men swept into
+the battered streets. Through the thick pall of smoke Germans were seen
+on all sides, some holding up their hands, others flying for life, and
+others, again, firing from the windows, from behind carts, and even from
+behind overturned tombstones. Machine guns clacked viciously from houses
+on the outskirts, and many a Briton fell a victim to them. Nevertheless,
+before long the village was wholly ours.
+
+The Garhwalis to the right of the 25th were equally successful. Within a
+quarter of an hour after the assault began they had carried the first
+line of German trenches, and soon afterwards the 3rd Gurkhas met the
+Rifle Brigade in the southern outskirts of the village. Together they
+swept on past the heap of ruins which had once been the hamlet of Port
+Arthur into the woods at the foot of the rising ground.
+
+Now comes the tragical part of the story. The 23rd Brigade, which
+attacked to the left of the 25th, advanced, you will remember, against
+the north-east of the village. Unhappily, the artillery had not properly
+shelled this part of the German position, and in a slight hollow the
+wire entanglements and the trenches were almost untouched. When the 2nd
+Devons, the 2nd West Yorks, the 2nd Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), and
+the 2nd Middlesex pushed forward they found themselves up against
+unbroken wire. The Cameronians suffered severely. A storm of bullets
+from rifles and machine guns assailed them, but they never wavered. Go
+on they could not; go back they would not. Men were seen in that zone of
+death tearing at the wire with raw and bleeding hands, while their
+comrades were falling fast around them. Those who survived were obliged
+to retire and lie down in the open under a tornado of shot and shell,
+until one company made a gap and broke through the line of defence.
+Fifteen officers, including the commander, Colonel Bliss, were killed or
+wounded, and when the terrible day was over only 150 men out of 750
+answered the roll call. "You have many noble honours on your colours,"
+said Sir John French, when he addressed the gallant remnant some days
+later; "none are finer than that of Neuve Chapelle, which will soon be
+added to them."
+
+The 2nd Middlesex had a similar trial, and bore it with the same
+bravery. Machine guns were turned on them from several points, and as
+they pressed forward men fell at every step. Three times they strove to
+reach the trench, but three times they failed, and were forced to lie
+down in the open until a message was sent back to the artillery. Guns
+were relaid on the trench, and before long the entanglements were
+destroyed. When this was done the Middlesex, aided by a bombing party,
+carried the position, and were able to move forward to an orchard on the
+north-east of the village, where they joined the Devonshires. The 1st
+Battalion of the King's Liverpool, which was attached to the ill-fated
+division, also found itself up against unbroken wire. A company
+sergeant-major spent five minutes under the entanglement trying to cut
+it, and miraculously escaped with his life. The colonel, though wounded,
+refused to leave his men, and remained with them throughout the day. A
+young officer who had been shot down near the wire kept shouting to his
+men to come on until his breath failed him. In this battalion alone 100
+men were killed and 119 were wounded.
+
+[Illustration: Neuve Chapelle, March 10, 1915.
+
+(_From the drawing by D. Macpherson. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This picture shows a batch of the Prussian Guards surrendering to the
+2nd Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at the first line of trenches
+before the village of Neuve Chapelle. The distance at this point from
+the British advanced line was about sixty-five yards, and our men were
+upon the enemy while most of them were still dazed from the effects of
+the terrific bombardment. The prisoners were taken in batches of thirty
+or forty, and were handed over to the oncoming lines of supports until
+they were passed back to headquarters, the captors meanwhile sweeping on
+with the advance.]
+
+Meanwhile the success of the 25th Brigade had turned the flank of the
+Germans north of the village, and when the 23rd Brigade at last managed
+to struggle through the orchard and join hands with the 24th Brigade,
+which had attacked to their left, the time had come for the combined
+force to sweep onward to the Aubers ridge. The Germans were still dazed
+with surprise, and completely paralyzed by the heavy bombardment of the
+morning; while our men were flushed with victory, and were eager to
+press forward. But at this moment there was a long delay. The telephone
+wires had been cut by the bursting shells, and it was difficult to get
+orders quickly to the first line. The check to the 23rd Brigade had
+thrown everything out of gear. A halt had to be called for fresh troops
+to come up, and they were very slow in arriving. The village was ours by
+noon, but not until 3.30 did the reserve brigades arrive. Had they been
+brought up promptly the Aubers ridge would have been won. As it was, we
+were robbed of a great victory. A splendid chance had been thrown away,
+and an unavailing sacrifice of life was to follow.
+
+The newly-arrived brigades, all belonging to the 7th Division, which had
+won such glory in the October battle round Ypres, formed up on the left
+of the 24th Brigade, and the attack began again; but everywhere
+difficulties were met with. The Germans had taken advantage of the lull
+to strengthen their third line of trenches, and had brought up
+reinforcements. When our men advanced they were ready to receive them.
+The Indian brigades pushed through the wood towards the ridge, but could
+make but little headway, and suffered terrible losses. One of the Indian
+battalions would have been entirely cut off but for a splendid bombing
+attack by the 2nd Leicesters. It was at this point of the battle that
+the 3rd London--a Territorial regiment--made a brilliant charge to aid
+the front line, and won the cheers of their regular comrades by their
+gallantry and devotion.
+
+Further to our left the 25th Division was checked along the line of the
+little river, while the 24th Brigade and 7th Division were held up by
+machine-gun fire from the cross roads and the defences of Pietre Mill.
+The line of the river could not be forced without artillery
+"preparation." Everywhere in this part of the line there were German
+positions which our big guns had not touched. To push infantry against
+them was simple murder. So, as the evening closed in, we busied
+ourselves in strengthening the positions which we had already won. The
+village was ours; we had gained a mile, and had straightened out our
+line. We had, however, failed in the bigger business of seizing the
+Aubers ridge.
+
+Not until darkness fell did the 1st Brigade of the First Corps arrive.
+Next morning our guns began to boom again, but they could not repeat the
+surprise of yesterday. The Germans had pulled themselves together; their
+lines were strongly reinforced, and mist prevented the artillery
+observers from directing the fire of their guns. More than once our
+infantry were caught by their own shells. We could make no further
+headway, and on the 12th the Bavarians advanced against Neuve Chapelle,
+an officer on horseback with drawn sword leading them right up to the
+Worcesters, who met them with a shattering fire. At another point
+twenty-one machine guns were turned against them, and they fell by the
+hundred. So fierce was the fire that the survivors were forced to
+protect themselves behind ramparts of their own dead.
+
+All that day the 7th Division struggled to carry Pietre Mill, while the
+rest of the line attacked the bridges over the river and the German
+trenches in the wood. Round about the mill the fighting was very fierce;
+ground was gained and lost again; houses were captured and recaptured;
+and friend and foe were mixed up in confused hand-to-hand fighting. Here
+it was that the 6th Gordons lost Lieutenant-Colonel Maclean. A subaltern
+found him lying in the open behind the trench with a bullet in his back,
+and sinking fast. The young officer brought him morphia to ease his
+pain, and when he had taken it he said, "And now, my boy, your place is
+not here. Go about your duty." So died a very gallant gentleman.
+
+Victoria Crosses were won on this part of the front by Private Edward
+Barber and Lance-Corporal Wilfred Fuller of the Grenadiers for a
+brilliant bombing attack, of which we shall read later. Further south,
+the 2nd Rifle Brigade managed to carry a section of German trenches, and
+Sergeant-Major Daniels and Corporal Noble did deeds of outstanding
+valour which won them the proudest decoration that a soldier can wear.
+Unhappily, their unit, the Rifle Brigade, was enfiladed and forced to
+fall back on its old lines.
+
+By the evening of the 12th Sir John French was convinced that nothing
+more could be won, and he ordered the attack to be suspended for the
+present. All the 13th was spent by our weary soldiers in digging
+themselves in on the banks of the little river which they had failed to
+cross. So worn out were many of the men that they fell asleep while
+standing at their loopholes. Counter-attacks were to be expected, and
+they soon began, but met with no success. Only at one point, north-east
+of the village, did the Germans manage to get into our trenches, and
+their stay was brief indeed. In one of their attacks they lost more than
+600 prisoners, and the captured men seemed glad to be out of the
+terrible fighting.
+
+The most severe counter-attack was made not at Neuve Chapelle, but at
+the tiny Belgian hamlet of St. Eloi, 15 miles to the north, and at the
+junction of two main roads. On the 14th, when mists lay thick on the
+flats, the Germans, following our example at Neuve Chapelle, began a
+fierce bombardment of our trenches, and at the same time exploded mines
+on our front and on a large mound which we held to the south-east of the
+village. The infantry attacks of the enemy were very determined; our men
+were driven from their trenches, and our whole line had to fall back.
+Under cover of the darkness we prepared for a counter-attack, and on the
+morning of the 15th managed to win back most of the lost ground. The
+mound, which our soldiers called "the Mound of Death," was not
+recovered; it lay in the No Man's Land between the rival trenches,
+exposed to the gun fire of friend and foe.
+
+In this action Princess Patricia's Own specially distinguished itself,
+and won the praise of Sir John French. It co-operated with a battalion
+of the Rifle Brigade in an attack on the mound, and advanced with great
+coolness and resolution, but was checked by a murderous machine-gun
+fire. Three platoons, however, held on to a breastwork, while the
+remainder retired across a zone of fire without leaving behind them a
+single wounded man. Five days later Princess Pat's lost its commanding
+officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar, one of the bravest and
+kindest of men.
+
+You will remember that our assault on Neuve Chapelle was supported by
+other attacks on various parts of the German front, in order to prevent
+the enemy from suddenly massing reinforcements against our main attack.
+I need not describe these operations, for they were only "holding
+attacks," and were not expected to succeed. Nevertheless the assault on
+a hamlet to the south-east of Armenti�res was successful, and an advance
+of 300 yards on a front of half a mile was made.
+
+Our airmen were very busy during the three days of struggle, though the
+weather was against them. Bombs were dropped on railway stations and
+bridges behind the German lines, and much damage was done. One daring
+aviator flying over Lille hit a house which was used as the German
+headquarters.
+
+The Battle of Neuve Chapelle was not a failure, but it was not a
+complete success. We straightened out the sag in our line; we won the
+village, advanced one mile, took 2,000 prisoners, and killed or wounded
+20,000 of the enemy. Our offensive put new heart into our men, who went
+into battle with the utmost zeal, joking and laughing even under fire.
+It is said that when they crowded into the German first-line trenches
+and there was no room for them all to line the parapet, a man would pull
+his comrade down, crying out that it was his turn for a shot. The
+Indians greatly welcomed the opportunity of fighting in the open, and
+the Gurkhas and Garhwalis plied their kukris with deadly effect. Our
+losses were very heavy. In the three days' fighting we had about 13,000
+casualties: 2,337 men and 190 officers were killed.
+
+Our failure to "make good" at a time when the Germans were almost at our
+mercy was as much due to accident as to blunder. Parts of the enemy
+lines had not been properly "prepared," and some of our troops were
+shelled by their own guns. This was, no doubt, due to the dull sky and
+the mists, which prevented the observers from properly controlling the
+fire of their guns. It was our first attempt to combine artillery and
+infantry on a great scale, and, naturally, mistakes were made. The best
+result was the new ardour which inspired our men. "This time," said one
+of them, "it was pushing the Germans, instead of trying to hold them.
+You can't realize, unless you have been in it from Mons onwards, how
+that bucks you up."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The German people took their beating very badly. They accused us of
+using German prisoners to screen our advance, and they complained
+bitterly that we had brought such a vast force of artillery against
+them. "This is not war; it is murder," they said, coolly ignoring the
+fact that a mighty artillery onslaught had been their favourite method
+of attack since the beginning of the war. When they were given a taste
+of their own medicine they cried out in the usual fashion of the bully.
+
+[Footnote 27: _Pee-aitr._]
+
+[Footnote 28: The Thunderer; the blacksmith god of the ancient Norse. He
+is represented as wielding a hammer.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XIX.
+
+  SOLDIERS' STORIES OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+
+As soon as the wounded men from Neuve Chapelle arrived in Great Britain,
+budgets of personal experiences began to appear in the newspapers. All
+the men dwelt upon the terrible effects of our artillery and the
+splendid spirit shown by our troops, not only while under fire, but when
+stricken down. Private Selwood of the Rifle Brigade said: "Men who
+fought at Mons have told me that Mons was only a tea-fight compared with
+Neuve Chapelle. In the half-hour's bombardment that began the day some
+say 400 guns were used; others, 525. The noise was terrific. Our boys
+went on cheerful enough, singing 'Tipperary' and anything. When we got
+to the dug-outs we found dozens of Germans, all dead. It was a surprise
+attack. They did not know it was coming off. At the third line of
+trenches I was hit in the leg by a bullet. I crawled back about five
+hundred yards, because there was too much work for the stretcher-bearers.
+They worked heroically, taking the most serious cases first."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A private of the 4th Black Watch thus describes a Highland charge: "We
+witnessed a magnificent charge of the first battalion of a famous
+Scottish regiment. Artillery fire ceased suddenly, and before the enemy
+could be reorganized the 'kilties' were over our trenches and dashing at
+them with fixed bayonets. It might have been a parade advance, so
+perfectly did each section of the line move forward. Th The first lot
+sprang up and over the German trenches, followed almost immediately by
+the rest, and in a very few minutes the trench was ours. Just before
+dusk I laughed for the first time that day. And no wonder! for at one
+point on that gory battlefield stood a notice-board inscribed with one
+word, 'Danger!'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Eye-Witness" tells us how our men behaved while they were watching the
+artillery bombarding the enemy's trenches and waiting for the word to
+advance. "They could see our shells bursting in the thick veil of smoke
+and dust that hung over the German trenches, and as the minutes wore on
+our artillery fire grew hotter and hotter, and the time grew nearer for
+them to rush forward. Their excitement rose to fever pitch. In some
+places they were seen to jump up on the parapets, brandishing their
+rifles towards the Germans, and shouting remarks which were drowned in
+the roar of the guns. When the rush was actually made our losses were
+trifling. It was only in the subsequent advance that heavy casualties
+occurred."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is noteworthy that the enemy's wounded had to thank our men for many
+acts of kindness, even in the excitement of the assault. One of our
+soldiers, finding a wounded Prussian officer who had had his arm blown
+off by a shell, carried him to a place of safety under heavy fire. In
+one cellar a portly German was found dancing about in an agony of fear,
+screaming in a high-pitched voice in English, "Mercy! mercy! I am
+married!" "Your missus won't thank us for sending you home," replied one
+of our men, who took him prisoner, and his life was spared. A Rifle
+Brigade lieutenant, falling over a sandbag into a German trench, came
+upon two officers, hardly more than boys, holding their hands above
+their heads. Their faces were ashen gray, and they were trembling. One
+said gravely in good English, "Don't shoot! I am from London also." They
+too were spared.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the counter-attacks of the Germans from the Biez wood their
+losses were very heavy. Line after line went down before our rifles. One
+of our Sepoys said that shooting the enemy was like cutting grain. Some
+of the German officers displayed the most reckless courage in leading
+the attacks. On more than one occasion they invited certain death by
+riding forward on horseback to within a few hundred yards of our line.
+None of those who so exposed themselves escaped. One German officer in
+charge of a machine gun kept his gun in action throughout the terrible
+bombardment, and then, when our men charged down upon him, awaited
+death, calmly standing on the parapet of the trench and emptying his
+revolver at them.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Indians were greatly pleased at the result of the action, and
+constantly asked their officers when they were going to have another
+fight. Many stories are told of their prowess. One Gurkha made his way
+into a house, and single-handed captured five Germans, whom he marched
+off at the point of his kukri. It was curious to see the Indians
+returning with articles of German equipment. When they held them up for
+inspection they called out, "_Souvenir! souvenir[29]!_"
+
+[Illustration: Bengal Lancers returning from "Port Arthur" after the
+capture of Neuve Chapelle.
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+Notice the "souvenirs" which they are carrying on their lances.]
+
+Canadian infantry were not specially engaged in the fighting at Neuve
+Chapelle, but the Canadian artillery played an active part in the
+bombardment which preceded the British advance, and the infantry were
+ready during the battle to go forward at a moment's notice. A Winnipeg
+"boy" wrote home as follows: "At 5.30 on the morning of Wednesday (the
+first day of the Neuve Chapelle attack) our officer told us to hurry
+over our breakfast, as a heavy fire was to be opened by our side, and
+the enemy, in replying, would probably drop a few rounds in our
+vicinity. We had just started to line up in the road outside when
+'whop!' came a shell, which burst a few yards ahead. 'Double for the
+trenches!' was the order, and away we went. The trenches were only about
+one hundred and fifty yards away, yet the Germans had our position to a
+foot, and sixteen rounds of shrapnel burst literally in our midst. Had
+they burst overhead, as they should have done, it's a very fair bet that
+nearly every man of us would have 'gone west;' but only one man was hit,
+a fellow a short distance back of me. . . . We had to stay in the
+trenches until evening that day, and all next day."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A wounded German officer said that the suddenness of our bombardment was
+"like the burst of a great storm, instantly filling all the space with
+countless crashes of thunder, flame, smoke, and lead. Six of your great
+black howitzer shells," said he, "fell within fifty yards of a trench on
+my right, and so completely was our trench blown asunder that when the
+earth fell back it buried hundreds with it. When the storm abated I
+crawled out, only to be bayoneted in the shoulder by, as I learned, a
+Territorial, and while I was lying there thousands of British pursuing
+our retreating battalion passed by me. But I lifted my sound arm, and
+they spared me--why, I do not know. It seemed to take hours for the
+British soldiers to pass me, and then I saw groups of my own regiment,
+unguarded and without guns, many slightly wounded, walking back to the
+British base. Such faces I did not think could be worn by human beings;
+they were orange with lyddite smoke. The men were palsied with what they
+had been through, and were too dazed to answer my call."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The part played by the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and the Irish
+Rifles in the advance towards the line of the little river is thus
+described:--
+
+"Two companies of the Lincolns rushed the enemy's trenches under a
+pretty hot fire. Grenades were thrown at the enemy, and they ran out of
+their trench to the rear. There, however, Captain Peake's company threw
+grenades to cut off their line of retreat, and they ran back to their
+trench and surrendered. Captain Peake, who had advanced down the trench
+holding his blue flag up in the air, offered a conspicuous target to the
+enemy, and was shot. Meanwhile two other companies had followed through
+the gap caused by the charge; the enemy seemed in full retreat, and our
+men were very elated.
+
+"Many who were hit continued to advance. Lance-Corporal Perry was hit
+rather badly in the foot three times, and, though told to take cover and
+lie down, persisted in going on and rallying his men. The reinforced
+line continued to advance until they reached a broad strip of water
+running right across their front, from four feet to five feet deep, and
+quite impassable. After a while a plank was found sufficiently long to
+bridge the water, and the men crossed to form a firing line on the other
+side. The heavy guns were shelling the Germans about one hundred and
+fifty yards in front, and on the Lincolns opening fire they retired.
+
+"A few minutes after the Lincolns had recrossed the water to a slight
+rise behind it the Irish Rifles went through, and were given a lusty
+cheer. Lieutenant Graham was rallying his men with a French newsboy's
+horn, giving a 'View hullo' like a Master of Hounds collecting his pack.
+One company of the Lincolns crossed the water for the third time and
+assisted the Irish Rifles in making a trench. Afterwards they returned
+to entrench themselves behind the water."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A young officer who fought in the battle wrote home as follows: "My
+word, mother, yesterday we commenced a most almighty attack on the
+unsuspecting enemy. It had all been planned and organized for some time,
+and I should think it has been the finest show on record. Whether we had
+the advantage in the number of men I cannot say, but we certainly had in
+guns. You never heard such a din in all your life. All the farmhouses
+vibrated all day long, and during the first half-hour there were some
+17,000 shells screaming towards the Bosches. Our lads who were wounded
+came down the road in batches of twos and threes to the dressing
+stations. They were very cheerful. They simply laughed and cracked jokes
+amongst themselves. They are a wonderful lot of Tommies. They were all
+so jolly brave, and keen, and determined."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A private of the Berkshire Regiment thus related his experiences: "We
+lost fairly heavily in the big fight at Neuve Chapelle, but the loss we
+inflicted on the Germans must have been frightful. They were lying all
+over the place. There was great rejoicing when we found that our
+regiment had been selected for the post of honour with the Lincolns
+forming the first line of the frontal attack. . . . Our boys were out
+like one man, and charged across to their first trench. We took that in
+less than five minutes, and, leaving a few men to secure the prisoners,
+swept on to the next. Men were falling on every side, as their machine
+guns and artillery were playing on us from beyond the village, and some
+of the sights were terrible. It seemed as though the air was full of
+shrapnel and bullets; but our boys were magnificent. Not one man
+wavered, even for a second, and nothing could have stopped that charge.
+The second trench was soon cleared out, and our bomb throwers--we call
+them 'Tickler's Artillery'[30]--did terrible execution. On we went for
+the third line. This was a bit more difficult, as there were a thick
+hedge and some barbed wire. But the boys would not be stopped, and in a
+very short time the third line was ours. The Rifles now came on to take
+the village, and they gave us a cheer and a shout of 'Well done, Berks!'
+as they passed through. We gave them an answering call as they charged
+and captured the village."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the ten heroes who
+were awarded Victoria Crosses for splendid deeds of valour at Neuve
+Chapelle.
+
+Private William Buckingham, 2nd Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment.
+
+You will remember that at Neuve Chapelle the 2nd Leicesters were
+attached to the Garhwal Brigade, and that when a Garhwali battalion was
+cut off a bombing party of the Leicesters brought them timely and
+effective assistance. No regiment played a finer part in the battle than
+the Leicesters. The Victoria Cross was awarded to Private Buckingham for
+his bravery and devotion to duty in rescuing wounded men and in
+rendering first aid to the fallen while exposed to heavy fire on several
+occasions, notably on the 10th and 12th of March.
+
+Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi, 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.
+
+Gobar Sing Negi was the third Indian to win the Victoria Cross. During
+our attack on the German positions he was one of a bayonet party which
+entered a main trench. Pushing on in advance of his fellows, the gallant
+Indian bombed the enemy from traverse to traverse, and at last forced
+them to surrender. Unhappily, he did not live to wear the coveted
+honour, but fell in a later stage of the engagement.
+
+Corporal William Anderson, 2nd Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's
+Own (Yorkshire) Regiment.
+
+On 12th March, at Neuve Chapelle, Corporal Anderson led three men armed
+with bombs against a large party of the enemy, then in possession of one
+of our trenches. After he had thrown his own bombs he found that his
+three comrades had been shot down, and that he was alone amongst the
+Germans. Nothing dismayed, he took the bombs of the three wounded men,
+hurled them against the foe, then opened rapid fire upon them, and by
+his prompt and determined action kept back the Germans until his
+comrades arrived and drove them from the trench.
+
+Private E. Barber, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
+
+During the fighting round Pietre Mill on 12th March Private Barber, who
+was one of a grenade company, ran ahead of his fellows and threw bombs
+on the enemy with such effect that a large number of them at once
+surrendered. When his comrades reached him, they found him quite alone
+and unsupported, with Germans holding up their hands all around him.
+
+Company Sergeant-Major Harry Daniels and Acting Corporal Cecil Reginald
+Noble, both of the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).
+
+On 12th March the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade was held up by
+entanglements near Pietre Mill, and was subjected to a heavy machine-gun
+fire. Sergeant-Major Daniels volunteered to go forward and cut the wire.
+"Come along," he called to his chum, Corporal Noble, and without a
+moment's hesitation the two men rushed across the forty yards that
+separated them from the obstacle. Lying on their backs, they cut the
+lower wire, and thus opened a gap for their comrades to proceed. A
+bullet struck Daniels in the thigh, and a few minutes later he heard a
+gasp, and called out, "What's up?" Noble replied, "I am hit in the
+chest, old man," and became unconscious. Shortly afterwards he died.
+Daniels dragged himself to a shell hole, where he remained until dusk,
+and then painfully made his way back to his own lines. When interviewed
+in a London hospital, he had little to say about his own exploit, but
+was full of admiration for the gallantry of his dead friend. "Noble and
+I," he said, "had done everything together since we went out in
+November. I trusted him, and he trusted me. It was hot work, but the
+worst moment was when I heard my poor chum call out that he was hit in
+the chest. I am more glad about Noble's V.C. than I am about my own."
+
+The exploit of these two brave men recalls that of the famous Swiss
+patriot Arnold von Winkelried at the Battle of Sempach, 1386. An
+unbroken line of Austrian lances barred the way of the Swiss; whereupon
+Winkelried determined to sacrifice himself in order that his comrades
+might break through.
+
+  "'Make way for Liberty!' he cried;
+    Then ran with arms extended wide,
+    As if his dearest friend to clasp.
+    Ten spears he swept within his grasp.
+   'Make way for Liberty!' he cried.
+    Their keen points crossed from side to side.
+    He bowed amongst them like a tree,
+    And thus made way for Liberty."
+
+Captain Charles Calveley Foss, D.S.O., 2nd Battalion, Bedford Regiment.
+
+At Neuve Chapelle Captain Foss turned failure into victory. The enemy
+had captured part of our trenches, and our counter-attack, which was
+made with one officer and twenty men, failed, all but two of the party
+being killed or wounded. Seeing this, Captain Foss with eight men dashed
+forward through a fierce fire, and began pelting the enemy with bombs.
+So successful was his attack that he recaptured the position, and with
+it no less than fifty-two Germans. No words of mine are needed to extol
+the splendid bravery of Captain Foss and his gallant little company.
+Nine Britons retook a trench from more than fifty Germans!
+
+Lance-Corporal W. D. Fuller, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
+
+Observing a party of the enemy trying to escape along a communication
+trench, Corporal Fuller ran towards them, flinging bombs. The foremost
+man was killed, and the remainder, finding no means of escape, held up
+their hands and begged for mercy. All alone, Corporal Fuller received
+the surrender of fifty Germans! Prior to the war he was a miner of
+Mansfield. During a spell of leave in July 1915 he did excellent work as
+a recruiter. While he was telling the men of Fishguard, in
+Pembrokeshire, that if they were not fit to die they were not fit to
+live, some one in the crowd challenged him to enter the cage of two
+African lions then on exhibition in the town. At once Fuller threw his
+cap into the den, and then followed it. You can imagine the excitement
+of the townsfolk as he calmly stood by the lions and stroked their
+manes. As a result of this incident many men enlisted.
+
+Lieutenant Cyril Gordon Martin, D.S.O., 56th Field Company, Royal
+Engineers.
+
+On 12th March, when in command of a bomb-throwing party of six men,
+Lieutenant Martin, a young officer of twenty-four years of age, was
+wounded, but nevertheless led his comrades into an enemy's trench and
+held off all attempts to recover it for nearly two and a half hours. He
+had already distinguished himself, and had won the D.S.O. during the
+retreat from Mons by gallantly capturing and holding a German trench
+with a platoon of engineers. He was twice wounded on that occasion, and
+was invalided home. He had only been back at the front a few days when
+he won the V.C. for the exploit described above.
+
+[Illustration: Lieutenant Cyril Martin and his grenade-throwing party in
+the enemy's trenches.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+In this drawing Lieutenant Martin is shown seated on the right,
+wounded.]
+
+Private Jacob Rivers, 1st Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
+Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).
+
+Private Rivers was another of the bombers who won the highest award of
+valour during the first day of the great battle at Neuve Chapelle.
+Noticing that a large number of Germans were outflanking an advanced
+company of his regiment, he dashed forward, without waiting for orders,
+and flung bombs amongst the enemy with such effect that they were forced
+to retire. His prompt bravery undoubtedly saved the advanced company
+from disaster. Later in the day he performed a similar feat, but while
+engaged in this heroic work was shot through the heart. He was a native
+of Derby, and was thirty-four years of age. When the war broke out he
+had completed twelve years of service with the Royal Scots; but he
+immediately enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters, and, being an
+experienced soldier, was sent to France with one of the earliest drafts.
+He had a brother in the Grenadier Guards, and three brothers-in-law were
+serving in his own regiment. The cross of bronze which he did not live
+to wear was sent as a sad but proud memorial to his widowed mother.
+
+[Illustration: The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance at Buckingham Palace.
+
+
+On January 26, 1916, Prince George travelled from Sandringham to
+Buckingham Palace, for the purpose of receiving our motor ambulance and
+handing it over to the Belgian Field Hospital. His Royal Highness spent
+a full half-hour in examining the motor ambulance and the hand ambulance
+which accompanied it, and was highly pleased with all that he saw. Our
+readers will remember this occasion, as it was Prince George's first
+public function. On the left of the Prince is his tutor, Mr. Hansell,
+M.A. The total cost of the motor ambulance, the hand ambulance, and a
+supply of "spares" amounted to �456. We are deeply indebted to Her
+Majesty the Queen for permission to reproduce this photograph, which is
+not to appear in any other book or periodical.]
+
+[Footnote 29: The French word for a keepsake.]
+
+[Footnote 30: Some of the earliest hand grenades used by our men were
+made of jam pots which came from the factory of Messrs. Tickler; hence
+the nickname.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XX.
+
+  THE DARDANELLES.
+
+
+The year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go
+down to history as a splendid failure. Aided by the French, the British
+strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified
+channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern
+shores of Russia. Two attempts were made--the one naval, the other
+military--but both were fruitless. Ships of war strove to batter down
+the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.
+Then an army was landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, and a desperate
+effort was made to take the forts from the rear. The army was set an
+almost impossible task, yet it very nearly achieved the impossible. Men
+still live who surmounted the last great obstacle that lay between them
+and victory.
+
+How the British and French landed on narrow beaches in the face of
+superior numbers of the enemy; how they fought their way up the cliffs
+in spite of artillery, machine guns, and entrenched infantry; how with
+superb courage and dogged endurance they established themselves on the
+peninsula; how they sacrificed themselves like the Spartans of old in
+fierce assaults on the ridges and high hills that barred the way to
+their goal; and how, finally, they withdrew to their ships without the
+loss of a single life--all this is a story which no Briton can read
+without mingled pride and pain: pride in the men of his race who nobly
+fought and died in the hopeless struggle; pain, that so much bright and
+gallant life should have been given in vain.
+
+Henceforth the Gallipoli peninsula is sacred ground. The bones of tens
+of thousands of our gallant fellows lie buried in its soil. In days to
+come, when wandering Britons shall sail by its peaceful shores, they
+will hush their voices and think tenderly of those who sleep their last
+sleep amidst its rugged hills and deep ravines. It will be strange,
+too, if a prayer does not arise from their hearts that the Empire may
+ever be defended by men of such matchless valour and lofty devotion.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I describe the Dardanelles and the great naval attack on its
+forts, you must understand why we undertook the enterprise. It was, of
+course, to assist the Russians, who in the early months of 1915 were
+running short of big guns, rifles, and ammunition, and were unable to
+supply their needs by means of their own workshops. The Allies wished to
+help them, but were prevented from doing so to any great extent; because
+Russia in Europe is cut off from the open sea on all sides except in the
+extreme north, where the coast fronts the Arctic Ocean. The only port to
+which the Allies could send munitions was Archangel, which for about
+nine months of the year is frozen up. During the winter it was
+impossible for our ships to enter the harbour of Archangel at all. Even
+if Archangel had been open, matters would have been but little improved,
+for only a single line of railway connected this remote and
+evil-smelling port with the interior.[31]
+
+Russia has a good deal of coast and many excellent harbours at the
+eastern end of the Baltic Sea; but our trading ships could not enter
+that sea because the Germans held the upper hand in it. Their warships
+lay in wait for all vessels coming through the narrow Danish channels.
+The only remaining sea coast of Russia in Europe lies along the ice-free
+Black Sea; but in order to reach its shores ships must traverse the
+narrow sea lane of the Dardanelles, cross the Sea of Marmora, and thread
+the strait of the Bosporus. When Turkey took the side of Germany this
+route was closed. Then, the only way by which the Allies could send guns
+and rifles and ammunition to Russia was to carry them by sea to one of
+the Siberian ports on the Pacific Ocean, where they were transferred to
+the Siberian railway and carried right across North Asia to Russia.
+Before a British or a French shell could reach Poland or Galicia it had
+to make an eight or nine weeks' voyage to the East, and a railway
+journey of more than five thousand miles.
+
+Now I think you understand why it was so vastly important that we should
+try to force a right-of-way through the Dardanelles. Until this was done
+the Allied armies in the East and in the West were more completely cut
+off from each other than if they had been fighting in different
+hemispheres. It was impossible to send reinforcements from one to the
+other without carrying them almost round the globe. Further, the
+overseas trade of Russia was terribly hampered by the blocking of the
+Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Millions of bushels of wheat lay rotting
+in the warehouses of the Black Sea ports, and vast sums of money were
+being lost because they could not find an outlet. If Constantinople
+could be captured, the Turks could be ejected from Europe, and their
+armies rendered powerless. When this happened, Greece and Bulgaria would
+no longer listen to the tempting voice of the German. So you see that
+the forcing of the Dardanelles was of the utmost importance to the
+Allies. It was felt that once we had a clear road to South Russia the
+end of the war would be in sight.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Roughly speaking, the waterway between the Mediterranean Sea and the
+Black Sea resembles a narrow glass tube with a bulb blown in the middle
+of it. The Dardanelles forms the first part of the tube, the bulb is the
+Sea of Marmora, and the remaining part of the tube consists of the
+Bosporus, or Ox Ford. The Dardanelles, or the Hellespont as it was
+called in ancient times, extends for 45 miles; the Sea of Marmora is 175
+miles in length, and the Bosporus continues the waterway for another 17
+miles. On a clear day it is said that from a hill on the shores of the
+Dardanelles one may look right across the Sea of Marmora and behold
+Constantinople, nearly two hundred miles away.
+
+Now let us suppose that we are making a voyage from the �gean Sea to the
+Sea of Marmora in times of peace. When we enter the strait we find that
+it resembles a wide river rather than an arm of the sea; and this is not
+surprising, for the channel is nothing but the bed of a river that was
+submerged in far-off days. The channel is only about two and a half
+miles wide, and we can clearly see the shores on either side of us. On
+our right is Asia; on our left is Europe. Along the line of this
+waterway East and West have met since the days when the world was
+young.
+
+Almost every mile of the Asiatic shore of the Dardanelles recalls
+memories of the song and story of ancient days. We have scarcely entered
+the strait before we see on the Asiatic side the Kum Kale fort, and
+behind it the classic ground on which stood the famous city of Troy. I
+am sure you remember how Paris carried off the lovely Queen Helen to
+Troy, and how Homer's heroes fought for ten long years before the city
+was captured, and she was recovered and carried back by her husband to
+her home in Greece. Modern historians, however, tell us that the Trojan
+War was fought not for the fair face of Helen, but because the king of
+Troy almost closed the waterway by levying crushing duties on the goods
+that passed his shores. It is strange to note that Britons and French
+have shed their blood at the Dardanelles in order that wheat from the
+fruitful lands bordering the Black Sea might pass freely to the
+Mediterranean, and so to the crowded cities of Western Europe.
+
+On the eastern or Asiatic side we see sloping gardens and rich
+vineyards, and elsewhere there are low, wooded hills; but the western or
+European side consists of a long unbroken line of barren cliffs. We are
+gazing at the shores of the long and hilly Gallipoli peninsula, which,
+you will see from the map, somewhat resembles a thumb bent at the joint.
+At the tip of the peninsula are the forts of Cape Tekke, Cape Helles,
+and Sedd-ul-Bahr. These, with the fort of Kum Kale, which I have already
+mentioned, guard the entrance to the Dardanelles.
+
+As we proceed, the Asiatic shore curves inland, but the European shore
+continues straight and unbroken. The strait now widens to a breadth of
+five miles; but at Kephez Point it closes in to less than two miles.
+About three miles further on the "Narrows" begin. At one point the
+shores are not more than fourteen hundred yards apart, and for about a
+mile onward they are everywhere within a mile and a half of each other.
+Every ship that sails from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Marmora
+must pass through this bottle neck.
+
+[Footnote 31: During 1915 Russia was busy developing the ice-free port
+of Alexandrovsk, at the mouth of the river Kola, but it was not
+available at the close of the year.]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The Dardanelles in Time of Peace.
+
+_Photo, Daily Mirror._]
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXI.
+
+  SHIPS VERSUS FORTS.
+
+
+No part of the Dardanelles is more famous in history than the "Narrows."
+Across the narrowest part of the Narrows Xerxes[32] flung his bridge of
+boats when he set out to conquer Europe. Herodotus, "the father of
+history," tells us that his Persians took seven days and seven nights,
+going continuously without any pause, to cross the bridge. A century and
+a half later Alexander the Great[33] re-bridged the channel when he
+began his great march into Asia. An old story tells us that every night
+Leander used to swim the Narrows from the Gallipoli side to visit Hero,
+his lady-love, who dwelt at Sestos, on the Asiatic side. The lighthouse
+at Sestos guided him; but one stormy night the light failed, and Hero
+waited for him in vain. Lord Byron swam the straits at this point in
+1810. It was on the Asiatic shore of the Narrows that St. Paul heard the
+cry from Macedonia, "Come over and help us."
+
+We need not proceed further with our voyage. The whole problem of
+forcing the Dardanelles centres on the "Narrows." Once they are safely
+passed, the broad, deep Sea of Marmora is easily traversed, and there is
+no obstacle between us and Constantinople. But how to pass the Narrows?
+There's the rub.
+
+[Illustration: A Turkish Fort on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the
+Dardanelles.
+
+_Photo, Central News._]
+
+You may be sure that the Turks jealously guard these narrow waters. As
+early as 1460 forts were erected to defend them. Now both sides of the
+Narrows fairly bristle with powerful forts, in which big modern guns are
+mounted. You have already heard that the forts are provided with
+searchlights, which play across the water at night, and reveal the
+movements of even the smallest craft. Not only are the shores studded
+with forts, but batteries of big guns are concealed on the heights
+behind, and hidden torpedo tubes are ranged along the water's edge.
+Nature has also played her part in the defence of this dangerous and
+difficult channel. Swift currents sweep through the Narrows, and not
+only make navigation difficult, but carry along drifting mines. An enemy
+warship venturing into the channel must run the gauntlet of big guns on
+the shore and deadly explosives in the sea. While the defences remain
+intact the waterway is barred to her. To reduce the forts was,
+therefore, our first task.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+I have already told you that when Britain declared war on Turkey
+(November 5th, 1914) a long friendship was broken. Our support of Turkey
+arose out of our deep distrust of Russia, now our good friend and loyal
+ally. We distrusted Russia because we knew that ever since the days of
+Peter the Great she had coveted Constantinople, and we feared that if
+she gained possession of that city our Far Eastern possessions would be
+threatened. We therefore threw in our lot with Turkey, and more than
+once saved her from being wiped off the map of Europe. During the
+present war we have reaped the bitter fruits of Turkish ingratitude.
+
+About the year 1840 it seemed clear that Turkey was going to pieces, and
+that the break-up of her empire was only a matter of time. The Tsar
+Nicholas said to one of our ambassadors, "We have on our hands a sick
+man--a very sick man. It would be a great misfortune if one of these
+days he should slip away from us before the necessary arrangements have
+been made." He therefore proposed to divide up the Turkish dominions,
+taking Constantinople for himself, and offering us Crete and Egypt as
+our share of the spoils. The bribe was, of course, refused.
+
+A few years later Greek and Latin priests quarrelled as to who should
+take charge of the holy places in Palestine. The Tsar Nicholas supported
+the Greeks, and the French became the champions of the Latins. Then the
+Tsar put forward a claim that the Sultan should recognize him as the
+protector of all Christians within the Turkish Empire. This demand was,
+of course, resisted, and in 1853 Russian armies invaded Turkey. We were
+not in the least interested in the trivial dispute, but we hated and
+feared the prospect of the Russians in Constantinople. Further, as a
+great trading nation, we wished to keep the Dardanelles open for
+peaceful commerce, and we thought that this could best be done if the
+straits remained in the hands of a weak Power such as Turkey. So we
+joined the French, and fought the Russians in the Crimea. We lost 24,000
+men in the course of the war, and added �41,000,000 to our national
+debt; but we prevented the Russians from overwhelming the Turks.
+
+Even this poor success was not lasting. Strife, tumult, and murder
+reigned in the Balkans under the cruel and blighting government of the
+Sultan, and twenty-four years later Russia again sent her armies into
+Turkey. The Russians drove back the Turks, and early in 1878 they were
+within a short distance of Constantinople. A cry of alarm and
+indignation broke out in England, and people went about the London
+streets shouting a popular song with the refrain, "The Russians shall
+not take Constantinople."
+
+So strong was public feeling that a British fleet was ordered to the
+Dardanelles. The admiral was instructed to pass the straits, and, "if
+fired upon and his ships struck, to return the fire, but not to wait to
+silence the forts." On February 13, 1878, seven ships of war, under
+Admiral Hornby, steamed up the Dardanelles. The Turks manned the forts
+at the Narrows; but when the ships came up against a strong current and
+in the face of a blinding snowstorm, they forbore to fire their guns.
+There was an anxious moment when the _Alexandra_, which led the line,
+ran aground on the Asiatic side, within easy range of Turkish batteries.
+She was, however, unmolested, and managed to get off after four hours'
+hard work. She then joined her consorts in the Sea of Marmora, and the
+guns of the ships were trained on the domes and minarets of the Turkish
+capital.
+
+No doubt the presence of a British fleet within striking range of
+Constantinople had its effect upon the Russians. They did not enter the
+city, but agreed to make a treaty with the Powers, by which Serbia,
+Montenegro, and Rumania became independent states, and Bulgaria was
+granted a form of Home Rule. The Christian states which have been carved
+out of Turkey in Europe owe everything to Russia. As you know, the
+Christians of the Balkans are Slavs, and are akin to the Russians both
+by race and religion. Russia has always been their friend and champion,
+and Serbia and Montenegro have stood by their benefactor during the
+present war. Rumania had, so far, determined to remain neutral; but
+Bulgaria, as we shall learn later, played a traitor's part, and before
+the year 1915 was out she had joined the Central Powers.
+
+Britain has suffered greatly for her mistake in bolstering up the Turks,
+and in preventing the Russians from becoming masters of Constantinople.
+Had they been in possession of that city when the present war broke out,
+the work of overcoming the Germans and Austrians would have been shorn
+of half its difficulty. The Dardanelles would have been in the hands of
+our friends, and there would have been an open sea road by which Russia
+could have carried on her overseas trade, and received munitions and
+supplies from her Allies. There would have been no need for that naval
+attack on the forts of the Dardanelles which I am about to describe; nor
+should we have undertaken that land campaign in the Gallipoli peninsula
+which cost us more than 117,000 casualties, and ended in failure, only
+redeemed by the splendid gallantry of our men.
+
+[Illustration: Map of the Dardanelles.]
+
+You have heard how Admiral Hornby's fleet threaded the Dardanelles in
+1878 without firing a shot. Now let me tell you very briefly how a
+British squadron forced its way through the straits in spite of strong
+resistance. In the year 1807, when we alone of all the European nations
+were holding out against the French, it was thought that if a British
+fleet were sent to Constantinople the Turks might be forced to break
+with Napoleon. So a powerful squadron under Admiral Duckworth sailed for
+the Dardanelles, with orders to demand the surrender of the Turkish
+fleet. If the demand was refused, he was to bombard Constantinople.
+Those were the days of sailing ships, and it was not easy to get
+men-of-war and frigates up the narrow winding waters, where the winds
+were irregular and the currents were baffling. The "castles" at the
+entrance and the forts at the Narrows opened fire on the ships; but
+little harm was done, and they passed through and anchored off
+Constantinople. It now seemed likely that under the muzzles of British
+guns the Sultan would give way. The French agents, however, persuaded
+him to "play for time," so that heavy batteries might be set up on the
+shores of the straits, and Duckworth's ships might be bombarded as they
+tried to return to the Mediterranean. Duckworth, you will notice, was in
+a very tight place. He was cut off from the open sea, and he could
+obtain no fresh supplies of food, water, or ammunition. It was clear
+that when his stores were exhausted he would be at the mercy of his
+enemies. So, before he could come to any agreement with the Sultan, he
+was forced to retire. His ships sailed slowly across the Sea of Marmora,
+and when the Narrows were reached the Turkish batteries opened fire with
+huge balls of marble, said to be hewn out of columns found amidst the
+ruins of Troy. One enormous stone shot cut the mainmast of the flagship
+in two; a second, that hit another vessel, knocked three gun ports into
+one, and killed or wounded sixty men. Finally, by good luck, the ships
+reached the open sea in safety. All on board were convinced that the
+experiment was too risky to be repeated.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Our greatest sailor, Nelson, always believed that strong, heavily armed
+forts could resist the attack of ships. When he was asked to reduce
+certain forts in Corsica by means of gun fire, he pointed out that stone
+walls were stronger than wooden walls, and that red-hot cannon balls
+from the guns of the forts might set his ships on fire. Since his day
+wooden walls have been replaced by armour plate, and red-hot shot by
+high-explosive shells. Nevertheless it is still true that shore
+batteries are more than a match for the heaviest armed battleships
+afloat. Of course, weak or badly-manned forts have been overcome by the
+guns of ships, as in the case of those at Alexandria, which were
+silenced by a British fleet in 1882; but as a rule ships run a great
+risk in attacking forts at close range, and are more than likely to come
+off second best.
+
+While a fort can only be put out of action by gun fire, a ship can be
+sunk not only by gun fire, but by mines or torpedoes. Forts can be
+strengthened to almost any extent, and protected by earthworks of all
+kinds, but there is a limit to the thickness and weight of the armour
+plate with which ships can be clad. Further, while shore batteries can
+be so hidden that they cannot be detected even from aeroplanes, a ship
+in action is in full sight of the fort, and is thus a good target. Then,
+again, hits made on the outer slopes of forts do but little damage. The
+only hits that really count are those which destroy or dismount guns,
+and such "direct hits" are few and far between. On the other hand, every
+shot that hits the ship is bound to tell, and the ship may be put out of
+action without a single gun being hit. You must also remember that while
+the fortress gunner is aiming at a wall twenty or thirty feet high and a
+hundred feet long, the ship's gunner can only fire at a low mound, or at
+a battery not more than four and a half feet in height.
+
+Even more difficult is the task of a ship's gunner when he is aiming at
+forts or batteries on high ground. It is not easy for a naval gun to
+bring an effective fire to bear on a target at a high level above the
+sea. Batteries on rising ground are difficult to reach, and when they
+are "spotted" they can be shifted to other positions, in which case the
+ship's gunners have to find the range all over again. When the shells
+from the ship's guns strike the ground they throw up columns of dust,
+and it is difficult for observers on board the ship or in the air to see
+exactly where the shells fall; but shells from the forts or land
+batteries drop into the sea, and throw up fountains of water which are
+clearly visible, and enable the observers on land to discover and set
+right all errors of range.
+
+A ship attacking a fort from the sea may silence it for a time; but when
+the ship draws off, as it is bound to do, the fort may be repaired and
+new guns may be mounted. Unless a landing-party goes ashore and utterly
+destroys the fort, there is no guarantee that the ship's work will not
+have to be done all over again. Even if forts are blown up, land
+batteries can be established, and resistance can be continued. Without
+land forces to occupy the shores on which the forts are situated, no
+really lasting result can be obtained by the ships.
+
+Now that you understand the disadvantages under which a fleet attacks
+forts, you will naturally ask why the British Government only sent ships
+to break down the defences of the Dardanelles. Why was not an army
+landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, to get behind the forts, or to
+attack them in the rear while the ships bombarded them from the sea? In
+the first weeks of February we were not ready to fit out and send a
+sufficiently strong army to the Gallipoli peninsula. Why, then, were the
+naval attacks not postponed until the army _was_ ready? Probably it was
+thought that if we hastened to show our strength in Near Eastern waters
+Greece, Bulgaria, and perhaps Rumania, might be won over to our side,
+or, at least, persuaded to turn a deaf ear to the tempting voice of the
+Kaiser. Further, some of the rulers of our navy really believed that the
+armament of our warships was now so powerful that the straits could be
+carried by gun fire alone. The idea of our Admiralty was to silence the
+forts at the entrance to the straits, then with a fleet of mine-sweepers
+from the North Sea to clear the inner waters so that warships could
+steam sufficiently near to the forts at the Narrows to concentrate a
+fierce fire on them. When they were silenced the ships would dash
+through.
+
+But even supposing the forts could be thus silenced, and our warships
+could slip through the straits, what then? So long as the Turks held the
+shores they could repair the damage to their forts, mount new batteries,
+strew the waters with mines, and take a heavy toll of our ships when
+lack of supplies forced them to return. Those who planned this naval
+attack probably thought that the Turks would give in as soon as
+Constantinople was shelled. But such a happy ending to the adventure was
+very doubtful.
+
+So you see that unless the ships were supported by land forces
+sufficient to hold at least one of the shores of the straits, all the
+efforts of the fleet were likely to prove fruitless. Nevertheless an
+unsupported naval attack was decided upon, and this was the first of the
+many costly mistakes which were made at the Dardanelles. When our ships
+began bombarding the forts, the Turks and their German advisers knew
+that we should have to make a land attack sooner or later. With feverish
+haste they therefore began to dig trenches and make gun pits on the
+Gallipoli peninsula. Thus, the Turks were afforded a breathing space in
+which to make any future land operations doubly difficult.
+
+[Footnote 32: King of ancient Persia from 485 to 465 B.C. He crossed the
+"Narrows" with a vast army in 481 B.C.]
+
+[Footnote 33: King of Macedonia from 336 to 323 B.C. He conquered all
+Western Asia, and even the north of India. As a soldier few of the great
+generals of history can compare with him.]
+
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXII.
+
+  HOW WE FAILED AT THE "NARROWS."
+
+
+As far back as November 3, 1914, a British and French squadron of
+battleships and battle cruisers shelled the forts which guard the
+entrance to the Dardanelles both on the Gallipoli and the Asiatic side.
+The attack was not long sustained; each ship only fired about twenty
+rounds. The forts replied, but most of the shots fell short. The sole
+object of this brief bombardment was to get the range of the forts. A
+spectator noticed that while the firing continued a heavy haze of smoke
+hung over the Turkish positions, and columns of dust rose high into the
+air, making "spotting" very difficult.
+
+Three months elapsed before the real attack began. On February 9, 1915,
+five British warships, the _Inflexible_, _Agamemnon_, _Cornwallis_,
+_Vengeance_, and _Triumph_, along with the French cruisers _Bouvet_,
+_Suffren_, and _Gaulois_, and a flotilla of destroyers, turned their
+guns on the entrance forts once more. Behind the battle line lay the
+_Ark Royal_, a mother ship for seaplanes. The aircraft which ascended
+from her decks carried observers, whose duty it was to direct the
+gunnery. Long-range firing began at eight in the morning, and before
+long the forts seemed to be smothered in bursting shells. Hits were
+frequently made both on the forts at Cape Helles and at Kum Kale, on the
+opposite shore; but what happened to the low earthworks of the batteries
+at Sedd-el-Bahr was difficult to ascertain. The forts did not reply, and
+Admiral Carden, who was in command of the bombarding fleet, thought that
+they must be out of action. Shortly before three in the afternoon he
+ordered six of his ships to close in, and bring all their guns to bear
+on the forts. As they did so the silent batteries awoke to life, and
+shells fell fast and thick around the attacking vessels. The Turkish
+fire, however, was badly aimed, and not a single ship was hit. By
+sundown the Gallipoli batteries were again silent; but Kum Kale was
+still firing when dusk began to fall, and Admiral Carden had to
+withdraw his fleet for the night.
+
+Next day there was bad weather, which continued for a week, and the
+attack could not be resumed until the 25th. The _Queen Elizabeth_,
+_Agamemnon_, _Irresistible_, and _Gaulois_ pounded the forts at such a
+long range that the guns on shore could not reach them. At the end of an
+hour and a half the _Queen Elizabeth_ had silenced the forts at Cape
+Helles, but not before the _Agamemnon_ had been struck by a shell which
+killed eight men and wounded five others. Under the protection of the
+super-Dreadnought's fire, the _Vengeance_ and _Cornwallis_ now steamed
+in to complete the destruction of the forts. Meanwhile the
+_Irresistible_ and the _Gaulois_ had severely hammered the Kum Kale
+batteries and the _Suffren_ and _Charlemagne_ were told off to put the
+finishing touches to the work of their bigger sisters. By 5.15 that
+evening all the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles were rubbish
+heaps. The Turkish gunners had fought pluckily for seven hours against
+overwhelming odds, and their defeat brought them no discredit. So far,
+the naval attack had been quite successful.
+
+When the ships ceased fire North Sea trawlers began the business of
+mine-sweeping. As you know, it is dangerous and difficult work; but it
+was admirably done, and by the morning of the 26th the first four miles
+of the straits were clear of mines, and all was ready for an attack on
+the inner forts. The _Albion_, _Vengeance_, and _Majestic_ now steamed
+up the straits to the limit of the mine-swept waters, and began to
+bombard Fort Dardanos, on the Asiatic side. The fort replied, as also
+did certain concealed batteries at various points along the shore. Once
+more the aim of the Turkish gunners was uncertain, and the ships
+suffered no damage. The guns of the ships dispersed several bodies of
+troops behind the forts.
+
+Meanwhile landing-parties of Royal Marines were sent ashore to blow up
+the forts which had been silenced on the previous day. Everywhere,
+except at Kum Kale, this was successfully done. The parties which landed
+on the Asiatic side were stubbornly resisted. They fought a hot little
+fight with the Turks, and had to fall back to their boats with a few
+casualties. Next day the Turks falsely announced that they had
+everywhere beaten off our landing-parties with heavy loss.
+
+The entrance to the straits was now in our hands; but its capture was
+only the beginning of the task. I have already told you that the main
+defences of the Dardanelles consist of the clustering forts and
+batteries on both sides of the bottle neck known as the Narrows. Our
+ships had now to deal not only with these forts and batteries, but with
+drifting mines and hidden torpedo tubes. Their hour of trial was fast
+approaching. Strong and bitterly cold northerly winds postponed the
+attack until 4th March; but in the meantime the trawlers, under cover of
+the destroyers, swept another five miles of the straits up to within a
+mile and a half of the beginning of the Narrows.
+
+On 4th March the ships were again in action, and another attempt was
+made by the Marines to land at Kum Kale. Once more they found a strong
+body of Turks awaiting them, and had to retire to their boats with a
+loss of nineteen killed, twenty-five wounded, and three missing. Many of
+the men were killed by snipers concealed in the ruins or in trees. A
+midshipman of the _Ocean_ tells us that a sergeant of Marines was found
+pierced by fourteen bullets. His comrades searched round until they
+found a German concealed in a wood exactly opposite to the wounded man.
+"He was put up against a tree and shot without a word."
+
+Next day a squadron of battleships and cruisers began the bombardment of
+Smyrna, the chief city of Asia Minor, and one of the greatest ports in
+the Turkish Empire. Some thirty-two hits were made on the forts, which
+made no reply. The attack was renewed on several of the following days,
+but with no result. Probably it was never intended to be serious, and
+was only made to distract the attention of the enemy.
+
+On the morning of 6th March the forts at the Narrows were assaulted by
+ships well up the straits. The attacking vessels were frequently hit by
+shells, but no serious damage was done, and there was no loss of life.
+The bombardment from the inside of the straits was not the main attack.
+That was made by the _Queen Elizabeth_, _Agamemnon_, and _Ocean_ from
+the Gulf of Saros. The ships lay off the point of Gaba Tepe, and, under
+the direction of aeroplanes, hurled their shells on to the forts at
+Chanak, which you will see on the Asiatic side of the Narrows, twelve
+miles away. The great 15-inch guns of "Big Lizzie," as the bluejackets
+dubbed the monster battleship, fired twenty-nine rounds, and played
+havoc with the forts. A shell from the "Lizzie" blew up the powder
+magazine of one of the batteries. You must not suppose that the ships in
+the Gulf of Saros went unmolested. The Turks had concealed guns on the
+heights of the peninsula, and with them they made good practice. The
+"Lizzie" was hit three times.
+
+The attack now seemed to be proceeding favourably. Every day newspaper
+readers at home expected to hear that the forts at the Narrows had been
+silenced, and that the guns of the fleet were within range of
+Constantinople. Little real progress, however, was being made. Often
+when forts ceased fire we flattered ourselves with the belief that they
+had been destroyed. What had really happened was that the heavy fumes
+from our shells had driven the gunners out of their casemates. As soon
+as the air became clear again they returned to work their guns once
+more. Even at Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale our success was not complete. We
+had blown up the forts, but we had not occupied the ground on both sides
+of the entrance, and the Turks had strongly entrenched themselves near
+at hand, and had mounted guns, which were able to continue the
+resistance.
+
+On the night of 13th March the small light cruiser _Amethyst_ performed
+a very daring feat. She dashed into the Narrows, and attempted to rush
+through. Concealed batteries opened fire on her, and she was hit several
+times at close range. Before she could run back into safety some fifty
+of her men had been knocked over. At home it was reported that she had
+actually succeeded in passing the forts, and everybody hoped that the
+beginning of the end was in sight. By this time an enormous number of
+vessels of all sorts and sizes had been mustered. Never before had such
+a fleet been seen in Eastern waters. Amongst the newcomers was the
+Russian cruiser _Askold_, which our sailors called "the packet of
+Woodbines," because of her five slim funnels. On 18th March Admiral
+Robeck, who had succeeded Admiral Carden in command of the fleet, felt
+that the time had come for a big effort.
+
+Thursday, 18th March, broke bright and clear, with a light wind and a
+calm sea. At a quarter to eleven the _Queen Elizabeth_, _Inflexible_,
+_Agamemnon_, and _Lord Nelson_, supported by the _Triumph_ and
+_Swiftsure_, steamed up the bright blue waters of the straits, and began
+firing at long range on the batteries on both sides of the Narrows.
+Forts, batteries, howitzers, and field guns replied, and after the
+bombardment had lasted an hour and a half, a French squadron of four
+ships, including the _Bouvet_, steamed in to attack the enemy at close
+range. Ten ships were now hurling their missiles on the forts, and under
+this terrific bombardment they were powerless to reply. Then a British
+squadron of six ships came up to push the attack home. As this squadron
+steamed towards Chanak, the French ships were withdrawn from the narrow
+waters, in order to make room for the newcomers. Suddenly, while this
+movement was going on, the forts began to fire again. It was now clear
+that they had not been seriously injured by our heavy bombardment.
+
+As the _Bouvet_ retired an officer on a British destroyer saw three
+shells strike her. Almost at the same moment she blew up with a terrific
+explosion, and was hidden in a dense cloud of smoke. In three minutes
+she heeled over and disappeared. A consort rushed to her assistance,
+only to find bubbles rising to the surface, and a pall of black smoke
+slowly lifting. Out of her crew of 630, only 64 were saved. At first it
+was thought that the enemy's shells had destroyed her, but the real
+cause of the disaster was a floating mine. The Turks, seeing the narrow
+waterway full of ships, had dropped mines in the channel, and the
+current had swept them along on their mission of destruction.
+
+This grave misfortune led to no slackening of the bombardment. An hour
+and a half later the _Irresistible_, a British battleship, thirteen
+years old, also fouled a mine. She began to list heavily, and slowly
+dragged her way from the firing line towards the entrance to the
+straits. At ten minutes to six she sank, but happily not until our
+destroyers had taken off nearly all her ship's company. The rescue of
+the _Irresistible's_ crew was a very gallant and skilful bit of work,
+for the destroyers were under Turkish fire all the time. A midshipman
+named Hugh Dixon did splendid service in picking up officers and men
+while shells were falling round his boat. He afterwards received the
+Distinguished Service Cross.
+
+[Illustration: The Irresistible and the Ocean in Action.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture, taken from the deck of a British warship, shows the
+_Irresistible_ and _Ocean_ shelling the Kum Kale and other forts on the
+Asiatic side. Both vessels were sunk on March 18, 1915, by drifting
+mines. (See page 175.)]
+
+The tale of disaster was not yet complete. A quarter of an hour after
+the _Irresistible_ went down the floating mines claimed another victim.
+The _Ocean_, a British battleship, fifteen years old, suddenly sank; but
+once more the destroyers were on the alert, and few lives were lost.
+Nor had other ships of the fleet escaped scathless. The _Gaulois_ had
+been holed in the bows, the fire-control station on the _Inflexible's_
+foretop had been shot away, and several of her men had fallen. Later in
+the day she received a gaping wound from a mine.
+
+When the sun set on that disastrous day the fleet slipped out of the
+Dardanelles, never again to renew its attack in force. The great attempt
+had failed; three battleships had gone down, and the French and British
+navies were the poorer by the loss of many gallant men. It was now clear
+to all that an unsupported naval attack was powerless to force a
+right-of-way through the Hellespont. Though the lost battleships had
+been destroyed by mines, the wisdom of our forefathers had been fully
+justified: well-armed forts are more than a match for the gun fire of
+ships.
+
+For the next month one or more vessels entered the straits each day and
+opened fire in order to prevent the Turks from repairing their forts. On
+28th March the Russian Black Sea Fleet bombarded the outer forts of the
+Bosporus. There was, however, no sting in these attacks. The fleet had
+shot its bolt. Our war lords were now preparing for a combined movement
+by land and sea.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Eric Gascoigne
+Robinson for several acts of bravery during the operations described
+above. On 26th February, when detailed to destroy a fort which had been
+silenced by our ships, he advanced alone, under heavy fire, into the
+enemy's position, and blew up a 4-inch gun. He then returned to his
+party for another charge, with which he destroyed a second gun. He did
+the work single-handed, because he knew that the white uniforms of his
+comrades would make them a good mark for the enemy. Commander Robinson
+distinguished himself not only by destroying guns, but also by taking
+part in four attacks on mine-fields--in each case under heavy fire.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+  THE STORY OF HILL 60.
+
+
+Three miles south of Ypres, close to the railway line which runs from
+that city to Comines, on the Lys, stands Hill 60, now known to all the
+world as the scene of a furious struggle which merged into a long and
+fierce battle. You must not imagine Hill 60 as a towering peak, but as a
+gentle swell of ground not rising much more than sixty feet above the
+level of the surrounding country. It was, indeed, formed by the earth
+taken out of a railway cutting and dumped down by the side of the line.
+At the time when my story opens (17th April) it was a hillock of
+ploughed land, with woods on all sides of it. Humble as it was, the
+heroisms done on it have given it a fame that Mont Blanc might envy.
+
+Hill 60 was valuable to the Germans because it overlooked the lower
+ground on which the British had dug their trenches. Observers on the
+hill could watch what was going on down below, and direct the fire of
+their heavy guns which were stationed a couple of miles or so to the
+rear. The whole hill was seamed with trenches and saps. The Germans held
+the upper slopes and the summit, and their positions were only fifty
+yards away from those of the British. They had strongly fortified the
+hill, because they knew that its loss would force them to give up a
+large part of their line. For this reason, and because it would afford
+us a gun position commanding much of the German front, we now prepared a
+bold attack upon it.
+
+Since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the counter-attack at St. Eloi
+there had been a lull in the fighting. Of course, the big guns on both
+sides fired daily, and the aeroplanes of friend and foe made constant
+raids and observation flights; but the infantry had been but little
+engaged. On 1st April an Allied aviator played a practical joke on the
+Germans. He flew over Lille, and dropped a football on the
+aerodrome.[34] It bounded up to a great height, and the Germans,
+thinking that it was a new kind of bomb, at once scuttled away into
+cover. The supposed bomb did not explode, and after a time they ventured
+out to examine it, and discovered this inscription on it: "April
+fool--Gott strafe England,"[35]
+
+In the early days of April our engineers, all unknown to the enemy, were
+busy driving galleries under Hill 60, and preparing mines. At seven
+o'clock on the morning of 17th April, when the 1st Royal West Kents and
+the 2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers were waiting with fixed bayonets,
+the mines under the hillock were exploded. There was a terrific roar,
+and it seemed as though the German trenches had been struck by an
+earthquake. Parapets, sand-bags, wire entanglements, and the bodies of
+the men were blown high into the air. The trenches disappeared, and in
+place of them yawned huge craters and mounds of piled earth. Before the
+dense columns of dust and smoke could subside, our guns belched forth
+shrapnel and high-explosive shells, so as to prevent the enemy from
+sending up reinforcements. In the midst of the whirlwind of shot and
+flame the Germans who had survived the explosions were seen falling over
+one another in their efforts to escape by means of the communication
+trenches. They were so panic-stricken that some of them forced a way to
+safety by charging through their own ranks with the bayonet.
+
+Then the whistles blew, and the West Kents, closely followed by the
+Scottish Borderers, clambered over their parapets, and, rushing up the
+slope, took possession of the craters, while some of their comrades
+pursued the flying Germans and fought furiously with them in the narrow
+trenches. Barricades were erected in the communication trenches, and
+over these the enemy flung hand grenades. The British, however, made
+good their hold on the craters, and twenty minutes after the charge was
+made were strongly posted with machine guns on the coveted position.
+Hill 60 was ours.
+
+[Illustration: Hill 60.
+
+(_From a sketch made just before its capture by the British. By
+permission of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+Early next morning (Sunday, 18th April) the Germans in mass formation
+made two attacks on the hill, but they were mown down by machine guns
+and shrapnel. Nevertheless they kept up their assaults all day, and by 6
+p.m. had won back part of the southern edge. The 2nd West Riding and 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry were now sent up to relieve the West Kents and
+Scottish Borderers. Supported by heavy artillery fire, they dashed
+forward and drove out the enemy at the point of the bayonet. While doing
+so they captured fifty-three prisoners, including four officers. During
+this advance we lost heavily, but the Germans lost more, and the slopes
+were littered with the bodies of friend and foe.
+
+For three days the struggle continued, almost without pause. The Germans
+fiercely shelled the hill, and hurled upon it a constant shower of
+bombs. Our men were exposed to fire from three sides, but they held on
+like limpets to a rock. On the evening of the 20th the Germans made
+another infantry attack, which lasted for an hour and a half, but once
+more they were repulsed by the stubborn British. It was during this
+period of fighting that Lieutenant George Roupell and Second Lieutenant
+Geoffrey Woolley won the Victoria Cross, as you will read on a later
+page.
+
+At dawn the next morning we discovered that the Germans had dug
+themselves in on the north-east edge of the hill. In the afternoon they
+were driven off, and then their artillery literally plastered the hill
+with shells of all kinds, some of them containing gases which blinded
+and choked our men. Against a tiny table top of 250 yards long by 200
+yards deep tons of metal and high explosives were flung from howitzers
+and field guns at close range. It seemed to observers that nothing could
+live in that zone of fire; nevertheless the defenders hung on for four
+and a half terrible days. The hill was still ours on Thursday, the 22nd.
+Then came a lull: the storm of battle had begun to rage over a far wider
+field.
+
+The struggle for the hill did not cease with the opening of this new
+battle. Before every big attack which the Germans made elsewhere they
+delivered a furious assault on the hill. At length, on 6th May, after a
+series of gas attacks, they won it back, and also some trenches to the
+north of it. By this time, however, it had been so blown away by mine
+explosions and artillery fire as to be of little value. A friend of
+mine, who visited it a week later, "could barely detect the gentle swell
+among the flat meadows."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I pass on to describe the Second Battle of Ypres, let me relate
+some soldiers' stories of the fierce fighting on Hill 60. A
+correspondent tells us that the Scottish Borderers never lost heart
+during the awful bombardment to which they were subjected. "These
+astounding men," he says, "holding hastily-dug trenches by the side of a
+yawning crater full of dead and wounded, with high-explosive shells
+bursting all around them and often falling amongst them, actually sang
+as they fired over the parapets or lobbed their bombs over the barriers
+across the old communication trenches of the Germans. Amid the flares
+that lit up the hilltop as clear as day, and the shells that burst with
+clouds of whitish yellow smoke, they shouted in chorus, '_Here we are!
+Here we are! Here we are again!_' Thus a company of the West Kents, sent
+up in support, found them at daybreak. The Borderers had been obliged to
+fall back from the trench on the outer lip of the crater to a trench on
+its near side, so that the chasm lay between them and the Germans. Their
+captain lay stark and stiff in the crater, which was so full of dead and
+wounded that, in the words of a West Kents' officer, 'hardly a portion
+of the ground could be seen.'" "It's dogged as does it," according to
+the old saying, and never were men more dogged than the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers during that fearful ordeal.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The same correspondent gives us some details of the splendid advance
+made by the Duke of Wellington's Own (2nd West Riding) and the 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry, when they drove the Germans off the southern
+edge. "At six o'clock the Duke's, as full of fight as ever, with
+bayonets fixed, were away over the parapet of their battered trench,
+followed by their fellow-countrymen of Yorkshire, some of the
+K.O.S.B.'s, and the Queen Victoria Rifles, a London Territorial
+battalion that did magnificent work that day. 'B' Company of the Duke's,
+on the right, reached the German trenches with only slight casualties.
+'C' company, in the centre, had to cross open ground, and of the hundred
+men who charged only Captain Barton and eleven others got into the
+German trench, where, notwithstanding their small numbers, they killed
+or routed all the Germans there. 'D' Company, on the left, had likewise
+to traverse the open, and lost all its officers in passing through the
+heavily-shelled zone; but with the help of the gallant Yorkshire Light
+Infantry it managed to secure the trench. Some fine deeds of gallantry
+were performed on that sombre hillside. Privates Behan and Dryden, of
+the Duke's, became separated from their company, but charged a German
+trench single-handed, killing three Germans and capturing two others.
+When they were reinforced by a detachment without an officer, Behan took
+command, and showed great ability. Both men afterwards received the
+Distinguished Conduct Medal."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A "Gaspipe Officer,"[36] writing in _Blackwood's Magazine_, tells us
+that, on the evening of 17th April, a group of officers standing on a
+little rise watched the shrapnel bursting over Hill 60, three and a half
+miles away. "They were half joyful and half sick at heart. Not one of
+them would have confessed it, yet each had a great pride in the old
+division, and a great anxiety that it should do well. Had the charge
+been successful? Had the gains been made good? They went back into their
+hut, and sang . . . until it was time to go to bed.
+
+"In the morning news came that the position had been rushed; the Germans
+had been filled with such panic that they had fled from the trenches on
+either side of the crater; they were heavily attacking; their guns and
+bombs were sweeping the new position; there was no wire down yet.
+
+"About nine the same night there was much cheering in the darkness of
+the camp. The remains of two battalions had returned from the hill. Then
+first we learned the names of the fallen. Still there was no wire down.
+. . . It took five or six days before the wire was down and trenches
+properly made. During those days no battalion could remain for more than
+fifteen hours on the hill, and at the end of its shift it would return
+broken. The men could see the guns that were firing at them. . . . The
+hill was death. But the 5th Division never let go. They stuck to the
+hill while the sappers put up wire and made it defensible."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I close this chapter I will give you some account of the soldiers
+who won the Victoria Cross for deeds of outstanding gallantry during the
+period between the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the beginning of the
+Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Private Robert Morrow, 1st Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish)
+Fusiliers.
+
+Near Messines, on 12th April, some of our trenches were destroyed by the
+enemy's shell fire, and several of our men were buried in the ruins.
+Without waiting for orders, and under a very heavy fire, Private Morrow
+dug out the men and carried them one by one to places of shelter. A
+score of times he hazarded his own life in rescuing his comrades, and
+the highest award of valour was the King's tribute to such fearless
+self-devotion.
+
+Private Edward Dwyer, 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment.
+
+When His Majesty the King pinned the coveted cross on the breast of
+Private Dwyer, he was amazed at the boyish appearance of the hero. He
+was but nineteen years of age when he ran through the hail of death up
+the slope of Hill 60; yet he was already a veteran, for he had fought
+from Mons to the Marne, and back to the Aisne, and had played his part
+in many a Flanders battle. He and his comrades of the East Surreys held
+a trench of Hill 60 with wonderful doggedness. Quite early in the
+encounter Dwyer went out from the cover of his trench and bandaged
+several of his badly-wounded comrades. No one would have been more
+surprised than Edward Dwyer if he had been told that these acts of mercy
+were heroic. He considered them his plain duty--that was all.
+
+Dwyer and his comrades were assailed by German hand-grenade throwers.
+Their bombs came hurtling into the trench, and did awful execution.
+Dwyer saw that unless the Germans were beaten back with their own
+weapons the position would be lost. Seizing a supply of bombs, he sprang
+upon the parapet, and flung his missiles so rapidly and with such
+unerring aim that he broke up the enemy's advance. At once he became a
+mark for the enemy's bombers and sharpshooters. Standing high on the
+parapet, he was an excellent target. Grenades whizzed and cracked in the
+air around him, rifles were fired at him, and only by a hair's breadth
+did he escape time after time. At last he was wounded in the head, but
+even then he did not cease to fling his bombs. They fell right in the
+thick of the Germans, who were forced back. One man had beaten back a
+whole company!
+
+Private Dwyer came down from the sand-bags sorely wounded but
+victorious. He was still unaware that he had done anything heroic. But
+you and I honour him as a supremely brave man, who added to his
+gallantry the charm of modesty. While he was recovering from his wounds
+he addressed recruiting meetings with such burning words that many a man
+forthwith offered his services to his King and country. Before the year
+was out he carried the King's commission as second lieutenant.
+
+Lieutenant George Rowland Patrick Roupell, 1st Battalion, the East
+Surrey Regiment.
+
+This young officer was in command of his company in a front trench on
+that terrible April day when our men were clinging on to Hill 60 by
+their eyebrows. Though wounded in several places, he remained at his
+post, and led his men when they repelled a strong German assault. During
+a lull in the shattering salvos of fire he had his wounds hurriedly
+dressed, and then insisted on returning to his trench, which was soon
+heavily shelled once more. Towards evening, when his company was
+dangerously weakened, he went back to headquarters through a whirlwind
+of fire, and returned, bringing with him reinforcements. With these he
+held the position until his battalion was relieved next morning.
+Lieutenant Roupell was one of the few survivors of his company. It was
+his splendid example of courage, devotion, and doggedness that inspired
+his men to hold out to the end.
+
+Second Lieutenant Benjamin Handley Geary, 4th Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), East Surrey Regiment.
+
+Second Lieutenant Geary held the left crater on Hill 60 with his
+platoon, a detachment of the Bedfordshire Regiment, and a few
+reinforcements sent up during the evening and night. The crater was so
+heavily bombarded by the enemy that the defences were broken down, and
+throughout the night there were repeated bomb attacks which filled the
+great hole with dead and wounded. Each attack, however, was splendidly
+repulsed, mainly owing to the personal gallantry and inspiring example
+of Lieutenant Geary. At one time he used a rifle with great effect, at
+another time he threw hand grenades and held off the enemy. Again and
+again he exposed himself with entire disregard of danger, in order to
+see by the light of flares where the attack was to be made. In the
+pauses between the attacks he was busy arranging for ammunition supply
+and for reinforcements. Lieutenant Geary displayed all the ancient
+virtues of his race--alertness in seizing opportunities, courage that is
+heedless of self, leadership that inspires confidence, and steadfastness
+that never knows defeat. He was severely wounded just before daylight
+on 21st April. A bullet passed through his head from one side to the
+other, completely destroying the sight of one eye, and seriously
+injuring that of the other. He made, however, a rapid recovery.
+
+Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley, 9th (County of London) Battalion,
+the London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), Territorial Force.
+
+At one time during the frenzied struggle which I have described in this
+chapter, Lieutenant Woolley was the only officer on the hill. With a
+handful of men he resisted all attacks on his trench, and continued
+throwing bombs and encouraging his comrades until he was relieved. All
+this time his trench was under heavy fire from the artillery, bombers,
+and machine gunners of the enemy. For "sticking it" so gallantly
+Lieutenant Woolley was rightly awarded the cross of valour. He had the
+honour of being the first of all Territorials to win this high
+distinction. Lieutenant Woolley was the son of an Essex clergyman, and
+was a student at Oxford, preparing to take holy orders, when the war
+broke out. Although he confessed that he hated fighting, he nevertheless
+felt that he must serve his country. Shortly after his exploits on the
+hill he was promoted captain.
+
+[Illustration: The first Territorial to win the V.C. An heroic Exploit
+on Hill 60.
+
+(_From the picture by R. Caton Woodville, from material supplied by men
+who fought in the action. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)
+
+"He successfully resisted all attacks on his trench and continued
+throwing bombs"--such was the exploit which won Lieutenant Geoffrey
+Harold Woolley the Victoria Cross. You will read the story of his
+heroism on page 187.]
+
+Private Edward Warner, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
+
+On 1st May the Germans launched a gas attack against Hill 60, and Trench
+46 had to be abandoned by our men. Though suffering agonies from the
+poisonous fumes, Private Warner, all by himself, returned to the trench,
+and prevented the enemy from taking possession of it. Reinforcements
+were ordered up, but they could not reach the gallant fellow owing to
+the gas. He then came back, and returned with other men, who helped him
+to hold the trench until the enemy's attacks ceased. By this time he was
+completely worn out, and shortly afterwards died from the effects of gas
+poisoning. Thus perished a hero of heroes.
+
+[Footnote 34: Aviation ground with hangars or sheds in which aeroplanes
+are stored.]
+
+[Footnote 35: German for "God punish England"--the common curse of the
+Germans at that time.]
+
+[Footnote 36: Military cyclists are known at the front as Gaspipe
+Cavalry.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+  THE POISONOUS CLOUD.
+
+
+While the Germans were fiercely shelling Hill 60 the tide of war rolled
+along the Ypres Salient, which has so often figured in these pages. The
+Gaspipe Officer already quoted says: "The old Ypres salient was such a
+silly thing. Imagine for a moment one of those old Greek theatres,
+semicircular. All the way round the Germans were on the top row of
+seats, and we were only halfway up. They could see everything that we
+were doing, while we, hemmed in, had to trust to aeroplanes. And down on
+the floor of the theatre stood Ypres, through which, or by which, nearly
+every road to the salient passed."
+
+If you look at the diagram on page 189, you will see how we were holding
+the salient on the morning of 22nd April. Our lines ran in a semicircle
+from Steenstraate, on the Yser canal, about four and a half miles to the
+north of Ypres, right round to the Ypres-Comines canal, about two miles
+south of the city. Nowhere was the salient more than four and a half
+miles across; every part of it, including Ypres itself, was, therefore,
+within range of the enemy's big guns. As the Gaspipe Officer tells us,
+the Germans held the higher ground, and were thus in a very favourable
+position for sweeping all parts of the salient with their fire. All the
+roads to the outer rim of the salient spread out from Ypres like the
+spokes of a wheel. Our supply and ammunition columns were, therefore,
+under fire the moment they entered or passed by the city.
+
+The British forces had greatly increased since those days of terrible
+trial in the preceding October and November, when, with never more than
+150,000 men, we had beaten back the furious onrush of at least half a
+million Germans, and had blocked for ever the coveted road to Calais. We
+had now some 500,000 men at the front, and we felt, after our great
+assault at Neuve Chapelle, that we had the upper hand of the enemy, and
+that henceforth the attack was with us and the defence lay with him.
+Before, however, he sank into this secondary position he meant to make
+another desperate effort to reach the Channel ports. This long and
+fierce struggle, which I am now about to describe, is known as the
+Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Sketch showing position at the Ypres salient on the morning of April 22,
+1915.]
+
+Look again at the diagram. The Allied line from Steenstraate to
+Langemarck was held by Turcos and Spahis, French colonial troops from
+Algeria. Continuing the curve for 5,000 yards was the Canadian Division,
+consisting of three infantry brigades, in addition to artillery
+brigades. The first infantry brigade was in reserve, the second (8th and
+5th Battalions) lay on the right, and the third (13th and 14th
+Battalions) on the left, next to the French. The whole division was
+commanded by General Alderson; Brigadier-General Turner commanded the
+3rd Brigade, and Brigadier-General Curry the 2nd Brigade. The trenches,
+which the Canadians had taken over from the French, were badly made and
+very wet, and could only be improved with difficulty, as the dead had
+been buried in the bottoms and the sides. The 28th Division continued
+the line to the south-east corner of Polygon Wood, where Princess
+Patricia's Own were stationed. From the wood to Hill 60 the remainder of
+the salient was manned by the 27th Division.
+
+Though the salient was well known to be a source of weakness, it was not
+strongly held by the Allies at this time. Probably the Germans were
+aware of the fact, for suddenly they launched a furious and determined
+attack against the forces holding it. The only warning which the Allies
+received was on the 20th, when the guns of the enemy began to bombard
+Ypres. Huge shells from the heaviest of guns fell in the streets, which
+were then thronged with citizens and our own reserves. Fifteen little
+children were killed at their play, and a number of the townsfolk
+perished amidst the ruins of their houses. Our generals understood at
+once the meaning of this bombardment. It was meant to block the roads to
+our lines on the salient, and make the work of sending forward supplies
+and ammunition very difficult, if not impossible. It was not meant to
+embarrass us at Hill 60, for we had free roads leading to that position
+from the west. It could only be the forerunner of an attack on that part
+of the salient extending from the Yser Canal to the Menin road--that is,
+on the portion held by the French Colonials, the Canadians, the 28th
+Division, and Princess Pat's. Our generals viewed the bombardment with
+anxiety; they knew that we were ill prepared to meet the attacks which
+were soon to follow.
+
+Thursday, 22nd April, was a peaceful day, warm and sunny. A light,
+steady wind was blowing from the north-east. About five in the evening
+an aviator reported that he had seen a strange green cloud, higher than
+a man, surging across the open ground from the German lines towards the
+French trenches. It was the deadly poison gas chlorine, which when taken
+into the lungs sets up acute bronchitis and causes its victims to die in
+horrible agony. At every fifty feet or so along the German front a
+battery of twenty retorts had been established. The gas from these
+retorts had been pumped at high pressure into huge reservoirs from which
+pipes ran to the front trenches. When the nozzles were turned on, the
+deadly gas rushed out, and was carried by the wind towards the French
+lines. Special respirators had been served out to the German soldiers,
+who were waiting in readiness to take advantage of this foul blow. Never
+before had poison gas been used in this manner on the battlefield. The
+Germans were about to sound the deepest depths of their infamy and try
+to poison those whom they could not beat in fair fight.
+
+Onward rolled the greenish-white cloud, across fields, through woods,
+and over hedgerows. Soon the Turcos in their trenches were gasping and
+choking and suffering unspeakable tortures. They were brave men; there
+was no mortal foe they were not ready to engage; but this creeping cloud
+that struck them down in agony was a devilish magic which they could
+neither understand nor resist. A horrible, unreasoning terror took
+possession of them, and they ran. Back they fled through the dusk, a
+coughing, blinded crowd, leaving behind them hundreds of their comrades
+gasping out their lives or lying dead with blue faces and frothy lips.
+Some of them fled due south towards the Langemarck road, and in the
+early darkness came upon the reserve battalions of the Canadians, who
+gazed in amazement upon their wild dark faces, their heaving chests, and
+speechless lips. Soon the Canadians began to feel the effects of the
+gas, and many of them were afflicted by a deadly sickness.
+
+[Illustration: Stand to your Arms!
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The incident pictured above occurred when the Turcos were assailed by
+poison gas and fled from their trenches. When the first fugitives
+arrived on the outskirts of Ypres, some of our reserves gathered in
+groups, wondering what had happened and trying to find out what was the
+matter. Suddenly a staff officer rode up, shouting, "Stand to your
+arms!" and in a few minutes the troops had fallen in and were marching
+to the scene of the fight. "Nothing more impressive ran be imagined than
+the sight of our men falling in quietly and in perfect order amid the
+scene of wild confusion caused by the panic-stricken refugees who
+swarmed along the roads, striving to flee as quickly as possible from
+the German menace behind them."]
+
+A great breach, four miles wide, now yawned between Steenstraate and
+Langemarck. On the left of the Canadians there was a huge rent, through
+which the Germans were preparing to advance, while their artillery
+pitilessly whipped the fugitives onward. The situation was dangerous in
+the extreme. Ypres appeared to be within the Kaiser's grasp. The
+Canadians were unsupported on their left; the French trenches were
+choked with dead and dying; and fifty French guns were in the hands of
+the enemy. In vain the officers strove to rally the fleeing Turcos.
+Meanwhile a great mob of Germans pushed through the wall of gas which
+was now breaking up into patches behind them, and rushed on towards
+Ypres. Only two miles of open country now separated them from the city
+of their desire.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXV.
+
+  THE BATTLE GLORY OF CANADA.
+
+
+Every Briton may thank God that the Canadians were where they were when
+the cloud of poison gas sent the Turcos fleeing in panic to the rear.
+These sons of the eldest daughter of the Empire, who prior to the war
+knew little or nothing of the art and discipline of warfare, were now
+called upon to save the situation when all seemed lost. They, too, had
+been "gassed;" and though they had not suffered so severely as the
+French, many of them were already out of action. Against the 3rd
+Canadian Brigade four divisions of Germans now flung themselves. They
+were working round to the rear when General Turner threw back his left
+flank until his line ran roughly thus:--
+
+[Illustration]
+
+This movement had to be carried out while the air was foul with
+poisonous fumes, while shells were bursting all around, and bullets were
+flying from scores of machine guns and hundreds of rifles. By nightfall
+the left wing of the 3rd Brigade was in its new position. Then, under
+the flickering light of burning farmhouses and cottages and the fitful
+rays of the moon, the men dug themselves in and prepared to hold on,
+come what might. By midnight two battalions of the reserve had been
+brought up, and the Canadians had settled down to their desperate task.
+So fierce was the German curtain of fire that no food could reach the
+trenches for twenty-four hours, and then only bread and cheese. A
+company of the Buffs which attempted to bring relief was altogether
+destroyed.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The story of the Second Battle of Ypres is mainly the story of how the
+Canadian Division--outflanked, and outnumbered by four to one, stormed
+at with shot and shell by the heaviest artillery known to warfare,
+stupefied by poisonous vapours, unsupported by big guns, unaided by
+reinforcements, and short of food and water--fought through the day and
+through the night, and then through another day and night, losing
+heavily hour by hour, but enduring gloriously, and finally retiring with
+the proud knowledge that by its superb endurance it had saved the day.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the French Colonials fled from their trenches, the enemy captured
+four British guns in the little wood which you see to the east of St.
+Julien. The teams were miles away, and the guns could not be carried off
+during the hurry and confusion of changing position. It was gall and
+wormwood to the Canadians to think these guns should be lost, and they
+were eager to recover them. Towards midnight, Colonel Leckie and Colonel
+Boyle led the Canadian Scottish (the 16th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade
+and the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Brigade) into the wood in a desperate
+endeavour to win back the guns. Let me tell you the story of this fine
+charge in the words of an officer who took part in it:--
+
+    "It wanted but a few minutes to midnight when we got to a hollow
+    which was at most three hundred yards from the wood. The moon
+    now reappeared at intervals, and we could have done without her.
+    The shrapnel fire had completely ceased, and we had a second
+    spell of a 'silence which could be felt.'
+
+    "Whispered orders were given to fix bayonets, which were obeyed
+    in a flash. Overcoats, packs, and even the officers' equipments
+    were dropped, and we immediately advanced in light order.
+
+    "Scarcely had we reached a low ridge, in full view of the wood,
+    when a perfect hail of fire was loosed on us from rifles and
+    machine guns, which the Germans had placed in position behind
+    the undergrowth skirting the wood.
+
+    "Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed,
+    cheering, yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. At first the
+    Germans fired a little too high, and our losses until we came
+    within fifty yards of them were comparatively small. Then some
+    of our chaps began to drop; then the whole front line seemed to
+    melt away, only to be instantly closed up again.
+
+    "Cheering and yelling all the time, we jumped over the bodies of
+    the wounded and tore on. Of the Germans with the machine guns
+    not one escaped, but those inside the wood stood up to us in a
+    most dogged style. We were so quickly at work that those at the
+    edge of the wood could not have got away in any case. Many threw
+    up their hands, and we did not refuse quarter.
+
+    "Pressing on into the wood itself, the struggle became a
+    dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought in clumps and batches,
+    and the living struggled over the bodies of the dead and dying.
+    At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily driving
+    the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+    flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight.
+
+    "Sweeping on, we came upon lines of trenches which had been
+    hastily thrown up and could not be stubbornly defended. Here all
+    who resisted were bayoneted; those who yielded were sent to the
+    rear."
+
+Another officer who took part in the attack described how the men about
+him fell under the fire of the machine guns, which, in his phrase,
+played upon them "like a watering-pot." He added quite simply, "I wrote
+my own life off." But neither he nor his men wavered. When one man fell
+another took his place, and with a final shout the two battalions flung
+themselves on the wood. The Germans were thrust back by the impetuous
+advance of the Canadians, who reached the far side of the wood and there
+entrenched themselves. They retook the guns, but were sorely
+disappointed to discover that the Germans had rendered them useless.
+They also captured a number of prisoners, including a colonel.
+
+That night a terrible artillery fire swept the wood "as a tropical storm
+sweeps the leaves from a forest," and the Canadians fell back from the
+position which they had won at the price of many a brave life. All
+through the night the fighting went on without pause. The attacks
+constantly grew in strength, and it seemed hardly possible that the
+Canadians could resist much longer.
+
+At six on the morning of Friday the enemy began an outflanking movement
+that looked very dangerous. In order to relieve the strain a
+counter-attack on the first line of German trenches was ordered. This
+was carried out by the Ontario 1st and 4th Battalions of the 1st
+Brigade, under General Mercer. The advance was made across 2,300 yards
+of open country, every yard of which was under hot shell fire.
+
+    "It is safe to say," writes Sir Max Aitken, the Canadian record
+    officer, "that the youngest private in the ranks, as he set his
+    teeth for the advance, knew the task in front of him, and the
+    youngest subaltern knew all that rested on its success. It did
+    not seem that any human being could live in the shower of shot
+    and shell which began to play upon the advancing troops.
+
+    "They suffered terrible casualties. For a short time every other
+    man seemed to fall, but the attack was pressed ever closer and
+    closer. The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a
+    particularly withering fire. For a moment--not more--it wavered.
+    Its most gallant commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel
+    Birchall, carrying, after an old fashion, a light cane, coolly
+    and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the very moment when his
+    example had infected them, fell dead at the head of his
+    battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward (for,
+    indeed, they loved him) as if to avenge his death.
+
+    "The astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in the face
+    of direct frontal fire, made in broad daylight, by battalions
+    whose names should live for ever in the memories of soldiers,
+    was carried to the first line of the German trenches. After a
+    hand-to-hand struggle, the last German who resisted was
+    bayoneted, and the trench was won."
+
+The Canadian left was now safe. The German trench was occupied, and
+held against all comers in the teeth of every kind of deadly missile
+that could be hurled against it. It was still in the hands of the
+victors on Sunday, 25th April, when all that remained of the war-broken
+battalions was relieved.
+
+At 4 a.m. on the morning of Friday, the 23rd, the Germans sent a great
+discharge of poison gas against the 2nd Brigade, which held the line
+running north-east, and upon the 3rd Brigade, which had continued the
+line up to the pivotal position and had then spread down in a
+south-easterly direction. In two minutes a cloud seven feet high rolled
+from the German trenches into those of the Canadians. The defenders had
+no respirators, but some of them wrapped wet handkerchiefs about their
+mouths, and thus obtained a little relief. They dared not retire, even
+if they had wished to do so, for the gas would follow them, and the
+exertion would cause them to draw deeper breaths of the deadly vapour.
+So, with blue, swollen faces and bloodshot eyes almost bursting from
+their sockets, they held on. Men went sick and giddy a thousand yards
+behind the line, and even the grass and trees grew white as the fumes
+passed over them.
+
+[Illustration: Gassed!
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The green mist came rolling towards the parapet from the enemy's empty
+front trench, several hundred yards away. It looked like a vapour rising
+from a marsh, and the wind was strong enough to carry it rapidly towards
+the parapet. One battalion had time to fire two rounds through the
+screen of gas before it came pouring over the sand-bags, penetrating
+into every crevice of the dug-outs, and choking the men who lay there.
+It was so thick at first that objects three feet distant could scarcely
+be seen."]
+
+Many of the men were struck down by the fumes, and the Royal Highlanders
+of Montreal, 13th Battalion, and the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion,
+specially suffered. For a short time the 48th were obliged to withdraw a
+short distance from their trench. Soon, however, they were their own men
+again, and they advanced and reoccupied their old position. The Germans,
+as you know, had long been striving to drive back the devoted 3rd
+Brigade, in order to sweep round and overwhelm its left wing. In the
+course of the attacks a large number of the enemy managed to slip in
+between the wood and St. Julien. For a time it seemed as though the
+Germans had succeeded, and that the last obstacle to their advance would
+be swept away. Not only the men of the 13th Battalion, but of every
+other battalion, fought like heroes to avert the danger. All that mortal
+men could do they did. Major Norsworthy, who had already been disabled
+by a bullet, was bayoneted and killed while rallying his men. Major
+M'Cuaig, who had been seriously wounded in a hastily-constructed trench,
+insisted on being left behind lest he should be a hindrance. So fierce
+and constant were the German attacks that orders were now given for the
+brigade to retire.
+
+The men were very unwilling to withdraw, and they insisted, at great
+risk, on carrying with them their belongings. A wounded officer,
+following the example of Major M'Cuaig, refused to move, and asked his
+comrades to leave him alone in the trench. He begged them to give him
+two loaded Colt revolvers, and with these and his own weapon ready at
+hand, he prepared to sell his life dearly.
+
+On Friday afternoon the left of the Canadian line was strengthened by
+the arrival of seven battalions of British troops. But the artillery
+fire of the enemy grew fiercer and fiercer, and it was clear that the
+Canadian salient could not be held against the fierce and constant
+attacks which were being launched against it; so, slowly and stubbornly
+contesting every yard of ground, the defenders fell back upon St.
+Julien, and then still farther south, until the deserted village was
+half a mile in front of their new lines. The Germans swarmed into the
+village, but before they could call it their own they had to reckon with
+detachments of the Royal Highlanders of Montreal and of the Royal
+Montreal Regiment, unavoidably left behind when the main body retired.
+What befell these devoted fellows in St. Julien we shall probably never
+know, but as the crack of their rifles did not cease for a long time, we
+may rest assured that they fought and died as worthy sons of Canada.
+
+The success of the Germans in capturing St. Julien threatened a new and
+dangerous attack by the enemy. In order to check it a British brigade
+was ordered to advance. The thrust was made through the Canadian left
+and centre, and as the troops went forward, many of them going to
+certain death, they broke out into loud cheers for Canada. There was no
+man in the British army who was not filled with admiration for the
+Canadians that day. The advance was very costly, but it succeeded. For a
+time the Germans were checked.
+
+Now let us see how the 2nd Brigade fared. At five o'clock on Thursday it
+was still holding the whole of its original line of trenches. Now that
+the 3rd Brigade had retired, General Curry, who was in command, had to
+do as General Turner had done--that is, throw back his left flank to
+protect his rear. It is the glory of the 2nd Brigade that they never
+lost their trenches. They hung on from Thursday at five o'clock until
+Sunday afternoon. Then there were no trenches left; they had been wiped
+out by the German shell fire. General Curry withdrew his unbroken and
+undefeated troops from the tumbled heaps of earth and sand-bags, but not
+before many a deed of heroism had been done.
+
+At Grafenstafel, the extreme north-eastern point of the Ypres salient,
+the position was held by the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, under
+Lieutenant-Colonel Lipsett. His battalion had been driven from its
+trenches by gas early on Friday morning, but in three-quarters of an
+hour it had recovered itself and retaken its old quarters. When the 3rd
+Brigade retired, as described above, a gap was left, through which the
+Germans strove desperately to force their way. Had they done so they
+would have been in the rear of the 28th Division, and the whole eastern
+section would have been in perilous plight. Colonel Lipsett, however,
+held on to this key to Ypres, though his left was "in the air," and kept
+the Germans out of the gap until the arrival of two British regiments.
+It is said that Lieutenant Bellew, a machine-gun officer of the 7th,
+stuck a loaf on his bayonet and hoisted it upon the parapet in defiance,
+while he worked his gun. It was smashed to pieces, but he afterwards
+continued the fire with relays of rifles. On Sunday evening the 2nd
+Brigade was relieved for much-needed rest. The 3rd Brigade had been
+relieved on the previous night.
+
+Monday morning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line.
+
+[Illustration: The Fight in the Wood by Moonlight. Canadian Scottish and
+the 10th Infantry recapture lost guns at the point of the bayonet.
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+"Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed, cheering,
+yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. . . . Pressing on into the wood
+itself, the struggle became a dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought
+in clumps and batches, and the living struggled over the bodies of the
+dead and dying. At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily
+driving the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight." (See
+pages 194, 196.)]
+
+Monday morning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line. So the 2nd
+Brigade, now less than a thousand strong, was ordered back. "The men are
+tired," said General Curry, "but they are ready and glad to go again to
+the trenches." They had to cross a zone of shell fire in daylight before
+they regained their old position, and this was no easy task for men who
+had lived through such shattering days. They held the trenches all day
+on Monday; on Tuesday they were withdrawn to reserve trenches, and on
+Wednesday were relieved, and retired to billets in the rear.
+
+In this account of a great and glorious feat of arms I have confined
+myself to the work of the infantry. A word must be said as to the
+behaviour of the other units. The signallers proved themselves cool and
+resourceful. During the fierce bombardment the telegraph and telephone
+wires were constantly cut, and in carrying out the repairs many brave
+men lost their lives. The dispatch carriers, as usual, showed the utmost
+bravery. One of them, sore wounded, gasped out his message to a passing
+officer before swooning away. The artillery never flagged, and not a
+single Canadian gun was lost in the long and confused battle. On one
+occasion the gunners of a battery were compelled to swing two of their
+guns round, and to fire on the foe in front and in the rear at the same
+time. Canadian engineers and the medical corps also played a devoted
+part, and are entitled to share with their comrades of all arms in the
+glory of a great achievement.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So ended the great ordeal of the Canadians in the Second Battle of
+Ypres. When the story of their glorious courage and endurance was
+flashed across the sea, Britons everywhere throughout the wide Empire
+were thrilled with pride. Consider for a moment what they had done. They
+had stemmed the onrush of an enemy which outnumbered them by four to
+one, and they had done it in spite of the deadly poison gas that choked
+and blinded and stupefied them. They had no heavy artillery to assist
+them; they were without reinforcements; they were unceasingly assailed;
+they held on for days and nights of incessant struggle and anxiety; yet
+so undismayed were they that they could counter-attack with fiery
+courage. And when, after enduring such trials, they were called from a
+brief rest to re-enter the zone of death, they were glad to return. Sir
+John French confessed that "by their gallantry and determination they
+had undoubtedly saved the situation." While the British Empire can boast
+such men, its future and its fame are secure.
+
+Messages of congratulation were showered upon the gallant fellows. Here
+is the King's message, which was sent to the Duke of Connaught as
+representing Canada:--
+
+    "Congratulate you most warmly on the splendid and gallant way in
+    which the Canadian Division fought during the last few days
+    north of Ypres. Sir John French says their conduct was
+    magnificent. The Dominion will be justly proud.--George."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Great was the price of victory. Three battalion officers died--Colonel
+Birchall of the 4th, Colonel M'Harg of the 7th, and Colonel Boyle of the
+10th. Only ten officers of the 5th Battalion survived; only five were
+left alive in the 7th, only seven in the 8th, and eight in the 10th.
+When the long fight was over the machine gunners of the 13th Battalion
+only mustered thirteen out of fifty-eight, and there was but a single
+survivor of those attached to the 7th Battalion. Up to 2nd May the
+Canadian Division had lost in killed, wounded, and missing 252 officers
+and 6,332 men. When the tale of losses was unfolded there were many
+bleeding hearts in Canada; but mingled with the grief there was a
+sorrowful pride, and even those who had lost their dearest and best were
+as resolute as ever to continue the struggle to a triumphant end.
+
+"The graveyard of Canada in Flanders is large. It is very large. Those
+who lie there have left their mortal remains on alien soil. To Canada
+they have bequeathed their memories and their glory."
+
+  "On Fame's eternal camping-ground
+     Their silent tents are spread,
+   And glory guards with solemn round
+     The bivouac of the dead."
+
+[Illustration: The Charge of the 4th Canadian Battalion.
+
+(_From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a particularly
+withering fire. For a moment--not more--it wavered. Its most gallant
+commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Birchall, carrying, after an old
+fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the
+very moment when his example had infected them, fell dead at the head of
+his battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward as if to
+avenge his death. . . . After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German
+who resisted was bayoneted, and the trench was won."]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+  DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.--I.
+
+
+I have told you in the form of a continuous story how the Canadians
+saved the day. In doing so I have had to keep your attention fixed on
+that part of the British line extending from Grafenstafel to the little
+wood where the Canadians made their midnight charge in order to recover
+the lost guns. We have now to learn what took place on the left and
+right of the Canadian position, and to follow the fortunes of the
+long-drawn-out battle to its close.
+
+You already know that when the poison gas rolled down on the French
+trenches and drove the panic-stricken Turcos in headlong flight, a great
+breach of four miles yawned in the Allied line. By swinging back their
+left the Canadians barred a portion of this gap, but only a portion.
+From the little wood on which their left rested to the line of the Yser
+Canal there was still an undefended gap of at least two and a half
+miles. Had the Germans been prompt they could have marched through this
+gap into Ypres, almost without firing a shot. Strange to say, they were
+slow in moving, and did not push their advantage. As in the First Battle
+of Ypres, they broke our line, but could do nothing in the breach.
+
+Not until the small hours of Friday morning did the first British
+reinforcements arrive in the gap. They had been drawn chiefly from the
+28th Division, which was holding the line from Grafenstafel to Polygon
+Wood. All the battalions that could be spared from the 28th Division
+were hurried across the salient, and it was a strange mixture of units
+that held the pass between the Canadian left and the canal. As the
+fighting proceeded, this force, which was commanded by Colonel Geddes,
+altered its character from day to day and almost from hour to hour. A
+grenade company of the Northumberland Fusiliers, consisting of two
+officers and 120 men, was added to it by accident. They had been
+fighting at Hill 60, and had been eight days in the trenches. On the way
+back to join the 28th Division, to which they belonged, these grimy,
+weary, and hungry warriors fell in with Geddes's force, and promptly
+took their places in his firing line. That night they lived up to the
+fame of the old "Fighting Fifth."
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Position on the morning of Friday, April 23, 1915.]
+
+By the morning of Friday the Germans had crossed the canal south of
+Steenstraate, and were threatening that village, which was held by the
+French. Allenby's three divisions of cavalry, along with two Indian
+divisions, were being hurried up with all speed to help the French, who
+were struggling on the west of the canal. Meanwhile all along the line
+from Polygon Wood to the canal the big guns of the enemy were heavily
+shelling our lines. The fighting, as we already know, was heaviest
+against the Canadian 3rd Brigade, which had suffered great losses both
+from gas and from artillery fire. There were gaps all along our front,
+and in one place the machine guns of the enemy were behind our trenches.
+
+
+While the Canadians between the little wood and Grafenstafel were
+holding on, British battalions were being hurried up as rapidly as
+possible. You will see from the map on page 208 that the 13th Brigade
+filled the gap between the canal and the Pilkem road, and that they were
+supported by Territorials of the York and Durham Brigade, who had
+arrived in France only three days before. Between Geddes's detachment
+and the little wood lay the 10th Brigade, consisting of Territorials,
+the 1st Warwicks, 2nd Seaforths, 1st Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Dublin
+Fusiliers, and 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The Durhams and
+the 1st Hants were holding the gap between the Canadians and the 28th
+Division. Such was the condition of the northern side of the salient on
+Saturday evening when the 3rd Canadian Brigade was retired. The
+Northumbrian Division took its place.
+
+About 4.30 on Sunday morning the 10th Brigade and two battalions of the
+York and Durham Brigade made a great attempt to recapture St. Julien.
+The men reached the cottages at the end of the village, but were brought
+to a standstill by German machine guns. They lost very heavily in the
+advance, but for the rest of the day they hung on to the blood and gas
+stained position. Further east, at Grafenstafel, the Durhams were
+assailed by shells filled with gases that choked and stupefied them, and
+at two o'clock in the afternoon, before they could breathe freely again,
+the Germans charged down upon them. From two o'clock until seven the
+Durhams hurled back attack after attack, but as the evening wore on the
+pressure proved too great, and they were forced to retire with heavy
+losses to the little village of Fortuin. A similar attempt was made on
+the 28th Division, but without success. When night fell, our front was
+unbroken on the east as far north as Grafenstafel. That Sunday night,
+you will remember, the Canadian 2nd Brigade was retired only to be
+called up again the next day. Its place was taken by the Lahore Division
+of Indians.
+
+Monday, 26th April, was a day of furious fighting and constant anxiety.
+The salient was greatly narrowed now, and our men were shelled on three
+sides. The Germans were making a curtain of fire behind our lines in
+order that no reinforcements could be brought up. Another fierce attack
+was made on the Durhams, who were compelled to fall back behind a little
+stream to the south of Fortuin, where they stood fast until the end of
+the day. Shortly after ten in the morning the Northumbrians and the
+Indians made another desperate attempt to recapture St. Julien. It fared
+ill. The Northumbrians were held up by wire, and were shot down in
+droves. The Brigadier was killed; 42 officers and some 1,900 men fell.
+Neither the Northumbrians nor the Indians could pierce the curtain of
+fire. The 40th Pathans, known in India as the "Forty Thieves," lost
+their colonel and nearly all their British officers. The famous 57th
+Wilde's Rifles made a most heroic advance, and though shells of all
+kinds fell thick and fast amongst them and their numbers were greatly
+reduced, the survivors managed to get within eighty yards of the German
+trenches, where they dug themselves in. When Captain Banks fell, his
+Sikh orderly, though weak from loss of blood, picked up his body and
+staggered with it to the rear until he fell exhausted.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+The position on the evening of Saturday, April 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+  DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.--II.
+
+
+The Germans now opened the nozzles of the gas tubes in front of their
+trenches and sent a cloud of poisonous vapour against the Indians. The
+wretched victims suffered horribly, and the survivors had to retire
+through the deadly gas amidst bursting shells and the incessant fire of
+machine guns and rifles. It was during this retirement that Jemadar Mir
+Dast won the Victoria Cross, as you will read later.
+
+That night the northern side of the salient fell back. Fighting still
+went on; there were attacks and counter-attacks without number, and the
+Germans ceaselessly shelled our front. By this time there were many
+Territorial regiments holding the northern face of the salient, and
+right gallantly did they behave. The salient was now an oblong of so
+awkward a shape that the front had to be shortened. "The old Ypres
+salient was such a silly thing;" it had always been a danger, and now it
+was more perilous than ever. Accordingly, preparations were made to
+withdraw the whole line until the salient became an easy curve, with its
+outer line three miles from Ypres.
+
+Before, however, this could be done, the Germans made another gas
+attack, both against the French on the Ypres Canal and against our
+troops lying behind Fortuin. The French were ready for it, and their
+75's took a terrible toll of the enemy. Our men were also ready for it:
+they were now provided with respirators--not yet of the best pattern,
+but good enough to save them from the worst effects of the gas. The 12th
+Brigade suffered most, and was obliged to give way a little. The 2nd
+Seaforths and the 10th Brigade did not move at all. The Seaforths'
+doctor, Lieutenant Jones, behaved with wonderful courage; although badly
+"gassed," he stuck to his work for two whole days. One Territorial
+battalion--the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders--actually charged
+through the gas and captured a German trench.
+
+Many other striking deeds of valour were done on that day. A huge shell
+fell into a trench held by the 1st Rifle Brigade and buried Captain
+Ralston alive. He was dug out only to be hit by the fragment of a shell,
+and by this time there were only three men left in the trench. Though
+shell after shell continued to drop into it, the four men still fought
+on until their rifles were too hot to hold. They snatched up the weapons
+of the dead and took the full cartridge clips from the bodies of the
+slain, and by so doing managed to keep up such a continuous fire that
+the Germans believed the trench to be held by a full company. Ralston
+and his men ran up and down the trench, stumbling over sand-bags,
+tripping over heaps of blown-in earth, and falling over their dead
+comrades. They fired first from one point and then from another, and in
+this way "bluffed" the Germans and held the trench until nightfall, when
+reinforcements came up. Three men and one officer had baffled swarms of
+Germans!
+
+Later on we shall read how Private Lynn, of the 2nd Lancashire
+Fusiliers, won the Victoria Cross by keeping his gun in action while
+enveloped in the deadly gas. I could fill many pages with stories of men
+who did miracles of heroism during this awful time.
+
+On 3rd May we shortened our line. The 12th Brigade at the pivot held
+fast. During the night, while picked riflemen from each company fired on
+the enemy, battalions were withdrawn piecemeal, in perfect order, and
+with no losses. You can form some idea of the skill with which this
+retirement was conducted when I tell you that in some places our
+trenches were within ten yards of those of the enemy. All the wounded,
+except a few who were too far gone to be moved, were safely carried to
+the rear, and in this merciful work the R.A.M.C. covered itself with
+glory. Long lines of stretcher-bearers bore the stricken men, swiftly
+and silently, from cellars and dug-outs, along the dark roads until they
+were out of danger from shell fire. Some 780 of them were thus carried
+into safety, and not one of them was lost.
+
+[Illustration: "All that was left of them."
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+When the wearied Canadians appeared on the outskirts of Ypres after
+their heroic struggle, their British comrades in the town turned out in
+crowds, lined the streets, and cheered and cheered again. The pipers of
+a Highland regiment put themselves at the head of the Canadian Scottish,
+and amidst scenes of great enthusiasm played them through the streets
+into camp.]
+
+Many of our men were reluctant to leave their trenches, especially those
+on which they had spent much time and labour. One man solemnly cleaned
+and swept his dug-out before saying good-bye to it. In one trench held
+by a score of picked shots belonging to the 2nd Cheshires, one man did
+not receive the order to retire. For a whole hour he remained and
+continued to fire--one man against the whole army of Wurtemberg! At last
+he discovered that he was alone, and then, and only then, did he follow
+his comrades. Not until the early morning of the 4th did the Germans
+know that we had retired. For hours before they had been busy shelling
+our empty trenches.
+
+The map on page 213 shows you how the new line ran. You will notice that
+it was much easier to hold than the old salient, which had been
+hopelessly knocked out of shape. The Germans now began to batter at the
+new line, and especially at the portion between the pivot and the
+Ypres-Menin road. On the 8th they attacked furiously, and though some of
+our battalions fought almost to the last man, the centre was all but
+driven in. The 1st Welsh, however, refused to budge. They sent message
+after message back that they were holding a hot corner, but that they
+were very comfortable and could "stick it" as long as was necessary. No
+fewer than 900 shells were flung into the trenches of the 9th Argyll and
+Sutherland Highlanders, but the men did not yield a single inch. On that
+day they lost Colonel James Clark, their well-beloved leader, who in
+days of peace was Chairman of the Edinburgh School Board.
+
+It was now time to withdraw the 28th Division. It had fought without a
+pause from 22nd April to 12th May, and had suffered almost as severely
+as the famous 7th Division at the First Battle of Ypres. Cavalry
+divisions took over its trenches, and the weary and much-battered
+survivors went into billets for greatly-needed rest. Still the fierce
+contest continued. The cavalry were terribly assailed, and on 13th May
+the artillery fire was so deadly that the 7th Brigade, lying to the
+north of the lake which you see on our eastern front, had to fall back,
+leaving an ugly rent in the line. Troops were hurried up to fill the
+gap, and at 2.30 the 8th Brigade, assisted by armoured motor cars, made
+a charge that will go down to history. The dismounted cavalrymen
+advanced as if on parade; they swept forward, utterly regardless of
+death, and won back the lost ground. But no soldiers that ever wore
+uniform could have held on to the position in face of the awful fire of
+the German guns. Our men did all that men could do, but they had to
+retire; and when the muster roll was read, the regiments which had taken
+part in this glorious but unavailing charge were found to be but shadows
+of their former strength.
+
+[Illustration: Second Battle of Ypres.
+
+Sketch showing the shortening of the line on May 3, 1915.]
+
+The infantry on our left were also fiercely attacked, but they managed
+to hold their ground. The Territorial battalions on this part of our
+front fought like veterans. Sergeant Douglas Belcher, with six men,
+repeated the exploit of Captain Ralston, and nobly won the Victoria
+Cross for saving the flank of his division (see page 218). The 2nd Essex
+cleared the Germans out of Shell-trap Farm at the point of the bayonet,
+and held on to the ruins all day. Like the Welsh, they were quite
+cheerful under their ordeal, and one of them swam to and fro across the
+moat carrying messages to headquarters.
+
+[Illustration: The Northumberland Fusiliers (the Fighting Fifth) beating
+off a German Attack.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+"It was in the early hours of morning that the Germans began to attack
+us in force. They battered our entanglements and our trench breastwork
+for some time, and part of the entanglements was actually blown across
+the trenches. Fortunately, we were able to meet them with steady and
+continuous rifle fire, and stopped the rush. . . . . In some cases the
+Germans were so bunched together that our men simply fired into the
+brown, it being impossible to miss them at such close range."]
+
+The great battle was now ebbing away into a series of lesser
+engagements. As we shall learn later, the Allies had begun to make a
+big thrust near Festubert and towards Lens. The Germans had been obliged
+to send some of their heavy guns to the south, and the artillery fire on
+the Ypres salient consequently slackened. But before the battle ended
+the Germans made one more attempt--and this the most terrible of all--to
+shatter our lines. Again they used the foul weapon by which they had won
+ground at the outset of the struggle.
+
+On the early morning of Monday, 24th May, when the sky was cloudless and
+a light north-easterly breeze was blowing, they released gas against our
+front from Shell-trap Farm to the lake. The wind carried the poisonous
+vapour towards the south-west, and it rolled over nearly five miles of
+our trenches in a cloud which in some places was forty feet high. For
+four and a half hours the gas surged towards us. Where our men were
+quick to don their respirators, they were able to hold their ground; but
+where there was delay, they suffered horribly. After the gas came a
+violent bombardment from three points of the compass, and in various
+places our line was pushed in until three dangerous salients appeared.
+British steadfastness, however, prevailed. Except in two places, our
+lines remained intact. The 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the
+2nd Royal Irish, and the 9th Lancers lost very heavily. Amongst those
+who fell was Captain Francis Grenfell, who had already won the Victoria
+Cross for a splendid deed of pluck and coolness, which I described on
+page 88 of our second volume.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The Second Battle of Ypres was over. It was not so full of danger to us
+as the first battle, but it will be ever memorable because, for the
+first time in the warfare of civilized men, a foul and deadly weapon had
+been used. You must have noticed, in reading these pages, how the
+Germans relied on machinery to overcome us. High-explosive shells and
+poison gas--these were the weapons which they believed would give them
+victory. During the Second Battle of Ypres the German infantry made few
+serious attacks, and when they did so they were almost destroyed to a
+man. Cannot you imagine the anguish of our brave fellows assailed by gas
+and shell fire and unable to reach their foes? Many of them, goaded to
+madness, stood up on their parapets and challenged the enemy to come on.
+Some of the Germans accepted the challenge; our men cheered, and then
+swept them to earth. It was the Second Battle of Ypres which taught us
+how inferior we were to the Germans in machinery, and our bitter
+experience had much to do with the formation of the National Government
+and the setting up of a Ministry of Munitions.
+
+We lost ground in front of Ypres, and we lost tens of thousands of
+gallant men; but we had something to be proud of when the end came. We
+knew that our soldiers, man for man, were superior to the Germans, and
+we were specially proud of our Territorials--not only of the Canadians,
+but of the miners of South Wales and North England, the hinds and
+tradesmen of the Scottish Lowlands, the shepherds and gamekeepers of the
+Highlands, the clerks and tradesmen of our great cities. A few short
+months ago they had been working in the mine, the field, the factory,
+the shop, and the office, never dreaming that they would be called on to
+ply rifle and bayonet in a life-and-death struggle for all that they
+held dear. But in front of Ypres they bore themselves as though war had
+ever been their business, and they fought and died with a heroism that
+must never be forgotten. They went down into the Valley of the Shadow of
+Death, and some of them came out of it silent, weary, sick at heart; but
+no man of them felt his faith falter, and all were determined that
+never, while God gave them the strength to pull a trigger, should the
+foul foe prevail.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The beautiful little city of Ypres, famous as far back as the days of
+Chaucer, and adorned with old-time buildings that were the gift of the
+ages to the modern world, was now a heap of ruins. German guns had
+shattered it beyond repair. It resembled a city destroyed by an
+earthquake--a rubbish heap, with here and there a few gaping walls and
+shot-rent towers brooding over the desolation like gaunt skeletons.
+Never while our Empire endures--and God grant that it may be for
+aye--can Ypres and the blood-sodden meadows that lie eastward of the
+city be anything but holy ground to the British people. For ever the
+city and its neighbourhood will be sacred to the memory of our glorious
+British dead.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+  HEROES OF THE YPRES SALIENT.
+
+
+Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded for remarkable feats of courage and
+devotion during the great series of struggles known as the Second Battle
+of Ypres. You will not, I am sure, make the mistake of supposing that
+this little list comprises the names of all who wrought deeds of
+glorious valour during those days and nights of combat. Hundreds of men
+who received no mention proved themselves worthy of the honour, and many
+of those who were awarded less notable decorations fell no whit short of
+those who carried off the palm. According to custom, I shall now give
+you some account of those on whom the highest of all military honours
+was conferred.
+
+Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher, 13th Canadian Battalion.
+
+You already know that the Second Battle of Ypres was largely Canada's
+battle. It is therefore fitting that the first three heroes in our roll
+of glory should be Canadians. On 23rd April 1915, in the neighbourhood
+of St. Julien, Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher, who was in charge of a
+machine gun, went forward under heavy fire and most gallantly assisted
+in covering the retreat of a battery. Four of his crew were killed, but
+as soon as he had made up the number, he went forward to the firing line
+and engaged the enemy once more. While bringing his gun into action in
+order to cover the advance of supports, he was shot down and killed.
+Canadian boys and girls will have a warm place in their hearts for the
+hero who thus nobly fought and fell.
+
+Colour-Sergeant Frederick William Hall, 8th Canadian Battalion.
+
+On 24th April, in the neighbourhood of Ypres, Company Sergeant-Major
+Hall heard a wounded man, who was lying some fifteen yards in front of
+his trench, call out for help. A heavy enfilading fire was at that time
+raking the trench. Nevertheless, two men climbed over the parapet and
+strove to reach him. Both were shot down in the attempt, and it was
+feared that the wounded man could not be brought in. Seeing this,
+Sergeant-Major Hall went to the rescue. He reached the wounded man, and
+was just lifting him up when a bullet pierced his brain and he fell
+dead. Sergeant-Major Hall died the most glorious death that a man can
+die--he gave his life for a comrade.
+
+Captain Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger, Canadian Army Medical Service,
+14th Battalion, Royal Montreal Regiment.
+
+On the afternoon of 25th April, Captain Scrimger was in charge of an
+advanced dressing-station which had been established in some farm
+buildings near Ypres. While he was attending to the wounded, the enemy
+heavily shelled the farm, and it was clear that all his patients would
+soon be killed. Despite the heavy fire, Captain Scrimger directed the
+work of removing the wounded to a place of greater safety, and himself
+carried out of a blazing stable an officer who had been badly hit. When
+he could carry the officer no farther he remained with him while the
+shells were bursting all around, and did not leave him until help
+arrived. Nor was this the only gallant deed to Captain Scrimger's
+credit. From 22nd to 25th April he was unwearied in well-doing, and
+never relaxed his attentions to the wounded, night or day.
+
+Jemadar Mir Dast, I.O.M., attached to 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier
+Force).
+
+On page 209 I referred to the splendid courage and coolness of this
+hero, who was the fourth Indian soldier to win the Victoria Cross. You
+will remember that Wilde's Rifles made a heroic advance to within eighty
+yards of the German trenches at St. Julien, and that the survivors of
+the charge dug themselves in and maintained their position until
+dislodged by gas. Jemadar Mir Dast remained behind, and, undaunted by
+the ceaseless fire that was poured upon him, collected all the men he
+could find, amongst them many who were slowly recovering from the
+effects of the gas. He kept them under his command until they were
+ordered to retire. As he led them to the rear he picked up many men in
+the old trenches and brought them in. Later in the day, while exposed to
+very heavy fire, and himself wounded, he assisted in carrying eight
+British and Indian officers into safety. He was afterwards promoted
+Subahdar.[37]
+
+Acting-Corporal Issy Smith, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
+
+On 26th April, near Ypres, Corporal Issy Smith saw a severely wounded
+man lying far in front of his trench. Without waiting for orders, he
+clambered over the parapet, and while machine-gun and rifle bullets
+whizzed around him, pushed forward for some two hundred and fifty yards.
+He hoisted his wounded comrade on his back, and succeeded in returning
+safely with his charge to the trench. Later on he went out again and
+again to rescue the wounded, and showed the most fearless courage in
+ministering to them under fire.
+
+Corporal Issy Smith also received from the Tsar the Order of St. George,
+the Russian equivalent to our Victoria Cross. He was a Jew, and when he
+returned to London the Jewish body gave him a great welcome. His
+fellow-members of the Berner Street School Old Boys' Club presented him
+with a gold watch suitably inscribed. After receiving it Corporal Smith
+assured his "pals" that he had only done his duty, and said that any
+other man would have done the same.
+
+Private John Lynn, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.
+
+When the Germans were advancing behind their waves of poison gas,
+Private Lynn, though almost overcome by the deadly fumes, rushed to his
+machine gun without waiting to put on his respirator. Single-handed he
+kept his gun in action all the time the gas was rolling over the trench.
+When he could no longer see his foes, he moved his gun higher up the
+parapet, and poured such a stream of lead into the advancing Germans
+that they were completely checked. The gallant fellow, now gasping and
+choking from the effects of the gas, was carried to his dug-out; but
+when he learnt that the enemy was coming on again, he tried to get back
+to his gun. Twenty-four hours later he died--a victim to gas-poisoning.
+"That Lancashire lad," says a writer, "died a hundred deaths. He knew
+his risk--saw the fume-bank rolling towards him, yet fought on in the
+hideous fog, resolute still, though in the clutch of a terrible fate."
+
+Lance-Sergeant Douglas Walter Belcher, 1/5th (City of London)
+Battalion, the London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade).
+
+Lance-Sergeant Belcher was the second Territorial to receive the
+Victoria Cross. Early on the morning of 13th May he was in charge of an
+advanced breastwork, which guarded the flank of one of our divisions
+somewhere to the south-west of Fortuin. The Germans fiercely bombarded
+this breastwork, and blew it in. Nevertheless, Lance-Sergeant Belcher
+and ten men remained amidst the ruins of their position and sent back to
+their comrades who had retired the following message: "We're holding on,
+whatever happens." Belcher and his handful of "die hards" kept a close
+watch on the enemy, and as soon as they saw parties of Germans massing
+for an attack, opened a rapid and skilful fire on them. Time after time
+the parties were dispersed, and the Germans came to the conclusion that
+a whole company was opposing them. By means of this heroic "bluff" a
+large force was kept at bay for thirteen hours, and the flank of the
+line was saved. Lance-Sergeant Belcher was afterwards promoted second
+lieutenant.
+
+[Illustration: Lance-Sergeant Belcher and his Men holding a battered
+Breastwork.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The breastwork was knocked to pieces in places, and Sergeant Belcher
+determined to transfer his men to the unoccupied right wing of the work.
+Our picture shows the heroic little party at the moment when they were
+moving round the traverse. (See page 221.)]
+
+[Footnote 37: Native captain in the Indian army.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.--I.
+
+
+While the Second Battle of Ypres was raging, the French were making a
+big effort in Artois, more especially in the district between Lens and
+Arras. On page 223 you will see a map showing the main features of this
+district. Fix your attention for a moment on the high ground marked
+"N.D. de Lorette"--that is, Notre Dame de Lorette. You notice by the
+side of the name a cross; this shows the position of the church of Our
+Lady of Lorette. It stands on a bare ridge, broken by many gullies, and
+with a few coppices here and there. To the south of the ridge there is a
+broad hollow, from which rises Mont St. Eloi. Do not confound this hill
+with the St. Eloi which lies to the south of Ypres.
+
+In the early days of May the Germans were holding a sharp salient in
+this district. Their lines extended from the east of the village of
+Loos,[38] across the broad highway which you see running south to Arras,
+then across the Lorette ridge, and to the west of the two villages which
+lie to the south of it. From Carency the German lines curved sharply
+back, still covering the highroad. Upon this salient the French made a
+great onslaught, which began on 13th May, and did not end until the
+close of the month.
+
+[Illustration: The French Offensive between Arras and Lens.]
+
+The salient consists mainly of a chalky plateau full of hollows, each
+with its village or little town. The fields are hedgeless, and are cut
+across by many white roads. The ravines of the plateau and the many
+villages had been made almost impregnable by the Germans, who had set up
+all along their line numberless little forts, armed with machine guns,
+and connected by a maze of trenches. There were at least five lines of
+very strong trenches, one behind the other, in that part of their
+position which lay between Loos and the village of Ablain. It was a
+desperate task which the French now set themselves, but should it prove
+successful it would be well worth the sacrifice entailed. Further, an
+assault on the German lines in the west was now necessary. The Russians
+at this time were being driven back by a storm of artillery to which
+they could make no resistance, and General Joffre saw that something
+must be done to draw off German forces from the Eastern front if the
+Russians were not to be overwhelmed and put out of action altogether.
+His plan was as follows: the French were to try to capture Lens, and the
+British, further north, were to make a desperate push towards Lille. If
+these movements succeeded, the line of railway all along the German
+front from Lille to Soissons would be captured, and the enemy would be
+forced to retreat into Belgium.
+
+I shall tell you the story of the British assault in a later chapter. I
+will now confine myself to the French effort. On Sunday, 9th May,
+General Foch, who had brought up no less than 1,100 guns of all kinds,
+began to bombard the German trenches between the villages of Carency and
+La Targette. You will notice from the map on page 223 that these
+trenches were called "The White Works." They were so named because the
+parapets, being cut from the chalk, showed up white and clear. The
+French bombardment was the most terrible that had ever been known in
+Europe up to that time. It went on for hours, and the French 75's, which
+can fire twenty-five aimed shots a minute, seemed to be pouring out
+shells like gigantic machine guns. When the bombardment ceased the White
+Works were simply a ploughed field strewn with fragments of wire and
+human bodies. More than 300,000 shells were hurled upon them in the
+course of the day.
+
+[Footnote 38: _Loce_, about a mile to the north-west of Lens.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXX.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.--II.
+
+
+At ten in the morning of Sunday, 9th May, the infantry advanced; the
+right seized the ruins of La Targette, and pushed on to capture Neuville
+St. Vaast, which lies in a hollow to the east of it. The big church, the
+cemetery, and almost every house in the place bristled with machine
+guns, and furious fights took place inside the buildings from cellar to
+garret. Nevertheless, by noon the village was in French hands. Farther
+north the centre had swept over the torn and tumbled ground which had
+once been the White Works, had crossed the highroad, and had dug itself
+in two and a half miles to the east of the position from which it had
+started that morning. Never since the trench war began had so much
+ground been gained in a single day. The French troops in the centre were
+in the highest spirits; as they surged on they plucked sprigs of lilac
+and hawthorn and stuck them in their caps. Had the whole line been able
+to advance along with the centre, Lens would have been captured that
+day. The left, however, was held up in front of Carency, which was now
+being bombarded. When night fell three lines of German trenches had been
+won, 3,000 prisoners had been taken, and 10 field guns and 50 machine
+guns had been captured.
+
+[Illustration: A French Bayonet Charge in the "Labyrinth."
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+In the left background is seen the cemetery of Neuville St. Vaast,
+through the walls of which French troops are seen advancing towards the
+Labyrinth. Our illustration shows the fighting reported by the French on
+June 6. At Neuville St. Vaast, said the report, we captured several
+houses, and drew closer to a redoubt on the north-west and occupied the
+communication trench which leads to it. We captured new trenches in the
+centre and in the south of the Labyrinth, and advanced a hundred yards.
+In this great work the struggle has continued without ceasing for eight
+days, and we now hold two-thirds of it.]
+
+Next day the French were hard at it again. They pushed on to the
+outskirts of Loos, attacked the church on the Lorette ridge, took
+trenches to the south of it, seized the cemetery at Neuville, and beat
+off the German reserves which had been hurried up in motor cars.
+Everywhere the fighting was most desperate, for the Germans had turned
+every possible place into a little fort, and each of them had to be
+carried by storm. By Wednesday, 12th May, the Germans in Carency were
+surrounded. More than 20,000 shells had been hurled into the village,
+and 2,000 Germans were obliged to hold up their hands. Meanwhile the
+summit of the Lorette ridge had been carried, and only two or three
+strongholds on this high ground held out. The Germans at once rained
+shells on the ridge, and the ghastly scenes of Hill 60 were repeated.
+The French, however, clung to their trenches; nothing could move them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+On the 13th, amidst drenching rain, and in teeth of a bitter north wind,
+they returned to the assault. They had broken the German line; but their
+work was by no means done, for though the trenches had been carried, the
+German forts all along the front still held out, and each of them had to
+be besieged. The strongest position of all lay to the south of Neuville,
+and was known as the Labyrinth.[39] It was a wonderful network of
+trenches and redoubts, tunnels and roofed-in pits; it covered two square
+miles, and was so situated that the long-range fire of the French
+artillery could not get at it. Probably never before had such a
+stronghold been constructed. It was a cunning maze, furnished with every
+death-dealing device known to the science of war. It contained engines
+for making poison gas, machines for throwing liquid fire, scores of
+small fortresses, and underground passages which enabled the defenders
+to get to the rear of the attackers. In the background an enormous
+collection of big guns was in position, ready to sweep away any troops
+advancing upon it. Such was the Labyrinth which the French were
+attacking. They could not proceed until it was captured, for, as you
+will observe from the map on page 223, it enfiladed their advance.
+
+By the end of May good progress had been made in clearing the Labyrinth.
+The German salient had gone, the French line had been straightened out,
+and Lens was closely beset.
+
+An officer gives us a vivid picture of the struggle in the Labyrinth,
+which was not captured till towards the end of September:--
+
+    "The war of trenches is nothing compared with the struggle of
+    the burrows. Picture to yourselves narrow galleries, feebly
+    lighted by flickering oil lamps, in which the foes are separated
+    only by sand-bags, which they keep pushing against each other.
+    As soon as an opening shows, a terrific hand-to-hand fight
+    begins, in which grenades and the bayonet are the only arms
+    possible. Sometimes the Germans take to knives and revolvers,
+    and one day they even began throwing burning liquids; but in
+    spite of these cowardly tricks, our men always had the best of
+    it. They fought with clubbed rifles and fists when required, and
+    their courage was never shaken, as the Germans soon saw. . . .
+
+    "The passages in which we were advancing were 18 feet deep, and
+    often 24 feet and more. The water was sweating through in all
+    directions, and the sickly smell was unbearable. Imagine, too,
+    that for three weeks we were not able to get rid of the dead
+    bodies, amongst which we had to live night and day! One burrow,
+    120 feet long, took us thirteen days of ceaseless fighting to
+    conquer entirely. The Germans had placed barricades, trap doors,
+    and traps of all kinds in it. When we stumbled we ran the risk
+    of being pierced by bayonets hidden in holes lightly covered
+    with earth. And all this went on in almost complete darkness. We
+    had to use pocket electric lamps and advance with the utmost
+    caution."
+
+The first stage of the Battle of Artois may be said to have ended with
+the capture of Neuville St. Vaast on 8th June. The French had done
+splendidly, though they had not yet won a decisive success. The German
+losses during the terrible month of May cannot have been less than
+60,000, and the French had suffered almost as severely. They had
+advanced with but few casualties; it was in the hand-to-hand fighting in
+the villages and against the forts that so many of their men fell. The
+victory was due largely to the French artillery, but the infantry did
+more than its fair share. It had shown itself as full of fiery courage
+and dashing bravery as in the great days of Napoleon.
+
+[Footnote 39: According to the old classical story, there was in Crete a
+building constructed for King Minos, in which dwelt the terrible beast
+known as the Minotaur. This building, which was known as the Labyrinth,
+contained many winding passages, arranged in such a fashion that a way
+out was most difficult to find.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF FESTUBERT.
+
+
+Suppose for a moment that, in the first week of May, a British soldier
+in the captured village of Neuve Chapelle is looking towards the German
+lines. Away to the north-east he sees a long ridge crowned by the
+village of Aubers. He gazes upon this ridge with eyes of desire, and
+recalls the many determined but, so far, fruitless efforts which the
+British army has made to capture it. He remembers that, as far back as
+October 17, 1914, the red-roofed village in the distance was in British
+hands, and that two days later the 2nd Royal Irish, by storming the
+hamlet of Le Pilly,[40] attained our "farthest east." But our grasp of
+the ridge was very feeble; it could not be held, and by mid-November we
+had fallen back behind the ruins amidst which our soldier now stands.
+The coveted position was as far off as ever.
+
+Fresh in his memory is that terrible day in the second week of March
+1915, when he raced through the streets of Neuve Chapelle full of hope
+that the goal would be reached before nightfall. Alas! he and his
+fellows were again doomed to disappointment. The Aubers ridge, so near
+and yet so far, was still beyond our grasp. And now the rumour reaches
+his ears that another big effort is to be made. The French are striving
+south of the canal to carry Lens,[41] and we are to attack for the
+double purpose of preventing the enemy from sending reinforcements to
+the south, and of reaching the ridge if possible. Once we are securely
+established on it the flat plain to the eastward will be commanded by
+our guns, and La Bass�e and Lille will soon know the German no more.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look at this map and find the wood of Biez, which, you will remember,
+figured largely in the fighting around Neuve Chapelle. To the east of
+the wood you will see a road which skirts the ridge for a mile and a
+half and then climbs it to pass through the villages of Aubers and
+Fromelles. We were now about to make a thrust through the wood and
+through Fromelles, in the hope of reaching the ridge. On the morning of
+Sunday, 9th May, the 8th Division advanced against the village, and at
+the same time the 1st Corps and the Indians began to push through the
+wood. The attacks were preceded by the usual bombardment. Our
+high-explosive shells wrecked the first line trenches of the enemy, but
+unhappily did not do sufficient damage to the second line, and our men
+found themselves up against unbroken wire and unbreached parapets. Some
+ground was gained, but it could not be held, and by the evening we had
+made but little progress. Many fine deeds of heroism were done during
+the fierce fighting of the day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+On the left the 24th and 25th Brigades behaved most gallantly, and a
+Territorial battalion, the 13th (Kensington) of the London Regiment,
+performed a feat which won high and well-deserved praise from Sir John
+French. The Kensington men carried three lines of German trenches with
+the bayonet, and held on to them until the German artillery fire became
+so intense that flesh and blood could no longer endure it. When they
+fell back they had but four company officers left.
+
+Sir Douglas Haig now recognized that the attack against the Biez Wood
+and Fromelles had failed. Nothing daunted, he now proposed to make
+another attempt to win the Aubers ridge, this time from positions
+between Neuve Chapelle and Givenchy. On the map (p. 231) you will see
+Festubert, which is less than a mile to the north of Givenchy. From
+Festubert, and from the points to the north of it marked A and B, three
+attacks were to be made. The Indians and part of the 2nd Division were
+to push forward from A; the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division was to
+advance from B; the 22nd Brigade of the same division, from Festubert.
+In front of our positions, across the wet fields, the Germans lay in
+three lines of trenches, all of which would have to be carried before
+the Aubers ridge could be reached.
+
+All day Saturday, 15th May, British troops were pouring into the
+trenches, and the Germans guessed what was afoot. During the afternoon
+they frequently shouted, "Come on; we are ready!" In the late afternoon
+Sir John French rode along the line greeting his men with inspiring
+words, and wishing them good luck in the coming struggle. A heavy
+bombardment of the German front had been going on for some days. Now it
+grew heavier, and shortly before midnight on Saturday evening, 15th May,
+the order to assault was given.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+As our men at A left their trenches the sky was lit up by the white
+glare of German flares and searchlights. The Indians soon found
+themselves checked by the fire of many machine guns installed in a group
+of farms which the Germans had turned into little fortresses. The 2nd
+Division, however, carried the first line trenches opposite to them, and
+broke into the second line. By daybreak five or six hundred yards of the
+first two lines of the enemy's trenches were in our hands. All day
+Sunday the big guns of the enemy fiercely bombarded these trenches, and
+created a zone of fire behind them. Nevertheless many heroes carrying
+supplies of ammunition and bombs crossed the three hundred yards which
+separated them from their comrades. Shells burst around them; the whole
+space was swept by machine-gun fire, and a man had to risk his life a
+hundred times before he could get through.
+
+Ammunition parties of the "A" Company of the 1st King's (Liverpool),
+under Lieutenants Hutchison and Roberts, succeeded in this perilous
+work, though their casualties were very heavy. Lance-Corporal Tombs of
+the same regiment displayed wonderful heroism in rescuing the wounded,
+lying out in the open, and was afterwards awarded the Victoria Cross. On
+the 17th Lieutenant Hutchison led a party of bombers along a trench,
+partly held by us and partly by the Germans. So skilfully was this work
+accomplished that 200 Germans were forced to surrender, and 200 others
+were driven pell-mell down their communication trench. For this fine
+exploit Lieutenant Hutchison was awarded the Military Cross.
+
+The attack in the centre made good headway. Though checked by a flanking
+fire, the 20th Brigade pushed on, and when reinforced reached the
+outskirts of the hamlet marked C, where it broke into the second line
+trenches. Late on Sunday evening the 1st Grenadiers were brought up, and
+their bombing attacks were successful in driving many Germans from their
+lairs. One company of the 2nd Scots Guards on this part of the line
+advanced too far ahead, and was cut off. Like the Canadians at St.
+Julien, the trapped Guards fought to the last man. When we took the
+ground a few days later the gallant fellows were found lying stiff and
+cold, with the enemy's dead thick around them.
+
+The movement from Festubert was still more successful. The trenches
+against which the attack was launched formed a perfect maze; yet an
+advance of more than a mile was made. The 1st Welsh Fusiliers swarmed
+over the German parapets with real Celtic ardour, and drove the enemy
+down a long communication trench into an orchard. Company Sergeant-Major
+Barter of this regiment called for volunteers, and he and his eight
+devoted companions did miracles of heroism in the German second line.
+They cleared five hundred yards of trench, discovered and cut the leads
+of eleven mines, and captured three officers and 102 men. Sergeant-Major
+Barter afterwards received the Victoria Cross.
+
+Next day rain fell heavily, but the struggle in the trenches still
+continued. On this day a terrible scene was witnessed at a point between
+A and C. The remnant of a battalion of Saxons proposed to surrender. As
+they advanced towards our line they waved a white flag tied to a stick.
+At once their comrades opened rifle fire on them, and the guns behind
+dropped shells among them. In a few moments the Saxons were destroyed
+almost to a man.
+
+In the evening the 21st Brigade on the right made another advance, in
+the course of which a Territorial battalion, the 4th Cameron
+Highlanders, recruited mainly from Inverness-shire, Skye, and the misty
+Hebrides, pushed on far before their comrades. Under heavy fire, they
+advanced over country liberally seamed with ditches, one of which was so
+deep and wide that most of the men had to swim across it. The third
+company reached the back end of a German communication trench; but being
+without bombs, and having almost wholly used up its cartridges, was soon
+in desperate straits. About midnight these gallant fellows were
+reinforced by two platoons; but as they had no machine guns, and as the
+Germans were fast closing in on both sides of them, and they were "in
+the air," they were ordered to retire. In the small hours of the morning
+they made their way back through a heavy rain of shells, and by the time
+that the weary, mud-stained battalion had regained the British position
+it had been reduced to half its strength.
+
+[Illustration: Playing their Comrades up to the Germans: the Pipers of
+the Black Watch at Richebourg.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+During the general advance in May the Black Watch suffered very heavily.
+They assaulted the German trenches a few miles east of Richebourg (point
+A on the map, page 231). Their first charge in the morning only reached
+the German wire, and they fell in swathes under the merciless
+machine-gun fire of the enemy. During the afternoon other companies of
+the Black Watch dashed up, and by a brilliant charge captured the
+trenches which had defied them in the morning. It was during this charge
+that the pipers showed wonderful courage. The two pipers of each company
+played their comrades right up to the Germans. The skirl of their pipes
+was heard above the din and crash of Maxims, rifles, and bursting
+shrapnel. The lads of "brown heath and shaggy wood" rushed on to victory
+with the pibroch of their sires ringing in their ears.]
+
+Still the fight went on. The Canadians, who had recovered from their
+terrible ordeal on the Ypres salient, were now sent up to relieve the
+two brigades of the 7th Division. On the afternoon of 18th May two
+companies of the 16th (Canadian Scottish) were ordered to advance on the
+hamlet at C, to the north-west of the orchard already mentioned. One
+company made a frontal attack, and the other proceeded along the
+communication trench which had been won by the Welsh Fusiliers. The
+advance was partly successful, and the companies dug in five hundred
+yards in front of the starting point.
+
+On the night of the 20th an attack was made on the orchard itself.
+During the afternoon the little enclosure was heavily bombarded, and at
+7.45, when the artillery fire ceased, the Canadians climbed over their
+parapets and dashed forward. The advance was made in broad daylight, and
+a torrent of fire beat down upon them. At the edge of the orchard they
+discovered a deep ditch full of water, with a wired hedge on the other
+side. Without pause, the men plunged into the water, and, scrambling up
+the bank, pushed through gaps in the hedges and swarmed into the
+orchard. On the far side there were many Germans, but they fled as the
+Canadians charged. Before long the orchard was in British hands.
+
+Early on the 20th the 10th Canadian battalion made a gallant but
+unavailing attempt to seize a very strong German position known as
+Bexhill. The approach to it was defended by a redoubt strongly held with
+machine guns. On the evening of the next day the Canadians returned to
+the attack, but it was not until the early morning of the 24th that the
+redoubt was captured. Five hundred men of the 5th Brigade, along with
+100 men of the 7th (British Columbia) Battalion, made an advance in the
+bright moonlight across a ditch which had been previously bridged, and
+by four in the morning were in possession of the stronghold. Two hours
+later Bexhill itself was won, and the victors received orders to "dig in
+and hang on." They did so, in spite of three very fierce
+counter-attacks.
+
+It was now clear that we could make no further headway without more guns
+and more shells than we then possessed. We were meeting with the same
+difficulty that had beset the French in Artois. The German lines broke
+up into a series of little fortresses, each of which could only be
+captured by a separate assault. It was the Battle of Festubert which
+brought home to the British people the absolute necessity for providing
+the army with more and more big guns and an almost unending stream of
+munitions. Our losses were very heavy, and they would have been greatly
+reduced had our artillery been more numerous and better supplied. Less
+than three weeks after the close of the battle the Government appointed
+a Minister of Munitions.
+
+The battle came to an end on the 26th, about the same time that the
+fierce struggle on the Ypres salient died down. The results were summed
+up by Sir John French as follows: "Since 16th May the First Army has
+pierced the enemy's lines on a total front of four miles. The entire
+first line system of trenches has been captured on a front of 3,200
+yards, and on the remaining portion the first and second lines of
+trenches are in our possession." During the fighting we captured 8
+officers, 777 men, 10 machine guns, and a considerable amount of war
+material.
+
+[Footnote 40: See Vol. III., p. 61.]
+
+[Footnote 41: See Chap. XXX.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+  THE HEROISMS OF FESTUBERT.
+
+
+In the great struggle for the trenches which I described in the former
+chapter there was plentiful opportunity for our men to do deeds of
+individual daring. The fighting was at close quarters, and often men
+were engaged in hand-to-hand struggles. I could fill a volume of this
+work with the heroisms of Festubert alone. Let me tell you a few of the
+many gallant deeds done in the ten days of the battle.
+
+I have already mentioned the exploit of Company Sergeant-Major Barter
+and his eight comrades. One of the men who joined his party was known as
+Private Hardy. While the bombing of the German second line trenches was
+going on, Hardy did splendid work, but was hit in the right arm, and
+fell fainting to the ground. His wound was dressed, and he recovered. As
+soon as he was on his feet again he cried, "Luckily, I am left-handed,"
+and ran off to rejoin Barter. With his left hand he flung grenade after
+grenade; but the white bandage on his arm made him a good mark for the
+German sharpshooters, and he fell with a bullet through his head. Now
+comes the astonishing part of the story. Soon after the war broke out,
+Captain H. S. Smart of the 53rd Sikhs was granted short leave, and
+returned to England. He overstayed his leave, and disappeared. All
+inquiries failed to trace him, and his name was removed from the Army
+List. After the death of Private Hardy it was discovered that the
+dauntless man was none other than the missing Captain Smart. He had so
+longed to fight in France that he had deserted the Indian army, and had
+joined the 2nd Battalion of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment as a
+private. When the story became known the King ordered the hero's name to
+be restored to the Army List with full honours.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the fighting in the Festubert district one of our officers was
+seen lying out on our front wounded. He was on the lip of a mine crater,
+where he was hidden from the Germans. Our people could see him, and when
+he gave signs of life they determined to bring him in. Under cover of
+the fire of our snipers, a non-commissioned officer crawled out with a
+rope, which he made fast to the wounded officer, who then crawled or was
+gradually dragged into our trench, _his rescuer staying behind in his
+place_! This noble fellow was continually bombed, but at last he, too,
+was able to crawl back to safety.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Sir Max Aitken tells us that the Canadian artillery, shortly after the
+affair at the orchard, played a very effective trick on the Germans.
+They opened fire on the enemy's trenches, and meanwhile the infantry
+made a great show of fixing bayonets, rigging up trench ladders, and
+blowing whistles, just as though they meant to attack as soon as the
+bombardment was over. The Germans, according to their custom, promptly
+retired to their support trenches and prepared to shoot down the
+Canadians as they advanced. As soon as the Germans were in the support
+trenches, the gunners lifted their sights and began shelling them;
+whereupon the Germans rushed back to the front trenches. Still there was
+no infantry attack. When the front trenches were full once more the
+Canadian gunners shortened their range, and the full blast of their fire
+fell upon the crowded Germans, causing great havoc. Next day the world
+was told that the Germans had beaten off a desperate attack! The Huns in
+the trenches, however, knew better, for that evening one of them cried
+out: "Say, Sam Slick, no dirty tricks to-night!"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On the 26th Corporal Pym of the Royal Canadian Dragoons showed great
+self-sacrifice and contempt of danger in rescuing wounded men. The
+British and German lines were only sixty yards apart. An English voice
+in the narrow No-man's Land was heard calling for help, and Pym
+determined to try to bring in the sufferer. He crept out into a zone
+swept by constant rifle and machine-gun fire, and found the man, who had
+been wounded in both thigh bones, and had been lying out in the open for
+three days and nights. The poor fellow was in such torment that he could
+not bear to be dragged in. Pym, therefore, called back to the trench,
+and Sergeant Hollowell crept out towards him. Just as he reached the
+wounded man, however, he was shot dead. Pym thereupon crawled back
+across the fire-swept space, to see if he could get a stretcher; but
+when he considered the position, he decided that the ground was too
+rough for him to drag a stretcher across it. Once more, therefore, he
+recrossed the fire-zone, and at last, with the utmost difficulty,
+brought the wounded man in alive.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The heroism of Sergeant Hickey of the 4th Canadian Battalion must not go
+unrecorded. On 24th May he volunteered to go out and recover two trench
+mortars which belonged to his battalion and had been abandoned in a
+ditch the previous day. In doing so he was going to almost certain
+death. Over and over again he escaped by the narrowest shave; yet,
+nevertheless, he found the mortars and brought them in. He also
+discovered the shortest and safest route by which men could be brought
+up from the reserve trenches to the firing line. "It was a discovery,"
+says Sir Max Aitken, "which saved lives at a moment when every life was
+of the greatest value; and time and time again he guided party after
+party up the trenches by this route." Unhappily, this cheery, modest
+soldier was shot down by a stray bullet on 30th May. "And so there went
+home to the God of battles a man to whom battle had been a joy."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following Victoria Crosses were awarded for outstanding deeds of
+bravery during the Battle of Festubert:--
+
+Company Sergeant-Major Frederick Barter, Special Reserve, attached 1st
+Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
+
+You have already read a brief account of this hero's exploits. You will
+remember that on 16th May, at Festubert, with eight volunteers he
+attacked the German position with bombs, capturing 500 yards of trench,
+three German officers, and 102 men. Later on he discovered the leads of
+eleven of the enemy's mines, situated about twenty yards apart, and cut
+them. Had he not done so he and his brave comrades would have been blown
+sky-high by the touch of a button a mile away.
+
+Lieutenant John George Smyth, 15th Ludhiana[42] Sikhs, Indian army.
+
+On 18th May, at the point marked A on our map (page 231), the Sikhs were
+holding a section of German trench known as the "Glory Hole," and a
+portion of the same trench was in the hands of its original occupants.
+Next morning the Germans brought up a large number of men, and it
+appeared that they were about to make an attempt to drive out the Sikhs.
+Shortly afterwards the Germans began a heavy bombing attack, to which
+the Sikhs made a vigorous reply until noon, when their bombs gave out.
+It was then decided to send up a bombing party from the reserve
+trenches, and Lieutenant Smyth was ordered to lead forward ten men laden
+with two boxes of 96 bombs. Dropping over the parapet they wriggled
+their way through thick mud, pulling and pushing the boxes between them.
+They had to cross rough ground while bullets whizzed around them and the
+air was white with puffs of shrapnel. All the time they were in full
+view of the enemy. The little party had now been reduced to
+two--Lieutenant Smyth and Sepoy Lal Singh. After fording a stream the
+survivors reached the trench, both untouched, but with their clothes
+shot through and through by bullets. The fresh supply of bombs which
+they had thus brought up enabled the Sikhs to beat back the Germans. Sad
+to relate, Lal Singh was killed shortly after reaching the trench.
+Lieutenant Smyth was described by a _Times_ correspondent as "a short,
+ruddy, smiling officer lad, with merry gray eyes."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Lance-Corporal Joseph Tombs, 1st Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment).
+
+On 16th May, during the fighting mentioned on page 231, Tombs of his own
+accord repeatedly crawled out of his trench under very heavy shell and
+machine-gun fire and brought in wounded men. Altogether he rescued four
+of his comrades, one of whom he dragged back by means of a rifle sling
+placed round his own neck and the man's body. So severely wounded was
+the rescued man that he must have died had he not been promptly brought
+in.
+
+[Footnote 42: City and district of the Punjab ("land of five rivers"),
+North-West India.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+  THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA.
+
+
+On 25th April--six weeks and four days after our naval failure at the
+Narrows--British forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula. Before I
+relate the marvellous story of how our men gained a footing on its
+rugged shores, I must give you some idea of the nature of the country.
+On pages 248, 249 you will see a bird's-eye view of part of the
+peninsula. One glance at it shows clearly that Gallipoli is a natural
+fortress, and that it is the most unlikely bit of self-contained country
+in which any general would wish to conduct a campaign. In its
+bewildering mass of hills and ravines it resembles a portion of the
+North-West Frontier of India.
+
+The peninsula is connected with the mainland by the isthmus of Bulair,
+which is but three miles across from beach to beach. From Bulair the
+peninsula runs in a south-westerly direction for fifty-two miles, and
+near its centre broadens out to its greatest width of twelve miles. The
+shores of the northern half of the peninsula slope steeply to the Gulf
+of Xeros from a chain of hills which extend as far south as Cape Suvla.
+On this part of the coast the cliffs rise up almost from the water's
+edge, and there are no landing-places except a few gullies which are too
+narrow for military movements.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton,[43] the accomplished general who commanded our forces
+in Gallipoli, tells us that the southern half of the peninsula resembles
+a badly-worn boot with the ankle between Gaba Tepe and Maidos; beneath
+the heel lies the cluster of forts at the Narrows, while at the toe we
+find the strongholds which were reduced by the gun fire of our ships on
+25th February.
+
+At first sight the interior of the peninsula from Suvla Bay southwards
+looks like a choppy sea which has been suddenly frozen. If, however, we
+look closely at the map on page 168, we shall be able to make out three
+prominent features. Running right across the toe of the peninsula from
+sea to sea, at a distance of three and a half miles from Cape Helles, is
+a ridge which rises in its highest part to the Achi Baba peak, 591 feet
+above sea level. Big guns on this ridge command all the toe of the
+peninsula, which is hollowed out something like the bowl of a spoon, so
+that only the outer edges can be shelled directly from the sea. The
+inside of the bowl is not level, but is filled up with numerous spurs
+and gullies.
+
+Now look at the forts of the Narrows. Behind them is a plateau--the
+Kilid Bahr plateau--which rises in the peak of Pasha Dagh to a height of
+700 feet above the level of the sea, and extends westwards for about
+five miles. The Achi Baba ridge, you observe, is the buttress and
+outlying defence of this plateau on the south. To the north-west of the
+plateau you see a network of high hills with very steep sides and deep
+ravines. This is the Sari Bair mountain, which forms the buttress and
+outlying defence of the Kilid Bahr plateau on the north. Some of its
+peaks are nearly 800 feet high.
+
+I have already told you that the forts at the Narrows are the real
+defence of the Dardanelles. We had already failed to capture them by a
+naval attack. If, however, we could reach the Kilid Bahr plateau by
+land, we could attack the forts from the rear--the side on which they
+are least capable of resistance. But, as you notice, nature has made
+this plateau very difficult of access. An invader from the south must
+first carry the Achi Baba ridge before he can reach it, and if he lands
+south of Suvla Point he must fight his way across the Sari Bair.
+
+You have already gathered that the peninsula is difficult to traverse
+even in times of peace; the few dwellers on it make most of their
+journeys from point to point by water. Except in a few valleys, there
+are no cultivated fields; and save for a few cypress and olive groves,
+the whole peninsula consists of bare or scrub-covered hills and ravines
+filled with jungle. Amidst the rocks flourish many strange and beautiful
+flowers. Water is scarce, and the villages and hamlets are few and far
+between.
+
+Look again at the map on page 168, and follow the track which runs from
+Cape Helles northward through the village of Krithia and over the Achi
+Baba ridge. A branch of this track leads, as you see, across the Kilid
+Bahr plateau. On the western coast just north of Gaba Tepe you will
+observe a track which meets the track from Krithia. General Ian Hamilton
+proposed to land a force on the tip of the peninsula, and another force
+near Gaba Tepe. These forces were to fight their way forward until the
+left wing of the southern army came into touch with the right wing of
+the northern army. Then the united armies would advance on to the Kilid
+Bahr plateau, from which our big guns would be able to destroy the
+European forts at the Narrows. When these were reduced we should be in a
+position to attack the forts on the Asiatic side at short range, and if
+all went well, our ships would be able to dash through and, in the
+course of a day or two, train their guns on Constantinople.
+
+The first business was to put our troops ashore. The line of high yellow
+cliffs fringing the sea was carefully surveyed, and note was taken of
+every place where a landing was possible. A glance at the bird's-eye
+view shows you clearly that good beaches are rare. On the map (page 168)
+you will see various spots marked by capital letters round the tip of
+the peninsula. Just south of Cape Tekke, where you see the letter W,
+there is a small sandy bay, and half a mile north of it a break in the
+cliffs marked X. Three and a half miles further up the coast (Y) there
+is a scrub-covered gully, and eastwards of W there is another sandy
+beach (V), about three hundred yards across. Round the corner, still
+further eastwards, is Morto Bay, with a small beach (S) commanded by the
+guns of Kum Kale. On these beaches General Hamilton decided to land his
+southern army. The northern army was to be put ashore to the north of
+Gaba Tepe, where the sandstone cliffs recede a little from the water's
+edge.
+
+Not a single one of the beaches affords a really good landing-place.
+Almost everywhere the cliffs rise steeply from a narrow strip of shore.
+As you know, the Turks had ample notice of our invasion, and they had
+diligently and skilfully prepared for it. There were mines, barbed-wire
+entanglements, and trenches on the beaches, and along the cliff tops
+they had constructed very formidable works, in some places ten feet
+deep. There were snipers in every bush, machine guns were cunningly
+hidden in the rocks, and behind the trenches on the cliffs there were
+field guns, backed by heavy pieces on the Achi Baba ridge. To land on
+these beaches and carry the cliffs would be worse than "storming the
+Embankment out of Thames barges, with the enemy comfortably established
+with his guns on the second floor of the Savoy Hotel." The Turks
+believed the operation to be quite impossible, and indeed, according to
+all the rules, not a single invader should have left the beaches alive.
+
+For this most difficult and dangerous enterprise General Hamilton was
+supplied with a weak and somewhat motley army of 120,000 men--a force
+far inferior in numbers to that which the Turks could bring against us.
+One division of this army (the 29th) was composed of two brigades of
+regulars and a third brigade consisting of three regular battalions and
+a Territorial battalion--the 5th Royal Scots; the remainder consisted of
+two naval brigades and a brigade of marines, the Australian and New
+Zealand Division, a large number of Indian troops, and the East
+Lancashire Territorial Division, together with French marines, French
+Colonial troops, and the Foreign Legion. To oppose these three army
+corps the Turks are said to have had 275,000 troops within reach.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton's army was assembled in Egypt. By the 17th of March the
+transports were at Tenedos. Unfortunately, they were found to be wrongly
+loaded, and the bulk of them had to be sent back to Alexandria, where
+the various units were properly redistributed amongst the ships. About
+the middle of April the expedition began to arrive in the Bay of
+Mudros.[44] Part of the force was landed on the island, and the rest
+remained on board ship, where night and day, under the direction of
+naval officers, dress rehearsals of the landing took place. By the 20th
+of April all was ready, and five days later the great adventure began.
+
+[Footnote 43: Born 1853. He had for forty years served with distinction
+in every British war, and had been present with the Japanese in
+Manchuria. He was an excellent writer and something of a poet. Since
+1910 he had been Inspector of Oversea Forces.]
+
+[Footnote 44: In the Turkish island of Lemnos, one of the largest
+islands in the �gean Sea. It is about sixty miles as the aeroplane flies
+from Gaba Tepe.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIV.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF THE LANDING.
+
+
+You are now to imagine yourself wrapped in the invisible cloak of the
+fairies, and able to move over land and sea, where you will, with the
+speed of thought. Thus magically endowed, you will be able to flit to
+and fro, and witness one of the most remarkable invasions known to
+history.
+
+Dusk is falling on the evening of 23rd April, and you are hovering over
+the Lemnian harbour of Mudros. The haven is as crowded as the port of
+Liverpool. In the dim light you see a huge fleet of grim, gray warships
+of all classes, from the mighty _Queen Elizabeth_ down to the little
+puffing launches that speed from ship to ship. You also notice many
+great transports, grimy colliers, mine-sweepers, and trawlers. As you
+watch, a large number of the warships, transports, and mine-sweepers
+cast off and move out of the harbour. Their lights disappear in the
+distance. They are off to Tenedos, where they will embark the troops
+that are to land on the beaches round the tip of the peninsula.
+
+The morning of the 24th sees the harbour still busy and animated, though
+most of the ships have departed. An almost unending stream of boats,
+each of them packed with tall, bronzed Australians and New Zealanders,
+plies towards the warships and transports that remain. By noon 10,000
+men are on board; all are in the highest spirits, keen and eager for the
+coming battle. Every man knows what lies before him. All have read or
+heard the Commander-in-Chief's message addressed to "Soldiers of France
+and of the King":--
+
+    "Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war.
+    Together with our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a
+    landing upon an open beach in face of positions which have been
+    vaunted by our enemies as impregnable.
+
+    "The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy;
+    the positions will be stormed, and the war brought one step
+    nearer to a glorious close.
+
+    "'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding adieu to your
+    Commander--'remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli
+    Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish.'
+
+    "The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+    ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+
+      "Ian Hamilton, _General_."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We will now follow the fortunes of the gallant Australians and New
+Zealanders. The transports, escorted by the Second Squadron of the
+Fleet, steam slowly on, and by half-past one on the morning of the 25th
+have reached a prearranged point. The sea is calm, there is scarcely a
+breath of wind, the moon is shining behind the ships, and the silence of
+night is only broken by the throb of the propellers. The ships heave to.
+Swiftly, and with scarce a sound, shadowy figures climb down into boats.
+They are the 1,500 men who are to be the first to set foot on the
+peninsula. Meanwhile their comrades are being transferred from the
+transports to six destroyers. It is now 2.30, and the warships, together
+with the destroyers and the towed boats, move slowly and silently
+towards a point about a mile north of Gaba Tepe. At 3.30 the order is
+given to "go ahead and land." Away go the boats, and, forty minutes
+later, the destroyers follow them.
+
+[Illustration: How the Five Beaches--Y, X, W, V, and S--were stormed and
+the British and French landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Sunday, April
+25, 1915.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The following units landed on the various beaches:--_Beach Y_: 1st
+King's Own Scottish Borderers and The Plymouth (Marine) Battalion, Royal
+Naval Division. _Beach X_: 1st Royal Fusiliers, together with a beach
+working party of the Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division. _Beach W_:
+1st Battalion, (Lancashire Fusiliers). _Beach V_: Dublin Fusiliers,
+Munster Fusiliers, half a battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, the West
+Riding Field Company, and other details. _Beach S_: 2nd South Wales
+Borderers (less one company). At _Gaba Tepe_: 3rd Australian Brigade,
+followed promptly by the 1st and 2nd Brigades and two batteries of
+Indian Mountain Artillery; the remainder of the New Zealand and
+Australian Division landed later in the day.]
+
+Now the hazy dawn begins to break, and the men in the boats see before
+them the loom of the steep cliffs underneath which they are soon to
+tread. Beneath those cliffs there is a very narrow strip of sand, about
+a thousand yards long, closed in on the north and south by small
+promontories. Near the northern end of the beach a small but steep gully
+runs up into the hills at right angles to the shore. At the southern end
+there is a deep ravine with very steep, scrub-clad sides. Between the
+ravine and the gully a lofty spur comes down to the shore. Such is the
+landing-place. The Commander-in-Chief has chosen it because he thinks
+the enemy would never suppose that he would dream of making a landing in
+such an unfavourable position. Henceforth it will be known all the world
+over as Anzac[45] Cove.
+
+The boats and destroyers steal in towards the land. They are now close
+to the shore, and the troops perceive that they must fight for a
+footing. Turkish soldiers are seen running along the beach ready to give
+the boats a warm reception. Not a word is spoken: our men remain
+perfectly still and quiet, awaiting the enemy's fire. A few moments
+more, and bullets rain down on them. Many a man has breathed his last
+before the boats run aground.
+
+The keels have not touched the sand when the Australians of the 3rd
+Brigade spring out of their boats. A blaze of fire sweeps against them
+from the Turkish trenches on the beach, but they heed it not. With fixed
+bayonets they dash forward, as though they mean to conquer the whole
+peninsula by one mighty rush. On they go, and the Turks flee before
+them. The beach is carried with cold steel, and in open order they dive
+into the scrub and scramble up the hundred feet of cliff that rises
+before them. The famous exploit at Wolfe's Cove, when the Heights of
+Abraham were scaled, is altogether outdone.[46]
+
+Now they are on the top of the cliff, and come under the main Turkish
+fire. The ground, however, gives them good cover, and they speedily dig
+themselves in. By seven in the morning they are holding the cliff top.
+Meanwhile the 1st and 2nd Brigades have come ashore, and two batteries
+of Indian Mountain Artillery have been landed. The enemy is now shelling
+the transports, and they are obliged to stand out to sea. Further
+artillery cannot, therefore, be put ashore just yet. By noon more than
+10,000 men are on the beach, or are climbing the gully and the ravine.
+The thousand yards of shore is covered with busy working-parties. Stores
+are being landed, the Royal Engineers are making roads, and wireless
+stations are being erected; and all the time Turkish shells are falling
+fast and thick. Our warships are at work, but the morning sun is in the
+eyes of the gunners, and they fire at a disadvantage.
+
+The Australians on the cliff top have not been content to remain idle in
+their hastily-dug trenches. They rashly push on across three ridges, and
+actually come within sight of the Narrows; but now the enemy is strongly
+reinforced, and they are driven back with heavy loss. Stretcher-bearers
+are stumbling down the steep paths and across the beach carrying their
+freight of wounded to the hospital ships on the bullet-splashed sea.
+There is much confusion as the advancing troops meet those who are
+retiring; but before noon a semicircular position on the cliffs is
+firmly held. Parties of the 9th and 10th Battalions charge and put out
+of action three of the enemy's Krupp guns.
+
+The Turks now begin their counter-attacks, which continue far into the
+night. Again and again our men make bayonet charges, and the line holds
+fast. They have suffered terribly, but they have made good their
+footing, and are firmly placed at Gaba Tepe, on Anzac territory.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we must hurry southwards and see how matters are faring at Beach Y.
+Three cruisers--_Dublin_, _Amethyst_, and _Sapphire_--have covered the
+landing of the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and the
+Plymouth (Marine) Battalion. The men have leaped ashore on a narrow
+strip of sand at the foot of a crumbling, scrub-covered cliff 200 feet
+high. They climb to the top of the cliffs by means of a number of small
+gullies, and there establish themselves, almost without loss. Food,
+water, and ammunition are hauled up. Now the Turks begin to attack them,
+and are fiercely resisted. Later in the day the enemy, largely
+reinforced, advances from the direction of Krithia, and our men have to
+dig in. Against them the Turks launch attack after attack, supported by
+heavy guns. Owing to the sharp fall of the ground behind the cliffs, our
+warships can render but little assistance. Through the afternoon and
+night the attacks continue, and our men make several desperate bayonet
+charges. But it is clear, even now, that they cannot maintain themselves
+in this position. By seven o'clock on the morning of the 26th the King's
+Own Scottish Borderers have lost half their number, including their
+gallant colonel.
+
+The order for withdrawal is given. A small rearguard of the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers with desperate valour holds off the enemy, while the
+rest, with their wounded, stores, and ammunition, re-embark, and are
+safely brought round to the southern end of the peninsula. The landing
+at Y has failed, and our losses have been very heavy; but the plucky
+stand of the two battalions has prevented large numbers of the enemy
+from going to the assistance of their comrades at other points, where,
+as you will soon learn, a very touch-and-go struggle is in progress.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A short journey southward brings us to Beach X, where the 1st Royal
+Fusiliers have been landed. The _Swiftsure_ has plastered the high
+ground with shells, and the _Implacable_, which has anchored close
+inshore, is bringing every gun to bear on the Turkish position. Without
+losing a single man, the Fusiliers push up a low cliff and entrench
+themselves. By evening they are in touch with their comrades at Beach W.
+A Turkish battery which gets the range of our men is knocked out by a
+fine shot from the _Implacable_. At Beach X everything is going well.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We now hurry away to Beach W, between Cape Tekke and Cape Helles. Here a
+doubtful battle is raging. The beach consists of deep, powdery sand, and
+is 350 yards long, with steep ground on the flank and sand dunes in the
+centre. The Turks have turned this beach into a perfect death-trap.
+Close to the water's edge there is a broad wire entanglement running the
+whole length of the shore, and in front of it, in the shallow sea, there
+is another similar barricade. There are lines of trenches on the high
+ground; machine guns are tucked away into holes in the cliff; snipers
+lurk in the scrub, and there is not an inch of the shore which cannot be
+swept by deadly fire. On a hill overlooking the beach there are two
+redoubts, and elsewhere in the line of possible advance there are other
+formidable obstacles. Land mines and sea mines have been laid, and the
+Turks may well boast that no invader will ever remain alive on this
+terrible beach.
+
+Lancashire men are now about to perform one of the finest feats of arms
+ever achieved by British soldiers or by any other soldiers. They are
+about to storm this death-trap from open boats! Hereafter, as a tribute
+to their splendid valour, Beach W will be known as Lancashire Landing.
+
+At six in the morning of the 25th eight picket boats, in line abreast,
+each boat towing four ship's cutters packed with men of the 1st
+Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, approach the shore. As soon as shallow
+water is reached the tows are cast off, and oars are plied. The first
+boat touches the shore, and out spring the Fusiliers, to be met by a
+hurricane of lead from the Turkish trenches. Many a man receives his
+death-wound while waist-deep in the water, but the unfaltering Fusiliers
+rush ashore, and though fired at from the right, the left, and the
+centre, begin hacking their way through the wire. A long line of men is
+at once mown down as by a scythe; but the remainder, now covered by the
+guns of the warships, and helped by the flanking fire of a party which
+has secured a foothold on a small ledge of rock under the cliff, break
+through the entanglements, and, rapidly re-forming, hurl themselves on
+the Turkish trenches. Several land mines are exploded, but nothing can
+stem the torrent of the British advance. By ten o'clock three lines of
+the enemy's trenches are in our hands.
+
+On the right some of the Fusiliers have come under the fire of a
+redoubt, and they can make but little headway in this direction. The
+edge of the wire entanglements is reached, but they can go no further.
+They are now lying under the scanty cover of a sandbank, cleaning their
+rifles, which have been wetted by sea-water and choked with sand.
+
+The guns of the warships boom out, and a rain of shells falls near the
+redoubt. About 2 p.m. the Worcester Regiment dashes forward. Men hack
+their way through the entanglements, and, in spite of heavy losses,
+carry the redoubt by storm. Now an attempt is made to join hands with
+the troops which are in dire peril on Beach V; but the defences are too
+strong to be broken through. Men are seen under an awful fire calmly
+snipping the wire as though they were pruning a vineyard. But the troops
+are worn out by their long labours under a hot sun, and the attack is
+perforce suspended. When night falls the Turks make assault after
+assault on the wearied invaders. So hard pressed are they that even the
+working parties on the beach have to be flung into the trenches in order
+that the line may be held. Happily the attacks of the enemy are beaten
+off, and no ground is lost. So the night passes, and the dawn ushers in
+another day of struggle and anxiety.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we hurry off to Beach V, where tragic events are taking place. Beach
+V resembles an old Greek theatre. There is a stretch of sand as at Beach
+W, and running along it is a low sandy ridge, four feet high, which
+affords some shelter. Beyond rise grassy terraces to a height of 100
+feet. The rising ground is flanked on the one side by an old castle,
+and on the other side by a modern fort. On the heights overlooking the
+shore the Turks have massed artillery, machine guns, and riflemen. On
+the very margin of the beach there is an exceedingly strong barbed-wire
+fence, and two-thirds of the way up there is an even stronger obstacle.
+From all sides the defenders can pour down a deadly fire on the landing
+parties. So strongly defended is this beach that special arrangements
+have been made to cope with it. Large doors have been cut in the steel
+plates of a collier, the _River Clyde_, and wide gangplank have been
+slung from her side. These gangways slope gradually down from the doors
+to her bows, so that men can pass along on both sides in single file,
+and jump on to the lighters which she will tow in with her. Her bridge
+has been turned into a little fortress, and behind steel plates and
+sand-bags in her bows there are twelve machine guns to cover the
+landing. Two thousand men of the Hampshires and Munster Fusiliers have
+been stowed on board, and now she steams bow on to the shore close to a
+reef of rock. The lighters are placed in position so as to form a bridge
+between the gangway and the rock.
+
+[Illustration: The Lancashire Fusiliers landing on Beach W.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+You will read a full account of this heroic landing on pages 211, 212.
+Three Victoria Crosses were afterwards awarded to those who had
+displayed the most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, by the vote
+of their comrades.]
+
+Eight boatloads of Dublin Fusiliers towed by steam pinnaces make a dash
+for the shore. Every kind of missile is hurled at them, and the men
+suffer horribly. Some few manage to gain the beach and take refuge under
+the sandbank already mentioned. None of the boats, however, push off
+again. They and their crews are destroyed.
+
+Now comes the moment for the _River Clyde_, like the horse of Troy, to
+pour forth its living freight; but there is grievous delay, for the
+current runs strongly, and there is grave difficulty in keeping the
+lighters in position. The splendid pluck and tenacity of the naval
+working-party are tried to the utmost, and many splendid deeds of
+heroism are accomplished before the bridge of boats holds fast. Now a
+company of the Munster Fusiliers, followed by a second company, issues
+from the ship and strives to cross the shifting and swaying bridge. The
+lighters give way in the current; the end one nearest the shore drifts
+into deep water, and many men striving to swim from it to the beach are
+drowned. All the time a perfect tornado of fire sweeps down upon them. A
+third company essays the task: the lighters are filled with dead and
+wounded. A thousand men have striven to land, but barely five hundred
+have got ashore. So hot is the Turkish fire that the remaining men in
+the _River Clyde_ dare not emerge. A man has only to show his head to be
+instantly picked off.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Twenty-four hours after the _River Clyde_ runs ashore there are but the
+survivors of the Dublin and the Munster Fusiliers and two companies of
+the Hampshire Regiment on the beach, and they are still crouching
+beneath the shelter of the sandy ridge. Early in the morning the
+_Cornwallis_, _Albion_, and _Queen Elizabeth_ come to the rescue and
+begin a heavy bombardment of the enemy. Under cover of this bombardment
+the men on the beach push up the slopes on the bluff under a most
+galling fire, and capture the village, a fort, and a hill. The landing
+can now go forward. By the evening of Tuesday, the 27th, Beach V is in
+working order.
+
+The whole scene on the beach reminds you of a gigantic shipwreck. It
+looks as if the whole army with its stores had been washed ashore after
+a great gale, or had saved themselves on rafts. All this work is carried
+on under an incessant shrapnel fire which sweeps the trenches and hills.
+The shells are frequently bursting ten or twelve at the same moment,
+making a deafening noise, and plastering the foreshore with bullets. The
+only safe place is close under the cliff, but every one is rapidly
+becoming accustomed to the shriek of the shells and the splash of
+bullets in the water, and the work goes on as if there was not a gun
+within miles.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Before I conclude this account of the landing I must say a word as to
+the part played by the French in the operations. Their duty was to land
+on the Asiatic shore at Kum Kale, and engage the batteries so that they
+could not interfere with the landings at Beaches V and S. During a
+skirmish which took place on the height at Kum Kale and on the Trojan
+plain the French took 500 prisoners, and would have captured more had
+there been room for them in the boats. This French diversion enabled
+trawlers to land 700 men of the 2nd South Wales Borderers at Beach S. A
+stiff little fight followed; but the Welshmen gained the top of the
+cliff, and digging themselves in, managed to hold their own until the
+position was taken over by the French. Their landing had only cost them
+fifty casualties. A company was also put ashore at Camber, a little boat
+harbour nestling just east and under the ruined fort of Sedd-ul-Bahr.
+This little force, however, met with such a fierce fire that it could
+make no progress up the steep cliffs towards the village, and had to be
+withdrawn.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Thus the landing was made, and a feat believed to be impossible was
+performed. When we consider how strongly the Turks were posted, how
+skilfully their trenches were made, how completely the beaches were
+swept by their fire, we are lost in admiration of the superb gallantry
+and contempt of life displayed by our men. You will read on a later page
+some account of those who specially distinguished themselves; but do not
+forget that many heroes who deserved the Victoria Cross had laid down
+their lives before the tops of the cliffs were reached. We were on the
+peninsula at last, but our footing was very insecure. We had our backs
+to the sea and our faces to a stubborn foe, who was holding positions of
+enormous strength. In later chapters we shall learn how these positions
+baffled every effort of the most heroic of men to carry them. For the
+moment, however, we were flushed with victory, and our hopes were high.
+
+[Footnote 45: Made up of the initial letters of the words--Australian
+New Zealand Army Corps.]
+
+[Footnote 46: On the night of September 12-13, 1759, General Wolfe's
+army of 4,000 men climbed a wooded precipice on hands and knees, and
+next day defeated a French army on the plateau (Heights of Abraham) to
+the south-west of Quebec. This victory gave us Canada.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXV.
+
+  HEROES OF THE LANDING.
+
+
+Now that you have read an account of how we gained a foothold, and no
+more than a foothold, on the Gallipoli peninsula, you will agree with me
+that only an army of heroes could have performed the feat. All fought
+magnificently, but the Anzacs carried off the palm. A correspondent
+tells us that one man, renowned for his height and great strength,
+jumped into a Turkish trench and bayoneted five men one after the other,
+hurling each of them over the parapet as coolly and as easily as if he
+had been tossing hay. Hundreds of grim tales of this kind are told of
+the Australians' fierce onset. Wounded men who emerged from the struggle
+shouted to those who cheered them, "We are going to do better when we
+get back." They described the fighting as "a great game--the best game
+we ever had." "We made them run," said one Australian. "We wanted to let
+the Turks know what Australian steel was like, and they ran screeching
+and howling before us." Two New Zealanders were seen chasing eleven
+Turks, who fled in terror before them.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Bugler W. S. Manchip of the 1st Australian Imperial Force thus describes
+the desperate fighting in which he took part: "When we were near the
+shore a signal light flashed two or three times, but the boat I was in
+ran up the beach, and several of us were safe ashore before a rifle shot
+split the air. Then almost immediately a perfect shower of bullets fell
+around us. Fixing bayonets, the boys charged the hills without firing a
+shot until the light of the dawn was sufficient to enable them to make
+sure of their aim. Although I passed several dead Turks on my way
+forward, I only saw two who had been bayoneted, for most of them did not
+wait for a taste of that eighteen inches of cold steel, but ran, sniping
+at us whenever they got the chance, until we had them back about two
+miles, when we emerged from the undergrowth and broken country on to a
+stretch of flat land. There we were met by a perfect fusillade from
+thousands of rifles, and we had to take what cover we could, which was
+not much. After being under the withering fire of the Turkish rifles and
+machine guns, which were well entrenched, for nearly an hour, the enemy
+opened fire on us with shrapnel, and it was terrible, as we were unable
+to move, and men were falling around us by the dozen. . . . In the night
+they charged upon our trenches, blowing bugles and shouting, 'Allah!
+Allah!' When the order was given to 'Fix bayonets! Charge!' they did not
+wait for us, but fled back to their trenches. About four o'clock on
+Wednesday I was passing across an open space in the trench with a tin of
+water, when a bullet struck me in the back, cutting through my
+equipment, tunic, jersey, and braces. The latter, being made of hard
+leather, stopped the course of the bullet, and I only received a bruise
+on my back."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_ thus describes the landing of the
+K.O.S.B.'s on Beach Y: "It is no time to dwell on what might have been,
+but I cannot deny myself mention of the fact that we were actually on
+the slopes of Achi Baba that first day, thanks to the dauntless
+K.O.S.B.'s, who pushed through from Y Beach to Krithia almost unopposed,
+fought their way through the ruins on to the farther slopes--and then,
+owing to lack of supports, marched all the way back again under a
+devastating fire. In the advance the battalion's losses were small;
+coming back they were dreadfully punished, and at last dug themselves in
+on the seaward side of Krithia, to meet a force of at least five times
+their number." The K.O.S.B.'s, you will remember, were re-embarked and
+taken round to Beach W.
+
+"'Could you have done anything else?' I asked a Scottish Borderer, as we
+sat in the scrub looking towards the hill, long afterwards.
+
+"'Ah believe,' said he, 'properly reinforced in the rear, we could 'a
+taken Achi Baba by twelve noon on the day o' the landin'.
+
+"This is the opinion of a serving soldier, one of the eighty odd men
+still alive who won to the gently rising slopes of this formidable
+position, a bone in our throats for six deadly months--and there still."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Corporal J. Collins of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers gives us a
+glimpse of the terrible scenes which took place on Beach W, where the
+men of his regiment covered themselves with glory. "In my first boat,"
+he says, "there were thirty-eight soldiers and four sailors, and when we
+got near the shore the boat drifted about, so I decided to make for
+land. I got into the water, and, being a strong swimmer, I was able to
+pull one of my comrades on to my shoulder. Thus we struggled ashore.
+Then we stumbled across barbed wire. The sand and the water choked my
+rifle, and I was unable to use it when I landed, except the bayonet. We
+struggled through the entanglements, and made for the cliffs, while
+bullets were whistling and shrapnel shrieking all round us. While I was
+advancing a shrapnel shell whistled past my breast, tearing my
+ammunition pouch away, and reducing my clothes to tatters. The same
+shell killed some of my comrades farther in the line. Keeping on, we
+took the first Turkish trench."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Leading Seaman Gilligan of H.M.S. _Euryalus_ thus wrote: "We landed the
+Lancashire Fusiliers, thirty-five in each boat. I shall never forget it
+as long as I live. It was wicked, and I, like a lot more, never expected
+to come through it whole. There were four boats in tow of a steam
+pinnace, and there was no sign of the enemy until we touched the shore.
+Then they opened fire, strongly entrenched above us in the cliffs, with
+machine guns. As soon as we touched the beach we could see the wire
+entanglements. The fire was terrible--just like a hailstorm. I jumped
+out of the stern up to my arms in water, and pushed the boat in. The
+sergeant jumped in front of me, and got mortally wounded. The cries of
+the wounded were terrible. It is without equal in this war, this landing
+of troops under fire. The Turks drove our men right back to the beach
+that Sunday night. There were 38,000 Turks, and 1,100 of our fellows
+held them. However, we have made progress since then, and I am proud to
+have had a share in it."
+
+[Illustration: The Landing from the "River Clyde" on Beach V.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._]
+
+An observer on a battleship[47] thus describes what he saw on Beaches V
+and W: "Towards Sedd-ul-Bahr (where the forts were beginning to reek
+with bursting shells) I saw a transport with her nose well up the beach.
+This was the _River Clyde_, then in the act of letting loose out of her
+riven side those unspeakably gallant men of the Munster, Dublin, and
+other regiments, whom Colonel Doughty-Wylie (amongst us only the day
+before) led to the capture of a strong redoubt and to his death. Between
+us and the _River Clyde_, in the lee of the low, scrubby cliffs, I could
+make out a flag-pole and a dark cluster on the beach around it. This was
+the point of assembly on W Beach, now christened Lancashire Landing, to
+commemorate the daring of those Lancashire regiments which won through
+here. Gradually a movement became noticeable. The cluster spread out,
+took the nearest dunes at a run, disappeared--and a crackling
+undercurrent in the din of big guns was all that told of a fierce charge
+and the first trenches won. All the while the little trawlers, the tug
+boats, and the lighters, full of the finest soldiers, went to and fro
+through a deluge of bullets, which splashed the water with a hiss like
+the rain that comes with thunder."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following heroes of the landing were awarded Victoria Crosses:--
+
+Captain Richard Raymond Willis, Sergeant Alfred Richards, and Private
+William Keneally, all of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
+
+You have already heard of the marvellous heroism of the Lancashire
+Fusiliers on Beach W, and no Lancashire boy or girl will ever forget how
+they cut their way through the wire entanglements, notwithstanding a
+terrific fire from the enemy, and, in spite of unheard-of difficulties,
+gained the cliffs, and there firmly established themselves. Every man
+who engaged in this desperate struggle deserved the highest award of
+valour. It was quite impossible for the generals to pick and choose
+amongst these bravest of the brave, so the survivors were asked to elect
+the three of their comrades who, in their opinion, had done the most
+signal acts of bravery and devotion during the day of the landing. With
+one consent they elected the three heroes named above.
+
+Corporal William Cosgrove, 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers.
+
+On Beach V, where so many of the Munsters went gallantly to their death,
+Corporal Cosgrove showed splendid dash and spirit. Single-handed he
+pulled down the posts of the enemy's high wire entanglements,
+notwithstanding a terrific burst of fire from the enemy. Thanks very
+largely to the corporal's splendid pluck the heights were at last
+cleared.
+
+Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu Doughty-Wylie, Headquarters
+Staff, and Captain Garth Neville Walford, Brigade Major, Royal
+Artillery.
+
+On page 253 I told you that the Dublin Fusiliers, the Munsters, and the
+Hampshires, who had landed on Beach V from the _River Clyde_, were
+rallied and led forward to attack the village and a redoubt on a hill
+inland. The officer who rallied the men was Lieutenant-Colonel
+Doughty-Wylie, a staff officer, who ought not to have been in the firing
+line; but seeing that the attacking force had lost many of its officers,
+he sprang into the breach. He was seen with a cane in his hand going
+amongst the troops and encouraging them. When they charged up the hill
+with the bayonet he was at their head. Unhappily he was shot down, and
+the Victoria Cross was awarded to him after his death. Captain Walford
+behaved in the same heroic fashion, and he, too, lost his life during
+those terrible hours.
+
+Commander Edward Unwin, R.N.; Midshipman Wilfred St. Aubyn Malleson,
+R.N.; Midshipman George Leslie Drewry, R.N.R.; Able Seaman William
+Charles Williams, R.N.; Seaman George M'Kenzie Samson, R.N.R.
+
+No finer deeds of heroism stand to the credit of the British Navy than
+those which I am now about to describe. When the _River Clyde_ was run
+ashore a floating bridge of lighters was formed. The swirling current
+drove the lighters adrift, and the bridge was broken. Observing this,
+Commander Unwin left the _River Clyde_, and, standing waist deep in the
+water under a murderous fire, endeavoured to get the lighters into
+position again. He worked on until, suffering from the effects of the
+cold water, he was obliged to return to the ship, where he was wrapped
+in blankets. Having somewhat recovered, he returned to his work against
+the doctor's orders, and completed it. Later on he was slightly wounded
+by three bullets; but as soon as the doctor had attended to him he once
+more left the ship, this time in a lifeboat, to save some wounded men
+who were lying in shallow water near the beach. He continued at this
+labour of mercy, under constant fire, until he was so worn out that he
+could no longer stand.
+
+Midshipman Drewry assisted Commander Unwin in the work of getting the
+lighters into position, and toiled on, utterly regardless of the heavy
+fire. He was twice hit; but even when wounded he tried to swim from
+lighter to lighter with a line, and only gave up the effort when he was
+thoroughly exhausted. An observer saw him swimming to a lighter with a
+line in his mouth and a wound in his head, while rocks, lighters, and
+boats were covered with dead and dying. When he was utterly worn out
+Midshipman Malleson took the line, swam to the second lighter, and made
+it fast, thus enabling some of the men from the _River Clyde_ to get
+ashore. Later on the line broke, and he once more took to the water with
+another line. Twice he attempted to reach the lighter, but all his
+efforts were in vain.
+
+Seaman Samson worked all day on the lighter nearest to the shore,
+attending to the wounded and getting out lines. At length he was badly
+hit, but he made a good recovery, and when he reached Portsmouth was
+received by the Mayor and a guard of honour. Some weeks later the people
+of Carnoustie, his native place, made him handsome presents at a public
+meeting. Seaman Samson was the first British bluejacket for fifty years
+to win and wear the Victoria Cross. Seaman Williams went ashore with a
+line, and, waist-deep in the water, held on to it for over an hour. He
+was fired at constantly, and at last fell riddled with bullets. The
+coveted badge of valour was awarded after his heroic death.
+
+Sub-Lieutenant A. W. St. Clair Tisdall, R.N.V.R.
+
+This gallant officer, who in his Cambridge days was renowned as a
+scholar and a poet, fought as an ordinary seaman at Antwerp. During the
+landing on Beach V he displayed remarkable heroism. Hearing the cries of
+wounded men on shore, he jumped into the water, and pushing a boat
+before him went to their rescue. With the assistance of several comrades
+he made five trips under heavy fire between the _River Clyde_ and the
+shore, and thus saved the lives of many wounded men. He was killed in
+action on May 6, 1915, and his Victoria Cross was not announced until
+the last day of March 1916.
+
+[Illustration: "In files they lay, like the mower's swathes at close of
+day." A Turkish Column wiped out by the Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+(_By permission of the Illustrated London News._)
+
+Our illustration shows the repulse of a Turkish night attack on our
+trenches near Achi Baba on May 1, 1915. On the extreme left of our
+position lay the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Northern Irish
+Regiment, and in front of them was a small vineyard with a mud wall
+round it, the vine branches being entwined with a thick network of
+barbed wire. The Turks, led by German officers, moved directly on the
+Inniskillings; but the Irishmen lay low until their attackers were only
+a hundred and fifty yards away. Then light balls were fired from
+pistols, and a terrible torrent of lead swept the first line of the
+Turks to earth. The second line shared the same fate, and the survivors
+turned and fled. Several German officers were found shot amidst the
+heaps of slain next morning. (See page 267.)]
+
+[Footnote 47: _Blackwood's Magazine_, February 1916.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVI.
+
+  BATTERING AT THE BARRIERS.
+
+
+The Gallipoli campaign was a diversion that did not succeed--a side-show
+that failed. I shall not, therefore, describe the progress of the
+fighting in full detail. The story is rather a footnote to the history
+of the Great War than part of the text. We may divide the story--as
+C�sar did Gaul--into three parts. Part I. deals with the fighting from
+the day of the landing on 25th April down to 13th July, and tells how we
+battered at the Achi Baba barrier while the Anzacs strove to carry the
+high and rugged hills on their front. Part II. carries on the story to
+the middle fortnight of August, when, with the aid of five new
+divisions, we made a big effort to break through at Suvla and Anzac; and
+Part III. describes the long period of waiting until those December and
+January days when we "came off" the peninsula without the loss of a
+single life. In this chapter I shall give you very briefly Part I. of
+the story.
+
+On the night of 27th April the Allies lay on a line running across the
+peninsula about three miles north of Cape Tekke. Next day, at eight in
+the morning, an advance was made on the village of Krithia; and though
+the Turks strongly opposed us, the 87th Brigade, on the left, advanced
+two miles, while the French, on the right, pushed forward a mile. By the
+evening of the 27th we securely held the tip of the peninsula. During
+the fighting the _Queen Elizabeth_, far out at sea, observed 250 of the
+enemy preparing to make an attack from a point where they could not be
+seen by the troops on shore. Immediately she dropped a shrapnel shell
+amongst them. It weighed 1,800 pounds, and contained 13,000 bullets.
+When the smoke cleared away it was discovered that the attacking party
+had been completely wiped out.
+
+On 1st May, after we had been reinforced, the Turks made a fierce
+counter-attack, and what is known as the First Battle of Krithia
+began.[48] All day their big guns roared, and at night, when the moon
+rose, their infantry darted forward. On the right, where the shelling
+had been heaviest, the Turks opened a gap in our lines, but it was
+promptly filled up by the 5th Royal Scots, who with the bayonet cleared
+the Turks out of the trenches which they had occupied. All night the
+battle raged, and we only held on to our position with the greatest
+difficulty. At dawn the next day we counter-attacked, and the whole line
+moved forward five hundred yards. Had the French not been held up on the
+right by barbed wire and concealed machine guns, we should have carried
+Achi Baba that day. Severe fighting went on during the 4th and the 5th,
+and our casualties were very heavy. Between the day of the landing and
+6th May we lost 14,000 men, 3,593 of whom had been cut off in the
+difficult country and made prisoners.
+
+The Second Battle of Krithia, which began on 6th May, lasted for three
+days. Our left and centre strove to carry Krithia ridge, while the
+French attempted to get across the small river beyond Morto Bay which
+you see on the map. The French 75's and the guns of the warships opened
+fire, and prepared the way for the advance. Again, however, our Allies
+were held up by concealed Turkish trenches; but they struggled on, and
+by the close of the day, at the cost of many lives, pushed across the
+river. During the night they held their ground, in spite of a strong
+counter-attack. Next day the warships shelled the Turkish right, and we
+carried the front Turkish trenches, but could go no farther. On the
+right the French advanced, but, caught by shrapnel, wavered and fled.
+The lost ground, however, was recovered. So the fight went on, every
+inch being bought at a heavy price. At the close of the three days'
+struggle we had won a thousand yards, but had not touched the enemy's
+main position, which was terribly strong. We now knew that it could not
+be rushed.
+
+While these battles were going on, the Anzacs were slowly gaining ground
+at Gaba Tepe. On the night of 18th May fresh bodies of Turks were flung
+against their trenches; but the cool and steady shooting of the men from
+"down under" kept them at bay. On that red day the Turks lost some 7,000
+men, while the Australians lost but 500. The Turkish trenches were in
+some places less than two hundred yards away from those of the Anzacs,
+and the ground between was carpeted with dead. You will read on a later
+page how Lance-Corporal Jacka won the Victoria Cross by capturing a
+trench single-handed.
+
+The third great attempt upon Krithia and Achi Baba was made on 4th June;
+but though our men fought like heroes, and the East Lancashire
+Territorial Division on the right centre made a splendid advance, we
+only gained some five hundred yards on a front of three miles. After
+five weeks' desperate struggle we had not touched the outer Turkish
+position. The German engineers had made it almost as formidable as the
+Labyrinth in Artois. It was clear that without large reinforcements we
+could make no headway. Already we had lost 38,636 men--more than the
+whole casualty list for three years of the South African War.
+
+The British and French fleets had taken part in every attack, and so far
+had been almost unmolested. Now German submarines began to appear; but
+before they got to work a Turkish destroyer managed to sink the old
+British battleship _Goliath_ by means of a torpedo. On 26th May a German
+submarine launched a torpedo which tore through the nets of the
+_Triumph_, and sank her in nine minutes. Next day the _Majestic_, when
+steaming close to the shore, was sunk in the same manner. It was now
+evident that our ships could no longer take part in the bombardment and
+escape the submarines, so most of them were sent home, and the Allied
+naval strength was reduced to a few of the older battleships and
+cruisers, together with destroyers and one of the monitors which had
+checked the shoreward march of the Germans on the Flemish coast. Other
+new monitors arrived later, and, being submarine-proof, were able to do
+excellent work.
+
+By midsummer we knew, more than ever, how necessary it was that a right
+of way should be forced through the Dardanelles. We shall learn in a
+later chapter that the Russians had been forced back, and were terribly
+hard pressed. Without an open sea-road by which they could be supplied
+with munitions, it seemed likely that they would be put out of action
+for months to come, and that the Germans would be able to spare large
+bodies of troops to reinforce the Western front. We therefore determined
+to push on in the peninsula with renewed vigour. Reinforcements had now
+been landed, and it was necessary that we should strike, and strike hard
+at once.
+
+During the first fortnight of June the enemy made many attempts to
+thrust us from the positions which we had won, and during the fighting
+many notable deeds of heroism were done by our men. A very determined
+attack by the Turks on 18th June carried some of our trenches; but they
+were won back by a brilliant charge of the 5th Royal Scots and a company
+of the 4th Worcesters. You will remember that the 5th Royal Scots had
+already distinguished themselves on 1st May. They formed part of what
+Sir Ian Hamilton calls "the incomparable 29th Division."
+
+On 21st June we began the work of straightening out our line, which then
+formed an awkward salient in the centre. After a heavy bombardment the
+French infantry rushed two lines of Turkish trenches. Most desperate
+fighting followed, in which every gun that could be brought to bear was
+turned on the enemy. Six hundred yards were won, and the whole Allied
+right wing was well beyond the little river already mentioned. Though
+many of the French were little more than boys, they fought with the
+utmost dash and contempt of death.
+
+The right wing having advanced, an attempt was now made to bring up the
+left. The movement began on the morning of 28th June with a fierce
+bombardment. When it ceased at 10.45 our infantry leaped forward, and
+within half an hour had won three lines of trenches between a ravine and
+the sea. East of the ravine the 7th Royal Scots made good progress, but
+the right met with a heavy fire, and could gain but little ground. A
+second attack which began at 11.30 was magnificently made. The men
+dashed forward without wavering, and before long our left wing was less
+than a mile west of Krithia. The whole of the ravine, which was littered
+with dead, rifles, bayonets, boxes of ammunition, soldiers' packs,
+firewood, etc., was in our hands. Much booty and about 200 prisoners
+were taken, and our losses were not more than 1,750.
+
+On the last day of June there was fighting all round the peninsula. In
+the Anzac territory, about midnight, Enver Pasha came specially from
+Constantinople to see his army drive the Australians and New Zealanders
+into the sea. Heavy firing began, to which the Anzacs replied with
+cheers. At 1.30 in the morning a strong column of Turks advanced, but it
+was broken to atoms by the rifles and machine guns of the 7th and 8th
+Light Horse. Other attacks melted away before the swift and deadly fire
+of the defenders, and Enver Pasha returned to Constantinople a
+disappointed man.
+
+Early on the morning of the same day the French had a success. They
+carried by storm a network of trenches at the head of the river along
+which they had been fighting so long, and held on to the ground which
+they had won. Sir Ian Hamilton thought that the Turkish losses during
+the five days following 28th June were over 20,000; yet all this
+sacrifice had availed them nothing.
+
+The July fighting was of the same nature as that of June. On 4th July an
+enemy warship fired on the Australian lines, and aeroplanes tried to
+drop bombs on our trenches. This was followed by an infantry attack
+which was successful at first, but, later on, the Turks were forced to
+retire with great loss. We were now up against the main strength of the
+Achi Baba fortress, and on 12th July we made a resolute attempt to
+capture it.
+
+The bombardment began at dawn, and the first attack was made by the
+French and the Scottish Lowland Division on the right and right centre.
+The Scots reached the third line of Turkish trenches, but they lost
+touch with the French on their right and could not hold their gains.
+Another and even fiercer cannonade began at four in the afternoon, and
+the Scots, surging forward against a great Turkish redoubt overlooking a
+ravine, carried it at the point of the bayonet. By dusk some 400 yards
+of ground had been gained. Through the night the Turks came on again and
+again with bombs, and the wearied Scots were obliged to give up two
+lines of trenches. Next day these positions were recaptured, and there
+we stuck. We had reached the limit of our advance from the south. We
+were very near to Krithia, but the heights of Achi Baba were as far off
+as ever.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following officers and men won the Victoria Cross during the May,
+June, and July fighting.
+
+Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial forces.
+
+A private of Lance-Corporal Jacka's regiment thus describes the deed
+which won his chum the V.C.: "There were four Bendigo boys, all mates,
+in the 14th, and Bert Jacka and I were two of them. The 14th was
+stationed at Courtney's Post, which shared with Quinn's Post[49] and
+Pope's Hill all the worst of the fighting during the month of May. On
+the night of 18th May and the morning of the next day the Turks tried to
+drive us into the sea, and left eight acres of dead between Quinn's and
+Courtney's. In the middle of the scrap a wounded man crawled to our
+trench, and said the Turks had rushed a communication trench, and there
+was only one man keeping them back. There was a call for volunteers, and
+I was one of them. When we got near we saw Bert guarding the end of the
+trench with his bayonet. He looked like a mad thing. When he saw us
+coming, he let out a roar like a bull and rushed into the trench. I made
+after him, but I received two bullets, one in the side and the other in
+the hand. Well, down I went, and before the others got into the trench
+Bert had done it on his own. Five shot and two killed with the bayonet!
+He came to see me that night in the dug-out, and I said to him, 'Well,
+Bert, you've done a big thing;' all he replied was, 'I think I lost my
+head.'" For this most gallant deed Jacka received not only the coveted
+cross, but a sum of �500 and a gold medal promised by Mr. John Wren of
+Melbourne to the first Australian who should win the great distinction.
+
+Second Lieutenant George Dallas Moor, 3rd Battalion Hampshire Regiment.
+
+This young officer was not nineteen when by his splendid bravery and
+presence of mind he saved a dangerous situation. On 5th June a
+detachment of a battalion on his left which had lost all its officers
+was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack. Second Lieutenant
+Moor grasped the peril in which the rest of the line was thus placed,
+and, racing back for some two hundred yards, he stemmed the rout, led
+back the leaderless, and at their head recaptured the lost trench. In
+September 1914 he was a schoolboy at Cheltenham; nine months later he
+had proved himself a born leader of men, and had won the proudest badge
+of honour that a soldier can wear.
+
+Second Lieutenant Herbert James, 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.
+
+Two fine deeds of outstanding valour stand to the credit of Lieutenant
+James. On 28th June he rallied a retiring party belonging to a
+neighbouring unit and led it forward under heavy shell and rifle fire.
+He then returned, gathered together another party, and once more
+advanced, thus putting new life into the attack. On 3rd July he headed a
+party of bomb throwers who pushed up a Turkish communication trench, and
+after nearly all of his comrades had been killed or wounded, remained
+alone at the head of the trench, exposed to a murderous fire, but
+beating back the enemy single-handed till a barrier had been built
+behind him and the trench secured. Lieutenant James was a Birmingham
+man, who enlisted in the 21st Lancers in 1908. He was of a studious
+disposition and had won several prizes for languages. On the outbreak of
+war he was granted a commission and joined the famous Worcestershires.
+
+Captain Gerald O'Sullivan, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+This gallant Irishman threw himself into the breach to the south-west of
+Krithia during a critical moment on the night of the 1st-2nd July. He
+volunteered to lead a party of bomb throwers against a British trench
+which the Turks had captured. Advancing in the open under very heavy
+fire, he climbed on to the parapet and hurled his bombs into the crowd
+of men below. Of course, he was wounded, but not before his example had
+inspired his men to such efforts that they recaptured the lost trench.
+Strange to say, the day after his honour was announced he was reported
+missing.
+
+Sergeant James Somers, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
+
+On the same night that Captain O'Sullivan so distinguished himself,
+Sergeant Somers of the same regiment pushed into an enemy trench and
+bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on he advanced into the open,
+under heavy fire, and held back the enemy by throwing bombs until a
+barricade had been erected. Frequently, he ran back to his own trench
+for a fresh supply of bombs. Thanks to his gallantry and coolness the
+lost portion of a British trench was recovered. On his return to his
+native village the people of North Tipperary gave him a great reception,
+and presented him with an illuminated address and war stock to the value
+of �240.
+
+[Footnote 48: Refer to map on p. 168.]
+
+[Footnote 49: Quinn's Post lay at the head of Shrapnel Valley, the
+Valley of Death referred to on page 273. Pope's Hill lay to the left
+front of Quinn's Post, and Courtney's Post was on the right of Quinn's
+Post.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVII.
+
+  A SPLENDID FAILURE.
+
+
+In his dispatch of 6th January 1916 Sir Ian Hamilton tells us that early
+in July 1915 he was fully aware that the Kilid Bahr plateau could not be
+reached from the south. Even if he could capture Krithia, which had so
+far defied him, he could make no further headway towards his goal. The
+Turks had made new and very strong works on the slopes of Achi Baba, and
+these works were so planned that, even if the enemy's western flank
+could be turned and he could be driven back from the coast, the central
+and eastern portions of the mountain could still be held as a bastion to
+the plateau. After considering every possible means of forcing a way to
+the Narrows, he decided to make an advance through the Anzac territory
+and the country to the north of it.
+
+For three months Anzac had been an area of little more than a square
+mile of cliff top on the edge of the sea. Its defences consisted of a
+series of outposts, and these could only be reached by means of a deep
+ravine, Shrapnel Valley, or "the Valley of Death," as it was called,
+because it was enfiladed by Turkish fire, and a man took his life in his
+hand every time he attempted to pass through it. You have already heard
+of some of these outposts. Quinn's Post was named after Major Quinn, who
+died in defence of it during a desperate Turkish attack on 28th May.
+Courtney's Post, which was the scene of Corporal Jacka's famous exploit,
+was named after the Colonel who held it against terrible odds for seven
+weeks. Pope's Hill received its name from Colonel Pope of West
+Australia--Pope with the Pipe, as his men dubbed him, because on one
+occasion, when he was climbing the side of the hill, he just escaped a
+Turkish trap by leaping down thirty feet on to a soft spit of sand,
+where he landed safely, pipe and all. The path to the post of Pope's
+Hill was so steep that the men had to help themselves up by means of a
+rope.
+
+Sir Ian Hamilton now determined to make a new landing on Suvla Bay,
+which lies to the north of the Anzac region. Look at the diagram on page
+278 and make out the chief features of the neighbourhood. You notice
+that the bay, which is about two miles wide, is like the crescent moon
+in shape, with capes forming the horns. Along the edge of the bay runs a
+narrow causeway of sand, and behind it is a salt lake, dry in summer,
+but overflowing in winter. Lining the coast north-eastwards from Cape
+Suvla is the ridge of Karakol Dagh, over 400 feet high. Between the
+southern end of the lake and the promontory which shuts in the bay on
+the south side is the low hill of Lala Baba, and about one and a half
+miles to the east of it is another elevation, afterwards called by our
+men Chocolate Hill, because it was burnt brown by the shells which burst
+upon it.
+
+[Illustration: The "Anzac" Front.
+
+The water-courses shown on the map are mostly dry in summer.]
+
+Find on the map (page 275) Azmak Dere, a ravine which lies to the south
+of Chocolate Hill. From this ravine northwards stretches a series of
+hills and flats on which there are farms and patches of dwarf oaks, and,
+on the seaward fall of the hills, thick scrub. Everywhere the plain is
+cracked by water-courses, which are simply deep, dry gullies in summer.
+Just north of the upper course of the Azmak Dere is one of the two
+Anafarta villages; the other stands two miles farther north. Between the
+south village and the foothills of the Karakol Dagh lie the Anafarta
+Hills.
+
+At the points marked A, B, and C on the diagram (page 278), Sir Ian
+Hamilton proposed to make new landings; but, as a matter of fact, his
+troops were put ashore only at B and C. They were to try to carry the
+Anafarta Hills, and their right was to link up with the left of the
+Anzacs, who would advance at the same time. If this were done, the
+central crest of the spine of uplands which runs through the western end
+of the peninsula would be in our hands. We should then be able to
+command the one land route to Maidos on the Narrows; the communications
+of the Turks would be cut, Achi Baba would fall, and in due course we
+should reach the plateau on which all our hopes were centred. Such was
+the plan. It was a bold plan, and it had a very fair chance of
+succeeding.
+
+Of course, if the Turks got wind of what we proposed to do they would
+make preparations to resist us, and the conditions in the south of the
+peninsula would be repeated. The landing on Suvla Bay was to be a
+surprise. We knew that the Turks had made no preparations in this
+region, and we hoped to take them unawares. If the landing could be made
+speedily, if the troops could push forward without delay, and if they
+and the Anzacs, working together, could join hands and gain the crest of
+the spine of uplands, all would be well; but if there were delays, if
+any of the various columns were not up to time, or failed to do the work
+assigned to them, the whole movement would end in failure.
+
+[Illustration: Suvla Bay and the Neighbourhood.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The landing took place on August 6-7, 1915. A beach where a landing was
+attempted was later abandoned, and the troops were put ashore at B and
+C. Notice the causeway across the Salt Lake, Lala Baba, Chocolate Hill,
+and Lone Pine Plateau to the south-east of Shrapnel Valley.]
+
+Before the great venture began Sir Ian Hamilton had to throw the enemy
+off the scent. It would never do to let him know where the new landing
+was to be made. At all costs he must be surprised. So on 6th August a
+general attack was made on the Turkish position at Achi Baba. This was
+done to make the enemy believe that we still hoped to carry the ridge
+from the south. In the early afternoon, after the guns had prepared the
+way, the 88th Brigade advanced across open ground against a part of the
+enemy's front, which so far we had been unable to win. The attack was
+boldly made, but our men were held up, and suffered heavy losses. East
+of the Krithia road the Lancashire Territorials fared better, and gained
+200 yards. Next morning the Turks, with heavy reinforcements, began
+their counter-attacks, and fighting raged for two days round a vineyard
+west of the Krithia road, where, as you will learn later, Lieutenant
+Forshaw of the 1/9th Manchesters won the Victoria Cross. All this
+fighting, you must remember, was for the purpose of making the Turks
+believe that we were going to "carry on" in the old way.
+
+Now we must turn to the Anzac territory, which, as we know, was to be
+the scene of a great effort. On the nights of the 4th, 5th, and 6th
+August reinforcements were slipped into Anzac very silently during the
+darkest hours, and were tucked away in prepared hiding-places, quite
+invisible to the aeroplanes or the telescopes of the Turks. Probably
+never before have so many men been landed under the very eyes of the
+enemy, and kept concealed for three days without being discovered.
+
+On the afternoon of the 6th, while the fighting was in progress round
+Krithia, a frontal attack was made on the Lone Pine plateau.[50] It was
+a feint to cover the advance of a division which was to move up the
+coast and work up three ravines in order to assault Koja Chemen,[51] the
+commanding summit of the Sari Bair. As soon as the bombardment ceased
+the Australians--every man with a white band on his sleeve--leaped
+forward with that magnificent dash which has given them a leading place
+amongst the finest soldiers of the world, and flung themselves on the
+deep and roofed-in trenches at Lone Pine, which you see to the
+south-east of Shrapnel Valley. After a deadly struggle in the dim
+galleries they won the whole position. It was a magnificent feat of
+arms, and Sir Ian Hamilton thus sums it up: "One weak Australian
+brigade, numbering at the outset but 2,000 rifles, and supported only by
+two weak battalions, carried the work under the eyes of a whole enemy
+division, and maintained their grip upon it like a vice during six days
+of counter-attacks. . . . After the first violence of the
+counter-attacks had abated, 1,100 corpses--our own and Turkish--were
+dragged out of the trenches." Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the
+victors of Lone Pine.
+
+Meanwhile the columns on the left had occupied the ridge named Bauchop's
+Hill, and had climbed and seized Big Table Top, a mushroom-shaped
+mountain with such steep sides that it was believed no infantry could
+scale them. "But just as faith moves mountains, so valour can carry
+them." The heights were scaled, and the plateau was carried by midnight.
+The attacks were made with bayonet and bomb only; hardly a rifle shot
+was fired. Meanwhile the ridge which you see just south of Azmak Dere
+had also been captured, and the whole left rear of the Anzac position
+had been safeguarded. The grand attack on Koja Chemen could now proceed.
+
+I must break off my story for a moment to tell you that, at dawn on the
+7th, the 3rd Australian Light Horse and the 1st Light Horse Brigade
+pushed forward against the Turkish trenches in their front. These
+magnificent troopers, men of great physical strength and of the highest
+courage, advanced only to be mown down. Line after line of them left
+their parapets, but were met by a storm of fire which no mortal could
+face and live. For a few moments the flag of the Light Horse fluttered
+from a corner of the Turkish position. Soon, however, it disappeared,
+and of the 750 men who attacked that morning only about 100 returned.
+The sacrifice, however, was not in vain. The Turks in this part of the
+line were penned to their trenches while the great attack which I am now
+about to describe went forward.
+
+If you look at the map on page 275, you will see that, in order to get
+from Big Table Top to Koja Chemen, our troops had to cross Rhododendron
+Ridge. All night the left column struggled up the two "deres" which you
+see to the east of Bauchop's Hill, and by a quarter to six in the
+morning it was on the lower slopes of Rhododendron Ridge. It then moved
+up the hill, and gained touch by means of the 10th Gurkhas with a column
+on the right, which had worked up the ravines between Rhododendron Ridge
+and Chunuk Bair in the face of very heavy fire and by means of frequent
+bayonet charges. Before nightfall our men were entrenched on the top of
+Rhododendron Ridge, "_a quarter of a mile short of Chunuk Bair--that is,
+of victory_!"
+
+Now for the last push. The attack on Koja Chemen was timed to begin at
+4.15 on the morning of the 8th. The right column was to climb up the
+Chunuk Bair ridge, while the left was to make for the ridge directly
+south-east of Koja Chemen. "At the first faint glimmer of dawn observers
+saw figures moving against the sky-line of Chunuk Bair. Were they our
+own men, or were they the Turks? Telescopes were anxiously adjusted; the
+light grew stronger; men were seen climbing up from our side of the
+ridge; they _were_ our own fellows--the topmost summit was ours!" Yes,
+it was true--New Zealanders and Maoris had fixed themselves firmly on
+the main knoll of Chunuk Bair, and victory was in sight. The position,
+however, had not been won without great losses. The 7th Gloucesters, for
+example, lost every single officer; yet they fought on from midday to
+sunset, commanded only by corporals and privates.
+
+Next morning, the 9th, the attack was renewed by three columns. The
+whole of Chunuk Bair was to be gained, and while No. 1 column held the
+ground, Nos. 2 and 3 columns were to carry Hill Q. It was a day of
+pitiless heat, and the men suffered torments of thirst. The 6th Gurkhas
+of the second column scaled the summit of the ridge between Chunuk Bair
+and Hill Q, and for half an hour looked down upon the gleaming waters of
+the straits. Not only did they and some of the 6th South Lancashires
+reach the crest, but they began to attack down the far side of it,
+firing as they went at the fast-retreating enemy. But at this supreme
+moment, when the last obstacle had been passed and the Promised Land was
+in sight, the fortune of war deserted us. No. 3 column should by this
+time have been sweeping out towards Hill Q along the whole ridge of the
+mountain, but it was nowhere to be seen. It had lost its way in the
+darkness. There was no support for the men on the summit, who were now
+suddenly assailed by a salvo of heavy shells. The Gurkhas and South
+Lancashires were forced back from the crest and on to the lower slopes
+from which they had started. When at last No. 3 column appeared, the
+Turks had come up in overwhelming numbers, and all hope of regaining the
+summit had vanished.
+
+That evening our line ran along Rhododendron Ridge up to the crest of
+Chunuk Bair, where some 800 New Zealanders and Maoris were holding about
+two hundred yards of shallow trenches unprotected by wire. During the
+night of the 9th-10th these troops were relieved, after they had been
+fighting without pause for three days and three nights. Two battalions
+of the New Army took the place of these devoted men, who were now half
+dead with fatigue. Early on the morning of the 10th the Turks made a
+furious attack upon them. They came on again and again, calling upon the
+name of God, determined to drive our men into the sea. Desperate
+fighting followed. The men of the New Army were simply overwhelmed by
+sheer weight of numbers, and were driven from the crest. At the foot of
+the hill they were rallied, and plunged into a deadly fray in which
+"generals fought in the ranks, and men caught each other by the throat.
+. . . Our men stood to it, and maintained, by many a deed of daring, the
+old traditions of their race. There was no flinching. _They died in the
+ranks where they stood._"
+
+But where were the men from Suvla? Where were they at this supreme
+crisis, when they were so desperately needed? The New Zealanders on the
+crest of Chunuk Bair had seen them landing, but had lost sight of them.
+What had happened? Something must have gone seriously wrong.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The landing at Suvla Bay was made on the night of 6th August, under very
+favourable conditions. The moon did not rise until 2 a.m., and by this
+time our men were ashore. Except for a little rifle fire, they were
+quite unopposed. As you know, the Turks had their hands full elsewhere,
+and had no inkling of what was afoot. The men who landed at the points B
+and C carried Lala Baba with the bayonet during the night, and also an
+outpost to the north of the Salt Lake. By the time the moon rose two
+divisions were ashore, and were holding a line east of the lake running
+from Karakol Dagh to near Chocolate Hill. So far everything had gone
+well; but then came a fatal delay. It was essential that we should push
+on if we were to surprise the Turks, but no attempt was made to
+proceed. The men, most of whom had never been in action before, were
+very weary, and were tormented by thirst. The transports, containing
+water, stores, mules, and carts, were still sixty miles away, and no
+doubt the general in command of the expedition hesitated to send men
+forward in an arid land without a proper water supply. Further, he had
+but little artillery. Late that night the right carried Chocolate Hill.
+The New Zealanders, as you know, were now struggling to maintain their
+foothold on Chunuk Bair, and every moment was priceless. Unhappily, the
+general at Suvla Bay does not seem to have realized that the whole
+success of the movement depended on pushing his men forward at all
+costs. By this time Sir Ian Hamilton had arrived. He tried to persuade
+the general to advance, but in vain. By the morning of Monday, 9th
+August, our chance of success had almost vanished. Ever-growing numbers
+of the enemy had come up, and no surprise was now possible.
+
+On the morning of the 9th a gallant endeavour was made to carry the main
+Anafarta ridge; but though the crest was won, the effort was too late.
+The Turks had now arrived in full force. About midday they fired the
+scrub on the hills, and the flames which were swept across our front by
+the wind drove us back. Nothing more of importance was done that day,
+and next morning our chance of succeeding had gone for ever.
+
+During the next ten days we tried to push forward, and the famous 29th
+Division was brought up; but even it could not snatch victory out of
+defeat. On 21st August repeated but unavailing efforts were made to
+carry a hill to the north and another to the south of Chocolate Hill.
+About five o'clock the mounted division, which had been held in reserve
+below Lala Baba, made a splendid advance. For two miles the gallant
+yeomen moved forward as if on parade through country where there was not
+enough cover to conceal a mouse, and amidst a rain of Turkish shrapnel.
+These men, from Bucks, Berks, and Dorset, charged the hill to the south
+of Chocolate Hill and leaped into the Turkish trenches. The Turks,
+however, on a higher hill brought machine guns to bear on them, and by
+daylight they were forced back to their old lines.
+
+The same day the Anzacs, under their famous leader, General Birdwood,
+brilliantly carried one side of the topmost knoll of Hill 60, which you
+see by the side of the upper course of Azma Dere, the southern fork of
+Azmak Dere.[52] After desperate hand-to-hand fighting, nine-tenths of
+the summit was won. Some 250 men of the 5th Connaught Rangers
+distinguished themselves that day by a superb charge, and finally the
+whole hill passed into our hands. With this success our efforts to make
+headway on the peninsula practically came to an end.
+
+"Thus was a likely plan turned into a tragedy of missed opportunity." We
+failed for the same reason that we failed in the whole campaign--we were
+"too late," and we gave time for strong forces of the enemy to take up
+positions of such strength that all the valour of our men could not
+carry them. The whole enterprise was wrecked when our troops were held
+in check for a whole day on the flats of Suvla Bay.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+"Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history," on 11th
+October Sir Ian Hamilton was asked to say what he supposed would be the
+extent of our losses if we tried to get off the peninsula. He cabled
+back that he could not even think of such a thing. On the 16th he was
+recalled, and another general, Sir Charles Monro, who had already
+advised that we should withdraw from Gallipoli, was appointed in his
+place. The task of the new general was to carry out the delicate and
+difficult operation of withdrawal. During the next two months he was
+busily engaged in making his preparations.
+
+Of course, it was all-important that the Turks should be kept in
+ignorance of what we proposed to do. Our losses in getting on to the
+peninsula were very heavy, but they would be as nothing compared with
+those which we might suffer in getting off should the Turks be enabled
+to attack us while men, guns, horses, and stores were being transferred
+to the ships. Some generals gloomily told us that we should lose half,
+or at least one-third, of our troops in the process. We therefore made
+no sign, but carried on as though we had no thought of leaving the
+peninsula at all.
+
+Local fighting still went on; mines were laid and exploded, and a trench
+warfare similar to that in North France and Flanders was in full swing.
+The storms of November broke over our men, and torrents roared down the
+gullies. Sickness was rife, but still "carry on" was the order of the
+day. On 21st December Lord Kitchener visited Anzac, and satisfied
+himself that the men could be withdrawn without undue loss. The hour of
+departure was drawing very near.
+
+Everything depended on the weather. The small boats in which the troops
+were to be conveyed to the transports could not work in a rough sea, nor
+could the guns and animals be got off during storms. Happily, when the
+work of withdrawal began on 29th December a spell of light wind and
+smooth seas set in.
+
+Before the men could depart the Turks had to be attacked, so as to keep
+them at a distance. On 29th December a British division advanced against
+the enemy with as much dash as if the campaign was only beginning, and
+next day the Turkish lines were fiercely bombarded. Meanwhile the first
+troops had got away. All sorts of ruses were invented to deceive the
+Turks. It is said, for example, that while 2,000 men were silently
+embarked at night, 500 were landed with great show the next morning, in
+order to make the Turks believe that we were actually being reinforced.
+For weeks guides were trained to bring down companies of men from the
+trenches to the beaches during the night, and so well was everything
+planned that every man, every animal, and every gun, with the exception
+of six, was safely embarked. The landing was a feat; the departure was a
+miracle.
+
+[Illustration: The Turkish Attack on our Troops at the foot of Chunuk
+Bair.
+
+_By permission of The Sphere._
+
+The Turks "came on again and again, calling upon the name of God,
+determined to drive our men into the sea. . . . Our men stood to it, and
+maintained by many a deed of daring the old traditions of their race.
+There was no flinching. They died in the ranks where they stood." (See
+page 280.)]
+
+A correspondent tells us that the Anzacs came down the hillside with
+steady, slouching gait. Except for the moonlight shimmering on the Salt
+Lake and the smooth waters of the bay, and the fires burning in the
+deserted camps, all was dark. Suddenly, four great fires sprang up,
+leaped into flames, and grew into one mighty bonfire. The deserted
+stores of the Anzacs were blazing furiously. Then, as a finale, a giant
+mine was exploded by electricity under the Turkish trenches. It was the
+Australians' "Good-bye" to the Turks. An Anzac corporal thus described
+the departure:--
+
+    "On the last night we kept up the usual firing, until finally
+    there were only sixty men from each battalion scattered along
+    the firing-line, and through a ruse--due to the inventive
+    faculties of Corporal Scurry, of our battalion--these last men
+    were able to get away.
+
+    "Scurry invented an apparatus by fixing a kerosene can full of
+    water, which was allowed to drip into a large jam tin. This
+    latter was tied on to the trigger of a rifle fully cocked and in
+    position on the parapet. When a sufficient amount of water was
+    in the jam tin off went the gun.
+
+    "Hundreds of these were fixed all along the line, timed to go
+    off at different intervals, so that the usual firing was kept up
+    for two hours after the last man had left the trenches.
+
+    "Some ruse--eh, what?"
+
+"I hope, sir," said a New Zealander to his officer, as he crept down
+Shrapnel Gully for the last time, "that those fellows who lie buried
+along the 'Dere' will be soundly sleeping and not hear us as we march
+away." Many of his comrades, however, put aside such sad thoughts.
+
+As the last transport steamed away early on the morning of 9th January
+1916, the enemy's guns began to pour shells on our deserted trenches and
+on our burning beaches. A day or two later the Turks announced that they
+had driven the British into the sea. Constantinople blazed with
+illuminations, and Germany broke forth into loud rejoicings. So ended
+the ill-starred adventure. For more than nine months we had fought not
+only the Turks and the Germans in their strongholds, but disease and
+thirst, the droughts of summer, and the blizzards of winter. We had been
+foiled, and the British Empire was the poorer by the loss of tens of
+thousands of bright and gallant lives; yet there was no murmuring. The
+nation set its teeth and turned to the next task. It recognized that
+there must be failures in every great war, and that one set-back does
+not spell defeat.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross during
+the fighting in Gallipoli between 7th August and 22nd December 1915:
+
+Lieutenant William Thomas Forshaw, 1/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment,
+Territorial Force.
+
+On page 276 I mentioned the heavy fighting which took place from 17th to
+19th August around a vineyard to the west of the Krithia road.
+Lieutenant Forshaw and his detachment held the north-west angle of the
+vineyard. The Turks advanced upon them time after time by way of three
+trenches which all met at this point, but they could make no headway.
+For forty-one hours Lieutenant Forshaw not only directed and encouraged
+his men, but continued to fling bombs on the enemy. Eye-witnesses say
+that he treated bomb-throwing as though it were snowballing, and that he
+was happy all the time, though every moment he was in the direst peril.
+When his detachment was relieved he volunteered to stay on and direct
+operations. Three times during the night of 8th-9th August he was again
+heavily attacked, and once the Turks got over his barricade; but after
+shooting three of them with his revolver, he led his men forward and
+drove the enemy out. When at last he rejoined his battalion he was
+choked and sickened by bomb fumes, badly bruised by fragments of
+shrapnel, and could scarcely lift his arm, which was stiff with
+continuous bomb-throwing. Thanks to his inspiring example and splendid
+tenacity, an important position was held. Before joining the army he was
+a teacher in a Manchester Secondary school.
+
+[Illustration: How Lieutenant Forshaw won the V.C.
+
+(_From the picture by Philip Dodd. By permission of The Sphere._)]
+
+Private Leonard Keysor, Private John Hamilton, Captain Alfred John
+Stout, 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force; Lieutenant W. J.
+Symons, Lieutenant F. H. Tubb, Corporal Alexander Stewart Burton,
+Corporal William Dunstan, 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
+
+The seven gallant men whose names appear above were the outstanding
+heroes of the Lone Pine plateau. (See pages 276-7.) It is impossible to
+describe the fearless gallantry with which they charged and captured the
+roofed-in trenches of the enemy and beat off countless attacks. Keysor
+did miracles of bombing, and frequently caught live grenades as they
+fell into his trench and flung them back on the enemy. During the fierce
+encounters Corporal Burton was killed and Lieutenant Tubb was wounded.
+
+Corporal C. R. G. Bassett, New Zealand Divisional Signal Company.
+
+You will remember how the New Zealanders, on 7th August, won the Chunuk
+Bair ridge and came within an ace of victory. While they struggled to
+maintain themselves against fierce and constant counter-attacks,
+Corporal Bassett in full daylight and under a heavy fire laid a
+telephone wire from the old position to the new one. More than once
+afterwards he repeated the same exploit.
+
+Captain Percy Howard Hansen, 8/4 Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment.
+
+On the 9th August the Lincolnshires captured the "Green Knoll" on
+Chocolate Hill (see page 281); but when the enemy set the scrub on fire
+they were forced to retire, leaving wounded behind them. Captain Hansen,
+with three or four volunteers, dashed forward several times into the
+burning scrub under a terrible fire, and rescued six of his wounded
+comrades.
+
+Private Alfred Potts, 1/1 Berkshire Yeomanry, T.F.
+
+On page 281 I told you how the Bucks, Berks, and Dorset Yeomanry made a
+heroic advance on 21st August. In the course of that attack Private
+Potts was wounded in the thigh, but not entirely disabled. He might have
+returned to his trench in safety; but he preferred to remain with a
+comrade who had been stricken down and was unable to move. For
+forty-eight hours he lay by his friend, and then fixed a shovel to the
+man's equipment, and, using it as a sledge, dragged the poor fellow back
+over 600 yards to his own lines, which he reached about half-past nine
+on the evening of 23rd August.
+
+Second Lieutenant H. V. H. Throssell, 10th Light Horse Regiment,
+Australian Imperial Force.
+
+This gallant officer held the end of a trench on Hill 60 (29th and 30th
+August) practically by himself. He killed six or seven Turks with his
+rifle, and was hit several times; but he refused to leave his post, and
+went on fighting until late in the evening, when the doctor ordered him
+out of the trenches. A comrade said, "I can see him now, the very best
+type of the best Australian manhood. . . . The man I want to follow, the
+man to lead me in a big fight--that is Throssell, V.C."
+
+Second Lieutenant A. V. Smith, 1/5 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment,
+Territorial Force.
+
+On 22nd December, during the trench fighting that preceded our
+withdrawal from Gallipoli, Lieutenant Smith, when in the act of throwing
+a lighted bomb, slipped on the wet ground and fell. The bomb dropped
+into the trench. He immediately shouted a warning to his men and jumped
+clear into safety; but seeing that his comrades were unable to get away,
+and knowing that the explosion of the bomb would kill many of them, he
+ran back, and without a moment's hesitation flung himself upon the
+bursting grenade. It exploded, and he was instantly killed; but he died
+knowing full well that by the sacrifice of himself he had saved the
+lives of many of his friends. Lieutenant Smith might have saved himself;
+he preferred to follow the Divine example and die for the salvation of
+others.
+
+[Footnote 50: See diagram, p. 278.]
+
+[Footnote 51: See map, p. 275.]
+
+[Footnote 52: See map, p. 275.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXVIII.
+
+  THE STORM BURSTS.
+
+
+In the basin of the great American river Mississippi one may go forth on
+a spring morning with the sun brightly shining and a blue sky overhead,
+yet within a single hour all may be terribly changed. The wind suddenly
+begins to roar, and in a few minutes a storm bursts in awful fury. Whole
+forests are laid low; houses, villages, and towns are swept into ruin;
+men, women, and children lie dead beneath the stone and timber that
+sheltered them; the pride and labour of years are destroyed in a moment,
+and terror and desolation stalk the land. The terrible blast sweeps on,
+but gradually abates its ruthless might, and by nightfall all is calm
+again. The stars gleam brightly from the storm-swept sky, and the moon
+shines with a message of cheer to the survivors, who with the morning
+light begin to repair the ravages which they have suffered, and to go
+about their business once more, inspired by that hope which "springs
+eternal in the human breast."
+
+[Illustration: The Tornado of Fire which beat down upon the Russian
+Trenches on May 1, 1915.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)]
+
+Somewhat thus may we picture the Eastern arena of battle during the year
+1915. A mighty tornado suddenly burst upon the Russian armies, and the
+whole aspect of the war was changed. The smiling sky of early April was
+a fierce rack of roaring thunder clouds by the middle of May. The onward
+sweep of the whirlwind could not be resisted; the Russians reeled
+beneath the shock; hundreds of thousands of their soldiers were swept
+into eternity, and for months hopeless ruin stared the survivors in the
+face. They recoiled before the terrible blast, and fell back into the
+vastnesses of their land, leaving behind them all the gains of nine
+months' hard battling. Whole provinces were yielded; great cities fell
+into the hands of their foes, yet with sublime resolution they still
+plodded eastwards until the fury of the storm began to abate. By this
+time they had knitted up their strength anew, and were strong enough not
+merely to resist the failing onset, but to make headway against it. And
+so it came about that the dire gloom of early summer brightened into new
+hope by autumn, and Russia's foes, though they had reft from her
+enormous tracts of territory, knew in their hearts that they had failed.
+They had aimed at utterly destroying their enemy, but they had done
+nothing of the kind, and the new territory which they had won was likely
+to become a Pandora's[53] chest of troubles. By the end of the year they
+were strung out on a line of nine hundred miles, across the marshes and
+plains of Russia.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+On page 125 of this volume I told you that with the fall of Przemysl on
+22nd March the Allies were full of hope that before the close of the
+summer Cracow would fall, Silesia would be entered, the Russians would
+be sweeping through Hungary, and the end of the war would be in sight.
+But at the very moment when they were cherishing these rosy hopes, there
+was much weakness in the Russian armies. They were holding far too long
+a line for the number of men and guns which they could put into the
+field; their forces were not joined up, but were divided by gaps, and
+they had not sufficient railway lines to enable them to move troops and
+supplies to any point which might be threatened.
+
+Their greatest weakness, however, was their shortage of artillery,
+machine guns, rifles, and ammunition. They had multitudes of men, but
+they could not arm them properly. Large numbers of their recruits were
+without rifles, and had to wait in the trenches, often under heavy fire,
+until they could take up the arms and ammunition of the wounded. This
+grave shortage of munitions was guessed at the time, but the truth was
+only fully known in February 1916, when the Russian Minister of War
+lifted the veil. He told us that prior to the outbreak of hostilities
+the Russians had relied on Germany for most of their war material, and
+for all the chemicals which enabled them to manufacture high-explosive
+shells. The consequence was that when the German supply was cut off, the
+Russians had to build munition factories, and make the necessary
+chemicals for themselves. It is more than likely, too, that there was
+serious wrongdoing in high quarters, for in March 1916 the general who
+was Minister of War in the early months of 1915 was brought to trial.
+For these reasons the Russians could not for a considerable time
+properly munition their armies, and this led to the great misfortune
+which I am about to describe.
+
+Despite their weaknesses, the Russians were too near success for the
+German High Command to feel comfortable. The Russian armies in Galicia
+were only fifty miles from Cracow; they had won fifty miles or more of
+the Carpathian watershed, and in some places they commanded the southern
+ends of the passes. Unless they were checked, and checked speedily, they
+would sweep down upon the great granary of Hungary, and Germany would
+lose her greatest source of wheat supplies. There was no time to be
+lost. A gigantic effort must begin immediately, and the Russians must be
+cleared out of Galicia altogether.
+
+Preparations were at once made with the utmost secrecy and dispatch, and
+before the Russians had more than an inkling of what was on foot,
+Germany was ready to strike. Never before in the history of the world
+have so many guns and men been so silently and swiftly brought up to an
+enemy's front. The secret was wonderfully kept. Train after train
+heavily laden with hundreds of big guns and three-quarters of all the
+shells that had been made in the busy munition factories of Germany
+during the winter was hurried to Galicia, and soon the new depots
+erected near the Donajetz were full to overflowing. Then followed many
+pontoons and much bridging material, for many rivers would have to be
+crossed on the line of the proposed advance. New hospital stations were
+established, a network of telegraph lines was erected, and great herds
+of cattle for feeding the armies were penned behind the German lines.
+Then, with the same speed and secrecy, masses of troops were hurried
+into Galicia, and before long there were two millions of men between
+Bukovina and Cracow. Not until everything was ready did Dmitrieff
+discover his danger.
+
+The plan of campaign was as follows. Von Mackensen was to be provided
+with not less than 1,500 guns and ten army corps, and with these he was
+to batter his way through the Russian lines. He meant to overwhelm the
+Russian trenches by means of a hurricane of artillery fire, and then
+thrust forward his men in close order, wave after wave, and drive the
+broken and dazed enemy before him. He was going to do what we had done
+at Neuve Chapelle, but he had far better prospects of success, for the
+Russians had neglected to prepare second and third lines of defence, and
+they were woefully deficient in artillery, rifles, and ammunition. Once
+he could get the Russians on the run he might envelop and utterly
+destroy them. At any rate, he would hurl them back to the river San.
+
+[Illustration: The Russian Retreat from the Donajetz to the San.]
+
+This map shows you the Russian line on 28th April. By this time
+Dmitrieff was aware that a mighty force of Germans was in front of him.
+He sent an urgent message to Ivanov, begging for two corps as
+reinforcements; but by some mistake the message never reached
+headquarters, and he was forced to meet the terrible thrust of the enemy
+with only his winter strength.
+
+Von Mackensen began the action by an advance on Gorlice, and Dmitrieff
+was forced to weaken his centre in order to strengthen his left wing.
+Meanwhile the real attack was beginning farther north. Midway between
+Gorlice and Tarnow you will see a break on the Russian front. It was
+against this point that von Mackensen made his great effort. On the
+morning of 1st May hundreds of his big guns began to roar, and soon
+shells were falling fast and thick on the Russian trenches. It is said
+that no less than 700,000 shells were hurled against the Russian
+positions on that day. Nothing could live in the whirlwind of death, and
+speedily the Russian trenches were wiped out, and thousands of Russians
+with them.
+
+Meanwhile pontoons were pushed across the river, and as soon as the
+bombardment ceased wave after wave of Germans in close order surged
+forward. By the next day they had broken through the Russian line, and
+the whole of the front was turned. There was nothing for it but swift
+retreat. Nor were the Russians able to make a stand until they were
+twenty miles from the position which they had occupied all winter.
+
+On the little river Wisloka they halted, and turned their faces to the
+foe. The line of the river gave them but a poor defence; but it was
+necessary that they should hold back the enemy if Brussilov's army,
+which lay along the foothills of the Carpathians, was to escape. By this
+time the famous Caucasian corps had been hurried up to stem the German
+torrent. These devoted men, though they had no heavy guns, defied the
+terrible artillery fire of the enemy, and at length managed to get to
+grips with him. They fought with supreme valour; they captured one of
+the German batteries, took 7,000 prisoners, and slew many thousands
+more. Not until they had lost 10,000 men did they perceive that no human
+valour could avail against Mackensen's merciless guns. For five
+priceless days they held out, and then were forced to retreat towards
+the little river Wistok.
+
+Soon the retreat became something like a rout, and Brussilov's army was
+in deadly peril. For a moment it looked as if von Mackensen was about to
+roll up the two halves of Dmitrieff's army and achieve another Sedan.
+But the Russians managed to push out strong forces towards Sanok and
+check the advancing enemy. The five days' stand on the Wisloka and this
+new movement enabled Brussilov, after much desperate fighting, to
+withdraw his troops from the foothills, and to retreat eastwards. Many
+of his men who were south of the Dukla and Lupkow Passes were cut off
+and made prisoners.
+
+This check enabled the Russian armies to withdraw towards the San and
+take up the position shown upon the map (page 293). There was now no
+fear of a rout, and they reached the new position in perfect order. So
+far all von Mackensen's efforts to roll them up had failed. He had won
+a great victory, it is true; in a fortnight he had pushed back Dmitrieff
+some eighty-five miles, and had taken large numbers of prisoners and
+much war material. He had loosed upon the Russians such a storm of fire
+as had never been known before in the history of the world, and, blasted
+and scorched, they had fallen back hurriedly with overwhelming numbers
+hard on their heels. They had suffered awful losses, but they had not
+been destroyed. Most armies under such terrible punishment would have
+broken into flying fragments, but the Russians showed all the dourness
+and fortitude of their race and managed to hold together. Their
+rearguards freely sacrificed themselves, that the army might make good
+its escape. It was unbroken and undefeated at the Wistok, and the latter
+part of its retreat to the San was slow and orderly. The German victory
+was thus matched by an equally great Russian achievement. On 12th May
+the Russian army, after passing through an agony that seemed to promise
+its total destruction, lay along the San with its face still to the foe.
+
+While the Russians were retreating from the Wistok to the San, the Grand
+Duke Nicholas and his staff looked the facts fairly in the face. They
+knew that they were hopelessly outclassed by the Germans both in guns
+and in number of men, and it was idle to suppose that they could resist
+von Mackensen's terrible thunderstorm of shell until they were equally
+well supplied. If they gave battle to the foe they would be utterly
+wiped out. As a Russian soldier put it, "We have only one weapon, the
+living breast of the soldier." The Grand Duke finally decided to
+retreat, not for leagues, but for hundreds of miles. He would draw the
+Germans on and on until he led them into the very heart of Russia if
+need be. As the Germans followed him eastwards they would leave the
+railways behind them and be forced to move their monster guns and heavy
+loads of shell over country without railways and without good roads.
+Thousands of square miles of territory would have to be given up to the
+invader, but as he pushed eastward his strength would grow less and
+less, and the time would be gained for Russia to supply herself with the
+guns and munitions which she so sorely lacked. Then, at last, her hour
+would strike. She would be able to turn and rend the weakened foe.
+
+[Illustration: A Night Scene before the City of Warsaw. An Engagement in
+Front of the doomed Capital.
+
+(_From the picture by Fr�d�ric de Haenen. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News._)
+
+"Night fighting," says a correspondent, "is one of the splendid
+spectacles of war. Flashing batteries, wavering lines of musketry and
+machine-gun fire, make a picture painted in silver and gold on a
+background of black. The moon shines behind the gray clouds, shedding a
+soft radiance just strong enough to shape the shadows. On the western
+horizon flash after flash springs out of the darkness; these are the
+distant German guns. Nearer to us the Russian batteries are firing, each
+piece cutting a red flash of flame into the darkness before its muzzle.
+Suddenly a blazing rocket shoots up into the heavens and bursts into a
+shower of silver stars. As they fall slowly, the country beneath is
+lighted in high relief. A long arm of searchlight shoots across the
+heavens. A line of sparks reveals a battalion of the advancing enemy."]
+
+Such was the Grand Duke's plan. He knew full well all that it involved.
+Przemysl and Lemberg, at whose capture joy bells had rung throughout
+all Russia, would have to be left behind. The great city of Warsaw,
+which had thrice defied von Hindenburg, must be abandoned. The line of
+the Vistula must be allowed to fall into German hands, and probably the
+German flag would wave above the great Polish fortresses; but if the
+armies could be saved, all might yet be well.
+
+In our first volume (page 64) I told you how Napoleon, the greatest war
+lord that Europe has ever known, marched a great army into Russia in the
+year 1812, and by so doing rang his death knell. The Russians were now
+about to repeat the tactics of 1812, and observers in the West
+prophesied that the Kaiser would be led into the same trap and suffer
+the same fate. But we must remember that the conditions had changed in
+many respects since Napoleon's day. He failed chiefly because he could
+not obtain sufficient supplies. The country through which he advanced
+had been swept clear of everything but wood and water, and all the food
+and munitions that his armies needed had to be sent forward by
+horse-drawn wagons along tracks which frequently ended in morasses. When
+these wagons failed to reach the troops, the men starved. Nowadays every
+army is accompanied by engineers who can build roads and light railways
+very quickly, and so keep the advancing army in touch with its bases.
+For example, during the campaign which I am about to describe, a German
+general boasted that his men, who then lay within a hundred miles of
+Riga, were eating bread baked in Berlin the day before. He also said
+that his engineers could construct fifty miles of asphalted road in two
+days. Motor transport has largely superseded the horse, and long
+distances, given fair roads, can be covered very quickly. Thus you see
+that in our time Napoleon's great difficulty need not be fatal.
+
+There was, however, much danger in pushing far "into the bowels of the
+land." As the German lines of communication grew longer and longer,
+supplies would take more and more time to reach the armies, and there
+would be more and more chances that the line might be impeded or cut.
+Thousands of men would have to be taken from the firing-line to hold the
+railways and roads along which the convoys travelled, and thus the
+attack would gradually lose force, and at last be unable to resist a
+vigorous onset by the enemy.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now we must return to the San, where the Russian armies were lying ready
+to retreat when the word was given. From the map on page 293 you notice
+that the Russian lines bulged out in front of Przemysl. Ivanov was
+prepared to give up this fortress, but not until he had cleared it of
+everything that might be useful to the enemy. In order to gain time he
+fought a holding battle in the centre and struck hard on the flanks. On
+the morning of 15th May his right began a three days' battle, in which
+the Austrians were well beaten, and after losing 30,000 men had to fall
+back. The enemy was caught in the open and the Russians plied the
+bayonet with deadly effect. On the borders of Bukovina the Russian left
+also had a success, and the enemy was driven back as much as thirty
+miles. But in the centre, where Mackensen was advancing, a very
+different state of things prevailed. The salient round Przemysl was
+fiercely attacked in three places, and its sides were driven in until
+the neck was less than ten miles across. Attacks were also made at two
+places farther north. When the Russian line was pierced at these points,
+the Austro-Germans were able to swing southwards towards the main
+railway, and the days of Przemysl were numbered.
+
+On 31st May the fortress fell, and at 3.30 on the morning of 2nd June
+von Mackensen entered the city. The Russians had held it a little over
+two months. The capture of Przemysl was a great feather in von
+Mackensen's cap, but it was no great prize. He found it little more than
+an empty shell. Guns, rolling stock, and supplies had been moved
+eastwards, and only a little booty fell into his hands.
+
+Why, you ask, did not von Mackensen push on more quickly and keep the
+Russians on the run? You must remember that his great weapon consisted
+of an enormous number of heavy guns which could only be moved slowly. As
+soon as the great machine lumbered up, the Russians were bound to
+retreat, but while it was slowly advancing to a new position, they were
+able to hold back the enemy on the wings and send away eastward all the
+valuable contents of the city. The great danger was always in the
+centre, where von Mackensen was making his terrible thrust; on the wings
+the Russians were able to delay the enemy.
+
+The fall of Przemysl compelled the Russians to give ground once more,
+and on 14th June their line ran as shown in the map on page 293. While
+the retreat was proceeding, Brussilov scored a victory. When the German
+right wing had pushed through the forests from Stryj, had crossed the
+Dniester, and was travelling by bad country roads, Brussilov caught it
+at a disadvantage. A three days' battle followed, in which the enemy was
+flung back across the Dniester with heavy loss. Some 17 guns, 49 machine
+guns, and more than 15,000 prisoners were captured, including a whole
+company of the Prussian Guard. Successes on the wings, however, could
+avail nothing while von Mackensen was blasting his way through the
+centre.
+
+A glance at the map shows you what a very strong position the Russians
+held from Grodek southward. In front of the city for fifteen miles there
+is a series of shallow, swampy lakes, with but few roads crossing the
+dry ground between them. Farther south lies a great district of marshes.
+The Russian lines behind the lakes and the marshes could not be forced,
+but they would be turned if the Germans could break through to the north
+of Grodek and force the line of the Dniester to the south of the city.
+
+Von Mackensen now moved on a broad front towards Rava Russka, and as
+soon as his great guns began their terrific onslaught on the Russian
+lines, the fate of Lemberg was no longer in doubt. On 19th June he broke
+through, and on the same day the German right wing crossed the Dniester.
+Next day a fierce battle was fought for Rava Russka. Von Mackensen won
+it, and then swung his forces southwards in the direction of Lemberg.
+The Grodek position had been turned, and once more the Russians were
+forced to retreat. The way to Lemberg was open, and on 22nd June the
+Austrians entered the city. After nine months the capital of Galicia
+passed once more into their hands. Vienna, Buda Pest, and scores of
+other places in Austria-Hungary broke into loud rejoicing. Towns and
+villages were bedecked with flags, and joyous peals rang out from every
+belfry.
+
+There was good reason why the Austrians should rejoice at the recovery
+of Lemberg. They had not only regained the capital of Galicia, but they
+were once more masters of a city that afforded them a splendid
+jumping-off place for carrying the war into Russia. As you see by the
+map, Lemberg is almost on the Russian frontier, and six lines of
+railway meet in it. So long as the Austrians could hold on to Lemberg,
+Galicia was safe. Its recapture was, therefore, a triumph for von
+Mackensen; but though he had reconquered a province and its capital, he
+had not brought the war any nearer to its end. He had neither shattered
+the Russian armies nor split them in twain.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is said that one day in June, just before the fall of Lemberg, the
+Kaiser met von Hindenburg and his Chief of Staff, von Falkenhayn, in the
+castle at Posen. The Kaiser was in high spirits, and he declared that
+the moment had now arrived for the capture of Warsaw. He already saw
+himself riding into the city at the head of his troops as the conqueror
+and deliverer of Poland. The two generals gladly agreed with his
+proposal. They believed that the Western front could be held without
+much effort, and that with the mighty engine of artillery which they now
+possessed they could batter through the Russian lines, and seize the
+great city which had so long defied them.
+
+After the fall of Lemberg, Warsaw formed the apex of a great salient. It
+could only hold out so long as the two great railway lines which meet in
+the city were in the hands of the Russians. The first of these routes
+runs north-east through Grodno, Vilna, and Dvinsk to Petrograd. The
+other line runs south-east through Ivangorod, Lublin, Cholm, and Rovno
+to Kiev.[54] Von Mackensen was already pushing northwards towards this
+southern line of railway, and the Russians were falling back before him.
+It was now the business of von Hindenburg to advance from East Prussia
+and capture the northern line. Once the railways were cut, Warsaw would
+fall. Von Falkenhayn, however, hoped to do more than merely capture the
+city and a few more thousand square miles of Polish ground. He hoped to
+make an end of the Russian armies in the salient, and this he proposed
+to do by carrying out a great enveloping movement. While von Mackensen
+was pushing on towards the southern railway, he would make a fierce
+thrust at the northern part of the same salient, in order to cut the
+Petrograd line between Warsaw and Bialystok. But this was not the whole
+of the plan. A German army under von Buelow had already overrun
+Courland,[55] and was not far from Riga. While the two thrusts were
+being made at the salient, this force was to hack its way south, seize
+Kovno and Vilna, and cut the Petrograd line far to the eastward. The
+Russians in the salient would thus be taken in flank and in rear; they
+would be squeezed between the enemy on the north and the south, and
+probably would be surrounded and forced to surrender. Russia would thus
+be crippled for many a month to come, and then the might of Germany
+could be flung against the Western front.
+
+We will now follow the fortunes of the three great thrusts that were
+about to be made--the thrust against the southern railway, the thrust
+against the Petrograd railway between Warsaw and Grodno, and the thrust
+against the same railway still farther east. Before the end of June five
+German armies, with von Mackensen in the centre, were moving steadily
+northwards to cut the southern railway line between Lublin and Kovel.
+They had now left the railways of Galicia behind them, and were crossing
+a country of forests, marshy plains, and bad roads. The great guns moved
+slowly, but the armies met with little opposition, and by 2nd July they
+were less than thirty miles from the railway.
+
+Round about Krasnik they came into touch with the Russians, who held a
+strong position, with marshes and streams on their flanks. The army of
+the Archduke Joseph, to the left of von Mackensen, was heavily assailed,
+and during four days of attack and counter-attack was driven back with
+the loss of 15,000 prisoners, a very large number of machine guns, and
+heavy casualties in dead and wounded. For a week the German advance was
+checked. It began again on 16th July, when von Mackensen, who had
+bridged the marshy streams, was able to get his big guns working. Once
+more he blasted his way through, and on the 18th was within ten miles of
+the railway.
+
+Now let us see what was going on in the north. On 14th July von
+Buelow's army in Courland began to push forward, and at the same time
+another army attacked the Niemen front. The great thrust against the
+Warsaw salient was entrusted to von Gallwitz, who now advanced against
+the line of the Narev. He made good progress, and the Russians fell
+back, fighting stubbornly. They retired across the Narev on the 20th,
+and three days later von Gallwitz won several crossings of the river. By
+means of one of these crossings he pushed forward until by 25th July,
+though the river line had not yet been won on a broad front, he lay
+within twenty miles of the Warsaw-Petrograd railway. Meanwhile the
+German heavy guns were battering down the outworks of the river
+fortresses, and the army of the Niemen was within sixty miles of Vilna.
+
+The Warsaw salient was now in great peril. Spears had been planted
+against its breast in three different directions. At the apex a
+spearhead was but fifteen miles away; another was only ten miles from
+the southern railway, and a third was but twenty miles from the northern
+railway. The fortified line of the Narev had been broken through, and
+the salient was doomed. Once more the Grand Duke had to make a decision
+upon which hung the fate of the Russian armies. Should he try by means
+of the great Polish triangle of fortresses--Novo Georgievsk, Ivangorod,
+Brest Litovski--to hold the salient, or should he sacrifice Poland and
+fall back to the east? The second course was by far the more difficult.
+To withdraw his armies along the three railways left to him, while the
+spearheads were closing in hour by hour, and any day two of the three
+roads of escape might be lost, was a most perilous task. His wornout
+troops would have to hold the sides of the salient for some weeks while
+the main body retired. If the sides were forced in, it was more than
+likely that his armies would be utterly overwhelmed. It seemed easier to
+hold on to the fortresses, and hope that in some way or other the enemy
+might be checked.
+
+The Grand Duke refused to take any risks; he chose the more difficult
+task. He determined to withdraw his armies from Poland altogether, and
+fall back eastward and ever eastward, until his forces could be properly
+fed with munitions and were ready to make a stand. It was a great
+resolve, and few commanders would have dared to make it. Probably no
+other army could have made such a retirement without losing heart
+altogether, and hopelessly breaking down.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The last days of July saw strange scenes in Warsaw. The whole city was
+stripped of everything that might be useful to the enemy. The great
+factories were dismantled, and their plant sent eastward. Gold from the
+banks, books and papers from the Government offices, relics and sacred
+pictures from the churches, bells from the towers, copper from the
+roofs, wire from the telegraph poles--all were piled on great wagons
+which followed each other in a long procession across the Vistula
+bridges. Half a million of the city's inhabitants streamed eastwards in
+carts and in hackney carriages. Only the Poles and the poorest of the
+Jews remained.
+
+About 24th July the forces in front of Warsaw began to fall back into
+the suburbs of the city. Meanwhile along the Narev a fierce holding
+battle was being fought to enable the troops in the northern part of the
+salient to get away. Five days later Mackensen cut the southern line
+between Lublin and Cholm, and the sides of the triangle were fast
+closing in. By this time all the stores and guns were safe, and the
+troops in the centre were moving through the city. Every day German
+aeroplanes dropped bombs in the streets, and soon, as the German shells
+burst among the houses, great fires began to flame up in the western
+suburbs. At three o'clock on the morning of Thursday, 5th August, three
+loud explosions shook the city. The Vistula bridges had been blown up.
+
+Three hours later German cavalry galloped in, and that evening Prince
+Leopold of Bavaria with his suite rode through the streets on the way to
+the palace. On the eastern horizon he saw the red glow which Napoleon
+had seen--the flames rising from crops and villages which the Russians
+had fired as they fell back before the invader.
+
+The Kaiser made no state entry into Warsaw. His exultation, however,
+appeared in the following telegram which he sent to his sister, the
+Queen of Greece: "My destructive sword has crushed the Russians. They
+will need six months to recover. In a short time I will announce new
+victories won by my brave soldiers, who have shown themselves invincible
+in battle against nearly the whole world. The war drama is now coming to
+a close."
+
+[Footnote 53: _Pan-do�ra._ In ancient Greek story, a goddess who
+possessed a box containing every kind of ill; this was opened, and the
+ills escaped and spread all over the earth, Hope alone being left at the
+bottom of the box.]
+
+[Footnote 54: For these railway lines, and other places mentioned in
+this chapter, see map, p. 311.]
+
+[Footnote 55: Or Kurland, Baltic province of Russia between the Gulf of
+Riga on the north and the province of Kovno on the south. It has many
+small, scattered lakes, and almost one-third of the surface is covered
+with forest.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XXXIX.
+
+  STORIES OF THE GREAT RETREAT.
+
+
+A correspondent with the Russian armies tells us that no mind can
+picture the awful effect of the German bombardment which drove the
+Russians out of their positions on the Donajetz. Von Mackensen, as you
+know, had 1,500 guns, and many of them were monster howitzers. It is
+said that a thousand wagon-loads of shell were used in a single
+day--that is, twice as many as would have sufficed, under ordinary
+conditions, for the six months' siege of a great and well-provisioned
+fortress. Ten shells, each weighing 800 lbs., were hurled on every yard
+of the Russian front. An officer calculated that the part of the line
+which he was holding received no less than 10,000 shells in the course
+of a few hours. The wreckage was awful, and those who survived were
+dazed and stupefied, and unable to resist.
+
+[Illustration: Where the Cossacks score: a Cavalry Skirmish in the Rear
+of the Russian Retreat.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)]
+
+Another correspondent describes what he saw in Warsaw prior to the entry
+of the Germans. Day and night, he tells us, one heard the muffled roar
+as factory plant, too heavy or too deeply embedded in concrete to be
+moved, was blown up. Every fragment of the metal was carried eastwards.
+The newspapers made their last appearance with a notice that the city
+was to be abandoned, after which the lino-types were uprooted and the
+very floors carted away. Police and soldiers visited every printing
+works and newspaper office, taking away founts of type and dismantling
+presses. Hardly a ton of copper fittings was left in the city. . . .
+Warsaw knew no sleep over that week end. Through the streets passed
+endless columns of carts and lorries heavily laden, and all making for
+the bridges across the Vistula. You could only distinguish a wagon
+loaded with millions of roubles in paper money from those containing
+sacks of potatoes, by the soldiers who sat swinging their legs over the
+side. Day and night gangs of soldiers were seen stripping league after
+league of copper telegraph wires from their poles. Church doors flung
+open revealed the interiors filled with weeping, praying Poles and
+Russians, amongst whom passed priests in their rich vestments. Aloft in
+the towers the huge bronze bells had been unslung, lest they should
+become food for Krupp's furnaces. Not only the bells, but all records
+and church plate, precious vestments, and ikons,[56] were carted away
+into the interior. In the Church of the Holy Cross there was a vault,
+and in it lay the heart of Chopin.[57] The vault was opened, and the
+precious relic was removed to Moscow. Wherever possible troops were sent
+out to garner the crops in the surrounding country. Where this was
+impossible the harvest was destroyed, and villages were burnt to the
+ground. Thousands of poor were ferried across the Vistula to begin their
+long tramp eastward.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+It is said that after the fall of Warsaw the Kaiser was very much
+annoyed that the Russian army had been allowed to escape. "We have paid
+too dearly," he said to his generals, "for the privilege of walking
+along the streets of Warsaw. Our success has been gained under such a
+cloud of mourning that at present I cannot think of rewards. You are not
+little children to be dazzled with a toy while the Russian troops are at
+liberty. You have secured the cage, but the bird has flown. While the
+Russian army is free the problem of the war is unsolved."
+
+A Russian journalist tells us that when the Kaiser seized the cage
+without the bird he began, like Jehu, to drive furiously in the hope of
+rounding up the retreating enemy. His soldiers were driven
+remorselessly. The advance guard was ordered not to beat the enemy but
+to detain him until the arrival of the main body. The leading
+detachments were hurried along so rapidly that they often lost touch
+with each other. Along the Vistula, on the bridges and at the fords,
+sentinels remained unchanged and without food for two or three days at a
+stretch. They were forgotten, and some of them died at their posts. All
+this time the Russians made great captures of their pursuers. So many
+Germans were seized that the captors scarcely knew how to deal with
+them. The prisoners when questioned said that they had been marching
+almost without pause for five days and nights. Each morning they were
+driven forward for three or four hours. Then they had twenty minutes'
+rest, and were again sent onward until midnight."
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that a British boy fought with
+the Russians, and that he rose from the ranks to be an ensign.[58] His
+name was John Wilton, and he was a frail lad of seventeen when the Tsar
+gave him permission to serve in the ranks of the famous Petrograd
+Guards. He became a mounted scout, and took part in every battle in
+which his corps was engaged. He was one of the scouts who managed to get
+within eight miles of Cracow. After six months' service he was promoted
+ensign, and five months later was in command of the mounted scouts of
+his regiment. On one occasion he very cleverly withdrew his scouts from
+a position in which they had been ambushed by German cavalry, and got
+them away with the loss of only one man.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+You have read more than once in these pages of women fighting in the
+Russian ranks. A story from Petrograd tells us that twelve schoolgirls
+from a Moscow college somehow obtained uniforms, boarded a military
+train at a roadside station, and thus reached the Austrian frontier.
+When they left the train for the march towards Lemberg the major
+discovered them, and ordered them back home; but they persuaded him to
+let them go on with the army. "We had to have our hair cropped," said
+one of them, Zoe Smirnoya, a girl of sixteen. "That is what I felt most.
+My hair was long, and I confess I cried. I've carried it ever since in
+my haversack."
+
+The girls fought in many of the Galician battles. They never fell out of
+the ranks, and they shared all the hardships of the campaign. They took
+men's names, and their comrades treated them kindly. When von
+Mackensen's big guns swept away the Russian trenches they fell back with
+the army. An officer asked Zoe, "Were you afraid?" "Of course," she
+replied; "how could one help? When the big shells burst all around us we
+could not help crying out. Several of the girls were only fourteen, and
+in their terror they called for their mothers. For that matter, I think
+I blubbered too."
+
+During the retreat one of the girls was killed by a shell. "We buried
+her on the morning after the battle," said Zoe. "We put her in a
+hurriedly-made grave, and set up a little cross marked with her name. On
+the morrow we were far away, and now I hardly remember the place where
+she was buried." Zoe was twice hit, and the second time was left out in
+the open, but was rescued by stretcher-bearers. She spent a month in
+hospital, and returned to the firing line as a corporal, wearing the war
+medal and the Cross of St. George.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Amongst the names that Russians hold in high honour is that of
+Michaelovna Ivanova, who acted as a nurse under her brother, a
+regimental surgeon. She insisted on going out to tend wounded even in
+the midst of a hail of bullets from rifles and machine guns. Her brother
+and the other regimental officers begged her to seek shelter, but in
+vain. When all the officers had fallen, the men lost heart for a moment
+and began to retire. At once the heroic nurse ran in amongst them,
+rallied them round her, and at their head rushed forward and captured a
+trench. Unhappily she was struck by a bullet, and died shortly
+afterwards.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that British seamen, with
+armoured motor cars, were sent out to lend a hand to the Russians. They
+did not take part in the fighting described in the former chapter, for
+they only left England late in the year. On 12th December, when they
+were in the Arctic Ocean on the way to Archangel, they established a
+record by singing "God save the King" farther north than any British
+field force on active service had ever been before. We may be quite sure
+that, under Commander Locker-Lampson, they fully upheld the honour and
+glory of the British Navy. It is also said that Japanese guns and
+gunners fought for Russia during the year 1915.
+
+[Footnote 56: Sacred pictures found in all Russian churches and houses.]
+
+[Footnote 57: _Sho-pan�._ Fr�d�ric Fran�ois Chopin (1809-49), great
+Polish musical composer and the finest pianist of his time. No man has
+ever excelled him in writing music for the piano.]
+
+[Footnote 58: Equivalent to our second lieutenant.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XL.
+
+  FROM STORM TO CALM.
+
+
+When the Germans entered Warsaw the German High Command had to decide
+what the next move was to be. Should they entrench on the ground already
+won, and make the line of the Niemen, the Narev, and the Vistula a great
+bulwark of defence which would defy all Russian counter-attacks for many
+a day to come, or should they push their armies forward? There were good
+reasons why a halt should be called on the river line. The troops were
+weary with long months of fighting, and badly needed rest. On the other
+hand, the Russian armies were not crushed, but it seemed likely that
+another big push would destroy them altogether. With Warsaw gone, the
+southern railway cut, and the Narev line crumbling, it appeared almost
+impossible for the Russians to escape. The army in Courland was almost
+within striking distance of the Petrograd railway, and once this was
+captured in the neighbourhood of Dvinsk and Vilna, the whole Russian
+front would be split up into separate armies, each of which might be
+destroyed. Another great effort, and the Tsar would be on his knees
+suing for peace.
+
+The die was now cast; the Germans decided to push forward. The Russians
+were in perilous plight; for on the right the Germans bade fair to
+envelop their armies, and in the centre von Mackensen was thrusting them
+back towards the Marshes of the Pripet, in which they might be caught.
+The Grand Duke's business was to get his armies away eastward, and to
+refuse at all costs to fight pitched battles. In this he succeeded, and
+by doing so wrote his name high on the roll of great generals.
+
+You will remember that the bridges across the Vistula at Warsaw had been
+blown up. Prince Leopold now collected a number of the thousand-ton
+barges which ply on the river, and constructed a floating bridge, across
+which he carried a railway line. By 10th August he began to advance; but
+he found himself constantly held up by Russian attacks, and he made but
+slow progress. By 16th August von Gallwitz was across the Petrograd
+line, and von Mackensen was within twenty miles of Brest Litovski. The
+Russians had already fallen back, and were lying in front of the railway
+from Ossowietz through Bialystok to Brest. They were, however, still
+holding out in front of the old city and fortress of Kovno.
+
+Glance at the position of Kovno. You see (page 311) that it stands on
+the Niemen, at the point where the course of the river swings to the
+south. Should Kovno fall, the other fortresses on the Niemen would be in
+great peril, and the enemy would have a direct route to Vilna, where
+they would be in the rear of the Russians. On the day that Warsaw fell,
+the Germans were near enough to Kovno to begin the bombardment. For
+twelve days they rained shells upon the forts, while the infantry fought
+for the outworks. By this time the city had been stripped, and its
+valuable contents had been sent eastwards. Nevertheless it had to be
+held while arrangements were made for the Russian line to retire. The
+gunners in Kovno stuck to their posts for twelve desperate days, and all
+the time the big siege howitzers of the enemy played havoc among them.
+Nevertheless, the Russians held on, and, what is more, continued to work
+their guns.
+
+By Sunday, 15th August, the forts were in ruins, and two days later the
+heroic garrison yielded. The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and over
+200 guns. The Russians, however, were fully prepared for this loss. The
+holding of Kovno was a forlorn hope, and the men and guns in it were
+sacrificed to gain time.
+
+The fall of Kovno meant that the Russian right must now retire, and a
+day later it was clear that the centre must retire too. The Germans had
+cut the railway to the north of Brest, and were now attacking the
+western forts of the stronghold. Next day Novo Georgievsk, which had
+been besieged for about three weeks and was now a huddle of ruins, had
+to yield, and 20,000 of the garrison, along with 700 guns, most of which
+had been rendered useless, fell into the hands of the Germans. Shortly
+before the surrender, a daring Russian aviator was entrusted with the
+maps and secret papers of the fortress. He ascended, and though
+furiously assailed by the anti-aircraft guns of the enemy, managed to
+fly clear and carry the precious documents into safety.
+
+Two of the three great fortresses forming the Polish triangle had now
+gone; Brest alone remained, and its doom was already sealed. While the
+Russians were preparing for a further retirement, their right, which
+rested on the Baltic Sea, was threatened with a new danger. On Sunday,
+10th August, a German fleet tried to force a way into the Gulf of Riga;
+it was beaten off, but the attempt was renewed on the 15th and on the
+16th. During a thick fog the Germans got into the Gulf on the 16th, and
+two days later tried to land troops at an unfortified port on the road
+to Petrograd. Four very large flat-bottomed barges, filled with troops,
+attempted to get ashore on the 20th; but the Russian light craft swooped
+down upon them, and captured or destroyed the whole of the landing
+force. Meanwhile a naval battle was going on throughout the length of
+the Gulf. The Russians lost an old gunboat, while the Germans had eight
+destroyers and two cruisers either sunk or put out of action, and a
+submarine driven ashore. On the 21st the Germans left the Gulf. Their
+attempt to outflank the Russian right had failed.
+
+During the previous twenty days the Germans in the centre had pushed
+forward no less than one hundred miles; but the Russian armies had
+eluded them, and no crushing battle had taken place. The Germans had not
+yet given up all hope of overwhelming the Russians, but for the time
+being they were anxious to secure a strong line on which they might
+maintain themselves during the coming winter. They had also a new
+campaign in view. Already they were thinking of forcing a way through
+the Balkans to Constantinople, so as to open a road to the east and
+fling such forces into Gallipoli as would drive the British and French
+into the sea.
+
+Now we must return to the doomed fortress of Brest. On the day that the
+German warships left the Gulf of Riga, Prince Leopold was close to the
+western walls of the fortress, while von Mackensen, east of the Bug, was
+threatening to take the forts from the rear. On 25th August Brest
+Litovski fell. It had held out long enough to enable the Russians to get
+away with the guns and supplies, and only a little wheat was left
+behind. Soon after the Germans entered the place a mine exploded and
+destroyed a thousand of their troops.
+
+[Illustration: Map illustrating the various Stages of the Russian
+Retreat.
+
+A, after the fall of Lemberg; B, after the fall of Warsaw; C, after the
+fall of Grodno; D, after the fall of Vilna.]
+
+You will see from the map on page 311 that the Russians, who had been
+holding the front around Brest, could use two railways to help them in
+their retreat. Most of them, however, had to retire on foot through the
+Marshes of the Pripet. Prince Leopold, in following them up, had to
+fight his way through the great forest region which lies to the north of
+Brest. It is said that in the recesses of this forest the European
+bison, elsewhere extinct, is still found. In the woods on the edges of
+the marshes the Russian rearguards fought fierce delaying actions, while
+their comrades trudged, unhasting but unresting, eastwards. Happily, the
+summer had been fairly dry, and it was possible for large numbers of men
+and guns to cross the swamps. By the end of August the Germans were
+thirty miles east of Brest, and were well within the marshy region.
+
+Meanwhile, the chief interest of the struggle lay in the north. On 28th
+August von Buelow began his great attack on the line of the Dvina. In
+all the valley of that river, from Dvinsk to Riga, there is no crossing
+save at the little town of Friedrichstadt, some fifty miles from the
+coast. Below the town great stretches of marshy forest line the left
+bank of the stream, and no road follows its course on that side. On the
+other side the ground is harder, and along the line of the river runs
+the main Riga-Vilna Railway. The Russians held the left bank of the
+river, and von Buelow urged his men to the assault in the following
+words: "After the brilliant campaign on the Russian front, and the
+occupation of many cities and fortresses, you must make one more effort
+to force the Dvina and seize Riga. There you will rest during the autumn
+and winter, in order to march on Petrograd in the spring." On the
+morning of 2nd September the Russians were forced back for ten miles
+from the left bank of the river; but the bridgehead at Friedrichstadt
+still held out.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+With the close of August the worst was over, and the turn of the tide
+had come. The tornado had blown itself out, the skies were clearing, and
+those who had been hurled back by the mighty blast were able to keep
+their feet and hold their own once more. The Russian line was nearly
+straight; the wings were hard pressed, but they could still resist; and
+the centre was too far within the Pripet marshes for easy capture. The
+struggle for dear life was over. Thenceforward the Russians were masters
+of their fate. They could retreat when and where they chose into the
+limitless expanses of their land. If they halted to fight a battle, it
+was because they saw some advantage to be gained, not because they were
+compelled to do so.
+
+[Illustration: The Tsar and Tsarevitch with the Russian Army.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+The Tsarevitch, the eldest son of the Tsar, is the Grand Duke Alexis,
+who was born on August 12, 1904. He was therefore eleven years old when,
+on September 5, 1915, his father took command of the Russian armies.
+Both father and son are seen wearing the uniform of the Caucasian
+Cossacks.]
+
+With the passing of all immediate danger, confidence surged up in their
+breasts, and at this moment the Tsar placed himself at the head of his
+soldiers. "We shall," he said, "fulfil our sacred duty to defend our
+country to the last." The Grand Duke Nicholas, who had so long borne the
+heat and burden of the day, gladly yielded place to his sovereign. Twice
+before in the history of Russia had a Tsar come forward to lead his
+armies in the day of dire peril. What Peter[59] and Alexander I.[60] had
+done, Nicholas II. now did. It was a sign to the whole Russian people
+that the war was to be waged to a triumphant end. The Germans were
+prepared to make a separate peace with Russia; they believed her to be
+crushed and broken and war-weary. Now came the reply: the Tsar, the head
+and front of Russia both in Church and in State, followed the example of
+his forefathers in the hour of trial and took chief command.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Look carefully at the large map on page 311, and find Grodno, on the
+Niemen. At the end of August the Russians were holding a salient round
+this fortress. September was but three days old when Grodno fell, and
+the Russians had to retire in order to avoid being surrounded. They had
+two railways to help them in their retreat--the main line to Petrograd
+and a line connecting with the Riga-Vilna-Rovno Railway. At all costs
+the enemy must be held back from these railways until the guns, troops,
+and stores in and around Grodno could be got away. Rearguards behind
+Grodno and a screen of troops farther north, where the Germans had to
+cross a district of lakes and forests, fought gallantly, and by 12th
+September the salient was clear. The Germans claimed to have captured
+4,000 prisoners; but even if they did so, the price was not too high to
+pay for the safety of the army corps that escaped.
+
+Now we must turn to Vilna, against which von Hindenburg had prepared a
+great thrust. On 2nd September a ten days' struggle began fifteen miles
+to the north-west of the city. By sheer weight of artillery the trenches
+of the Russians were carried, and a gas attack gave the Germans an
+important pass between a group of lakes which formed the main defence of
+the fortress on their left. Other forces were pushing up from the south,
+and retreat was again necessary. By the 13th it was clear that Vilna
+must fall. The Germans had cut the Petrograd railway only twenty miles
+from the city.
+
+[Illustration: The Coming of the Big Guns that mean Victory.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+Russian artillery being hauled through the snow to the battlefield by
+long teams of horses. By September 1915 the Russians had managed to
+provide themselves with sufficient artillery and ammunition to meet the
+Germans on equal terms.]
+
+The forces in front of Vilna had only one good railway line by which
+they could retire eastward, and only one good road--a causeway running
+across the marshes towards Minsk. On 15th September it was discovered
+that some 40,000 German cavalry, with 140 guns, were sweeping round so
+as to cut the railway and capture the causeway. Here was a terrible
+danger. If the cavalry could hold the railway and the causeway, the
+Russians in the Vilna salient would be surrounded, and nothing could
+save them. Not an hour must be lost. Vilna was abandoned on 18th
+September, and the troops were hurried eastwards by means of the road
+and railway. Rearguards on the right fought desperate holding battles,
+but on the 20th the gap through which the Russians were retreating had
+shrunk to little more than fifty miles. The Minsk railway was in danger;
+only the causeway, densely packed with guns, wagons, convoys,
+ambulances, and troops, was clear.
+
+Suddenly, in this moment of peril, the German thrust weakened. While the
+cavalry were sweeping round to the rear, the artillery and infantry to
+the west of the fortress made no push. Owing to the bad and crowded
+roads they could only proceed very slowly, and thus the Russians were
+afforded what they most needed--time. No longer were they without arms
+and ammunition. The Russian factories had worked miracles, and now the
+Tsar's armies were able to meet the enemy on equal terms. On the evening
+of 20th September, when the retreating Russians were thirty miles east
+of Vilna, their right wing fell upon the German cavalry and drove them
+back with the bayonet. For some days there was heavy fighting, but by
+the end of the month the Russian line was straight again. Once more the
+Germans had been foiled.
+
+Meanwhile the army of Brest, which had never been in serious danger, had
+been pursued, but the pursuers were now firmly held. On the Dvina von
+Buelow had made but little progress, while in the south Ivanov had held
+his ground, and had even won victories against the German right. He had
+overthrown a force moving against Tarnopol and another which was
+advancing further south, and had won one of the most successful of the
+smaller battles. Of course the Germans had made counter-attacks upon
+him, but they had been unsuccessful, and Ivanov had advanced in some
+places as much as twenty miles. His captures at the end of the month
+amounted to 80,000 men and many guns.
+
+Thus the end of September saw the Germans held in check. They had won
+Vilna and Grodno, but they had failed to cut off the troops in these
+salients, and had not made good the line of the Dvina. Winter was almost
+upon them, yet they had not found a suitable position for winter
+quarters. Meanwhile the Russians were growing in strength every day.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+During the terrible months from May till September the nation had
+suffered greatly, and misfortune had been heaped on misfortune. The
+spectacle of troops falling back day by day, the endless stream of
+wounded arriving at the bases, the highroads thronged with homeless
+peasants, and the seeming hopeless struggle would have broken down the
+spirit of most nations and brought about revolution; but in Russia,
+though there was some unrest, there was no revolution. Even the peasants
+who had lost their all, and had not where to lay their heads, bore their
+sufferings without complaint. A correspondent who talked with some of
+them tells us they felt that they were playing their part in defeating
+the hated enemy, as their fathers had done before them. They hoped for
+an early winter in order that their enemy might perish of cold and
+starvation, and they thought nothing of the sufferings that the winter
+would bring to them and their children. "I have heard them say again and
+again: 'We must win now, regardless of the cost and the time it takes.
+The sacrifices we have suffered are too great for us to hesitate at
+anything short of victory.'"
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the German cavalry were flung back from the rear of Vilna, the
+retreating Russians once more breathed freely. The end of the summer
+campaign had come, and still the Germans had delivered no smashing blow.
+During the month of October von Hindenburg strove fiercely to carry the
+line of the Dvina, in order to secure Dvinsk and Riga as winter
+quarters. The Russian right lay on the sea, and behind the river
+stretched a wilderness of marsh and lake almost impassable for troops
+and big guns. Riga and the line of the river south of it were defended
+by great stretches of bogland, and the patches of dry ground were cut up
+by many sluggish streams flowing in reedy channels. General Ruzsky, who
+was holding Dvinsk, had learned the lesson of Verdun and pushed out his
+defences far from the city. In the course of a big attack on 26th
+September the Germans came within eight miles of the fortress, but they
+could approach no nearer. An attempt to reach Riga by the coast road was
+foiled by the guns of the Russian fleet.
+
+On 3rd October von Hindenburg began a new series of thrusts against the
+line of the river, but made very little progress, and when the Russian
+counter-attacks began the German losses were very great. Before long
+50,000 of the enemy had fallen, and their goal was as far off as ever.
+Von Hindenburg now saw that he could not succeed against Dvinsk, and
+began a determined effort to capture Riga. He managed to win a marshy
+island in one of the arms of the river; but here he was stayed, and soon
+his troops were blown off the island. He was now fighting an army that
+was as strong as his own and could return shell for shell and shot for
+shot. By the end of October all his efforts against Dvinsk and Riga had
+come to nothing, and he was forced to dig in for the winter in a most
+inhospitable land. The snows were beginning to fall, bitter north winds
+were sweeping over the land, and no great movement was possible until
+the spring.
+
+So the tragic year came to an end. The Russians had passed through their
+fiery ordeal, and had emerged with a new courage and a new hope. On the
+map the Germans looked like victors, but actually they had failed. The
+Russian armies were intact; the Germans could not push on in the
+wilderness, and at the close of the year they lay waiting the uncertain
+future amidst dismal swamps and meres.
+
+[Footnote 59: In 1707, when Charles XII. of Sweden invaded Russia and
+bade fair to overrun the country, Peter the Great put himself at the
+head of his army, and on July 5, 1709, inflicted a great defeat on the
+Swedes and drove them out of the country.]
+
+[Footnote 60: In 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia and marched to
+Moscow (see Vol. I., p. 64), Alexander I. placed himself at the head of
+the army, and by wasting the country forced Napoleon to retreat.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLI.
+
+  MIDSUMMER ON THE WESTERN FRONT.
+
+
+Three days after the Battle of Festubert[61] came to an end, another
+European nation flung itself into the welter of strife. Italy declared
+war on Austria. The story of why she did so, and how she fared during
+the year 1915, will be told in our next volume. We may safely postpone
+an account of the Italian campaign, for, like our great adventure in
+Gallipoli, it was a side-show. Nevertheless it employed no less than
+twelve Austrian army corps, and thus largely reduced the forces which
+the enemy could employ in France and Flanders and the Eastern theatre of
+war.
+
+Italy set herself the very difficult task of conquering the
+Trentino,[62] and in order to do so had to force the barrier of the
+Alps. For six months she fought with great firmness and much sacrifice
+amidst lofty snowclad mountains, and battered unceasingly at the great
+Austrian fortresses established amongst them. By the end of the year her
+soldiers had occupied a rich and well-populated portion of what the
+Italians call "Unredeemed Italy," had secured their northern flank, and
+had firmly established themselves along the line of the river
+Isonzo.[63] They had also captured 30,000 of the enemy, 5 guns, 65 Maxim
+guns, thousands of rifles, and a great deal of other war material, and
+were in a favourable position for an advance in the spring. Should this
+advance be successful, Austria would lose her two great seaports, and,
+except along the coast of Dalmatia,[64] would be cut off from the sea.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+July was but nine days old when good news arrived from South Africa. The
+Union forces under General Botha[65] had conquered German South-West
+Africa,[66] and the colony had passed into British hands. The story can
+wait until our next volume, in which we shall survey the progress of our
+arms not only in "German South-West," as South Africans call it, but in
+the Cameroons and in German East Africa as well. From the first the
+Germans knew that their overseas possessions were doomed. Powerless on
+the ocean, they were utterly cut off from their colonies. Their overseas
+forces were fighting, as it were, in water-tight compartments, without
+hope of reinforcements or supplies from the Fatherland.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+We will now return to the Western front, and learn something of what
+happened in North France between the close of the Battle of Festubert
+and the great British attack of September. At home people believed that
+a big push would be made in the West during the summer months; but to
+their astonishment the Allies did not attempt an offensive on a large
+scale. The Russians, as you know, were then passing through a fiery
+ordeal; and their newspapers constantly asked why the Allies did not
+attack the enemy, and draw off from Russia some of the fury of the
+German onset. The fact was that the Allies were not in a condition to
+assault the German lines with any great hope of success. Though they now
+outnumbered the Germans on the Western front, they were still deficient
+in machine guns, heavy artillery, and stores of shell. The battles of
+Festubert and of the Artois had taught them that to hurl infantry
+against trenches which had not been previously wrecked by artillery fire
+was simply to send men to their death. They had also learned that
+piercing the enemy's line on a narrow front served no useful purpose.
+Driving tiny wedges into the German position was not only costly, but a
+waste of time. A big rent must be made, in order that cavalry might be
+launched through the breach against the lines of communication. For
+such an operation they had not as yet sufficient artillery, so they
+decided--
+
+  "'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
+    So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
+    Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
+    Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness."[67]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The war on the Western front during the months of June, July, and August
+was little more than the old "nibbling." All along the line there were
+many small attacks followed by small counter-attacks, and in some places
+fierce little struggles for strongholds. Trenches were lost and won
+almost daily, but a week's advance could be measured by yards. In these
+affairs we gained little ground, but we lost many men. I cannot attempt
+to describe all the minor engagements of the summer months, but I must
+say something about the fighting around Givenchy in the middle of June.
+
+In front of the 7th British Division there was an enemy stronghold known
+to our troops as "Stony Mountain," and from it to another fortified
+point, known as "Dorchester," ran two lines of German trenches. The 7th
+Division was ordered to make a frontal attack on "Stony Mountain," and
+the 1st Canadian (Ontario) Battalion at the same time was to carry the
+two lines of trenches.
+
+At three o'clock on the afternoon of 15th June the Ontario regiment was
+brought up to the British trenches opposite to the position to be
+attacked, and the men began to beguile the hours of waiting by singing
+popular songs. The attack was timed to commence at six in the evening,
+and at a quarter to six two 18-pounder guns in the Canadian trenches
+opened fire on the German position. One of the guns swept away the
+German wire, and knocked out two enemy Maxims; but the other was wrecked
+by a shell. Bullets from the German trenches rained down upon the guns,
+tearing and twisting their shields as though they had been made of
+paper.
+
+[Illustration: The Canadians in a Hot Corner.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)
+
+Lieutenant Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his
+companion (Private Vincent) and poured a stream of bullets upon the
+enemy.]
+
+Just before six, Canadian sappers exploded a mine on their front, and
+several of their own bombers were killed or wounded by the force of the
+explosion. Immediately the leading company dashed forward through the
+smoke and flying dirt, and though met by a withering flank fire from
+"Stony Mountain," rushed the German front trench, and gained possession
+of "Dorchester." Those, however, who attacked on the "Stony Mountain"
+side were stopped by the fire of that fort, and all were killed or
+wounded. Bombing parties and sappers now went forward, but almost all of
+them were shot down. A sapper who reached the trench set out alone to
+bomb his way along it. He did not retire until he had flung his last
+bomb, and then he had no less than ten wounds in his body.
+
+The second company closely followed on the heels of those who had won
+"Dorchester," and the two companies charged towards the German
+second-line trench, which was carried. Many of the Huns who put up a
+fight were bayoneted, and some prisoners were taken. Meanwhile the third
+company, after losing heavily in its advance, was busy putting the
+captured first-line trench into a state of defence. Two machine guns
+were hurried forward, but the entire crew of one of them was killed or
+wounded before the trench was reached. The crew of the other gun, now
+reduced to two men, Lieutenant Campbell and Private Vincent, a
+lumber-jack from Bracebridge, gained the position, and Lieutenant
+Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his companion, and
+poured a stream of bullets upon the enemy. Later in the day, when the
+Canadians were obliged to retire, Lieutenant Campbell fell wounded, but
+Private Vincent dragged the gun away into safety. Lieutenant Campbell
+crawled into the Canadian trench a dying man. "And no man died that
+night with more glory; yet many died, and there was much glory."
+
+The supply of bombs ran short, and Private Smith of Southampton,
+Ontario, volunteered to go forward with a fresh supply. Festooned with
+bombs, he crawled forward on all fours, and twice handed over his load
+to his friends. So hot was the fire that he had to toss the bombs[68]
+into the trench. His clothes were shot to rags, but he escaped
+unwounded. But all Private Smith's efforts to supply the bombers were
+unavailing. Soon all the grenades were gone, and meanwhile the machine
+guns and rifles on "Stony Mountain" were rapidly thinning the Canadian
+ranks. "One unknown wounded man was seen standing on the parapet of the
+German front-line trench. He had thrown every bomb he carried, and,
+weeping with rage, continued to hurl bricks and stones at the advancing
+enemy till his end came."
+
+The British division had been held up on the left, and the enemy was now
+gathering in strength. The unsupported Canadians were therefore forced
+to retire, and give up the ground which they had gained. During the
+retirement many men fell, and some fine deeds of bravery were done.
+Private Gledhill of Ben Miller, near Goderich, Ontario, though hurled
+out of the trench by a bomb explosion which broke his rifle but did not
+injure him, found another rifle, and continued to fire while his
+comrades retired and he was almost alone. As he crawled towards his own
+lines he fell over a wounded lieutenant, and offered to carry him back.
+"Thanks, no," said the lieutenant; "I can crawl." "Will you take me?"
+asked a man with a leg missing, who lay hard by. "Sure," replied the
+gallant fellow, and amidst a tempest of fire he dragged the wounded man
+into safety. Out of twenty-three officers who went into battle that day
+only three were alive and untouched at nightfall. The fort on "Stony
+Mountain" could not be captured, and all the valour and perseverance of
+the Canadians went for nothing.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The account which you have just read gives you a very fair idea of the
+midsummer fighting on the Western front. Before I turn to the great
+offensive of September, let me describe briefly the struggle which took
+place at Hooge towards the end of July and the beginning of August. It
+had no real importance; it was only an incident in the constant tug of
+war that went on along the opposing lines. Hooge is a hamlet on the
+Ypres-Menin road, about two miles east of the city. On the 16th of June
+we had attacked the enemy's line, and had captured 1,000 yards of German
+front trenches, a part of the line, and 150 prisoners. During the
+fighting the Liverpool Scottish did specially fine work.
+
+[Illustration: Plan of the Hooge Area.
+
+The black line shows German position on morning of July 30, 1915.]
+
+This map shows you the scene of the struggle which I am about to
+describe. Notice the chateau and the lake to the north: both were in the
+hands of the Germans, who had pushed their front to the west and
+south-west of the lake, and had thus made an ugly sag in our line. Just
+north of the Hooge-Menin road there is a big hollow marked "Crater" on
+the map. About 3 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 30th July, the Germans
+violently attacked our trenches to the east of the Crater. They were
+held by men of the New Army. The Germans had already sapped up close to
+our line, and now they launched a torrent of liquid fire against us. At
+the same time big guns on the high ground to the north-east and
+south-west bombarded our lines, trench mortars joined in, and bombers
+stormed our trenches with grenades. This terrible onset of fire, flame,
+and bombs could not be resisted, and the Germans carried the first line
+and the Crater. Our men fell back to the second line, which ran
+north-west from the corner of Zouave Wood. Then the enemy began to shell
+the second line, and Zouave Wood became a death-trap. You will read on a
+later page how Second Lieutenant Sidney Woodroffe won the Victoria Cross
+by holding his trenches in Zouave Wood to the last.
+
+A counter-attack was made in the afternoon, but it failed. Our men were
+mown down as soon as they advanced into the open. The Rifle Brigade had
+been entrusted with the task; it pushed forward to certain death with
+wonderful steadiness, but was almost wiped out. During this unsuccessful
+attack we lost 2,000 men. No further attempt was made for ten days,
+during which time our gunners shelled the enemy's lines, and stopped the
+fire of their artillery. So successful was the bombardment that it put
+new heart into our men, and they were quite ready for the next act of
+the drama, which was timed for Monday, 9th August. Just before dawn on
+that day the 16th and 18th Brigades advanced from the west and from the
+south against the Crater. They had to push uphill in black darkness for
+500 yards. The 2nd York and Lancaster issued from Zouave Wood with the
+2nd Durham Light Infantry on their right. The two battalions made a race
+of it, and the Durhams won. Over the horrible No Man's Land, strewn with
+barbed-wire entanglements and the bodies of the unburied dead, the
+infantry swept on, and in a few minutes were busy with the bayonet and
+bomb amongst the sorely shaken Germans. Many of them were sheltering in
+their dug-outs, which were very large and deep. The two hundred who held
+the Crater were killed to a man.
+
+A correspondent tells us that, on scrambling over the enemy's parapet, a
+sergeant lost his balance and fell on his back to the bottom of the
+trench, close to a mortar in charge of a sentry. Immediately the sentry
+rushed at him with a bomb poised in his hand. With a great effort the
+sergeant slewed round and dealt his opponent a kick in the ribs which
+sent him spinning against the parapet, where he was dealt with by a
+private who had followed hard on the heels of his sergeant.
+
+When the trenches were cleared the infantry swept on to the chateau, and
+captured the ruins of the stables, where they dug in. The attack had
+been very successful, and our losses were very few, because of the
+searching bombardment which had preceded the attack. Correspondents
+describe the high spirits of our men on that day. It is said that many
+of the less seriously wounded failed to report themselves, because they
+did not wish to miss the rest of the fighting.
+
+At half-past nine that night German shells began to fall fast and thick
+on our new positions, and our men dropped fast. We lost some of our
+trenches north of Sanctuary Wood, and had to retire to a little way in
+front of the Crater. The enemy had made a curtain of fire behind our
+lines, and reliefs could only be brought up at great loss. The battalion
+which had dug in near the stables was ordered to withdraw; but four
+officers and 200 men did not receive the order, and hung on until
+relieved late the next morning. A small party of Durham Light Infantry,
+under Corporal Smith, held out even longer, and only retired when fresh
+troops took over their position.
+
+Gradually the fighting died away. We had recovered our former position,
+and what is more, we had proved that, given proper artillery
+"preparation," the strongest German lines could be pierced. The New Army
+won its spurs at Hooge, but at a very heavy cost.
+
+[Illustration: The Liverpool Scottish and other Regiments charging at
+Hooge.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This picture shows the British charge at Hooge (June 16, 1915) which won
+the whole of the enemy's first-line trenches on a front of a thousand
+yards and parts of his second line. By noon on the day of this charge
+over a hundred and fifty prisoners had been passed to our rear. (See
+page 327.)]
+
+The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross for deeds
+of remarkable courage during the period between the Battle of Festubert
+and the end of the first week in August:--
+
+Private William Mariner, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.
+
+During a violent thunderstorm on the night of May 22, 1915, Private
+Mariner left his trench at a place just south of Cuinchy, for the
+purpose of destroying an enemy machine gun that was annoying our men. He
+took with him a supply of bombs, and just before starting out on his
+perilous mission, asked his sergeant to open fire on the enemy's
+trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. This meant that he was
+prepared to sacrifice himself, for he was bound to be in the line of
+fire from his own trench, and could only escape death or wounding by a
+miracle. He crept out into "No Man's Land," wormed his way through the
+German wire entanglements, and reached the emplacement of the gun.
+Climbing on to the top of the parapet, he hurled a bomb on to the roof
+of the emplacement. When the roar of the explosion subsided, he heard
+the noise of men running away. About a quarter of an hour later he heard
+the enemy returning. At once he climbed up on the other side of the
+emplacement, and with his left hand threw another bomb. Then he lay
+flat, while the Germans fired round after round on the wire entanglement
+behind him. For more than an hour he lay unseen and unheard. If the
+sergeant had opened fire as Mariner had wished, nothing could have saved
+him. Fortunately his own people did not pull a trigger, and he was able
+to crawl back to his trench unharmed. He had been out all alone for an
+hour and a half.
+
+Lance-Corporal Leonard James Keyworth, 24th Battalion, London Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+At Givenchy, on the night of May 25-26, 1915, the 24th Battalion made a
+successful assault on the German trenches, and strove to follow up their
+success by a bomb attack, during which fifty-five men out of the
+seventy-five who took part in it were either killed or wounded. During
+this very fierce encounter Lance-Corporal Keyworth, a Lincoln man, stood
+fully exposed for two hours on the top of an enemy's parapet, and threw
+about one hundred and fifty bombs amongst the Germans, who were only a
+few yards away. In a letter to his sister Lance-Corporal Keyworth thus
+describes the incident: "I was with the bombing party, and was the only
+one to come through without a scratch. I went along a ridge on my
+stomach, and threw bombs into the German trench, my distance being about
+fifteen yards. Men were shot down by my side. Still I continued, and
+came out safe. I was at once recommended for a decoration. It is
+supposed to be for bravery, but I cannot understand where it came in. I
+only did my duty; but how I came out God only knows." Unhappily this
+gallant lad, who was only twenty-two when he won the Victoria Cross,
+died of wounds six months later.
+
+Lance-Corporal William Angus, 8th (Lanark) Battalion, Highland Light
+Infantry (T.F.).
+
+On the night of 11th June Lieutenant Martin of the Highland Light
+Infantry went out with a bombing party to wreck a German sap. Suddenly a
+mine was exploded by the enemy, and the lieutenant fell stunned and
+bleeding at the foot of the enemy's parapet, only a few feet away from
+the foe. He was half buried, but after a night of horror managed to
+extricate himself from the heap of earth that covered him. As he
+struggled to get free, his own men saw him through their periscopes and
+made signs to him. He called aloud to them for water, and the Germans
+hearing him, flung a bomb at him. Happily it was unlighted. Our men now
+determined that their fallen officer should not be murdered. The best
+shots lined the parapet, and neither side dared lift a head. At last a
+German sniper shot the wounded officer in the side, and he feigned death
+so well that his men began to prepare a cross for his grave. About three
+o'clock, however, he was seen to move, and a Canadian officer proposed
+that, under a hot covering fire, a man should rush out with a lasso and
+haul him in.
+
+Lieutenant Martin belonged to Carluke, a village in the Clyde valley;
+and there was another Carluke man watching him--Corporal Angus, who had
+just returned to the front fresh from an hospital bed in Rouen, where
+his leg, badly smashed at Festubert, had healed. He now went up to his
+officer and said, "Let me go, sir." He was assured that he would be
+going to certain death; but he replied, "Well, sir, _sooner or later,
+what does it matter_?" So saying, he crawled out, and wormed his way
+along the torn and heaped ground, amidst fragments of burst shells,
+broken wire, and the stark, still bodies of the slain, and in half an
+hour reached the officer, and put a flask of brandy to his lips. The two
+men lay side by side for a space, gathering strength for the return
+journey.
+
+Suddenly the Germans lobbed a bomb over the parapet, and a cloud of
+smoke and dust arose, under cover of which Angus, half carrying, half
+dragging the wounded man, was seen staggering forward. When the smoke
+drifted away the German rifles cracked viciously, and more than a dozen
+bombs were hurled at him. Angus was literally riddled with wounds. "I
+could see the bombs coming," he said later. "I actually watched the one
+that cost me my left eye. I thought both were blown out in that awful,
+burning flash, so fearful was the pain in my face." The sight of the two
+wounded men being mercilessly pelted by the enemy aroused the fiercest
+indignation in the British trench, and only with the greatest difficulty
+were the men restrained from dashing out against the cowardly foe. A
+hurricane fire broke out on both sides, and in the midst of it the two
+men rolled into the Scottish trench.
+
+When the heroic collier lad was sufficiently recovered to present
+himself at Buckingham Palace, and the King pinned the coveted cross on
+his breast, his Majesty murmured, "Forty wounds!" "Yes, your Majesty,"
+responded Angus; "but _only fifteen of them serious_!" The gallant
+fellow's father was called into the presence of the King, who said,
+"Your son has won his decoration nobly. It is almost a miracle he is
+spared to you, and I sincerely hope he may fully recover and live long
+to enjoy it. May you, too, be long spared to feel pride in him and his
+achievement."
+
+On a Saturday afternoon, a few days later, the village of Carluke,
+crowded with dwellers from all parts of the Clyde valley, made holiday,
+and prepared to welcome the hero who had dared death a hundred times to
+save the life of a friend. Flags waved, bands played, troops presented
+arms, and amidst loud cheering Angus limped through the streets with the
+man whom he had saved supporting him on the one side, and Lord Newlands
+on the other. Thus did he receive the deep gratitude and the handsome
+gifts of his neighbours and friends, and return home to his moorland
+cottage to nurse his "honourable" wounds. He was the first Scottish
+Territorial to win the Victoria Cross.
+
+[Illustration: Rushing a British Gun through the deserted streets of
+Ypres to a hard-pressed position on the Salient.
+
+(_By permission of The Sphere._)
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid dash with which the Horse
+Artillery bring up their guns to points of danger. It also shows the
+ruined condition of the beautiful old city of Ypres.]
+
+Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell, 1st Canadian Battalion.
+
+I have already mentioned the heroism of Lieutenant Campbell and Private
+Vincent during the Canadian attack on the German trenches near Stony
+Mountain. When war broke out, Lieutenant Campbell was farming at Mount
+Forest, Ontario; but he was so eager to "do his bit" that he sold one of
+his farms, his horses, and his stock, and forthwith joined the army. He
+very soon made his mark as a gallant soldier, and became very popular
+with his men. At the Battle of Ypres he went fearlessly to and fro,
+smiling and urging on his comrades, with death nudging his elbow. "How
+is it, Mr. Campbell, this morning?" asked one of his men; and his cheery
+reply was, "Oh, fine--we are going to have a scrap to-day." You will
+remember that at Givenchy, on 15th June, he took two machine guns over
+the parapet, and arrived at the German first line with one gun, which he
+hoisted on the back of Private Vincent, and continued to fire in spite
+of the hail of bullets and bombs which fell around him. When the supply
+of bombs ran out, Lieutenant Campbell advanced still further with his
+gun, and in an exposed position fired about one thousand rounds and held
+back the enemy's counter-attack. Later on he was wounded, and died in
+hospital at Boulogne. The Victoria Cross, which was awarded after his
+death, became the proud and cherished possession of his bereaved wife
+and three young children.
+
+Second Lieutenant Sydney Clayton Woodroffe, 8th Battalion, Rifle
+Brigade.
+
+You will remember that during the fighting at Hooge, when our men were
+fiercely attacked by big guns, liquid fire, and bombs, Second Lieutenant
+Woodroffe held a trench in the Zouave Wood. He was one of three
+brothers, all of them Marlborough boys, and head prefects of the famous
+school in their day. Sydney was still in his teens when he was called
+upon to resist torrents of shell, sprays of blazing petrol, and showers
+of bursting bombs. Despite the awful storm of fire and flame, he gave
+the enemy bomb for bomb; and when his supply was exhausted, withdrew his
+men, rallied them anew, and at their head pushed forward once more. The
+gallant lad was killed in the act of cutting his way through the
+barbed-wire jungle of the enemy. One of his brothers had already made
+the supreme sacrifice at Neuve Chapelle.
+
+Second Lieutenant Arthur Boyd Rochfort, Special Reserve, 1st Battalion,
+Scots Guards.
+
+On August 3, 1915, Lieutenant Rochfort was standing with a small working
+party in a communication trench just south of Cuinchy, when an enemy
+mortar threw a bomb which landed on the inside of his parapet. He might
+easily have stepped back round a traverse and avoided the danger; but,
+shouting to his men to look out, he sprang upon the bomb, picked it up,
+and hurled it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. There is no
+doubt that his splendid presence of mind saved the lives of many of his
+men.
+
+[Illustration: The September Battle in Champagne.
+
+A. Showing the German front which the French attacked on the first day,
+September 25, 1915. B. Showing the position of the French front on
+September 29, 1915.]
+
+[Footnote 61: See chap. xxxi.]
+
+[Footnote 62: South Tirol, on the north-east frontier land of Italy;
+part of Austria, but inhabited chiefly by Italian-speaking people, and
+therefore claimed by Italy, which also claims the coast-lands round the
+head of the Adriatic Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 63: River rising at the junction of the Julian and Carnic Alps
+and flowing southwards in a winding course to the Gulf of Trieste. Its
+length is about seventy-five miles, of which but little is navigable.]
+
+[Footnote 64: Austrian territory along the eastern side of the Adriatic
+Sea.]
+
+[Footnote 65: Louis Botha, born 1863, commanded Boer forces during the
+South African War; became first prime minister of the Union of South
+Africa (1910); and in 1914 was appointed commander-in-chief of the Union
+defence forces.]
+
+[Footnote 66: For an account of German South-West Africa, see Vol. III.,
+p. 177.]
+
+[Footnote 67: Shakespeare's _Julius C�sar_, Act IV., Sc. iii.]
+
+[Footnote 68: As the safety pins were not withdrawn, they did not
+explode.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLII.
+
+  IN CHAMPAGNE.
+
+
+We are now to read the story of the great offensive which the Allies
+undertook in the West during the month of September 1915. I have already
+told you that the German lines were by this time so studded with
+skilfully placed forts, full of machine guns, that no living infantry
+could carry them until a road had been blasted through by artillery
+fire. You remember the maze of trenches and forts known to the French as
+the Labyrinth. The same sort of fortification extended along the whole
+German line. It was folly to break through the enemy's line on a narrow
+front, for the troops which entered the gap were at once enfiladed and
+exposed to a murderous fire on their flanks. This is precisely what
+happened in the unsuccessful attack at Stony Mountain. If the German
+front was to be really broken, a rent of at least fifteen miles must be
+made in it. In order to do this, long preparation was necessary.
+Thousands of guns and mountains of ammunition were required, and, above
+all, the part of the line to be broken must be carefully selected.
+
+Look at the map on page 336, and note the position of that portion of
+the German line which extends between the Argonne on the east and
+Auberive on the west. The cross railway line, by means of which the
+Germans supplied their front in Champagne, was in some places only four
+or five miles from the French trenches, and the main line was not more
+than ten or twelve miles away. If the French could break through in this
+region on a wide front, they could send their cavalry forward to cut the
+German lines of communication; in which case the enemy would be obliged
+to fall back, and his retreat might easily become a rout. The French,
+therefore, decided to make their big push in Champagne. An advance on
+this part of the line not only promised success, but Champagne itself
+was very suitable for a great combined attack of infantry and
+artillery. Unlike Artois and Flanders, the country consists of rolling
+chalk downs, with open, bare, and shallow valleys. Guns could thus be
+used to the best advantage, and infantry could push forward without
+being impeded by villages, mounds of refuse, railway embankments, and
+small enclosed fields. On the dull levels of Champagne the freedom of
+France had thrice[69] been won. Was history to repeat itself, and was a
+fourth deliverance to result from the great movement now about to be
+made?
+
+A writer[70] thus describes the district:--
+
+    "There is scarcely a region in all France where a battle could
+    have been fought with less injury to property. Imagine, if you
+    please, an immense undulating plain, its surface broken by
+    occasional low hills and ridges, none of them much over six
+    hundred feet in height, and wandering in and out between these
+    ridges the narrow stream which is the Marne. The country
+    hereabouts is very sparsely settled; the few villages that dot
+    the plain are wretchedly poor; the trees on the slopes of the
+    ridges are stunted and scraggly; the soil is a chalky marl,
+    which you have only to scratch to leave a staring scar, and the
+    grass which tries to grow upon it seems to wither and die of a
+    broken heart. This was the great manoeuvre ground of Ch�lons,
+    and it was good for little else, yet only a few miles to the
+    westward begin the vineyards which are France's chief source of
+    wealth, and an hour's journey to the eastward is the beautiful
+    Forest of the Argonne."
+
+The French devoted most of the summer to preparations for the great
+attack. The British took over thirty additional miles of the line, and
+thus released a large number of troops for the venture. New units were
+formed, and the factories worked night and day to produce the immense
+quantity of ammunition which would be needed. Artillery of every size
+and pattern, from light mountain guns to monster howitzers, were
+gradually brought together, until nearly 3,000 guns faced the Germans.
+Had these guns been placed side by side they would have extended for
+more than fifteen miles. Every battery knew exactly the portion of front
+which it was to attack. About twenty captive balloons, fitted with
+telephones and wires, were provided for directing the fire of the guns.
+A network of light railways was built in order to bring up the vast
+supplies of ammunition, and from the railhead a highroad nine miles
+long and forty feet wide was constructed across the plain.
+
+Dug-outs for men, stores for ammunition, and underground first-aid
+stations were constructed; and, so that the infantry could reach their
+positions without being destroyed by German shell fire, no less than
+forty miles of reserve and communication trenches were made. In some
+places saps and tunnels had been run out towards the German lines, so
+that the men making the first assault could spring suddenly from the
+earth. The hospitals were emptied ready for the stream of wounded that
+would soon flow into them. Officers and men were diligently instructed;
+everything was foreseen and provided for; nothing was left to chance.
+
+Now let us look closely at the portion of the German line which was to
+be assaulted. From the village of Auberive (page 336) the trenches ran
+eastward. Beyond Souain a series of hills lay in front of the French
+line, and on each of them a redoubt had been erected. The Germans had
+held this position since the Battle of the Marne, and for more than a
+year they had striven to make it impregnable. In many cases the trenches
+had walls of concrete, and the wire entanglements were as much as sixty
+yards deep. In front of the entanglements the ground had been
+honeycombed with mines, and strewn with sharpened stakes and obstacles
+of all kinds. Every German fired from behind a shield of armour plate,
+and at every fifteen yards along the trenches there was a machine gun.
+Here and there were revolving steel turrets, each containing a
+quick-firing gun. In some places there were five lines of trenches, one
+behind the other, all linked together so as to form a labyrinth very
+similar to that which the French had captured in Artois. Remember that
+these trenches only formed the first line of German defence. Behind them
+was a second line, and between the two were the artillery. Light
+railways came right down to the front, so that troops and ammunition and
+supplies could be moved very readily and speedily. The Germans boasted
+that they had created an inland Gibraltar, and they smiled superior when
+their aviators told them what preparations were going on behind the
+French lines. They were quite certain that nothing could shift them.
+
+[Illustration: The Great French Advance in Champagne.
+
+_By permission of The Graphic._
+
+While the British advanced between La Bass�e and Lens, the French
+assaulted the German lines on a seventeen-mile front in Champagne. They
+carried all before them, and captured 21,000 prisoners and over 120
+guns. A British surgeon who witnessed the onslaught tells us how the
+French dashed forward like an avalanche. "They are superb, these
+Frenchmen."]
+
+Of course it would never do for the French to attack in Champagne while
+the rest of the Allied troops lay quiet in their trenches. The enemy
+must be engaged at various points all along the line, so that he could
+not mass reinforcements against the great attack. Further, he must not
+be allowed to know exactly where the main thrust was to take place. The
+Allies intended, as we shall learn later, to make a big offensive
+between La Bass�e and Lens, and to fight holding battles elsewhere.
+
+Early in the month of September, during perfect autumn weather, a
+general bombardment began along the whole front. The airmen were very
+busy, and in the third week of the month there were no fewer than
+twenty-seven fights over the British front alone. On 23rd September the
+bombardment began to grow very violent. The guns had begun the overture
+to the great drama on which the curtain was now about to rise.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+All was now ready. The French trenches were packed with men, waiting for
+the guns to cease fire and the order to advance. Meanwhile the greatest
+bombardment that the world had ever known was in progress. General
+Joffre had instructed his artillery commanders to smash up the enemy's
+trenches, and to destroy their dug-outs in such a fashion "that may make
+it possible for my men to march to the assault with their rifles at the
+shoulder." It is impossible to describe in words the awful din of the
+guns. The sky overhead was a canopy of flying shells, and a rain of
+death fell upon the German trenches. Wire entanglements were blown into
+a myriad fragments; concreted trenches were swept into shapeless ruin,
+and the troops holding them were buried alive in their dug-outs.
+Hundreds of men went mad through sheer terror. The big shells raised
+huge geysers of earth and smoke wherever they fell, and the French
+gunners, stripped to the waist, never ceased or slackened their fire for
+three days and two nights. Upon and behind the German trenches a cascade
+of fire continued to fall; the enemy could neither advance nor retreat.
+
+At 5.30 on the morning of 25th September the _r�veill�_ rang out along
+the French lines. It was a gray, dismal morning, but the men were in
+good heart. They drank their morning coffee, looked to their equipment,
+and waited for the word that would launch them against the foe. Every
+man wore a patch of white calico on his back, so that the French gunners
+might know their own men, and not fire upon them. At 9.5 the regimental
+flags were unrolled; for the first time in this war the troops were to
+go into action with colours flying.
+
+At 9.15 the guns suddenly ceased to fire, whistles shrilled all along
+the line, and bugles pealed the charge. "_En avant! Vaincre ou
+mourir!_"[71] shouted the officers, and a human wave of blue-gray,
+fifteen miles in length and topped with steel, surged from the trenches.
+Onward, with hoarse cheering and snatches of song, they went, under a
+hail of fire from the German batteries and from machine guns hurriedly
+withdrawn from deep dug-outs which the French guns had not wrecked.
+Despite the terrible gunfire, stretches of unbroken wire still remained,
+and amidst these death-traps many men fell. Numerous others were shot
+down in front of steel obstacles which had to be blown up before the
+advance could proceed. Nevertheless the French infantry swept on, and
+plunged into the ruin of the German first line. Leaving detachments to
+ferret out prisoners from the deeper dug-outs, the French made for the
+second line. So fierce did the German fire become, that they frequently
+had to lie flat on the ground and crawl forward. But in a lull they rose
+again to their feet and advanced once more. Soon they were on the edge
+of the woods, where the German field guns, unable to get away, were
+firing at point-blank range. They flung themselves upon the guns, and in
+a few seconds had captured whole batteries. Prisoners were taken by the
+hundred--broken, stricken men, dazed and stupefied by the terrible
+bombardment.
+
+In some places the assault was pushed into the second German line; in
+other places men still battled furiously in the first line. Battalions
+became mixed up, but in a short time order was restored, and the troops
+surged on again. Wounded men cried out to their comrades to leave them
+and proceed. "Go on," they cried, "don't mind us. It's only you who are
+whole who matter now." Then the guns came up with a thunderous rumble,
+and unlimbering like magic, prepared the way for a further advance of
+the infantry. African troops were ordered up to finish the business with
+cold steel, and behind them came the cavalry--dragoons, chasseurs, and
+Spahis--making a charge and fighting from the saddle for the first time
+since the trench war began. They sabred the fleeing Germans and swept up
+hundreds of prisoners, while the "trench cleaners," as the Algerians and
+Senegalese are called, scoured the ruined earthworks for the lurking
+foe.
+
+The most desperate fighting was on the left, where the cavalry charged
+the line of wooded hills between Auberive and Souain. The French
+infantry on the extreme left were held up before they had advanced
+little more than half a mile, but, later on, they took trench after
+trench, and by midday were two miles in front of their starting-point.
+It was in this part of the line that the Colonial troops, led by General
+Marchand,[72] made a splendid advance, in the course of which their
+brave leader fell. He was standing on the parapet of a German trench,
+smoking his pipe and urging his men forward, when he was struck down.
+
+All through the wet afternoon the battle continued, and only when
+twilight fell was it possible to reckon up the gains of the day. On a
+front of fifteen miles, the French had pushed forward, on the average,
+two and a half miles. Our allies had drawn near to the village of
+Tahure, but they had not captured it, neither had they seized the
+Butte[73] of Tahure which overlooks the railway, nor the Butte of Mesnil
+which you see to the south-east of Tahure. Eastward of the latter hill
+there is high ground from which spurs stretch out southwards like the
+open fingers of a hand. On each of the fingers of this Hand of
+Massiges,[74] as the French called it, the Germans had constructed a
+great stronghold of criss-crossed trenches with forts at intervals. It
+was as though five labyrinths lay side by side. So strong was the
+position that the Germans said it could be held against a whole army by
+two washerwomen with machine guns. The French, however, had already
+carried part of it, and also the farmhouse which you see on the westward
+edge of the high ground. The whole German first line had gone, and large
+parts of the second line west of Navarin Farm and east of Tahure had
+been captured.
+
+For every yard of front which the French had won they had taken an
+unwounded prisoner, and for every mile, nine guns. During the fighting
+some 21,000 prisoners were captured. The Germans surrendered by hundreds
+at a time. Most of them had been without food for several days and were
+suffering from thirst, and all of them had been completely cowed by the
+terrible bombardment.
+
+Though the French had made such good progress, the battle was far from
+over. German counter-attacks were already preparing and might be
+expected any moment. At all costs the enemy must be prevented from
+bringing up his reserves and strengthening his remaining line of
+defence. So while the French infantry worked like inspired giants all
+through the night, digging themselves in, building parapets, and
+installing their machine guns, heavy batteries lumbered and swayed
+forward over the scarred and pitted ground, and began a new bombardment
+from advanced positions. On the next day, Sunday, all the summits of the
+downs were cleared from Auberive to the Butte of Souain. A hill facing
+the Butte of Tahure was captured by the evening, and the northern slopes
+of the Hand of Massiges were won.
+
+By means of artillery and bomb attacks the line slowly advanced and was
+knitted up all along its length. The fighting during Sunday was far more
+trying than that of Saturday. "If you only knew what these days and
+nights are like," wrote an officer; "condemned to remain crouching in
+the mud under an avalanche of shells, under an almost unceasing rain,
+with but few supplies brought up, in the midst of bodies more or less
+mangled by shot and shell, and in our ears always the groans of the
+dying and the moans of the wounded."
+
+The Germans rushed up all the men that they could spare from other parts
+of the line, and on Monday the Crown Prince tried to break through the
+French trenches in the Argonne. His troops advanced after a gas attack,
+but they were too weak to do more than carry a few yards. It was not
+necessary to draw off a single man from the Champagne armies to repulse
+him.
+
+The second great French effort began on Wednesday, 29th September, when
+an attack was launched against the German position to the west of
+Navarin Farm. Already the French had pierced the second line on a front
+of about five-eighths of a mile. They strove hard to widen the gap so
+that the cavalry might push through, but again and again they were
+repulsed, and all that they could do was to dig shelter trenches and
+cling to the breach in the face of a murderous fire that assailed them
+in front and in flank. With this check the great battle of Champagne may
+be said to have ended.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The French had probably about 110,000 casualties in the five days'
+fighting. It was estimated that the Germans lost 140,000 men, including
+21,000 prisoners, and 121 guns. Despite their great sacrifice of life,
+the distance gained by the French was too small to be shown on an
+ordinary map. But we shall make a great mistake if we measure the effect
+of the French effort by the amount of ground gained. The aim and object
+of generalship is not to occupy territory, but to foil the enemy's plans
+and destroy his forces. The victory at the Marne stopped any further
+invasion of France and ruined the German plan, while the resistance in
+Flanders and Artois prevented the enemy from reaching the Channel ports.
+The Champagne battles threw the enemy upon the defensive; it wore down
+his numbers and disheartened him, and proved that his most strongly
+fortified lines could be pierced, if the Allies were willing to pay the
+cost.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Though there was no great offensive on the Western front during the rest
+of the year, fighting continued in Champagne during October. The Germans
+sent reserves to this region, and on 6th October the French made an
+effort to carry the village and Butte of Tahure, in order that they
+might command the cross-railway which supplied the German front. After a
+long and strong bombardment by massed guns the French carried the crest
+of the Butte, and their guns now cut off the Germans in the village from
+support and reinforcements. Then they swept from the west and south into
+a wood in which the enemy had constructed seven lines of parallel
+trenches, and, after carrying them, entered the village, where over a
+thousand prisoners were taken. The summit of the Butte was now in the
+hands of the French, and this was the farthest point they reached during
+the year 1915.
+
+This success and the capture of very strong trenches to the north of the
+Navarin Farm drove the Germans to desperate efforts. They knew that
+another vigorous thrust would push them back from their railway and
+force them to retreat. On the night of 8th October they made a great
+counter-attack on the Butte, but achieved nothing. Meanwhile their hold
+on the Butte of Mesnil, which formed an awkward sag in the French lines,
+had been greatly shaken. On 24th October the French carried a very
+powerful fortress in this position, and afterwards beat off numerous
+attacks. They had thus removed a danger from their flank and were
+enabled to straighten out their line.
+
+On the 30th of the same month the Germans attacked the Butte of Tahure
+and retook the summit, capturing 21 officers and 1,215 men. They forced
+the French back to the southern side of the hill, but they could do no
+more. Nevertheless, they had eased their position. They could still use
+the cross-railway for supplying their lines during the winter's lull
+which was soon to set in.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+A correspondent who visited the battlefields of Champagne during the
+month of September tells us that the ground over which the struggle had
+raged looked and smelled like a garbage heap. "Over an area as long as
+from Charing Cross to Hampstead Heath, and as wide as from the Bank to
+the Marble Arch, the earth is pitted with the craters caused by bursting
+shells, as is pitted the face of a man who has had the small-pox. Any of
+these shell-holes was large enough to hold a barrel; many of them would
+have held a horse; I saw one, caused by the explosion of a mine, which
+we estimated to be seventy feet deep and twice that in diameter. In the
+terrific blast that caused it five hundred German soldiers perished."
+
+The battlefield was thickly covered with unexploded shells,
+hand-grenades, and bombs. In a captured trench the correspondent saw one
+of the steel revolving turrets, some six feet high and eight or nine in
+diameter, in which the Germans had installed a quick-firing gun. The
+door of the turret was fastened by a chain and padlock, and when burst
+open the bodies of three Germans were discovered. They had been locked
+in by their officers, and left to fight and die with no chance of
+escape.
+
+[Footnote 69: In 451, when Attila, the King of the Huns, was overthrown;
+in 1430, when the English hold on France was shaken by the victorious
+progress of Joan of Arc from Orleans to Rheims; and in 1792, at Valmy,
+where the Prussians were beaten and the young republic of France was
+saved.]
+
+[Footnote 70: Mr. E. A. Powell in _Vive la France_.]
+
+[Footnote 71: "Forward! Conquer or die!"]
+
+[Footnote 72: French officer who crossed Africa from the Atlantic coast
+to the White Nile in 1898 and claimed Fashoda for the French. He was met
+by Lord (then Sir Herbert) Kitchener, who said to him, "I congratulate
+you on all you have accomplished." "No," replied Major Marchand,
+pointing to his troops, "it is not I but these soldiers who have done
+it." Kitchener surrounded Marchand's forces and ordered him to withdraw
+his troops or to haul down his flag. For a moment there was a chance of
+war between Britain and France, but the French Government decided to
+withdraw the troops, and the incident ended with an acknowledgment of
+our right to the Nile valley.]
+
+[Footnote 73: French word for rising ground, knoll.]
+
+[Footnote 74: _Mass-seige._]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIII.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF LOOS.--I.
+
+
+You will remember that, in order to prevent the Germans from massing
+their forces to resist the great French offensive in Champagne, the
+Allies had prepared attacks on other parts of the enemy's line. While
+the French were pushing forward across the miry downs of Champagne, six
+separate assaults were launched on the German front between Lens and
+Ypres--four to the north of the La Bass�e Canal and two to the south of
+it. The four attacks which were made to the north of the canal were
+merely for the purpose of distracting the enemy's attention; the two
+attacks which were made to the south of the canal were part of the main
+movement against the enemy's lines of communication. While the French in
+Champagne strove to capture the railway by which the Germans maintained
+themselves in this region, the French and British tried to seize the
+railway junction of Lens and open a road into the plain of the Scheldt.
+Had these thrusts from the south and the west fully succeeded, the enemy
+would have been forced to retire, probably into Belgium.
+
+I shall not trouble you with an account of the "holding" attacks which
+were made to the north of the La Bass�e Canal. Three of them served
+their purpose and resulted in some gains, but the fourth, which was made
+against the Aubers Ridge, came to grief. The two attacks which I shall
+describe at length are those which were made by the French and the
+British south of the canal.
+
+Turn back to the map on page 223 and find the village of Souchez. South
+and east of this village you observe that there is high ground, which is
+nowhere more than 400 feet above sea-level. This high ground is known as
+the Vimy Heights, from the name of the village which you see by the side
+of the railway line running from Arras to Lens. On 26th September the
+French began to attack these heights, and by the morning of the 29th
+had fought their way up them foot by foot, and were in a position to
+command the railway from Lens to Arras. I wish I had space to describe
+this fine achievement fully. As, however, this book is specially meant
+for British boys and girls, I must pass over the splendid work done by
+the French in capturing the Vimy Heights, and turn to the exploits of
+our own men. By winning the Vimy Heights the French had cut off Lens
+from Arras; the British were now to try to cut off Lens from La Bass�e.
+
+Look carefully at the map on page 349 and follow the German first line
+of trenches from north to south. Less than a mile and a half south of
+the canal, and about half a mile inside the German line, you see a
+position marked Fosse 8, and south of it the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Fosse
+8 was a great slag heap which commanded the country to the south and had
+been strongly fortified. The Hohenzollern Redoubt was a pear-shaped
+stronghold situated on a gentle rise about 500 yards in front of the
+line. Its broad end pointed northwards and it had a clear field of fire
+before it, every inch of which could be swept by the machine guns
+inside. The whole position was criss-crossed by trenches and resembled
+the famous Labyrinth. It was connected with the main line by two
+trenches. That which ran to the rear from the south end was called "Big
+Willie," and the corresponding trench at the north end was known as
+"Little Willie."
+
+South of the Hohenzollern Redoubt the line ran along the western slope
+of the downs which you see marked on the map. Then the line curved
+westwards, passing the Loos Redoubt, and after crossing the B�thune-Lens
+road, curved back eastwards in front of what was known as Double
+Crassier,[75] another slag heap which had been strongly fortified.
+
+Now look at the German reserve line, which was roughly parallel with the
+front line, and from less than a mile to two miles behind it. Notice the
+Quarries, which had been turned into a stronghold, and the mining
+village of Loos, which lies in a shallow hollow. Behind the village
+rises Hill 70, on which there was a strong redoubt.
+
+[Illustration: Battle of Loos.--The Front from La Bass�e to Lens.]
+
+Now follow the third line. Behind it you will see a string of mining
+villages--Haisnes,[76] Cit� St. Elie, and Hulluch. The line crossed the
+Lens-La Bass�e road at Hulluch and then ran a little east and south
+behind a chalk pit and Pit No. 14. The villages and the pits which I
+have mentioned were fortresses, and there were numerous other mounds and
+hillocks that had been turned into strongholds.
+
+From the British front the country seemed a dead-flat plain studded with
+the head-gear of pits and groups of small houses, and seamed with roads.
+There was scarcely a tree in sight, and except for the collieries and
+slag heaps, the plain looked something like the South African veldt.
+But behind the downs which shut in the view of our men facing the
+northern half of the line, there were innumerable places where batteries
+of machine guns lay concealed.
+
+The map shows you that two corps of the First Army, under Sir Douglas
+Haig, were arrayed for the assault. The 1st Corps, under General
+Gough,[77] consisted of the 2nd, 9th, and 7th Divisions: the 2nd
+Division lay north of the canal, the 9th Division opposite to Fosse 8,
+and the 7th Division facing the Quarries. The 9th Division consisted of
+Scottish regiments--Highland and Lowland, "kilties" and men wearing the
+trews. South of the road from Vermelles to Hulluch lay the 4th Army
+Corps, under General Sir Henry Rawlinson. The 1st Division of his
+command was posted just south of the road; opposite to the Loos Redoubt
+was the 15th Division, also a wholly Scottish division, composed of men
+of the new army. This division had been for three months or more in the
+trenches facing Loos, and it was well acquainted with the ground over
+which it was soon to charge. On the extreme right was the 47th Division
+of Londoners.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+When the guns began to roar in Champagne, the British artillery along
+the whole five-mile front from Givenchy to Grenay joined in the tumult.
+Across the plain a tornado of shells swept upon the German positions,
+and in many places the trenches were pounded into utter ruin. At 6.30 on
+the morning of 25th September the guns lifted their muzzles, and the
+high explosive shells rained a deluge of fire behind the first line of
+German defence. Then the whistles blew, and five miles of British troops
+with fixed bayonets clambered over their trenches. The great advance had
+begun.
+
+[Illustration: The Storming of Loos Road Redoubt.
+
+(_By permission of The Illustrated London News._)
+
+This redoubt (see map, page 349) was a fortified tongue of land jutting
+out of the German first-line trench. It was semicircular in form, and
+was protected by a perfect jungle of barbed wire entanglements. The
+British guns smashed the redoubt to ruin, and on September 25, 1915, it
+was carried. (See page 357.)]
+
+We will first follow the fortunes of the 9th Division, now making for
+Fosse 8 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Enfilading fire from the village
+of Auchy streamed down upon the Lowlanders on the left, and took a heavy
+toll of them as they advanced. Nevertheless they pushed on, crossed the
+railway, and in a few minutes were thrusting and bombing in the German
+trenches. So fierce, however, was the fire that they could not cling to
+them, and slowly during the day they were driven back. Meanwhile the
+26th Highland Brigade on the right had rushed the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
+The bombardment had wrecked it, and saps had been run up to within a
+short distance of "Little Willie." Our losses were heavy, but the
+stronghold was won.
+
+Camerons, Seaforths, and Black Watch now advanced over a bare,
+shell-swept piece of ground towards Fosse 8, from which a hail of
+machine-gun fire beat down upon them like a thunderstorm in autumn. As
+the Lowlanders on their left had been held up, and their flank was in
+the air, the 27th Brigade was hurried up in support, and was soon busy
+with bomb and bayonet in the maze of trenches and cottages to the east
+of the Fosse. By midday we had pushed forward a broad salient on this
+part of the line, and had captured the chief works of the enemy, though
+the Germans were not entirely cleared out of them. The rear was so
+studded with little forts, each pouring out a murderous fire, that
+little further progress could be made. Our men fell fast, and as we had
+but few reserves, it was clear that we could not long hold on to our
+gains in this part of the line.
+
+Now let us see how the 7th Division was faring. There were no great
+strongholds in their front, so they swept forward right across the
+German first line, and reached the western end of the Quarries, where
+for a time the Reserve Line held them up. Nevertheless the van pushed
+on, entered the village of Cit� St. Elie, gained the highroad, turned
+northwards, and by ten o'clock was in the village of Haisnes. Judging
+from the map, you would say that the Germans still clinging to the
+eastern edges of Fosse 8 and Hohenzollern Redoubt were now taken between
+two fires, and that nothing could save them. But the vanguard, which had
+pushed northwards along the highroad to Haisnes, was not strong enough
+to hold on to the village, and by midday it had fallen back, and the
+front of the 7th Division lay from the western side of the Quarries
+eastwards to Cit� St. Elie. In the Quarries was a German howitzer
+battery which we could not destroy and the enemy could not use.
+
+[Footnote 75: _Krass-e-a._]
+
+[Footnote 76: _Haine._]
+
+[Footnote 77: Killed by a chance bullet on October 24, 1915.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIV.
+
+  THE BATTLE OF LOOS.--II.
+
+
+The 1st Division, lying to the south of the 7th Division, made excellent
+progress. Its 1st Brigade swept forward for a mile and three-quarters,
+and by noon was across the highroad, on the outskirts of Hulluch, and up
+against the last German line. On the right, however, the 2nd Brigade was
+checked by wire and trenches which our artillery had not destroyed; and
+it lay pinned to the ground till afternoon, when reserves were sent up
+through the wide rent which, we shall learn later, had been torn in the
+German lines by the 15th Division. These reserves cut off and captured a
+German detachment 700 strong, and enabled the 2nd Brigade to go forward
+and join the 1st Brigade in front of Hulluch.
+
+Now we come to the most brilliant advance of the day, that which was
+made by the 15th and 47th Divisions against Loos. This advance resulted,
+as you will learn, in the capture of the village, and shook the whole
+German front. For a brief time the Germans thought that all was lost,
+and they began to move their big guns out of Lens. The 47th Division of
+Londoners meant to "make good" that day. For weeks they had been busy
+with preparations, and when the hour arrived everything went like
+clockwork. They had constructed a big model of the countryside, and had
+studied it so well that every man knew the lie of the ground, and
+exactly where he had to go. One battalion--the 19th London--lost all its
+officers; yet the men went on without them, and carried out the arranged
+plan without a mistake. The 18th (London Irish), the 19th (St. Pancras),
+and the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) were on the left of the attack,
+and the 6th, 7th, and 8th (Post Office Rifles) on the right. Cannot you
+imagine the amazement of the French gunners who watched the start when
+they saw one of the London Irish kick off a football from the parapet
+and dribble it towards the German lines?
+
+[Illustration: British Troops swarming over the German First Line
+Trenches and dashing onwards towards Loos, the "Tower Bridge," and Hill
+70.
+
+(_From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)
+
+Notice the Tower Bridge, as it was called by our soldiers. It was the
+head-gear of a pit, and consisted of twin towers connected by a bridge.
+It had been seen by our men, foreshortened over the downs, for many
+months past. They believed that the Germans had constructed it before
+the war as an observation station.]
+
+In half an hour the stronghold of the Double Crassier had been carried,
+and the men of the 47th Division were pushing on to the village of Loos
+through clouds of bursting shrapnel. Before long they had seized the
+cemetery, and their left was on the outskirts of the village. A few
+minutes later and they were surging into the shattered streets of Loos,
+where they joined hands with the Highlanders of the 15th Division
+beneath the "Tower Bridge." Then began a fierce and deadly struggle.
+Every ruined house was packed with Germans from cellar to garret; the
+muzzles of rifles and machine guns peeped out of every window and
+through every grating. Through the wet, slippery streets went our men,
+bursting through barricades, battering down doors, fighting upstairs and
+downstairs, bombing the enemy out of cellars, slag heaps, and
+pit-workings, and gradually clearing the place. In a deep cellar a
+German officer was discovered directing by telephone the fire of the
+batteries, which were smashing the ruined village to atoms. So the
+fierce, red work went on, and by nine in the morning Loos was won.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The inhabitants of Loos were overjoyed when the British entered the
+village and set them free from German bondage. Though the place had been
+heavily shelled for many months, some of the people had lived in their
+cellars all the time. When our men appeared they came out of their
+hiding-places, and while doing so some of them were killed. The
+remainder, however, were sent to a place of safety, and were given food.
+Some of the women greeted the Highlanders with hearty kisses. A pretty
+girl of eighteen, named Emilienne Moreau, was one of the first to assist
+our wounded. She helped to carry in the stricken men and to bandage
+them. As the poor, helpless fellows lay on their stretchers two German
+snipers in a neighbouring house opened fire on them. This was more than
+the brave girl could bear. Suddenly, without a word, she bent down
+beside a wounded officer and took his revolver out of his holster. Armed
+with this weapon, she disappeared down a side street and made her way to
+the house in which the snipers were hidden. She managed to get inside by
+means of a side entrance, and, taking steady aim, shot them both. Such
+is the story of the girl who will go down to history as "the heroine of
+Loos." On November 27, 1915, she was decorated with the French Military
+Cross. When General de Sailly pinned the decoration on her breast, he
+said, "I congratulate and admire you, young lady. You do honour to the
+women of France. You are a fine and inspiring example." And so say all
+of us.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The most remarkable success of the day was obtained by the 15th
+Division. Let me remind you that this division consisted of Scottish
+soldiers, and that they lay in front of the Loos Redoubt. The 44th
+Brigade of this division was to make its thrust direct at the village;
+the 46th Brigade, on the left, was to sweep round and enter it on the
+north side; while the 45th Brigade was held in reserve. We will now
+follow the fortunes of the 9th Black Watch and the 8th Seaforths of the
+44th Brigade. They were now about to assault the village; the 7th
+Camerons were in support, and the 10th Gordons were to follow on.
+
+Do you remember the great gas attack of the Germans at the Second Battle
+of Ypres? You will remember what a shock of horror went through the
+civilized world when the Germans resorted to this foul weapon. We had
+never dreamed of sending clouds of poisoned gas against our enemies, but
+now we were forced to pay them back in their own coin. Many people at
+home thought that we ought to refrain from using gas, but our generals
+thought otherwise, and in times of warfare their word is law. But the
+gas which we were now about to use was not poisoned. It was far less
+hurtful than that of the Germans. Men who breathed it were rendered
+insensible for a time; they were neither killed nor subjected to
+horrible tortures. We also used, for the first time in this battle,
+clouds of smoke to screen our advance.
+
+At ten minutes to six on the morning of 25th September the nozzles of
+the gas cylinders in front of our trenches were opened, and the men
+watched anxiously as the whitish cloud moved slowly upwards towards the
+German lines near the crown of the slope. A very light wind blew from
+the south-west, and in the hollow where Loos stands formed an eddy which
+blew back the gas on to the 46th Brigade. Our men were wearing their gas
+helmets, but for a moment the choking cloud caused them to hesitate,
+whereupon Piper Daniel Laidlaw climbed the parapet and played a march
+that put new heart into his comrades. You will learn on a later page
+that he received the Victoria Cross for this fine deed.
+
+The Highlanders saw before them the line of green-gray sand-bags which
+they had watched through their periscopes day by day for months past.
+The parapets of the enemy, which had so long barred their way, were soon
+to be the starting-point for their advance. Now the great guns got to
+work, and in less than half an hour the barrier was crushed and pounded
+into ruin. The wire was blown into a million fragments, and the parapets
+were utterly destroyed. The strong redoubt of Loos was raked fore and
+aft, and the German trenches were full of dead.
+
+At 6.30 the whistles blew; the Highlanders scrambled over the parapets,
+and with a rush dashed into the wrecked trenches. At five minutes past
+seven the whole of the German first line position, several trenches
+deep, was in their hands. Even in the first rush many men were mown down
+by the machine guns which desperate Germans had hidden in deep dug-outs
+and had brought into play when the bombardment ceased. But nothing could
+stay the Scots. On they went, cheering and singing, through the reeking
+cloud of gas and smoke, and in a few minutes were rushing down the slope
+towards Loos. The entanglements of the reserve line had been broken in
+many places, but here and there patches of uncut wire remained, and the
+Black Watch had to cut them under heavy fire. The ground was carpeted
+with their dead, but they did not waver; they swarmed over the reserve
+line, and at twenty minutes to eight, an hour and ten minutes after they
+had left their trenches, they were shooting and stabbing and hurling
+bombs in the four rambling streets and in the gardens and enclosures of
+Loos, along with their comrades of the 47th Division, who had entered
+from the south. One Cameron sergeant was seen with a machine gun on his
+shoulder, pouring a stream of bullets into window after window. The 46th
+Brigade was rapidly closing in from the north. Two and a half hours
+after the advance began, Loos was clear of the enemy.
+
+[Illustration: A Scottish Highlander rescuing a French Girl in the
+Village of Loos.
+
+Many moving incidents took place when the British entered Loos. Many of
+the inhabitants, who had been living in the cellars, came out to heap
+blessings on the head of their deliverers. A Highlander is here seen
+carrying a fainting French girl into a place of safety.]
+
+The Highlanders, however, were not content. It was their business not
+only to take Loos, but to capture the broad down marked on the map as
+Hill 70, and some of them believed that when it was won supports would
+follow them, and they were to push on as far as they could. The remnants
+of the Highland Brigade, with Camerons and Gordons leading, now rushed
+up the western slope of Hill 70, and were at once met by a fierce fire.
+The Germans came out of their trenches as if to attack, and at the sight
+the Highlanders streamed up the hill like hares, the green tartans of
+the Gordons mingling with those of the Camerons. They were fired at from
+front and flank, but on they swept, carrying all before them, and by
+nine in the morning they were on the summit of the hill.
+
+They stormed the redoubt at the top, and many of the garrison
+surrendered. Without pausing to secure the place, they sped down the
+eastern slope and reached the outskirts of the village of Cit� St.
+Auguste. They were now right through the last line of German trenches,
+and were in a district where every fold in the ground sheltered a
+machine gun. By this time they were reduced to a few hundreds; they had
+no supports south or north, and no reserves were following them up. The
+redoubt on Hill 70 opened fire again, while from several strongholds in
+the neighbourhood streams of lead played upon them. In the course of
+three hours they had advanced nearly four miles, and the last line of
+the German defence was in their rear. Had reserves been available, and
+had their flanks been secure, Lens must have fallen and the Germans must
+have retreated.
+
+The Highlanders had gone too far, and they were now hidden in the fog
+and smoke of the eastern slope from the eyes of their comrades who were
+battling against the redoubt on the hill. They must be recalled, and two
+officers volunteered to go forward with the order to retire. Both fell
+on the way, but the order reached the stragglers, who turned and began
+to fight their way back through the encircling fire. Few of them
+returned to the British lines on the hill. "All down the slope towards
+Lens lay the tartans, Gordon and Black Watch, Seaforth and Cameron, like
+the drift left on the shore when the tide has ebbed."
+
+You will probably ask, Where were the reserves at this time? Why were
+they not brought up promptly, so that the gains of the Highlanders might
+be made good? There was a whole army corps in reserve. Where was it at
+this critical time? Sir John French tells us that he kept it under his
+own command, so that he might throw it into that part of the line where
+the need was greatest. On the night before the battle two divisions of
+this corps were about five miles from our old firing-line; another
+division--the Guards--lay nearly twenty miles from Loos, while other
+divisions were still more remote. All the reserves which Sir Douglas
+Haig possessed at the beginning of the battle consisted of the 3rd
+Cavalry Division. After the fall of Loos, when the Highlanders were in
+front of Cit� St. Auguste, Sir John French sent him the 21st and 24th
+Divisions. At that time they were about eight miles from our front, and
+they could not possibly arrive before the German counter-attacks began.
+Long before they appeared the enemy was hurrying up fresh troops and
+flinging them against our worn and weary men. All through the drizzling
+rain of the afternoon until the sun set in a stormy sky our men were
+heavily assailed. They were clinging to their gains; but their hold on
+Fosse 8, on Pit 14, and on Hill 70 was weakening.
+
+Through the wet, dark night two divisions of the Eleventh Army marched
+towards the firing-line, in order to relieve two brigades of the 15th
+Division. They were quite new to the work of war, and some of them had
+only landed in France a few days before. Sir John French had reviewed
+them, and had been struck by their fine martial appearance, and he now
+proposed to send them into the thick of the fighting. On the morning of
+Sunday one of these divisions began to advance towards the trenches
+across open ground under a terrible fire. It was an ordeal too great for
+any unseasoned troops, and they gave way.
+
+The German counter-attacks continued all night. The 7th Division were
+driven out of their trenches at the Quarries, but in the afternoon of
+Sunday they regained the lost ground. By this time the 21st and 24th
+Divisions had arrived. One brigade of the 24th Division pushed forward
+most gallantly between Hulluch and the Chalk Pit; but the advance was
+carried too far, and in the afternoon it was forced to retrace its steps
+with heavy losses. Meanwhile the 21st Division had to bear the brunt of
+a very heavy German attack. The men had been without food and water for
+many hours, and were worn out with much fighting. Three times their
+officers rallied them, but they were forced back, and our advanced
+positions towards Hulluch were lost. Some of the trenches on Hill 70 had
+also been recaptured, and it was feared that we could not hold on to the
+rising ground much longer. Many a British soldier, half dead with
+fatigue, his eyes bloodshot and bleared with powder smoke, looked
+anxiously to the rear and muttered beneath his breath, "Will the
+reserves never come?"
+
+The Guards were coming up, but they were then eight miles away; and were
+not being hurried, for they were intended to carry on the next stage of
+the advance. The fate of the two new divisions had upset all the plans,
+and troops that had been withdrawn from the trenches had to be sent back
+again. The 45th Brigade of the 15th Division was ordered to retake the
+lost ground on Hill 70. It advanced, but was met by a terrible shell
+fire, and could not proceed. Four times Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas
+Hamilton led forward the Camerons; he fell at the head of the fifty men
+who alone survived. The position of affairs was now desperate, and it
+continued to be so all that day and all through the following night. So
+weak were our lines during the hours of darkness that the Germans could
+easily have driven us out of Loos had they made an attack in force. Not
+until Monday at noon did the Guards arrive and take over the front from
+the heroic 15th Division. In the two days' fighting it had lost more
+than 6,000 men. The fiery spirit of the Gael and the dogged endurance of
+the Lowlander had added new glory to the fighting fame of Scotland.
+
+Nothing was more surprising in the Battle of Loos than the high spirits
+of our men, even in the darkest hour of trial. Even the badly wounded
+came out of action singing and waving blood-stained bayonets. Those who
+were sent back to billets woke from their much-needed sleep ready and
+even eager to plunge again into the fray. During the wet and misty
+Monday Sir Douglas Haig was reinforced by the 28th Division; but before
+it could arrive we had lost Fosse 8, and the Germans were bombing our
+men out of the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
+
+In the afternoon the news spread like wildfire that "the Guards were
+going in." They were now to take the field for the first time in this
+war as a division, and great things were expected of them. They were to
+win back the three-quarters of a mile of ground which we had lost
+between Hulluch and the Loos-La Bass�e road, and right nobly did they do
+it. The 1st Brigade carried all before it, and reached the road; the
+Irish Guards and the Coldstreams of the 2nd Brigade also crossed the
+road, and, facing a terrific fire, which lost them their colonel and
+eleven officers, carried the Chalk Pit; while the Welsh Guards and the
+Grenadiers of the 3rd Brigade, advancing as though on parade, swept
+through Loos, and advanced through a storm of gas shells towards Hill
+70. As they pushed on, the wearied Londoners and the other troops
+holding our line cheered themselves hoarse. The Guards gained the crest
+of the hill, but being too much exposed to fire from the Redoubt, dug in
+about a hundred yards to the west of it.
+
+Next day a very determined effort was made to carry Pit 14; but it
+failed, and the much-debated ground became a No Man's Land which neither
+side dared cross. The battle was now drawing to a close. While the enemy
+continued to shell our trenches we laboured to strengthen our lines. On
+a front of 6,500 yards we had everywhere carried the enemy's first line,
+and broken up his reserve line, while in one case we had pushed through
+his last position. We had captured over 3,000 of the enemy and more than
+fifty of his officers. Twenty-six field guns and forty machine guns, as
+well as much war material, had fallen into our hands. Some of these guns
+were afterwards exhibited in London and in other parts of the kingdom as
+trophies of war.
+
+The Battle of Loos was a real success. It had resulted in useful gains,
+and it had proved that our infantry were second to none in the world.
+But even in the midst of our rejoicings we could not help feeling
+disappointment. Much had been done, but more might have been done. We
+had struck a weak place in the enemy's line, but we were not ready to
+take full advantage of our good luck. Our first push had given us much
+ground; but we could not proceed because our reserves were not ready to
+follow up the advance. For twenty-four hours--from Saturday at midday
+until noon on Monday--broken and weary brigades clung heroically to the
+positions which they had won, waiting for supports to arrive. There was
+mismanagement somewhere--the same sort of mismanagement which we had
+suffered at Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. Our generals had not yet fully
+learnt the lessons of the new warfare. They were learning them in the
+best possible of all schools, but at a great cost of human life and
+effort. Between the 25th of September and the 1st of October we lost
+about 45,000 men, many of whom, however, were only slightly wounded. The
+French Staff calculated that the Germans had lost in the September
+battles not less than 200,000.
+
+For the first time for hundreds of years there was widespread mourning
+throughout Great Britain. The men of the new armies came from every
+class in the nation, and many households which had never before had a
+soldier son were plunged in grief. Three commanders of divisions fell,
+three Members of Parliament, and many who had distinguished themselves
+in civilian life as scholars or as captains of industry. But we know
+that all who fell, whether distinguished or undistinguished, generals or
+privates, played their parts like men for the land of their love and
+pride. Somewhere in Flanders there is a grave above which a wooden cross
+bears these words:--
+
+  "Tell England, ye that pass this monument,
+   That we who rest here died content."
+
+Equally content were those gallant men who fell in Artois during the
+closing days of September.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+The results of the fighting in the West from 1st October to the end of
+the year may be summed up very briefly. Both in Champagne and on the
+British front between the La Bass�e Canal and Lens, the Germans made
+fierce counter-attacks; but nowhere did they win more than momentary
+successes. On the 8th of October they assembled behind the Chalk Pit,
+and came on in four great waves, marching shoulder to shoulder, only to
+be shattered to fragments by our fire. Five days later we launched an
+attack against the German line between the Hohenzollern Redoubt and
+Hulluch; but though we won a thousand yards of trenches we could not
+remain in them. By this time nearly all the Redoubt and Fosse 8 had been
+recovered by the Germans, and on 13th October we began a three days'
+attack upon these positions. The North Midland Division covered itself
+with glory during two crowded days of incessant battle. The most
+desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place, and many notable deeds of
+gallantry were done. We won the main trench of the Redoubt, but no more.
+At the end of October our line was a little farther forward than it had
+been at the beginning of the month; but when we came to reckon up the
+losses of friend and foe, it was hard to say on which side the balance
+lay. Thereafter, to the end of the winter, both sides settled down to
+the long weariness of trench warfare.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLV.
+
+  BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.--I.
+
+
+The fighting on the Western front from the beginning of the September
+offensive to the close of the year abounded in heroic incidents, and
+many Victoria Crosses were won. In this and the next chapter I shall
+give you brief accounts of those who received the highest award of
+valour.
+
+Captain Anketell Montray Read, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.
+
+Near Hulluch, on the morning of 25th September, Captain Read, though
+suffering from gas, went out several times to rally men who had lost
+their units and were retiring. Utterly regardless of danger, he formed
+them up and led them back to the firing-line. While carrying out this
+gallant work he was mortally wounded. On several former occasions he had
+shown outstanding bravery.
+
+Lieutenant George Allan Maling, M.B., R.A.M.C.
+
+During the great offensive of September, Lieutenant Maling slaved
+unceasingly for twenty-six continuous hours in attending the wounded out
+in the open and under heavy fire. He ministered to no less than 300 men,
+but was at last flung down by the bursting of a high-explosive shell
+that killed several of his patients, wounded his assistant, and stunned
+him. When he had recovered, a second shell covered him with a torrent of
+earth; nevertheless "his high courage and zeal never failed him, and he
+continued his gallant work single-handed."
+
+Second Lieutenant Frederick Henry Johnson, 73rd Field Company, R.E.
+
+During the attack on Hill 70, Second Lieutenant Johnson, though wounded
+in the leg, stuck to his duty and led several charges against the
+redoubt. At a very critical time he rallied the men near him, and by his
+splendid example and cool courage saved the situation. He remained at
+his post until relieved in the evening.
+
+Sergeant H. Wells, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.
+
+On 25th September, when his platoon officer had been killed, Sergeant
+Wells took command and led his men forward to within fifteen yards of
+the German wire. By this time he had lost nearly half his platoon, and
+the remainder were much shaken. Nevertheless, with the utmost coolness
+and bravery he rallied them and led them forward. Again, when but few of
+them were left, he stood up and urged them on once more, but while doing
+so was killed. Rarely has a soldier shown a more splendid example of
+courage and devotion to duty.
+
+Piper Daniel Laidlaw, 7th Battalion, K.O.S.B.
+
+When Piper Laidlaw bade farewell to his wife, she said, "Mind you bring
+back the V.C." He thought it a fine joke--the V.C. was for heroes, not
+for pipers; but his opportunity came, and he nobly seized it. When on
+the morning of 25th September an eddy blew back the gas fumes upon the
+Borderers, some of the gasping, choking men were not ready to advance.
+"Laidlaw," shouted Lieutenant Young, "pipe 'em together." Without a
+moment's hesitation Laidlaw mounted the parapet and, marching up and
+down, played his company out of the trench. "I began," he said, "with
+the regimental march, 'Blue Bonnets over the Border.' My, but there's
+fire in the old tune, and the lads set up a cheer, sick as they were
+from the gas and the terrific pounding. I ran with 'em, and soon the
+whole line was advancing. I changed to 'The Braes o' Mar'--and then my
+shell burst." Lieutenant Young fell dead, and a fragment of barbed wire
+tore the piper's feet and brought him down. But even this did not put an
+end to his piping. He still played on, and many a lad felt his courage
+mount high as the old familiar tune rang in his ears. "Laidlaw," said
+the Colonel, when all was over, "you've done well this morning!" The
+gallant piper thought nothing of his exploit, but mourned for the young
+officer who had been stricken down by his side. In due course he
+returned home, proud to show his wife that he had obeyed her parting
+behest.
+
+[Illustration: Piper Daniel Laidlaw outside the British Trench playing
+"Blue Bonnets over the Border" to hearten his comrades to the Attack.
+
+(_From the picture by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)]
+
+Private George Peachment, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.
+
+Near Hulluch, on 25th September, Private Peachment saw his company
+commander lying wounded, and crawled out to assist him. He knelt in the
+open by the side of his officer, and while bandaging him was struck
+first by a fragment of a bomb, then by a bullet which found its billet.
+Private Peachment was one of the youngest men in his battalion.
+
+Private Arthur Vickers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
+
+During the advance on the first line of German trenches the
+Warwickshires found themselves held up by wire. Without waiting for
+orders, Private Vickers ran forward through very heavy shell, rifle, and
+machine-gun fire and cut the wire. It was broad daylight, and as he
+stood up to do the work, he was in full view of the enemy. Thanks to his
+fine pluck, a way was opened for the battalion to advance again.
+
+Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Falconer Douglas-Hamilton, 6th Battalion,
+Cameron Highlanders.
+
+You will remember that on Sunday, 26th September, the Germans flung
+their reserves upon our wornout men, and the situation was desperate.
+On Hill 70, when the battalions to the right and left had retired,
+Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas-Hamilton rallied his men again and again and
+led them forward three times. There were now only about fifty of his
+brave lads left; nevertheless he cried, "Come on, men. We will show them
+how to charge." As they pressed forward he fell--"the bravest man the
+Camerons have lost."
+
+Rifleman Kulbir Thapa, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha
+Rifles.
+
+This gallant Gurkha, though badly hit, found a wounded man of the 2nd
+Leicestershire Regiment behind the first-line German trench, and strove
+to help him in. The British soldier urged him to save himself; but the
+Indian refused to leave his white comrade, and remained with him all day
+and night. In the early morning of 26th September, when a mist hung over
+the battlefield, he managed to get the Leicestershire man into a
+sheltered place. He then went out again and brought in two wounded
+Gurkhas. Finally he returned to the British soldier, and in full view of
+the enemy staggered with his burden across the zone of fire into safety.
+
+Private Robert Dunsire, 13th Battalion, Royal Scots.
+
+Private Dunsire, who was a collier before the war and had only been
+married six months when he enlisted, was one of that noble band who
+freely risked limb and life to save others. He was sitting on the
+parapet of a trench on Hill 70 when he saw a wounded comrade crawling
+painfully along. At once he made a dive out of the trench, got the
+wounded man on his back, and brought him in. A quarter of an hour later,
+he spied and rescued another poor fellow in distress. "This time," he
+said, "it was worse than the first, as the shells were bursting all
+around, and the snipers kept up a continuous fire." Early in February
+1916 the sad news arrived that he had been killed.
+
+Corporal James Dalgleish Pollock, 5th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders.
+
+About noon on 27th September, when the enemy's bombers in superior
+numbers were working up the "Little Willie" towards the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt, Corporal Pollock got out of his trench, and walking along the
+top edge reached a position from which he was able to bomb the bombers
+from above. He was under heavy machine-gun fire the whole time, but was
+not wounded for a whole hour, during which time he prevented the Germans
+from advancing.
+
+Corporal Alfred Alexander Burt, 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+At Cuinchy on 27th September Corporal Burt's company had lined the front
+trench, ready for an attack, when a bomb from a trench mortar fell
+amongst them. In a moment Corporal Burt rushed forward, put his foot on
+the fuse, wrenched it out of the bomb, and threw it over the parapet,
+thus rendering the terrible missile harmless. His presence of mind and
+great pluck saved the lives of his men in the traverse.
+
+Second Lieutenant Alexander Buller Turnbull, 3rd Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), Royal Berkshire Regiment.
+
+On 28th September, when his regimental bombers could not make headway at
+Fosse 8, Lieutenant Turnbull went along a communication trench
+practically alone, and threw bombs so quickly and accurately that he
+drove back the Germans about 150 yards. By his gallantry he enabled the
+reserves to advance and to cover his regiment in its retirement.
+Unhappily this hero died shortly afterwards of wounds.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVI.
+
+  BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.--II.
+
+
+Second Lieutenant Arthur James Terence Fleming-Sandes, 2nd Battalion,
+East Surrey Regiment.
+
+Lieutenant Fleming-Sandes saved the situation at Hohenzollern Redoubt on
+29th September, when his own men and the troops on his right were
+beginning to retire owing to the heavy fire and their lack of bombs.
+Collecting a few grenades, he leaped on to the parapet and flung them at
+the Germans, then only twenty yards away. An enemy bomb wounded him, but
+he struggled to his feet and went forward, still hurling his missiles at
+the enemy. Again he was hit, and this time was put out of action; but
+his gallant example had put new heart into his men, and they beat off
+the attack.
+
+Private Samuel Harvey, 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.
+
+Private Harvey was in the "Big Willie" trench on 29th September, when
+the enemy were heavily attacking and our supply of bombs ran short. He
+volunteered to fetch more, and went to and fro across the open, under
+fearful fire, carrying boxes of grenades. He managed to bring up no less
+than thirty boxes before he was wounded in the head. By his cool bravery
+he enabled his comrades to drive back the enemy.
+
+Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.
+
+Near Loos on 8th October, when a strong party of the enemy had captured
+200 yards of our trenches, Lance-Sergeant Brooks, without waiting for
+orders, led forward a party of bombers with such fine dash and
+determination that the ground was regained. On 28th October the King,
+who was visiting his troops at the front, was thrown from his horse, and
+was badly bruised and shaken. His Majesty bore his sufferings with great
+fortitude, and while lying in a hospital train on the way home, desired
+that Lance-Sergeant Brooks should be brought to him to receive the
+Victoria Cross. The soldier knelt on the floor of the saloon and bent
+over the prostrate King; but his Majesty was so weak that he could not
+pin the decoration on the hero's breast. The incident was most
+touching--the King, helpless and suffering, yet determined to do honour
+to a gallant soldier who had served his country nobly. King and soldier,
+each in his sphere, thus set the nation an inspiring example of devotion
+to duty.
+
+[Illustration: His Majesty the King and Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks.
+
+(_From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News._)]
+
+Second Lieutenant Rupert Price Hallowes, 4th Battalion, Middlesex
+Regiment.
+
+At Hooge, between 25th September and 1st October, Lieutenant Hallowes
+over and over again inspired his men by his bravery and untiring energy.
+On one occasion he climbed on to the parapet and risked immediate death
+to encourage his comrades. Frequently he went forward into German
+positions during the night to spy out the land. During one of the
+attacks he went back under a heavy fire and brought up a fresh supply of
+bombs. Even when mortally wounded he continued to cheer his men and urge
+them to hold on.
+
+Sergeant-Major John Crawshaw Raynes, "A" Battery, 71st Brigade, R.F.A.
+
+When taking leave of his comrades before setting out for France,
+Sergeant-Major Raynes said to a chum, "I'll bet you a shilling I win the
+V.C." The wager was taken, and on 11th October, near B�thune, the
+sergeant won his bet. His battery had been very heavily bombarded, and
+when "Cease fire" was ordered he went out under a burst of heavy shells
+and bandaged Sergeant Ayres, who lay wounded forty yards in front. He
+then returned and worked his guns once more. During a pause in the
+firing he again went out to his friend and carried him into a dug-out. A
+gas shell burst at the mouth of the dug-out, and the wounded man was in
+peril of being suffocated. Seeing this, Sergeant-Major Raynes ran back
+across the open to fetch his gas helmet, which Sergeant Ayres donned and
+thus saved his life. Then the gallant Sergeant-Major, now badly gassed,
+staggered back to serve his guns once more. On 12th October he was
+buried in the ruins of a house, but was the first man to be rescued. He
+had been wounded in the head and the leg; nevertheless he worked might
+and main to save his comrades. As soon as his wounds were dressed he
+returned again to his battery.
+
+Second Lieutenant C. G. Vickers, 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battery, Sherwood
+Foresters.
+
+You will remember that on 13th October a division, consisting of
+Territorials from Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Grimsby, and
+other North Midland towns, was ordered to assault the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt. "It is a story of men attacking machine guns, of rushes across
+the open with no spot of cover, of fierce work with bomb and bayonet in
+a narrow trench. What flesh and blood could do they did." The Sherwood
+Foresters were sent in on the afternoon of the 13th, and bombing
+encounters went on all night. When reliefs were arrived at one o'clock
+on the morning of the 14th, Lieutenant Vickers was discovered holding a
+barrier against fierce German attacks from front and flank. All his men
+but two had been killed or wounded, and single-handed he was beating
+back the foe while his men built a barrier behind him. At last he was
+badly wounded, but not before he had secured the safety of his trench.
+
+Corporal James Lennox Dawson, 187th Company, R.E.
+
+Prior to the war Corporal Dawson was a science master in Hill's Trust
+School, Govan. On 13th October, at Hohenzollern Redoubt, we prepared a
+gas attack against the enemy. Corporal Dawson, who had already proved
+himself a gallant and resourceful leader, discovered that three of our
+gas cylinders were leaking, and that many of our own men would soon be
+rendered insensible by the fumes. Under a heavy fire he rolled the
+cylinders one by one out of the trench, and then returning, lay down and
+fired at them with a rifle. The cylinders were broken open, and the gas
+escaped towards the enemy. There is no doubt that by his cool gallantry
+he saved many men from being gassed. You may be sure that when the hero
+visited his old school he was received by his former pupils with
+rapturous applause.
+
+Private Thomas Kenny, 13th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.
+
+On the thick foggy night of 4th November Lieutenant Brown and Private
+Kenny went out towards the German lines on patrol. They were sighted by
+the enemy, and Lieutenant Brown was shot in both thighs. He begged his
+companion to leave him, but Kenny would not do so. He took the wounded
+officer on his back, and for more than an hour crawled about under
+heavy fire, trying to find his way back. At last, when quite exhausted,
+he reached a ditch which he recognized, and, placing the lieutenant in
+it, went on alone to look for help. At last he came across a listening
+patrol, and with help brought in the wounded man. During the last part
+of the journey the Germans fired on him with rifles and machine guns,
+and threw bombs at him from a distance of thirty yards.
+
+Private John Caffrey, 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.
+
+On 16th November Private Caffrey and Corporal Stirk, R.A.M.C., started
+out to rescue a comrade lying about three or four hundred yards in front
+of the enemy's trenches. They were beaten back by shrapnel fire, but
+nothing daunted they pushed out again, and in spite of the bullets of
+snipers and machine guns reached the wounded man. A bullet struck
+Corporal Stirk in the head just as he was lifting the man on to
+Caffrey's back. At once the gallant private put down his burden,
+bandaged Stirk, and helped him into safety. He then returned and brought
+in the other wounded man. Three times he had crossed the zone of fire on
+his errands of mercy.
+
+Corporal Samuel Meekosha, 1/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
+(T.F.).
+
+On 19th November, near the Yser, a platoon was holding a trench close to
+the German lines when the enemy's shells burst upon it, killing and
+wounding thirteen men and burying the rest. At this terrible moment
+Corporal Meekosha took command, sent a runner for assistance, and in
+full view of the enemy dug out his comrades and saved at least four
+lives.
+
+Corporal Alfred Drake, 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
+
+Corporal Drake was out on patrol with an officer and two men on the
+night of 23rd November. When close to the German lines the party was
+discovered. One man who was shot down was carried off by his comrades,
+and when the officer fell Corporal Drake remained with him. When last
+seen, he was kneeling beside the officer bandaging his wounds, quite
+regardless of the heavy fire. A rescue party crawled out later on, and
+found the officer unconscious but alive, and Corporal Drake beside him,
+dead and riddled with bullets.
+
+Shoeing-Smith Charles Hull, 21st Lancers.
+
+Somewhere in Flanders, when the Lancers were under heavy fire, Captain
+Learoyd's horse was shot under him, and he fell to the ground.
+Shoeing-smith Charles Hull, seeing his officer's peril, galloped into
+the storm of fire, and taking up the captain behind him, dashed back
+into safety. It was a striking deed, and the shoeing-smith fully
+deserved the highest award of valour for his prompt and gallant rescue.
+
+Private Harry Christian, 2nd Battalion, Royal Lancaster Regiment.
+
+The Germans had opened fire with trench mortars on five or six of our
+men who were holding a crater. When the order was given to withdraw it
+was discovered that three men were missing. At once Private Christian
+returned to rescue them. While bombs were continually bursting on the
+edge of the crater, he dug out the men from under a heap of earth, and
+carried them, one by one, into safety. Later on, he placed himself where
+he could see the bombs coming, and directed his comrades when and where
+to seek cover.
+
+Private William Young, 8th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.
+
+On 22nd December, seeing that his sergeant had been wounded, Private
+Young went out under a very heavy fire to rescue him, and almost
+immediately received terrible injuries, both his jaws being shattered.
+Nevertheless, with the help of a comrade, he brought in the sergeant. At
+the dressing-station, to which he went unaided, it was discovered that
+this most gallant man had also received a bullet in his chest. Happily,
+he survived.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Nurse Cavell--Heroine and Martyr.
+
+The heroic woman whose tragic story I am now about to relate finds a
+fitting place in this roll of heroes. Miss Cavell was the daughter of
+the Rev. Frederick Cavell, for forty years Vicar of Swardeston, Norfolk.
+She was trained as a nurse at the London Hospital, and in 1900 became
+head of a nursing institution in Brussels. Every one who knew her
+admired her noble character; she followed in the footsteps of the
+greatest of all nurses--Florence Nightingale.
+
+[Illustration: The Martyrdom of Edith Cavell.
+
+(_From the picture by A. Forestier. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+When the news of Nurse Cavell's murder was received, the following
+message was sent to her mother: "By command of the King and Queen I
+write to assure you that the hearts of their Majesties go out to you in
+your bitter sorrow, and to express their horror at the appalling deed
+which has robbed you of your child. Men and women throughout the
+civilized world, while sympathizing with you, are moved to admiration
+and awe at her faith and courage in death."]
+
+When the Germans occupied Brussels Nurse Cavell was allowed to remain at
+the head of her hospital. She and her assistants nursed German and
+Belgian wounded with equal devotion. During the retreat of the Allies
+from Namur and Mons a large number of British and French soldiers were
+cut off or lost their units. Many of them were discovered and shot;
+others hid themselves in trenches, woods, or deserted houses, and some
+of them were sheltered by friendly farmers, who gave them civilian
+clothing and helped them to escape into Holland. Many Belgian soldiers
+also lay in hiding, waiting for a chance to get out of the country. Some
+of the fugitives, hearing of Nurse Cavell, managed to get into touch
+with her, and asked her to help them to escape. This she did. She
+believed that she was only doing her duty to her country in coming to
+their assistance.
+
+Spies informed the Germans of what she was doing, and on August 5, 1915,
+she was arrested and put in prison. Mr. Brand Whitlock, the American
+Minister in Brussels, pleaded for her, but in vain. Her trial began on
+7th October, and she was found guilty of acting as a spy. The Germans
+kept the sentence as secret as possible, and on the evening of Monday,
+11th October, Miss Cavell was informed that she would be shot at two
+o'clock the next morning.
+
+The British chaplain who visited Miss Cavell on the eve of her execution
+found her very calm and resigned. "She was brave and bright to the last.
+She professed her Christian faith, and said that she was glad to die for
+her country."
+
+It is said that the final scene was horrible. Miss Cavell, so it was
+reported, fainted on the way to execution, and was shot by the officer
+in command of the firing party as she lay unconscious. When the news
+leaked out a wave of horror and loathing swept over all the
+world--except Germany. At home Nurse Cavell was mourned alike in palace
+and in cottage. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's, and many
+plans were proposed for keeping her beautiful memory green. On the
+battlefield our men charged with the cry, "For Miss Cavell!" and the
+French hailed her as a new Joan of Arc. In the long, black list of
+German atrocities there is no more inhuman deed than the murder of Nurse
+Cavell.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVII.
+
+  THE WAR IN THE AIR.
+
+
+Over and over in these pages you have read of "airy navies grappling in
+the central blue." Every soldier, fighting his battles over again by the
+home fireside, loves to describe the aeroplanes that hovered above his
+trench while white, fleecy clouds of shrapnel burst around them. No
+returning soldier but can thrill his hearers with stories of deadly
+combats in the high heavens. The exploits of aircraft in this war open a
+new chapter of military history.
+
+Nothing is more remarkable than the rapid progress which has been made
+in the conquest of the air. In October 1897 a daring man succeeded in
+flying about three hundred yards; in October 1915 men frequently made
+flights of hundreds of miles. Twenty years ago the aeroplane was
+unknown; to-day it is a recognized arm of warfare. No army or navy dare
+enter upon war without its air service.
+
+Our French allies were the pioneers of these new powers of the air, and
+when war broke out they were well equipped with aircraft. It is said
+that at the close of the year 1915 they possessed more than three
+thousand aeroplanes, and that the number was being constantly increased.
+
+French aircraft are divided into three classes, according as they are to
+be used for scouting, for fire control, or for bombardment. The scouting
+machines are of various kinds, and include a new type of small machine
+known as the "Baby" Nieuport. This machine, which only carries a pilot,
+is no more than 25 feet wide, but it has a motor of 80 horse-power, and
+can attain the amazing speed of 120 miles an hour. The "Baby" Nieuports
+can rise higher and quicker than an eagle.
+
+[Illustration: A German Machine brought down and fired by a British
+Battle-plane.
+
+(_From the drawing by John de G. Bryan. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News._)
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid feat by which Second Lieutenant
+Insall won the Victoria Cross. (See page 384.)]
+
+The machines used for directing artillery fire are bigger, and carry one
+or more observers as well as the pilot. They usually have two motors,
+so that they can still fly if one of them is put out of action. For
+making raids still bigger machines are used. In 1915 the French pinned
+their faith to a giant triplane, which well deserved to be called "the
+Dreadnought of the Air." It was 63 feet from wing to wing; it was driven
+by four powerful motors, carried two quick-firing cannon and four
+machine guns, as well as 1,200 pounds of explosives, and on a raid was
+manned by a crew of four men.
+
+You have frequently read in these pages of the scouting work done by
+aeroplanes. When they fly over the enemy's lines they have huge cameras
+fitted to the bodies of the machines. Exposures are made, and the
+machine speeds back to its own lines, usually amid a storm of bursting
+shrapnel. Every aerodrome has a dark room in which the plates are
+developed. An enlargement is made, and the staff is thus provided with a
+picture of the German trenches as seen from above. If a good photograph
+is taken, the positions appear as clear as daylight; even the barbed
+wire and the situation and number of the machine guns can be seen. Poor
+photographs, however, do not show the details, and cannot distinguish a
+trench from a watercourse. Sometimes large kites are used for
+photographic purposes.
+
+You can easily understand what a great change the aeroplane has produced
+in warfare when I tell you that during the Russo-Japanese War the
+Japanese fought for weeks, and sacrificed thousands of men, in order to
+capture the top of a hill from which their observers could overlook Port
+Arthur. Nowadays an aeroplane can supply all the information needed in a
+single hour, and howitzers can be directed from the air so that their
+shells will drop on the required position, though the gunners cannot
+possibly see their targets.
+
+A modern general would be almost lost without his air service. From dawn
+to dark aircraft hover over the enemy's position, photographing his
+trenches, "spotting" his batteries, noticing the movement of troops and
+trains, and bringing back priceless information. More than once French
+aeroplanes have landed spies behind the German lines, and have returned
+to pick them up again days later.
+
+We British were the last of the great European nations to apply
+themselves to the air, but by the outbreak of war we were well equipped.
+The British Royal Flying Corps consisted of a military and a naval wing.
+Each wing was divided into squadrons, consisting of twenty-four
+aeroplanes and twenty-four pilots, under a major or commander. The
+squadron was in turn divided into six flights, each flight comprising
+four machines. Every squadron had its own motor wagons and armoured
+motor cars. Our airmen, if they were not so skilful as the French, were
+competent and very daring, and had been trained to act with other arms.
+The Germans at first gave most of their attention to airships, but they
+were also provided with a strong force of aeroplanes. The Austrian
+service, though it contained some skilful pilots, was much inferior to
+that of Germany; while the Russians were short of machines, though they
+possessed giant biplanes which could carry over a ton weight of
+explosives.
+
+As far back as Christmas Day, 1914, our airmen made raids upon fortified
+places in Germany. Seven seaplanes, escorted by cruisers and submarines,
+flew over Cuxhaven, where German warships were lying, and dropped bombs
+which, it is said, destroyed one or more Zeppelin sheds. Three of the
+aviators returned to the escorting ships safely; three others, who were
+rescued by submarines, had to destroy their machines in order to prevent
+them from falling into the hands of the enemy; and the seventh was
+picked up by a Dutch trawler. On January 22, 1915, another raid was made
+by two of our aviators on the new German naval base of Zeebrugge. A
+submarine lying in the harbour was destroyed, and probably other damage
+was done. Commander Davies, one of the two British aviators, had a most
+adventurous home journey. At one time he was surrounded by seven of the
+enemy's craft. He managed to elude them, however, and returned safely,
+but slightly wounded.
+
+Raids such as these increased in number as the year advanced. On 11th
+February thirty-four of our seaplanes and aeroplanes made another attack
+on Zeebrugge, under the leadership of Commander Samson, whose daring has
+already been mentioned in these pages.[78] Great damage was done, and
+five days later the visit was repeated. Forty machines, including eight
+belonging to the French, dropped bombs on various batteries and gun
+positions, on an aerodrome, and on mine-sweepers off the shore. During
+the Battle of Neuve Chapelle the railways in the rear of the German
+lines were bombarded, and the junction at Courtrai, seventeen miles east
+of Ypres, was destroyed. On a later page I shall tell you how Second
+Lieutenant W. B. Rhodes-Moorhouse won the Victoria Cross and lost his
+life during this raid. On 7th June two of our airmen destroyed an
+airshed and a Zeppelin north of Brussels.
+
+It is impossible in these pages to describe all the air raids of the
+year. Each was much like the other, except for the number of the
+machines engaged and the extent of the damage done. As an illustration,
+I will give you a brief account of the great French raid on the German
+city of Karlsruhe on 3rd June. It was made in retaliation for Zeppelin
+raids on open French and British towns, and was the biggest enterprise
+of the kind so far undertaken. Twenty-three aeroplanes set out at the
+first flush of dawn. Mr. E. A. Powell in _Vive la France_ thus describes
+the progress of the raid:--
+
+    "So rapid was the pace at which the aeroplanes were travelling
+    that it was not yet six o'clock when the commander of the
+    squadron, peering through his glasses, saw, far below him, the
+    yellow gridiron which he knew to be the streets, the splotches
+    of green which he knew to be the parks, and the squares of red
+    and gray which he knew to be the buildings of Karlsruhe. The
+    first warning that the townsfolk had was when a dynamite shell
+    came plunging out of nowhere and exploded with a crash that
+    rocked the city to its foundations. The people of Karlsruhe were
+    being given a dose of the same medicine which the Zeppelins had
+    given to Antwerp, to Paris, and to London. . . . For nearly an
+    hour it rained bombs. Holes as large as cellars suddenly
+    appeared in the stone-paved streets and squares; buildings of
+    brick and stone and concrete crashed to the ground as though
+    flattened by the hand of God; fires broke out in various
+    quarters of the city and raged unchecked; the terrified
+    inhabitants cowered in their cellars or ran in blind panic for
+    the open country; the noise was terrific, for bombs were falling
+    at the rate of a dozen to the minute; beneath that rain of death
+    Karlsruhe rocked and reeled."
+
+Of the four squadrons which set out for Karlsruhe only two machines
+failed to return. The Germans were furious, and the Kaiser telegraphed
+his "deep indignation at the wicked attack on beloved Karlsruhe." He had
+conveniently forgotten the murderous raids of his own Zeppelins.
+
+[Footnote 78: See Vol. III., page 74.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLVIII.
+
+  HEROES OF THE AIR.
+
+
+Before I describe very briefly the Zeppelin raids upon England, let me
+set down the names and exploits of the five gallant airmen who were
+awarded the Victoria Cross during the year 1915.
+
+Second Lieutenant William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse, Royal Flying Corps.
+
+The first Victoria Cross ever conferred on an airman was won by
+Lieutenant Rhodes-Moorhouse, for extraordinary daring and endurance
+during the raid on Courtrai, which I mentioned on page 381. While
+dropping his bombs he descended to 300 feet, and was furiously assailed
+by anti-aircraft guns, which seriously wounded him in the thigh. He
+determined to save his machine at all costs, and made for home, flying
+at a height of only 100 feet. Though again wounded, he did not lose
+control of his machine, but flew thirty-five miles to his base, where he
+landed and made his report as if nothing had happened. Shortly
+afterwards he died in hospital of his wounds.
+
+Flight Sub-Lieutenant R. A. J. Warneford, R.N.
+
+On the morning of June 7, 1915, Lieutenant Warneford, who was flying in
+a very light monoplane, sighted a Zeppelin between Ghent and Brussels,
+and made straight for it. While approaching it he was too low, and was
+fired at by the Zeppelin's guns. Keeping to the rear of the airship, he
+climbed upwards by a series of jerks, until he was well above it. Then
+he swooped down until he was only fifty feet above the great gas bag,
+and dropped six bombs, the last of which burst the Zeppelin's envelope.
+A loud explosion followed, and the airship fell to the ground in the
+midst of smoke and flame. The force of the explosion turned his machine
+upside down, but he succeeded in righting it. Shortly afterwards his
+pressure pump failed to work, and he was obliged to come down in the
+German lines. He got out of the machine, repaired the pump, scrambled
+in again, and soared off. For two and a half hours he continued flying,
+and then he came down, happily behind his own lines. He was so weary
+that he fell fast asleep by the side of the machine, and was finally
+discovered by French soldiers only twenty yards from the cliffs of
+Gris-nez.[79] The story of his brilliant feat was flashed over the
+world, and his name at once became a household word in two continents.
+He had, by superb courage and skill, destroyed the first of the
+Zeppelins in flight. The Allies vied with each other in doing him
+honour; but, alas! his career, which promised so much, was soon brought
+to a close. Ten days later, while trying a new machine at Versailles, he
+was thrown out and killed.
+
+Captain Lance George Hawker, D.S.O., Royal Engineers and Royal Flying
+Corps.
+
+On 19th April Captain Hawker dropped bombs on a German airshed from a
+height of only 200 feet. He was under heavy fire all the time, and ran
+terrible risks. To avoid the shells hurled at him, he took refuge behind
+a German captive balloon, and was enabled to make good his escape. For
+this feat he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. On 25th July,
+when flying alone, he fell in with three German aeroplanes, and attacked
+them one after the other. The first escaped, but he damaged the second
+and third so badly that they were forced to descend. For this splendid
+feat he received the V.C.
+
+Captain John Aidan Liddell, 3rd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and
+Royal Flying Corps.
+
+During a scouting flight from Ostend to Ghent an enemy shot broke
+Captain Liddell's thigh, smashed the control wheel, and otherwise
+damaged his machine. For a brief time he was unconscious, and his
+machine dropped nearly 3,000 feet. With a great effort he pulled himself
+together, and, though continually fired at, managed to bring his
+aeroplane into our own lines half an hour after he had been wounded.
+Only an airman can appreciate the extraordinary skill and determination
+which the wounded officer displayed.
+
+Second Lieutenant Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall, No. 11 Squadron, Royal
+Flying Corps.
+
+On 7th November Lieutenant Insall was out patrolling with a mechanic as
+gunner, when he was sighted and attacked by a German machine. With great
+skill he got to close range with his opponent, and his gunner fired a
+drum of cartridges which brought the German aeroplane to the ground.
+When the Germans scrambled out of their machine Lieutenant Insall dived
+towards them, and his gunner opened fire on them and they fled. An enemy
+party now fired at him; but, undeterred, he dropped a bomb on the fallen
+machine and set it on fire. He then flew over the German positions, and
+descended so low that his gunner was able to fire on the German trenches
+as they passed over them. His petrol tank was damaged, and he was forced
+to land in a wood inside our lines. At once the enemy's artillery opened
+fire on him, and some 150 shells fell around the machine as it lay on
+the ground. That night, behind screened lights, he repaired his machine,
+and at dawn flew home safely with his gunner.
+
+Squadron Commander Richard Bell Davies, D.S.O., R.N.
+
+Commander Davies was the hero of one of the most striking incidents
+known to aerial warfare. On 19th November lieutenant Smylie made a raid
+upon the Turkish railway station of Ferijik, on the Turkish river
+Maritza. He planed down over the station, and dropped all his bombs but
+one. While doing so his machine was badly hit, and he had to come to
+earth in a neighbouring marsh. In order to prevent the enemy from
+capturing his machine he set it on fire. He had hardly done so when he
+saw Commander Davies coming to his rescue. Fearing that the commander
+would descend near the burning machine, and thus run the risk of being
+blown up by the remaining bomb, Lieutenant Smylie took out a pistol,
+fired at the missile and exploded it. Then Commander Davies swooped
+down, picked up the lieutenant, and hurried off with all speed into
+safety. Seldom, if ever, has such a feat of pluck and gallantry been
+performed.
+
+[Footnote 79: _Gree-nay�_, French cape fronting the Strait of Dover.]
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER XLIX.
+
+  THE COMING OF THE ZEPPELINS.
+
+
+On page 144 of our first volume I gave you a brief account of the great
+airship invented by Count Zeppelin and called after his name. It is said
+that the newest type of Zeppelin is about 700 feet long, and has
+eighteen compartments, which hold about a million cubic feet of
+hydrogen. Each compartment is a separate balloon, and in theory the
+airship can remain afloat if two of the balloons are damaged. The
+framework is of wood and aluminium. The engines, guns, stores, and crew
+are contained in two cars or gondolas, which are built into the
+framework of the airship, almost flush with its keel. The engines are
+four in number, and drive the propellers, a pair being coupled to each
+car, two forward and two astern. When they are working they make a
+terrible din, and a Zeppelin thus advertises his approach.
+
+Some of the latest vessels have a speed of from forty to sixty miles an
+hour. Two sets of rudders are provided--one set for steering the ship
+horizontally, and one set to guide it when ascending or descending. It
+can ascend with remarkable speed--it is said that a modern Zeppelin can
+soar upwards at a speed of 4,500 feet per minute, and can reach the
+safety zone of about 12,000 feet almost before artillery on the ground
+has secured the range. A large Zeppelin can carry about seventeen tons,
+of which about two tons consist of explosives. All Zeppelins are fitted
+with powerful searchlights, and a car which can be let down from the
+gondola by steel ropes so as to enable the men in it to make
+observations from a lower level. The weakest part of a Zeppelin is its
+upper envelope. Attacking aeroplanes always endeavour to rise above the
+airship in order to drop bombs upon it. You will remember that Warneford
+destroyed his Zeppelin in this way.
+
+[Illustration: Sub-Lieutenant Warneford bombing a Zeppelin in Mid-air.
+
+(_By permission of The Graphic._)
+
+A description of this exploit, which won Sub-Lieutenant Warneford the
+Victoria Cross, is given on page 382.]
+
+Before the war a Zeppelin had travelled 1,800 miles on a single journey,
+and had remained in the air for thirty-five hours at a stretch. I have
+already told you that the Germans had built great airship sheds on the
+island of Heligoland. From this base to Yarmouth, on the east coast of
+England, is a distance of only 280 miles. It was, therefore, clear that,
+given suitable weather, a Zeppelin could not only cross the North Sea
+and return, but could sail over large areas of Great Britain as well.
+The Germans had long dreamed of making Zeppelin raids on London and
+destroying it by means of big bombs; but most people in this country
+laughed at the notion. We pinned our faith to the aeroplane, and
+believed the Zeppelin to be little more than an expensive failure. No
+real efforts were, therefore, made to cope with the threatened danger. A
+few anti-aircraft guns were stationed round the capital, searchlights
+were installed, street lamps were obscured, and windows were darkened,
+but that was all.
+
+On the evening of January 19, 1915, the people of Yarmouth were startled
+by the sound of loud explosions in their streets. The Zeppelins had at
+last arrived. Bombs were dropped, two persons were killed, houses were
+wrecked, and holes were blown in the streets. The raiders then flew to
+Sandringham and King's Lynn, at both of which places bombs were dropped.
+Happily the King and Queen had left their Norfolk home for London on the
+previous morning. At King's Lynn four houses were destroyed, several
+others were damaged, and the widow of a soldier and a boy of fourteen
+were killed. People stood aghast at this new form of German
+"frightfulness." It was directed not against fortresses or places of
+military importance, but against peaceful civilians in open, unprotected
+towns. It was sheer murder, and was intended to terrorize the British
+people and bring them to their knees. The Germans have never been able
+to understand our national temper. They had still to learn that such
+blows only weld us the more firmly together, and steel us to greater
+resistance. Every Zeppelin raid brought flocks of fresh recruits to our
+banners.
+
+A month later a German aeroplane appeared over the Essex coast and
+dropped bombs on and near Colchester, but no lives were lost. The summer
+air campaign began in earnest on 14th April, when airships appeared on
+Tyneside and attempted to destroy the great shipbuilding yards. Bombs
+were dropped, but almost at random, and very little damage was done,
+probably because the pilot was out of his reckoning. There were three
+other raids on the East Coast in the same month; but though houses were
+wrecked, no lives were lost. On 10th May Southend was attacked. At the
+first alarm people left their beds and rushed into the streets half
+dressed. They could see the body of the Zeppelin outlined against the
+sky, and the bombs falling like balls of fire. Many houses were
+destroyed, and others blazed furiously, but only one person was
+killed--the wife of a labourer. During the first nine months of the war
+the results of the air raids must have been very disappointing to the
+Germans. Half a dozen people had been killed, a few had been injured,
+and damage to the extent of some hundred thousand pounds had been done.
+The Germans were soon to improve on this record. "London has not felt it
+yet," they said.
+
+A week later a Zeppelin passed over Ramsgate, on which it dropped two
+dozen bombs, happily without causing any loss of life, and then over
+Broadstairs and Dover. News of this raid had been sent to the station of
+the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk, and eight seaplanes at once set
+out to intercept the Zeppelin. Flight-Commander Bigsworth dropped four
+bombs on the airship, but it managed to get home, though seriously
+damaged. On 26th May there was another raid on Southend just as the
+people were leaving places of entertainment. A lady visitor and a little
+girl, seven years old, were killed, and others were gravely injured.
+
+The first attack on London was made on the last day of May. The
+Zeppelins passed over Colchester at ten o'clock in the evening, and
+twenty-three minutes later were dropping bomb after bomb on the most
+crowded part of the East End of London. Six people were killed, amongst
+them a little girl of three, who was burnt in her bed. Many houses burst
+into flames, and a great deal of damage was done. Earlier in the month
+German tradesmen, who had been allowed to remain and carry on business
+in London, had been mobbed; now the people, angered by the murderous
+raid, attacked their shops, and in many cases wrecked them. In June the
+raiders once more visited the East and North-East Coast. On 6th June
+they reached a town on the East Coast during the night and dropped many
+bombs on it. A large drapery house was destroyed, but a beautiful Norman
+church hard by escaped almost uninjured. Twenty-four persons were killed
+and about sixty others seriously wounded during the attack. The outrage
+was speedily avenged by Lieutenant Warneford, who, you will remember,
+destroyed a Zeppelin in Belgium the next day.
+
+On 15th June there was another raid on the North-East Coast. A number of
+workmen ran out of their shops to see the Zeppelins, and were caught by
+the bomb explosions. Some sixteen of them were killed, while thirteen
+others were injured. Only one raid, and that an unsuccessful one, took
+place in July; but in August there were three, all of them on a large
+scale, and all on the eastern counties. On 9th August Zeppelins swept
+over a large area and killed one man, nine women, and four children,
+besides wounding at least fourteen others. One of the Zeppelins was
+damaged, and on the homeward voyage was attacked and destroyed by our
+aircraft.
+
+On the 12th the visit was repeated, and three men, eleven women, and
+nine children fell victims to the bombs, while many others were badly
+injured, and numerous houses were wrecked. One bomb fell into the middle
+of a little crowd of old men, women, and young children standing at a
+street corner in a little country town, and worked frightful havoc.
+Though the Zeppelins were attacked by anti-aircraft guns, they succeeded
+in escaping. The third raid was on 17th August, when ten persons were
+killed and thirty-six persons were injured, including three children. In
+this case, too, the Zeppelins came under the fire of our guns, and
+perhaps, as in the former case, one of them was hit.
+
+By this time it was evident that we were without proper means of defence
+against the enemy airships. They could come and go almost at will, and
+scatter death and destruction amongst us almost unchecked. After every
+raid the German newspapers published glowing accounts of the destruction
+which had been wrought. One of them said, "We cannot rain bombs enough
+on England." Our Government had given us only the briefest accounts of
+the raids, and people began to ask why they could not be told the whole
+truth. Mr. Balfour said that it was necessary to keep the Germans in
+ignorance of what they had done, and it would be folly to give them
+information which would help them on future voyages. Up to the end of
+August, he told us, no soldier or sailor had been killed, and only seven
+had been wounded. Only on one occasion had damage of military importance
+been done.
+
+Raids were made on London on the evenings of 7th and 8th September. On
+the first night outlying districts were attacked, and on the following
+night bombs were dropped in the very heart of the city. The Zeppelins
+arrived between ten and eleven o'clock, when the places of amusement
+were open, and the streets were full of people. Suddenly the sound of
+explosion after explosion was heard. An American writer thus described
+the scene:--
+
+    "Traffic is at a standstill. A million quiet cries make a
+    subdued roar. Seven million people of the biggest city in the
+    world stand gazing into the sky from the darkened streets. . . .
+    Among the autumn stars floats a long, gaunt Zeppelin. It is dull
+    yellow--the colour of the harvest moon. The long fingers of
+    searchlights, reaching up from the roofs of the city, are
+    touching all sides of the death messenger with their white tips.
+    Great booming sounds shake the city. They are Zeppelin
+    bombs--falling, killing, burning. Lesser noises--of
+    shooting--are nearer at hand, the noise of aerial guns sending
+    shrapnel into the sky. . . . If the men up there think they are
+    terrifying London, they are wrong. They are only making England
+    white-hot mad."
+
+Many people were killed, great fires arose, but no important public
+building was damaged. The Germans reported that they had practically
+wrecked London; but though they had done mischief enough, the result
+fell very, very far short of their boastful claims. Shortly afterwards
+Admiral Sir Percy Scott was placed in charge of the air defences of the
+capital.
+
+There were four raids on the East Coast in September, and on 13th
+October London and parts of the eastern counties were again attacked. In
+London alone thirty-two persons were killed and ninety-five injured, and
+the total casualties of that night were fifty-six killed and one hundred
+and thirteen wounded. A cry now arose that our aircraft should treat
+German towns to a dose of their own medicine; but there were many who
+believed that we ought not to repay evil for evil, and that reprisals
+would not bring the war any nearer to its close.
+
+The October raid was the last which took place during the year 1915. On
+twenty several occasions during that year the Zeppelins had paid visits
+to various parts of the East Coast of England. They had murdered no
+fewer than 199 people, and had inflicted injuries upon 421 others.
+
+
+
+
+  CHAPTER L.
+
+  THE OVERRUNNING OF SERBIA.
+
+
+December 1914 saw Serbia gloriously victorious; December 1915 saw her
+plunged in hopeless defeat, the remnants of her army on alien soil, her
+people in bondage, her aged king a fugitive. Since that August day when
+the Austrians "let slip the dogs of war" her peasant soldiers had fought
+like heroes. Thrice had Serbia been invaded, and thrice had she flung
+back the invader; but every success had drained her of lifeblood, and
+had brought the hour of her downfall nearer. She must have lost 150,000
+men in action, and disease and pestilence had robbed her of another
+50,000. The Serbian army was now only 200,000 strong, and there was no
+possible hope of increasing it. The Allies could not spare her
+reinforcements, nor did she ask for them. She felt that she could still
+hold her own, and perhaps she might have done so had not a neighbouring
+nation treacherously joined the enemy and flung a large and
+well-equipped army upon her flank.
+
+Serbia's eastern neighbour is Bulgaria. I have already told you that
+Bulgaria owes her very existence to Russia. In 1878, when the Russians
+were nearing Constantinople, they agreed to a treaty by which the
+province of Bulgaria was to be formed into a new state. In the next year
+the Bulgarians elected a German prince as their sovereign; but his
+attempts to increase his territory brought about a quarrel with Russia,
+and in 1886 he was forced to give up the throne and leave the country. A
+new prince was elected--another German, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
+In 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria an independent kingdom, and became
+its first king.
+
+On page 313 I told you that just before the fall of Brest the Germans
+prepared to force a road from Austria to the Bosphorus. What was the
+object of this new move? The Germans were in much the same position as
+the British and French: they were cut off from their Allies by hostile
+country. As you know, we undertook the ill-starred expedition to
+Gallipoli in order to open up communication between the Western Allies
+and Russia. The Central Powers were now about to invade Serbia in order
+to open up communication between Austria and Bulgaria and Turkey. If
+they could get into touch with these Balkan Powers, they could provide
+Turkey with munitions and supplies; they could send reinforcements into
+Gallipoli, and generally direct the operations of the Bulgarians and the
+Turks. Further, they could secure a right of way into Asia Minor, which
+would enable them to attack Egypt and perhaps advance to the Persian
+Gulf and threaten India. It was also hoped that new supplies of food,
+cotton, metals, and men would be tapped.
+
+Look carefully at the map on page 393. Follow the main railway line,
+which runs from the Austrian town of Semlin on the Danube through
+Belgrade, Nish, and Sophia, the capital of Bulgaria, to Constantinople.
+If the Central Powers could capture this railway, they would secure a
+through route from Germany to the shores of the Bosphorus. The whole aim
+and object of the invasion which I am about to describe was to get
+possession of this railway.
+
+What was the plan of campaign? Von Gallwitz, with the great artillery
+engine which had driven the Russians back from Galicia into the marshes
+of the Pripet, was to cross the Danube between Orsova on the Rumanian
+border and Belgrade, and blast his way through the triangle of country
+between the railway and the Bulgarian frontier. At the same time the
+Austrians were to strike south to the west of Belgrade, and while these
+two movements were in progress Bulgaria was to fall upon Serbia from the
+east. The little Serbian army was to be taken in front and in flank at
+_nine_ different points by forces which outnumbered it by at least three
+to one. The invaders were furnished with huge guns and vast supplies of
+ammunition, against which the Serbians could not hope to stand. The
+moment that the blow was launched the fate of Serbia was sealed.
+
+[Illustration: Map to illustrate the Campaign in Serbia.]
+
+In 1897 Bulgaria proposed to form a league uniting Greece and the Balkan
+States against Turkey, and in 1912 the league was formed. Shortly
+afterwards the First Balkan War began. Turkey was badly beaten, and much
+territory was taken from her; but when the time came for dividing up
+the booty the victors fell out and fought amongst themselves. Greece and
+Serbia took the field against Bulgaria, and overcame her. Ever since
+that time Bulgaria bitterly hated Serbia. Her king, Ferdinand, was a
+vain and cunning man, without a spark of personal courage, but with a
+keen eye for the main chance, and with no scruples to prevent him from
+seizing it. During the present war he watched and waited, and bided his
+time. When he saw the Russians retreating day after day, and the British
+and French making no progress in Gallipoli or in the West, he felt sure
+that Germany would win. He was a German himself, and he was now
+prepared to range himself with the Central Powers--at a price. On 17th
+July he signed a treaty by which, as a reward for joining the two
+Kaisers, he was to receive Serbian Macedonia, Salonika,[80] and some
+Greek territory. All August and September he was busy making his
+preparations, and by the beginning of October he was ready to obey his
+masters' orders, and fall upon Serbia.
+
+Why did not the Allies hasten to the defence of threatened Serbia?
+"Thereby hangs a tale." On 11th September the Greek Premier, who
+believed that his country ought to stand by its treaty with Serbia and
+enter the fray, asked France and Britain for 150,000 troops. About a
+fortnight later the Allies agreed to furnish these troops, and the Greek
+army began to mobilize. Ferdinand had already called up his armies, but
+he told the world that he had only done so for the purpose of
+self-defence, and that he had no intention of making war on his
+neighbours. Serbia, however, knew better, and towards the end of
+September she informed the British that she was not going to wait until
+the Bulgarians were fully prepared, but was about to attack them at
+once. The British Government persuaded her not to do so, because it
+still had hopes that Bulgaria might be persuaded to stay her hand. You
+will soon learn that Serbia, by taking the advice of the British
+Government, suffered terribly.
+
+By agreement with the Greek Premier, the Allies began to land troops at
+the Greek port of Salonika in the first week of October. The Greeks
+objected, but did not hinder us; indeed, they helped our army to occupy
+the place. Then came a remarkable change of front on the part of the
+Greek king. He had married the Kaiser's sister, and he went in fear of
+his brother-in-law. Probably he believed that Germany was going to win;
+he knew that Bulgaria was strong and Serbia weak, and that the 150,000
+troops of the Allies could not turn the balance in his favour. So he
+informed his Prime Minister that he had never consented to fight on
+behalf of Serbia; whereupon the Prime Minister resigned, and a new
+Government was formed. It declared that Greece meant to remain neutral,
+though it was very friendly to the Allies.
+
+While our transports were crowding the harbour at Salonika and the
+Allies were busy putting the place into a state of defence, Ferdinand
+threw off the mask. A week later, on 12th October, when his advance
+guards were over the border, he declared war on Serbia. Four days later
+Britain declared war upon Bulgaria. Von Mackensen had already crossed
+the Danube, and was pressing against the Serbian front with 200,000 men;
+a quarter of a million Bulgarians were moving eastwards against the
+exposed right flank of Serbia; and in Salonika there were 13,000 French
+and British troops preparing to march inland against the Bulgarian left.
+Such was the position of affairs on 15th October.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+Now let us return to the Danube and briefly follow the stages of
+Serbia's agony. By means of the great river, which is linked with the
+canals of the Elbe and the Rhine, barges full of big guns and supplies
+had been conveyed to the scene of action. On 19th September, before the
+big guns arrived, Austrian batteries opened fire on Belgrade; but the
+Serbians and the British sailors who were fighting with them prevented a
+crossing. On 3rd October the enemy's big guns were placed in position,
+and the Serbian trenches were pounded to dust. It was the Donajetz
+bombardment all over again. Belgrade could no longer be held, and by the
+8th of October the Austrians and Germans had crossed the Danube and the
+Save at six places between Shabatz and Belgrade. There was a desperate
+struggle in the streets of the capital, but on the morning of the 9th
+the place was in the enemy's hands. The lesson of Warsaw had been
+learned, and all that was valuable in the city had been carried off.
+
+By 11th October the Austro-Germans held a hundred miles of front on the
+south banks of the Save and the Danube. The Serbians had fought
+desperately, but they could not stand before the mass of artillery
+brought against them. The Serbian left had been forced back towards the
+hills on which it had made its first stand against the third Austrian
+invasion, the centre had fallen back to a ridge seven miles south of the
+capital, and the right was being harried across the river plain and up
+the valleys of the Morava and the Mlava. On the Serbian right Mackensen
+moved his big guns slowly. He was waiting for the Bulgarians to take the
+Serbians in flank and in rear. On the 12th the Bulgarians attacked the
+Serbians at five different points, and it was clear that, if the
+Serbians were to avoid being completely surrounded, they must retreat,
+as the Russians had done. But, unlike the Russians, they had no vast
+land into which they could retire. Their only line of withdrawal lay to
+the west and south-west, into the bare, rugged highlands of Montenegro
+and the wilderness of Albania.
+
+The French and British in the south were by this time struggling
+northwards in the attempt to reach Uskub, the great meeting-place of all
+routes in Southern Serbia. They were, however, too late: the Bulgarians
+entered Uskub on 22nd October, and the Allies were thus cut off from all
+communication with the interior.
+
+The Serbians were now in a desperate plight. Along every road and track
+left open to the south-west thousands of old men, women, and children
+trudged wearily onward, bearing with them the few household goods which
+they could carry off. Food was scarce, carts could not be obtained for
+love or money, and on the desolate hills thousands of wretched peasants
+perished of cold and hunger. By 26th October the whole north-east corner
+of Serbia was in the hands of the enemy. The Serbian army which lay
+between the Drina and Nish was cut off from that which lay in the shape
+of a half-moon in front of the southern Bulgarian army. There was no
+more fighting for the northern army; it was slowly but surely being
+enclosed, and was now in full retreat along the valley of the river Ibar
+on the road to Montenegro. Meanwhile the southern army made a last
+despairing effort to stem the Bulgarian advance in the passes between
+Prisrend and Monastir, and, having failed, retreated into Albania.
+
+Look at the railway line running from Uskub to Mitrovitza and find the
+pass of Katchanik. If the northern army was to get away safely into
+Montenegro, the Bulgarians must be prevented from pushing to their rear
+and swinging to the north to cut off the retreat. It was therefore
+necessary to hold the enemy at Katchanik Pass. Five thousand men, all
+that was left of the garrison at Uskub, along with three regiments from
+the north, now prepared to make a stand. Their guns were on the heights,
+and they had sufficient ammunition for a battle of several days. The
+Bulgarians advanced on a fifteen-mile front, but the Serbian guns drove
+them back. On the third day the Serbians attacked with bombs and the
+bayonet. All night the desperate struggle continued, and after twelve
+hours' fighting the Bulgarian line was pierced. But the enemy in
+overwhelming strength formed up behind the gap and began to enclose the
+little Serbian force. It fell back fighting and joined the retreating
+northern army. But it had done its work--the danger of disaster was
+over.
+
+Another stand was made at the Babuna Pass, which you will see on the
+map, about fifty miles south of Katchanik Pass. You will notice from the
+map that if the Bulgarians could get to Prilep no supplies could reach
+the Serbians from the south. If, too, the Allies could retake the town
+of Veles,[81] Uskub would be threatened, and the Bulgarians would not be
+able to follow up the northern army. In the first days of November some
+5,000 Serbians actually held the crest of the Babuna Pass for more than
+a week. The Allies, however, could make no headway from the south, and
+the gallant rearguard, finding six divisions of the enemy before it, was
+forced to fall back into Albania.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+What of the Allies in Salonika? On 12th October General Sarrail arrived
+to take command of the French 2nd Division, which had been brought from
+Cape Helles. Before our 10th Division from Suvla was ready to move, the
+French moved up country in the hope of joining hands with the Serbians
+in the neighbourhood of Uskub. You will see on the map a railway running
+up the Vardar to Veles. Along this railway Sarrail moved his troops. It
+was a single, grass-grown track, quite inadequate for the advance of an
+army. Ninety miles north of Salonika, at a point marked X on the map, it
+begins to run through a narrow gorge with steep rocky walls, called the
+Iron Gate. If the Bulgarians once gained this ravine, the Allies would
+be held up and unable to advance. Early in the month of October
+Bulgarian raiders cut the railway at X, but on the 19th the French
+advance guards reached the place and drove them out. Four days later the
+rest of the division arrived, and detachments which were ferried across
+the Vardar seized positions on the left bank of the river, which was
+then swollen by the autumn rains. Meanwhile the British 10th Division
+extended the French right to Lake Doiran. It was now proposed to capture
+a steep wall of mountain which commanded the valley. In order to reach
+it the French left had to cross the swollen river once more. It had no
+pontoons, but by means of an old ferry-boat a detachment got across. The
+French scaled the summit, drove off the Bulgarians who held it, and dug
+themselves in. On 4th and 5th November the Bulgarians made a strong
+attack on the summit, but were repulsed after fierce fighting at close
+quarters.
+
+Now that the French commanded the valley southward, they began to push
+on towards the Babuna Pass in order to join hands with the Serbians who
+were holding the crest. By the time they were within ten miles of the
+Serbian position the Bulgarians were flinging 125,000 men against the
+heroic rearguard. The French dared not proceed further. Supplies could
+only reach them along a hundred miles of single-line railway, which
+might be cut any day; their only means of crossing the Vardar was by a
+crazy wooden bridge, and there were twenty miles of bad road in their
+rear. The Serbians had already retreated from the Babuna Pass, and an
+advance could be of no service to them. Further, the Bulgarians were
+trying to cut them off from the bridge. They were, therefore, obliged to
+retreat; no other course was open to them. The Allied endeavour had come
+to nothing. The French and British fell back on Salonika, and there
+remained throughout the winter.
+
+[Illustration: "Remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow."
+
+(_From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of the Sphere._)
+
+This picture shows old King Peter and his court retreating on foot
+through the snows of winter into the wilds of Albania.]
+
+In those November days heartrending scenes were witnessed on the Serbian
+hills, now white with the first snows of winter. Fugitives in ox wagons,
+in country carts, and on foot, men, women, and little children, thronged
+the roads--a long procession of woe. The army which, a year ago, had
+flung the Austrians out of the country, was now a mere remnant of
+150,000 famished and weary men. With it marched our British Naval
+Brigade and its guns. The devoted doctors and nurses, who had for nine
+months been ministering to the wounded and diseased, were scattered far
+and wide. By roundabout roads some of them reached the Allies at
+Salonika; others gained the Adriatic coast; and some, such as Lady
+Paget, remained and trusted to the tender mercies of the Bulgarians.
+Retreating with the army were the officials of the Court and the
+Government. Perhaps the most pathetic figure of all was the Serbian
+King, racked by rheumatism and sore of heart because his age and
+infirmities prevented him from fighting in the ranks with his heroic
+people. But behind all his sorrows there was a ray of hope. His army,
+though but a remnant, was still an army, and not a broken and dispirited
+mob. It would live to fight again.
+
+       *     *     *     *     *
+
+So, for the Allies, the year 1915 closed in gloom. A visitor from Mars,
+presented with a map of the German conquests, might have been pardoned
+had he proclaimed the two Kaisers victorious. From the Yser to the
+Dvina, from the Baltic to the Bosphorus, and thence to the Tigris, they
+and their fellow-conspirators were masters of 177,000,000 people. They
+had driven the Russians before them; they had made another Belgium of
+Serbia; the French and British had failed in their Eastern enterprises,
+and could not break through in the West. The Germans loudly boasted of
+their triumph; but, to their amazement, there was no sign of
+war-weariness or faint-heartedness amongst the Allies. Conscious that
+the enemy had passed the first flush of his mighty strength, the Allies
+endured the heaviness of the night, and, while waiting for the morning,
+
+        "Never doubted clouds would break,
+  Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph;
+  Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,
+              Sleep to wake."
+
+[Footnote 80: _Sa-lo-neka_, port of Greece on the gulf of the same name,
+12 miles to the east of the mouth of the river Vardar. After
+Constantinople it is the chief port of what was formerly European
+Turkey. The harbour is safe and roomy, and before the war the town had a
+population of over 160,000. Salonika is the Thessalonica of the New
+Testament.]
+
+[Footnote 81: _Ve-leze._]
+
+
+  END OF VOLUME IV.
+
+
+  PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War,
+Volume 4 (of 10), by James Edward Parrott
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDRENS' STORY ***
+
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+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4
+(of 10), by James Edward Parrott
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)
+
+Author: James Edward Parrott
+
+Release Date: February 28, 2011 [EBook #35386]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDRENS' STORY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Marcia Brooks, Ross Cooling and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Canada Team at
+http://www.pgdpcanada.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="311" height="458" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+
+<h3>THE</h3>
+<h2>CHILDREN'S STORY<br />
+OF THE WAR</h2>
+
+<h4>BY</h4>
+<h3>SIR EDWARD PARROTT, M.A., LL.D.</h3>
+<h5>AUTHOR OF "BRITAIN OVERSEAS," "THE PAGEANT<br />
+OF ENGLISH LITERATURE," ETC.</h5>
+<br /><br /><br />
+<h3>VOLUME IV.</h3>
+<h5>The Story of the Year 1915</h5>
+<br /><br /><br />
+<h4>TORONTO</h4>
+<h3>THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd.</h3>
+<h4>LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK<br />
+1916</h4>
+<br /><br />
+
+<div class="poem2">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"<i>How sleep the brave, who sink to rest</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>By all their country's wishes blest!</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>Returns to deck their hallowed mould,</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>She there shall dress a sweeter sod</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.</i></span><br />
+</div>
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"<i>By fairy hands their knell is rung;</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>By forms unseen their dirge is sung;</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>To bless the turf that wraps their clay;</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>And Freedom shall awhile repair,</i></span><br />
+<span class="i0"><i>To dwell, a weeping hermit, there!</i>"</span><br />
+</div></div>
+<p style="margin-left: 22em;"><span class="smcap">William Collins.</span></p>
+<br /><br />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 742px;">
+<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="742" height="428" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Sinking of the Bluecher&mdash;January 24, 1915.</h3>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>CONTENTS.</h2>
+<hr style="width: 15%;" />
+<table summary="Contents" width="60%">
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">I.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Setting the House in Order</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">II.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">The Loss of the "Formidable"</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">17</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">III.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">The Battle of the Dogger Bank</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">23</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">IV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">The Turkish Descent upon Egypt</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">33</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">V.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Winter Warfare on the Western Front.&mdash;I.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">44</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">VI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Winter Warfare on the Western Front.&mdash;II.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">49</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">VII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Stories from the Battlefield</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">58</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">VIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">The German Success at Soissons</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">62</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">IX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Winter Fighting in Champagne, the Argonne, and the Vosges</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">65</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">X.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">The Submarine Blockade begins</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">77</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">The Sinking of the "Lusitania"</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">81</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Stories of Submarines</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">90</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">More Stories of Submarine Warfare</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">97</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XIV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">Winter Fighting in Poland and East Prussia</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">105</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">A Battle of the Middle Ages</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">113</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XVI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">The Fall of Przemysl</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">117</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XVII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">Stories from Eastern Battlefields</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">126</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XVIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">The Battle of Neuve Chapelle</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">129</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XIX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Soldiers' Stories of Neuve Chapelle</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">145</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">The Dardanelles</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">157</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">Ships <i>versus</i> Forts</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">161</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">How we failed at the Narrows</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">170</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">The Story of Hill 60</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">177</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXIV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">The Poisonous Cloud</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">188</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">The Battle Glory of Canada</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">193</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXVI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">Days of Struggle and Anxiety.&mdash;I.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">205</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXVII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">Days of Struggle and Anxiety.&mdash;II.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">209</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXVIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">Heroes of the Ypres Salient</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">217</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXIX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">The Battle of the Artois.&mdash;I.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">222</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">The Battle of the Artois.&mdash;II.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">225</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">The Battle of Festubert</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">229</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">The Heroisms of Festubert</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">237</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">The Gallipoli Peninsula</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">241</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXIV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV">The Battle of the Landing</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">245</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV">Heroes of the Landing</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">257</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXVI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI">Battering at the Barriers</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">266</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXVII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII">A Splendid Failure</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">273</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXVIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII">The Storm bursts</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">289</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XXXIX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIX">Stories of the Great Retreat</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">305</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XL.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XL">From Storm to Calm</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">310</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLI">Midsummer on the Western Front</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">321</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLII">In Champagne</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">337</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIII">The Battle of Loos.&mdash;I.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">347</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLIV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIV">The Battle of Loos.&mdash;II.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">353</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLV.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLV">Bravest of the Brave.&mdash;I.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">364</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLVI.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVI">Bravest of the Brave.&mdash;II.</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">369</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLVII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVII">The War in the Air</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">377</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLVIII.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVIII">Heroes of the Air</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">382</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">XLIX.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIX">The Coming of the Zeppelins</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">385</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tdr">L.</td>
+<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_L">The Overrunning of Serbia</a></td>
+<td class="tdr">391</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p001.jpg" width="447" height="169" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2>
+
+<h3>SETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n this volume I am going to tell you the story of the war as it
+unfolded itself during the year 1915. It was a year of life-and-death
+struggle, during which two other nations were swept by the seething
+whirlpool into the waters of strife, and eight out of ten persons in the
+continent of Europe were living under war conditions. It was a year
+during which the three greatest empires of the world, and seven other
+Powers, fought fierce and bitter combats on five different battle fronts
+in Europe alone. It was a year in which some millions of men fell on the
+stricken field, and yet the issue of the vast and terrible struggle
+remained undecided.</p>
+
+<p>It was a year in which the Allies, who were quite unready when war was
+forced upon them, strained every nerve to set their military houses in
+order; to enlist and train for the field their reserves of manhood; and
+to furnish themselves with those weapons and munitions in which they
+were deficient. It was a year in which millions of hard-earned money
+were spent every day, and the combatants piled up mountains of debt for
+future generations to pay off.</p>
+
+<p>It was a year during which the Allies had good cause to thank God for
+the long years of peaceful industry which had given Britain great
+riches, and for the splendid navy which maintained for her the freedom
+of the seas. Britain's vast reserves of wealth enabled her to raise
+plentiful money for carrying on the war, and thanks to her navy her
+merchant ships were able to carry the products of her mines, mills, and
+factories to other lands. Great Britain alone of all the combatants was
+thus able to produce wealth in time of war, and to assist her
+sorely-hampered friends with timely loans.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 714px;">
+<img src="images/p010.jpg" width="714" height="412" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Modern Pied Piper.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by A. C. Michael. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News.</i>)<br />
+
+You remember Browning's poem about the Pied Piper who drew the children
+after him by the magic of his music. This picture shows the pipers of a
+Highland regiment drawing men after them to the recruiting offices. "I
+rejoice in my Empire's effort," said the King, "and I feel pride in the
+voluntary response of my subjects all over the world. . . . The end is
+not in sight. More men and yet more are wanted to keep my armies in the
+field, and through them to secure Victory and enduring Peace."</h4>
+
+<p>During 1915 the British nation for the first time began to organize
+itself for warfare on a vast scale. It found itself forced to raise an
+army thirty times as great as it had ever marshalled before, and to
+equip millions of men with every weapon known to the science of war.
+Moreover, it had to do this while the small forces which it had already
+placed in the field were struggling to maintain themselves against
+terrible odds. It was a work that called for every ounce of energy and
+determination that the Empire possessed, and it could never have been
+done at all had not the British people, as a whole, given willing
+support to their leaders.</p>
+
+<p>The year was not many months old when it became evident that we could
+not hope to hold the enemy in check and drive him from his strongly
+fortified trenches unless we had an almost unlimited supply of big guns
+and high explosive shells. Early in the struggle the French had set
+their gun and ammunition factories working at high pressure, and they
+had taken good care that they should be fully manned with skilled
+workmen. Britain, on the other hand, had far too small a number of
+factories for manufacturing the vast supplies of war material which she
+needed, and many of her skilled workmen had been allowed to enlist and
+proceed to the front.</p>
+
+<p>Committees were formed to organize all the workshops in the country
+capable of making weapons and ammunition, and vast supplies of machine
+tools, guns, and shells were ordered from the United States and Canada.
+While this was being done, a strong feeling gained ground that the
+government of the country should no longer be in the hands of a
+particular political party, but should be composed of the best men of
+all parties in the State. In May a National Government was set up, and a
+minister was appointed to devote himself wholly and entirely to the
+business of speeding up the production of munitions by every possible
+means in his power. Mr. Lloyd-George filled this post, and forthwith
+flung himself with great zeal and energy into the work. His first duty
+was to convince the nation of the great and crying need for more
+munitions. He pleaded with workmen to realize the danger, and to ally
+themselves with brothers in the trenches by working early and late and
+at the very top of their energy. Great posters appeared all over the
+country, showing a soldier and a workman clasping hands. Behind the one
+was a battery of big guns, and be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>hind the other the smoking chimneys of
+a munition factory. Above was the legend, "We're both needed to serve
+the guns," and beneath the cry, "Fill up the ranks! Pile up the
+munitions!"</p>
+
+<p>Unhappily, even in this time of great national danger, there were labour
+troubles. Masters and men quarrelled about rates of wages and hours of
+work, while their sons and brothers were dying at the front for lack of
+shells with which to keep down the fierce bombardment of the enemy. Not
+until laws were passed preventing masters from making undue profits out
+of the nation's needs, and punishing workmen who kept bad time, was the
+strife allayed. The Trade Unions were persuaded to relax their rules,
+and gradually most of the difficulties were removed. Slowly but steadily
+the supply of arms and ammunition increased, until in the latter part of
+the year the shortage was overtaken, and it was possible to meet the
+enemy on more than equal terms. A well-known public man who visited the
+trenches in November was able to say, "For every shell which the Germans
+throw to-day, we are throwing five." "Mr. Lloyd-George's compliments,"
+said a British gunner to the shell, as he closed the breech of his gun,
+"and there's plenty more where that came from."</p>
+
+<p>Britain had not only to supply the needs of her own army and navy, but
+to help her Allies as well. Before the year was half over, the Russian
+supply of rifles and shells almost gave out. Russia, as you know, is far
+more an agricultural than an industrial country. She has no great number
+of machine shops that can be turned into munition factories, nor has she
+anything like the number of skilled workmen required to furnish her with
+the enormous supplies of war material which she needs. In May, when the
+Germans brought against her a tremendous force of artillery and machine
+guns, her shortage was so great that she could not resist, and was
+obliged to make a long retreat from Poland and Galicia. Many of her
+recruits had no rifles at all, and at one time the artillery of her
+Second Army could only reply to the incessant fire of the enemy with two
+shells a day!</p>
+
+<p>The Russians strove manfully to increase their supply of munitions, and
+Great Britain and Japan gave them much help. By November they had
+increased their supplies to such an extent that they were able not only
+to resist the enemy, but to attack him. Some idea of the spirit shown by
+t<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>he Russian munition workers may be obtained from the following message
+which was found written on an ammunition box: "Do not spare the shells;
+there are plenty more coming, comrades. We are working hard to keep you
+supplied. Cheer up!"</p>
+
+<p>Poor little Serbia had all along to struggle against a great lack of war
+supplies. Her factories were never able to give her more than a tithe of
+her needs. You will remember that, but for the ammunition which the
+Allies sent to her in December 1914, she could not have driven the
+Austrians from her country. In December 1915, when the Serbian army was
+driven into Albania,<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> it became entirely dependent for food and
+supplies upon Britain, France, and Italy.</p>
+
+<p>Great Britain had not only to produce weapons and other munitions for
+herself and her friends, but she had to enlist and train more and more
+men to fill up her ranks and to repair the wastage of war. While every
+other nation engaged in the struggle could force men to serve in the
+army, she alone used no compulsion, but left each man to decide for
+himself whether he would take up arms or remain in civil life. Great
+efforts were made to persuade sound men of military age to join the
+army. Every blank wall was covered with posters calling upon men to
+serve their king and country, and recruiting meetings were as the sands
+of the sea for number. But though the response was wonderful, it was
+felt that some better method of securing men was needed. Many people
+thought that all suitable men should be compelled to serve, but the
+Government was reluctant to change the system which had served the
+country's needs so well in former times.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p013.jpg" width="340" height="442" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Minister of Munitions introducing the Munitions Bill
+in the House of Commons, June 23, 1915.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>From the drawing by S. Begg.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>"Three millions of young men have offered their services for their
+country; it depends upon us at home to support them with skill,
+strength, and every resource of machinery and organization at our
+disposal, so as to drive the conviction into the heart of nations for
+all time to come that those governments who deceive their neighbours to
+their ruin do so at their peril."</h4>
+
+<p>At the end of June a law was passed which enabled the Government to
+discover exactly what resources of men and women the country contained.
+All persons, male and female, between the ages of fifteen and sixty-five
+were required to fill up a form stating their names and ages, the number
+of those who were dependent on them, whether or no they were married,
+and what was the nature of their occupation. Early in October Lord
+Derby, who had shown great energy in raising recruits in Lancashire, was
+appointed Director of Recruiting for the whole country, and speedily he
+put forward a new plan for bringing in men. The registration forms were
+sorted out;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> those men who were engaged in Government work were
+"starred"&mdash;that is, they were not to be considered as available for the
+army&mdash;and the names of all other men between the ages of nineteen and
+forty-one were placed on cards, which were handed over to joint
+committees of the political parties, in order that a great national
+canvass might be conducted.</p>
+
+<p>The canvassers used all their powers of persuasion to get men of
+military age and sound health to enlist in one or other of forty-six
+"groups," which were arranged according to the ages of the men, and
+whether they were married or unmarried. Men were permitted to enlist in
+their respective groups, and remain in civil life until their own
+particular group was called up. Courts were set up, before which
+enlisted men could appear and ask to be "starred" or transferred to some
+later class. Only those persons without whose services the business of
+the country could not be properly carried on could claim to be
+"starred." While the canvass was in progress the Government gave notice
+that unmarried men would be called up before married men, and that if
+the unmarried men did not come forward in sufficient numbers, they would
+be compelled to do so. The canvass was successful&mdash;it resulted in the
+enrolment of very many recruits; but whether compulsion could be staved
+off by this system remained to be seen. Late in November it was said
+that Britain would have four million men in arms by the following March.</p>
+
+<p>Money, as you know, is "the sinews of war." Without money, and a great
+deal of it, armies and navies cannot be arrayed, or kept in the field.
+The British Empire, according to the statement of the Prime Minister,
+has a yearly income of &pound;4,000,000,000. This sum is vast, but so was the
+cost of the war. In March we were spending five millions of money a day.
+If you work out a little sum, you will see that one year of war at this
+rate uses up not far short of half the total money earned in a year by
+the whole British Empire. Of course, in war time the Empire cannot
+produce as much wealth as it can in times of peace. Large numbers of men
+are taken away from their work, and, instead of being producers, they
+have to be kept and fed by the nation. Thousands of factories are
+engaged in making war material for the Government, and they do not,
+therefore, add to the national wealth at all. Our overseas trade falls
+off greatly, because we need many of our merchan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>t ships for transport
+and supply, because we cannot produce such large quantities of goods for
+export, and because we cannot trade with enemy countries at all.</p>
+
+<p>In time of peace the goods which we get from other countries are paid
+for by the goods which we send to them, by the money which we receive
+from foreigners for carrying goods to all parts of the world, and by the
+interest which comes to us from money which we have invested abroad.
+Usually these three items not only pay for our imports, but give us a
+large profit as well. In time of war, however, we are in quite a
+different position.</p>
+
+<p>At all times we must import much material from abroad. We are always
+obliged to import the greater part of our food and the raw materials for
+our factories. During the present war we have also been obliged to
+import large quantities of machinery and munitions from the United
+States. Our imports of goods always exceed our exports of goods in
+value, but in time of war the imports soar up to a great height, while
+the exports sink. For example, the excess of imports over exports during
+the first nine months of 1914 was 99 millions, while for the same period
+of 1915 it was 256 millions.</p>
+
+<p>Thus you see that, while the war lasts, our exports, the profits on our
+shipping trade, and the interest which we receive from foreign
+investments are not sufficient to pay for our imports. In order to make
+up the balance, we must either draw on our national savings or run into
+debt. If we draw on our savings, we shall have so much the less money
+left for the expenses of the war. If we run largely into debt, we shall
+find ourselves heavily burdened when the day of peace arrives.</p>
+
+<p>By the end of May the Government was seriously considering the
+all-important question of money, and before long was urging on the
+people the necessity of being as thrifty as possible, and of saving
+every penny that they possibly could. Speakers went to and fro pointing
+out that householders must avoid waste and stint themselves of foreign
+goods if the nation was to have sufficient money with which to carry on
+a long war. Those who saved money, and gave up the use of such things as
+had to be imported from abroad, were doing a patriotic service, and were
+casting the "silver bullets" with which the war was to be won. In many
+thousands of homes these wise words were taken to heart; but, on the
+other hand, many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> people who were earning high wages showed but little
+desire to save. Something was also done to lessen the enormous sums
+wasted on strong drink in this country every year, by restricting the
+hours during which public-houses might be kept open, and by confining
+the sale of spirits to certain fixed times. The King set a splendid
+example, which was largely followed, by banishing strong drink from his
+table altogether.</p>
+
+<p>Probably you think that all this talk about exports and imports, and the
+necessity for saving, is very dull, and you are eager to hear of
+stirring deeds by land and sea. We shall come to them in good time; but
+I must claim a little more of your patience before I begin the story of
+the year's fighting. Always remember that when the money which a nation
+possesses, or can borrow, gives out, it must cease to fight, and must
+make peace with its foes. That nation wins which has money to continue
+the struggle when the resources of its opponents are exhausted.</p>
+
+<p>How do we obtain money with which to carry on the war? There is only one
+place where it can come from, and that is from the pockets of the
+British people. In time of peace the money for carrying on the
+government is raised by various kinds of taxes. People with incomes
+above a certain sum per year have to pay to the Government so much money
+for every pound which they earn or receive from investments. Those who
+have a lesser income do not pay what is called income tax, but you must
+not suppose that they go scot free. Spirits, beer, tea, coffee, tobacco,
+sugar, cocoa, dried fruits, and other things have to pay a duty&mdash;that
+is, a certain sum is added to their price, and this sum goes to the
+Government.</p>
+
+<p>In time of war, when the expenses of the Government are much greater
+than they are in time of peace, the old taxes are raised and new taxes
+are imposed. In September 1915, for example, the taxes were raised some
+40 per cent. Money is also raised from the savings of the people. They
+are asked to lend money to the State at a certain rate of interest, with
+the promise that the sum which they lend shall be paid back again in
+full at the end of a certain period. Of course, this interest has also
+to be provided by the taxpayers. Three hundred and fifty million pounds
+were borrowed in November 1914, but by June 1915 it was found necessary
+to borrow more money, and a loan of nearly six hundred millions&mdash;"far
+a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>nd away beyond any amount ever subscribed in the world's history"&mdash;was
+placed at the disposal of the Government. One feature of this loan was
+the attempt to get persons of small means to participate in it. Vouchers
+for 5s., 10s., and &pound;1 were issued, and working men, and even school
+children, were encouraged to buy them. Unfortunately only about five
+millions were raised in this way, and later in the year other
+arrangements were made, in the hope of bringing in more money from the
+savings of the working classes. In September the people of the United
+States lent the British and French Governments one hundred millions, and
+this money was used to pay for some of the munitions and other things
+which we were buying from America.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>War brought about many changes in our national life. We became a soberer
+people, and we refrained largely from those sports which are so dear to
+us in time of peace. Expensive entertainments were frowned upon,
+holidays were shortened or given up altogether, and many men beyond the
+military age spent their annual weeks of leisure in munition or farm
+work. Special constables were enrolled to take the place of the police
+who had joined the colours, and volunteer corps sprang up everywhere.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p018.jpg" width="649" height="411" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Women's Volunteer Reserve on a Route March in London.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Alfieri.</i></h4>
+
+<p>From the moment the war began, British women played a noble part. Not
+only did thousands of them qualify as nurses, and offer their services
+in the hospitals at home and abroad, but many of them became munition
+workers, ticket collectors, tram conductors, motor-car drivers, farm
+servants, and letter carriers. In every town and village there were work
+parties busily engaged in making socks, mufflers, mittens, etc., for the
+men in the trenches or for the wounded in the hospitals. The neglected
+art of knitting wonderfully revived, and women were seen plying the
+needles everywhere, in trams and trains, or at lectures and concerts.
+When the Germans first used poison gas against our troops, and the War
+Office asked for half a million respirators, wagon-loads of them arrived
+the next day. Girls' schools, women's societies, groups of friends and
+families buckled to, and in a remarkably short time the War Office was
+able to announce that no more respirators were needed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Thousands of charitable societies made appeals for almost every war
+purpose imaginable. There were flag days in every town, and singers,
+actors, and lecturers gave their services in every good cause. The
+British Red Cross Society received the most generous support, while the
+many Belgian refugees in Britain were carefully tended, and, wherever
+possible, provided with work. Money was freely given by the public in
+every part of the Empire to set up hospitals and send nurses, doctors,
+and ambulances to France, Belgium, Russia, and Serbia; and even wounded
+horses were not neglected. One notable gift announced towards the end of
+November was the sum of &pound;10,000 sent by the Canadian Government to
+assist in the upkeep of the Anglo-Russian hospital. In Great Britain
+many country houses were offered as hospitals and convalescent homes,
+and on the great sporting estates game was shot for the sick and
+wounded. Children gathered apples for the men of the Fleet, worked in
+the fields for short-handed farmers, and collected eggs and sphagnum
+moss<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> for the hospitals. There was no lack of ready and willing
+helpers for every good cause.</p>
+
+<p>At this time of stress and anxiety the British nation learned the noble
+art of giving. There was scarcely a British household in the world which
+did not practise some self-denial in order to be able to send small
+luxuries and comforts to the men at the front, or much-needed help to
+the prisoners in Germany.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> Remote cottages in the Highlands of Scotland,
+lonely farms in the North-West of Canada, outlying homesteads in
+Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were thus linked together by
+the same generous impulse.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p021.jpg" width="459" height="324" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Queen Elizabeth of Belgium visiting a Hospital.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd.</i>)<br />
+
+Queen Elizabeth is patron of the Belgian Field Hospital, to which the
+readers and friends of <i>The Children's Story of the War</i> have presented
+a motor ambulance.</h4>
+
+<p>While I am speaking of the noble way in which our people, far from the
+din of strife, ministered to the gallant men who were fighting their
+battles, I must not neglect the small but very useful effort made by the
+readers of these pages and their friends. While our third volume was in
+the course of serial issue, it was suggested that our readers should
+combine in some practical work of war charity. Then came the questions,
+Whom shall we help? and, How shall we help?</p>
+
+<p>It was well known that the story of how poor little Belgium had been set
+upon by the great bully, Germany, and how her gallant sons had fought
+and suffered and died for us, had strongly moved the hearts of children.
+For this reason it w<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>as decided that the Belgian soldiers who were still
+struggling bravely, in the last bit of their native land that was left
+to them, should be assisted. They were terribly poor, and they had no
+money with which to set up hospitals and buy ambulances for their
+wounded. A number of devoted British doctors and nurses had established
+a hospital for the Belgian soldiers who had been stricken down in
+battle. Their hospital&mdash;the Belgian Field Hospital&mdash;was the only one on
+a proper footing which was caring for the wounded soldiers of our noble
+little ally. What better and finer work could we do than set about
+collecting money to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance?</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the object of our effort was decided upon, a letter was
+written to her Majesty the Queen, asking her to permit the motor
+ambulance to be named after Prince George, to whom these pages are
+dedicated. The Queen, who nobly devotes herself to every good work, was
+graciously pleased to express her warm interest in our effort, and to
+permit us to inscribe Prince George's name on the ambulance. Then an
+appeal was printed and inserted in successive parts of <i>The Children's
+Story of the War</i>.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 792px;">
+<img src="images/p022.jpg" width="792" height="455" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance.</h3>
+
+<h4>Our readers will be gratified to see this photograph of the ambulance
+which they and their friends have presented to the Belgian Field
+Hospital. It is a 15.9 Whitlock Motor Ambulance Express, specially
+constructed for field service, and can be adapted either to carry four
+stretcher cases, or two stretcher cases and four sitting cases, or may
+be used as an omnibus for eight persons. Its cost complete with four
+stretchers is &pound;418.</h4>
+
+<p>The appeal was issued on 4th September, and on 6th September money began
+to flow in. Our first contribution came from Prince George. Collecting
+papers were returned from every part of the United Kingdom and Canada,
+and even from Ferrol in Spain, and from the West Indies. Most of the
+money consisted of the pence and halfpence of the children themselves.
+An infant school in a very poor part of London sent 298 farthings as its
+contribution, while a school of poor little blind children sent a sum
+which represented much self-denial. Day-school and Sunday-school
+collections were taken up; one generous vicar gave a church offertory in
+aid of the fund; lectures were delivered to help it, and on no single
+day for many weeks did the tide of money cease to flow. Many of our
+collectors wrote letters expressing their pleasure at being able to
+help, and sending us best wishes for the success of the scheme. When it
+is stated that &pound;450 were raised by more than 11,000 subscribers, it will
+be seen how small the individual contributions must have been.</p>
+
+<p>Towards the end of November sufficient money was in hand to warrant us
+in offering an ambula<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>nce to the Committee of the Belgian Field
+Hospital. The following reply was received:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"<i>I am directed by Lord Sydenham and the Committee of the
+Belgian Field Hospital to thank you most cordially for your
+splendid efforts, which have met with so much success, in
+raising funds to provide this hospital with a motor ambulance.
+We most gratefully accept the gift.</i>"</p></div>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p024.jpg" width="290" height="340" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance. Interior arranged for four Stretcher Cases.</h4>
+
+<p>Lord Sydenham, the president of the hospital, also wrote a special
+letter of thanks, in which he said, "<i>It is splendid of the readers of
+'The Children's Story of the War' to have subscribed so large a sum.</i>"</p>
+
+<p>Our warmest thanks are due to all who have in any way helped to make the
+scheme a success. We know that we shall have the unspoken gratitude of
+many wounded Belgians; but we did not set about this work in order to
+win gratitude. We wanted to be a real help to those who have helped us.
+We know in our hearts that we have done a little act of mercy and
+kindness, and that is a reward which we are all entitled to enjoy.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE LOSS OF THE "FORMIDABLE."</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he new year opened with a naval disaster. On 31st December eight
+vessels of the Channel Fleet left Sheerness for a cruise in the English
+Channel, and by three o'clock on the morning of 1st January were
+crossing the fishing-ground not far from the Start Lighthouse. The ships
+were steaming at a moderate speed and in a single line, the rearmost
+ship being the <i>Formidable</i>, a pre-Dreadnought of 15,000 tons, and a
+sister ship to the <i>Bulwark</i>, which had been mysteriously blown up at
+Sheerness in the preceding November. The sea was rough, the moon was
+shining brightly, and a cold, piercing wind was blowing.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after three o'clock the dull roar of an explosion was heard on the
+starboard side of the <i>Formidable</i>, and was followed shortly afterwards
+by another. The ship shook from stem to stern, and a cloud of black
+smoke and coal dust arose. She had been struck fore and aft by two
+torpedoes discharged by a German submarine. At once she began to list
+heavily to starboard; there were gaping holes in her side, and it was
+evident that she could not remain afloat very long.</p>
+
+<p>There was not the slightest sign of panic on board the doomed ship.
+Captain Loxley, one of the ablest of our younger sailors, was on the
+bridge, setting an example to his crew of cool courage and utter
+forgetfulness of self. The water-tight doors were closed, the men were
+piped to quarters, and telephone bells were set ringing all over the
+ship to give warning of danger. Captain Loxley might easily have called
+upon his consorts to come to his rescue, but he knew that the submarine
+which had discharged the fatal torpedoes was still lurking hard by; so
+he signalled to his sister ships, "Stand off; submarines about."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>A bugle rang out, and the men below sprang from their hammocks and
+rushed upon deck, some of them only half clad. They fell into rank on
+the sloping deck, and Captain Loxley gave his orders as calmly as though
+his ship were riding at anchor in harbour. He was smoking a cigarette,
+and his favourite old terrier Bruce was standing by his side. He was
+heard to say: "Steady, men; it's all right. No panic; keep cool; <i>be
+British</i>." Everything of wood that might help the men in the water was
+flung overboard, and finally the captain gave the order, "Every man for
+himself!" A survivor saw him standing with folded arms as the ship went
+down.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 723px;">
+<img src="images/p026.jpg" width="723" height="422" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Captain Loxley giving his Last Order as the "Formidable" went down.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by C. M. Padday. By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>As the <i>Formidable</i> was listing badly to starboard, it was not possible
+to launch boats on the port side. Owing to the rough sea a cutter was
+stove in; but the men stuffed their jumpers into the hole, and bailed
+out the water with their boots. A barge fell perpendicularly from the
+davits, and threw the crew into the sea. Meanwhile, the stokers had
+drawn all the fires and had shut off steam, so that when the ship went
+down there was no boiler explosion. By this time it was clear that all
+could not be saved. Many of the crew knew that their last hour had come.
+One of the survivors thus described the scene on the decks as the
+<i>Formidable</i> sank into the waves:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"On one part of the ship where the men could see there was no
+hope, all eyes were turned upward to the flagstaff, and then the
+Old Jack was saluted for the last time. The last impression of
+the scene left on my mind was a long line of saluting figures
+disappearing below the sky-line. At least half of the men got
+clear of the ship, but many must have been lost while waiting
+for rescue. It was almost dark at the time, and the water was
+icy cold."</p></div>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Let me tell you how a bluejacket nobly gave his life for another as the
+ship was sinking. You shall hear the story in the words of the man who
+owed his life to his comrade's splendid generosity. "When everything had
+been done to save the <i>Formidable</i>, the boats came alongside and took
+off as many as possible. There were five boats, and two were swamped.
+All the boats had left the ship when the crew of one cried, 'Room for
+one more.' Two of us tossed for it, and the other chap won; but he said,
+'You have got parents; I haven't. Go on&mdash;jump for it.' I did so. I had
+to swim<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> for it, but I was saved."</p>
+
+<p>The men in the leaking cutter, after being tossed and buffeted by the
+sea, drenched to the skin by the waves, and numbed by the bitter wind,
+were picked up by the Brixham fishing smack <i>Providence</i> about fifteen
+miles from Berry Head. The <i>Providence</i>, which was owned and skippered
+by William Pillar, was running before the gale to Brixham for shelter,
+but off the Start found herself obliged to heave to owing to the force
+of the wind. Just then one of the crew noticed a cutter tossing under
+the lee. An oar had been hoisted, and from it a sailor's scarf was
+flying as a signal of distress.</p>
+
+<p>The cutter was drifting towards the smack, and every now and then was
+lost to sight amidst the heaving waves. Four times did the gallant
+smacksmen try to get a rope to the boat, while the skipper at the helm
+manoeuvred his little vessel with great skill. At last a small warp was
+thrown from the smack, and was caught by the men on board the cutter. By
+means of the capstan the rope was hauled in, and the cutter was brought
+up on the lee. The rescued sailors jumped on board; but even in the act
+of doing so they were in great peril, for the seas at times were rising
+thirty feet above the deck of the smack. The work of rescue occupied
+half an hour. Seventy-one men, including two officers, were thus saved.</p>
+
+<p>All were on board the smack by one o'clock, and a course was shaped for
+Brixham. Before long the <i>Providence</i> fell in with a tug, which took her
+in tow and brought her safely to harbour. The residents of Brixham gave
+blankets, coats, and boots to the survivors, and provided them with
+comfortable quarters. Many of the men were utterly exhausted. For hours
+they had been battling with the heavy winter seas, which had almost
+continuously washed over them, and they had hoped against hope until the
+brown sails of the <i>Providence</i> had providentially come in sight.</p>
+
+<p>One of the <i>Formidable's</i> boats came unaided to the shore. After tossing
+about for twenty-two hours in a raging sea, it drifted with the tide
+into Lyme Regis, with forty men on board. Nine of her crew had died of
+exposure, and had been buried at sea. A light cruiser also picked up
+some of the <i>Formidable's</i> men; but when the final reckoning was made,
+only 201 had been saved out of a ship's company of well-nigh 800 souls.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The splendid seamanship of Skipper Pillar, and the great courage and
+devotion of his crew, greatly impressed the country. On 8th February he
+and his men attended at Buckingham Palace, where the King pinned the
+silver medal for gallantry on their breasts, and handed them the money
+rewards which had been bestowed upon them by the Admiralty. The King
+addressed them in the following words:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"I congratulate you most heartily on your gallant and heroic
+conduct. It is indeed a great feat to have saved seventy-one
+lives. I realize how difficult your task must have been, because
+I know myself how arduous it is to gybe<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> a vessel in a heavy
+gale."</p></div>
+
+<p>Amongst the crew of the <i>Providence</i> was Daniel Taylor, an apprentice.
+In reply to the King, he said that he had been at sea for just over
+twelve months, and that he was seventeen years of age. The King
+observed, "You are small for your age, but you have taken part in a very
+gallant deed, and I congratulate you." Some time later, Skipper Pillar
+was given a commission in the Royal Navy.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>I must not close this account of the disaster without dwelling for a
+moment upon the manner in which Captain Loxley went down with his ship.
+The history of the British navy is full of stories of cool, calm courage
+and selfless devotion in the face of death; and it is good to know that
+the sailors of our Navy are as true as ever to the spirit of those who
+built up its glorious fame in years gone by. On the very verge of doom,
+when men's courage is apt to fail them, Captain Loxley showed no sign of
+flinching. In his last moments he thought only of others. He strove
+manfully to save as many of his crew as possible, and he refused to
+endanger the lives of his comrades in the sister ships by calling them
+to his aid. He went to his death like the gallant gentleman that he was;
+and his last appeal, not only to his crew, but to you and me, was, "<i>Be
+British!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>How kind and thoughtful he was to others is seen from the following
+letter, which h<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>e wrote to his old nurse just before leaving
+Sheerness:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 70%;">"H.M.S. <i>Formidable</i>.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p>"<span class="smcap">My dear old Nan Nan</span>,&mdash;I'm afraid that my Christmas present will
+be a bit late. I meant to have sent it off yesterday, but
+forgot. Anyhow, I hope it will arrive safely. My very best love
+and best wishes to you and William for Christmas and the New
+Year, and may we soon beat the Germans.</p>
+
+<p>"We are having really quite a quiet time, but you never know
+when anything may happen. I was out at Malta when war began, but
+soon came home. Had three days' leave, and then came to this
+ship, where I am likely to remain for the present.</p>
+
+<p>"Peter [his son] has gone to school, and is just home for his
+first holiday, which I expect he is enjoying just as much as I
+did; but he was much braver going to school than I was. Every
+one seems well at Gloucester, but I have only seen mother once,
+for about ten minutes, during the last two years. With much
+love, yours lovingly,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Noel Loxley</span>."</p></div>
+
+<p>One word more before I pass from this tragic story. The loss of the
+<i>Formidable</i> clearly showed that the lessons taught by the sinking of
+the <i>Cressy</i>, <i>Hogue</i>, and <i>Aboukir</i> had not been learned. Our Navy had
+not yet fully appreciated the fact that the only way to avoid the peril
+of the enemy submarines is for battleships to steam at high speed,
+frequently changing their course, and always accompanied by a flotilla
+of guardian destroyers. The eight ships that sailed down the Channel on
+the first day of the year 1915 steamed slowly in the bright light of the
+moon. They were thus a good target for the enemy's submarines, and were,
+indeed, courting disaster. As the year went by the Navy learned its
+lesson, and learned it well. Before many months had passed our sailors
+were more than a match for the under-water boats of the enemy, and the
+time was soon to arrive when the German submarines were fearlessly
+hunted and constantly trapped.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF THE DOGGER BANK.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">U</span>p to the 24th of January 1915 squadrons of the German High Sea Fleet
+had adventured four times into the North Sea. The first occasion was on
+28th August, 1914, when the Battle of Heligoland Bight was fought, and
+the enemy lost three cruisers and two destroyers. On 17th October a
+squadron of German destroyers was encountered off the Dutch coast by a
+similar British squadron, and before long four of the enemy ships were
+sent to the bottom of the sea. Twice afterwards the enemy, greatly
+daring, left his fortified harbours and minefields; but on such
+occasions his object was not to fight, but to dodge the British fleet,
+and inflict "frightfulness" on more or less undefended coast towns. On
+3rd November he shelled Yarmouth beach; but was very uneasy during his
+ineffective attack, and scuttled homewards immediately he was warned
+that a British fleet was after him. Even on this occasion he did not
+escape without loss: the cruiser <i>Yorck</i> ran on a German mine, and was
+sunk. This raid was followed by the attack on Scarborough, Whitby, and
+the Hartlepools, which I described at length in Chapter XXXV. of our
+third volume.</p>
+
+<p>Elated by their success in killing the defenceless townsfolk of
+unprotected towns, the Germans now prepared for another dash across the
+North Sea. We do not know exactly what their object was. Some tell us
+that an attack was to be made on the Tyne or the Forth; others say that
+the enemy hoped to get one or more of his battle cruisers round the
+north of Scotland, so that they might prey on British commerce. Whatever
+the object may have been, Rear-Admiral Hipper, who was in command of the
+Battle Cruiser Squadron detailed for the work, knew that he would
+probably have to meet a British fleet. If so, he intended to run for
+home without delay, and to lure the British ships into a trap. He
+enlarged the minefield north of Heligoland, and gathered there a large
+force of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> submarines. He fondly believed that he could entice our
+vessels into this dangerous area, where his submarines, together with
+the seaplanes and Zeppelins which were in readiness on the island, would
+make short work of them. Such was his plan. We are now to see how it
+failed.</p>
+
+<p>The night of Saturday, the 23rd, was foggy, and our destroyers scouting
+east of the Dogger Bank tossed all night on the waves, scarcely able to
+pierce the gloom for a hundred yards around them. Sunday morning,
+however, dawned sharp and clear; the wind had changed to the north-east,
+and had swept the mists from the seas. About seven in the morning the
+light cruiser <i>Aurora</i> sighted the German squadron off the Dogger. At
+once she signalled the news to Admiral Beatty, and opened fire.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The German squadron which the <i>Aurora</i> had sighted consisted of the
+<i>Seydlitz</i> (which flew the flag of Rear-Admiral Hipper), the <i>Moltke</i>,
+the <i>Derfflinger</i>, the <i>Bluecher</i>, together with six light cruisers and
+a flotilla of destroyers. The first three of the vessels named had a
+speed of nearly 27 knots, and were armed with either 12-inch or 11-inch
+guns. The <i>Bluecher</i> was an older and much slower vessel; she could
+steam 24 knots, and her main armament consisted of 8.2-inch guns. It was
+clear that in a chase she would have to be left behind, and thus would
+fall a prey to the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>To meet this force, Admiral Beatty had under his command the great
+battle cruisers <i>Lion</i>, <i>Tiger</i>, <i>Princess Royal</i>, and <i>New Zealand</i>;
+together with the <i>Indomitable</i>, four cruisers of the "town" class&mdash;the
+<i>Southampton</i>, the <i>Nottingham</i>, the <i>Birmingham</i>, and the <i>Lowestoft</i>;
+three light cruisers&mdash;the <i>Arethusa</i>, the <i>Aurora</i>, and the <i>Undaunted</i>;
+as well as two destroyer flotillas. His squadron was superior to that of
+the Germans in numbers, speed, and weight of fire.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The Dogger Bank, off which the Germans were sighted, is a great shoal
+almost midway between England and Denmark, and extending to within forty
+miles of the Yorkshire coast. Its length from north to south is about
+160 miles, its breadth is 70 miles, and the average depth of water over
+it varies from ten to twenty fathoms.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> South of the Dogger is a second
+and smaller shoal, known as the Well Bank. Still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> further south are
+deeps, such as the "Silver Pit," where the depth is as much as
+forty-five fathoms.</p>
+
+<p>The Dogger is the chief fishing ground of the North Sea. During the
+winter the waters above it are alive with trawlers, all engaged in
+reaping the rich harvest of the waters. Immense quantities of halibut,
+soles, turbot, brill, plaice, cod, haddock, and whiting are taken,
+packed in boxes&mdash;to be carried off by fish-cutters to the ports, or
+stored in ice until the trawler is ready to return home. Somewhere near
+the Dogger, probably on its north-eastern edge, the Germans were
+encountered. The naval battle which followed was not the first to be
+fought near the great shoal. In 1781 an English and a Dutch fleet met in
+these waters, and struggled fiercely; but the action was undecided, and
+the Dutch claimed a victory.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>When the <i>Aurora</i> opened fire, Admiral Beatty's squadron, which was not
+far away, steered in the direction of the gun flashes. Immediately the
+German scouting cruisers perceived that a British squadron was after
+them they turned tail and fled to the south-east. Hipper did not wait to
+discover the strength of his opponents, but took to his heels at once.
+This seems to show that his real object was to lure the British ships
+into the position which he had prepared for them, and there engage them
+on his own terms. There were 120 miles of open sea to be crossed before
+the mine-fields were reached.</p>
+
+<p>When the signal was made, "Seven enemy ships&mdash;four battle cruisers and
+three cruisers with destroyers&mdash;to the south-west," there was fierce
+glee on board the British ships. Every man was agog for the fight; all
+were eager to avenge the women and children who had been murdered so
+brutally at Scarborough and the Hartlepools. Every gun was manned with
+men who had vengeance in their hearts, and down below the "black squad"
+were striving with all their might to get every knot possible out of
+their engines. A commander was heard to remark, "One would think this
+was a game of football, the boys are enjoying it so much." The <i>Lion</i>
+and <i>Tiger</i> were soon racing ahead at thirty knots an hour, and were
+leaving the less speedy <i>Princess Royal</i> and <i>New Zealand</i> behind. At
+eight o'clock the situation was as follows: the Germans were moving
+south-east in line, with the <i>Moltke</i> leading; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>followed by the
+<i>Seydlitz</i> and the <i>Derfflinger</i>, the <i>Bluecher</i> bringing up the rear.
+Their destroyers were on the starboard beam, and their light cruisers
+ahead. Close upon them were the British destroyers and the light
+cruisers, which now crossed to the port side in order that their smoke
+might not hide the big German ships from the British gunners. The
+<i>Lion</i>, <i>Tiger</i>, <i>Princess Royal</i>, <i>New Zealand</i>, and <i>Indomitable</i> did
+not follow directly behind the German ships, lest the enemy should throw
+out mines, but held on a parallel course to the westward.</p>
+
+<p>By nine o'clock the <i>Lion</i> was within 11&frac12; miles of the <i>Bluecher</i>. She
+fired a shot which fell short, but when the squadrons were ten miles
+apart she got her first blow home. Do you realize what this means? At
+ten miles the <i>Bluecher</i> appeared no bigger than a pin point, and she
+was moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour across the sea. You will
+agree that the British gunnery must have been superb for hits to be made
+under these conditions.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the <i>Lion</i> overhauled the slow <i>Bluecher</i>, and in passing gave her
+a broadside which caused frightful damage. The <i>Lion's</i> quarry, however,
+was further ahead; and as she began to engage the <i>Derfflinger</i>, the
+<i>Tiger</i> began to hit out at the <i>Bluecher</i>. She also passed by, and the
+<i>Princess Royal</i>, the <i>New Zealand</i>, and the <i>Indomitable</i> in turn
+turned their guns on the rearmost ship of the German line, while the
+leading British ships were engaging the foremost ships of the enemy. At
+half-past nine the situation was as shown in the diagram on the next
+page.</p>
+
+<p>As early as a quarter to ten the <i>Bluecher</i> began to show signs of the
+heavy punishment inflicted on her. It was now evident that she was
+doomed. She had been abandoned by her speedier consorts, and her end was
+only a matter of time. By eleven o'clock the <i>Seydlitz</i> and the
+<i>Derfflinger</i> were on fire; the <i>Bluecher</i> had fallen behind, and was
+being mercilessly pounded by the <i>Indomitable</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, the German destroyers had attempted an attack, but had been
+driven off by the British destroyers. Shortly afterwards the German
+destroyers got between the <i>Lion</i> and the <i>Tiger</i> and the leading enemy
+ships, and began to raise huge volumes of smoke, so as to screen the
+targets from the British gunners. Under cover of this smoke the Germans
+changed course, and made a half-turn to the north. Again the enemy
+destroyers attacked at close quarters, hoping to torpedo the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> <i>Lion</i> and
+the <i>Tiger</i>. They were, however, driven off by the 4-inch guns of our
+battle cruisers.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 832px;">
+<img src="images/p032033.jpg" width="832" height="450" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Sinking of the German Dreadnought "Bluecher," during
+the Battle of the Dogger Bank, fought on January 24, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>And now while the chase continues, we must return to the <i>Bluecher</i>,
+which had made a gallant fight, but was nearing her end. Ship after ship
+had turned its guns upon her with terrible effect: her upper works had
+been smashed to atoms, and practically every gun which she possessed had
+been put out of action. Shot and shell had rained upon her, and she was
+burning furiously.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p037.jpg" width="380" height="249" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Battle of January 24, 1915&mdash;9.30 a.m.</h4>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"We were under fire first in the action and last," said a German
+survivor. "Almost every British ship flung shot and shell at us.
+It was awful. I have never seen such gunnery, and hope that as
+long as I live I never shall. We could not fight such guns as
+the British ships had, and soon we had no guns with which to
+fight anything. Our decks were swept by shot, and the guns were
+smashed and lying in all directions, their crews wiped out. One
+terrible shell from a big gun I shall never forget. It burst
+right in the heart of the ship, and killed scores of men. It
+fell where many men had collected, and killed practically every
+one of them. We all had our floating equipment, and we soon
+needed it. One shell killed five men quite close to me, and it
+was only a matter of time when nothing living would be left upon
+the ship, if she continued to float. When we knew that we were
+beaten, and that our flag was not to come down, many of us were
+praying that the ship would sink, in order that no more men
+would be killed. We would rather trust to the British picking us
+up after our ship had sunk than to their missing us with those
+terrible guns so long as she kept afloat."</p></div>
+
+<p>About noon a British destroyer, the <i>Meteor</i>, torpedoed the <i>Bluecher</i>,
+and she began to sink. Here is an officer's description of the final
+scene:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"She heeled completely over, and sank in eight and a half
+minutes, hundreds of men clambering over her side, and standing
+there, just as if it were the upper deck, waiting for the final
+plunge. But there was no plunge. Slowly and slowly she sank, and
+as she went down some were sliding into the sea, others taking
+running leaps. A few seconds more, and there was no sign of her
+left, except her dead and living clustered in the water
+together. We were about three hundred yards away, and watched
+her go down, and I was particularly struck with the ease and
+slowness with which she sank. Not till the waves had almost
+entirely closed over her did the bow heave slightly out of the
+water, and she disappeared stern first."</p></div>
+
+<p>The <i>Bluecher</i> went to her doom with her flag flying. Some of the crew,
+while waiting the order to leap into the water, sang "<i>Die Wacht am
+Rhein</i>." Officers were seen to shake hands and link arms together, and
+thus sink into their watery grave. Though the Germans had made no
+attempt to save the crews of the <i>Monmouth</i> and the <i>Good Hope</i> during
+the fight off Coronel, and though our men were furious at the fiendish
+work done by the German cruisers at Scarborough and the Hartlepools,
+they began the work of rescue at once. Torpedo boats and pinnaces rushed
+to the scene to pick up survivors, and light cruisers stood by to help.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"A cry of 'Jump!' went up from the deck of the <i>Arethusa</i>, and
+in a few seconds the sea was dotted thickly with men swimming
+for their lives. Most of them were equipped with a lifebelt of
+inflated rubber, and this supported them in the water until the
+British boats were able to pick them up. Among them were men who
+had been wounded. The faces of all were blackened with smoke,
+and in some cases the nerve of the men had almost completely
+broken down in face of the severe ordeal through which they had
+passed. Their joy at escaping destruction found expression in
+many ways. The officers, of whom eight were taken aboard the
+<i>Arethusa</i>, offered their rings, watches, and money to the
+British sailors. Our men wished for no reward for performing a
+humane duty; but the officers pressed the gifts upon them,
+saying, 'You have saved our lives; take these as little
+mementos.' One of them, speaking quite good English, said, with
+a sigh of relief, 'It's been a terrible time, and I am jolly
+glad it's all over.'"</p></div>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>
+<p>About one hundred and twenty men were saved from the <i>Bluecher</i>, and more
+would have been picked up but for the German aircraft, which by this
+time had arrived from Heligoland. To the intense anger of our sailors, a
+seaplane and a Zeppelin now began dropping bombs upon the rescue
+parties. They were careful to give a wide berth to those vessels which
+were armed with the latest anti-aircraft guns, and confined their
+attacks to the destroyers, which promptly scattered and then proceeded
+to drive them off. The airmen, no doubt, thought that the <i>Bluecher</i> was
+a sinking British ship, and this may have given rise to the absurd tale,
+which was readily believed in Germany, that one, at least, of our battle
+cruisers had been sunk.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>We must now return to the leading ships of the British squadron. Shortly
+after the Germans had changed course, Admiral Beatty himself sighted the
+periscope of a submarine on the starboard bow of the <i>Lion</i>, and
+promptly turned to port to avoid it. At this time the flagship, though
+she had been under much fire, had suffered but little. At three minutes
+past eleven, however, she was struck in the bow by a chance shot, which
+damaged her feed tank. According to German accounts, the <i>Lion</i> was then
+about seventy miles from Heligoland. The accident, for it was no more,
+disabled the <i>Lion</i>. She had to reduce speed and fall out of the line.
+Admiral Beatty at once called up the destroyer <i>Attack</i>, and in it
+proceeded full speed in pursuit of the German squadron.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Lion</i> moved away to the north-west, and in the afternoon her
+engines began to give serious trouble. The <i>Indomitable</i>, which had by
+this time settled with the <i>Bluecher</i>, took the <i>Lion</i> in tow, and after
+some hours of great anxiety brought her safely to port. The towing home
+of the <i>Lion</i> by the <i>Indomitable</i> was a very fine feat of seamanship.
+She could only proceed at five knots an hour, and at this snail's pace
+was a fair target for submarines. None, however, dared attack her; for
+she bristled with torpedo defence guns, and was surrounded by
+destroyers.</p>
+
+<p>By twenty minutes past twelve the <i>Attack</i> overtook the <i>Princess
+Royal</i>, on which Admiral Beatty hoisted his flag. He now discovered that
+his squadron had broken off the fight, and was retiring northwards. We
+do not know exactly why the enemy was not followed up; but as the
+British ships were then only forty miles from the minefield, it is
+probable that the admiral in temporary command thought that his vessels
+would be endangered if he proceeded any further. After orders had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> been
+given to clear away and make for port, the grimy stokers of the
+<i>Princess Royal</i> swarmed on deck and greeted Admiral Beatty with a shout
+of "Well done, David!"</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Only by sheer good luck did any of the German ships escape. Had the
+<i>Lion</i> not been disabled, or had the squadron included another battle
+cruiser, it is probable that none of the German ships would have reached
+home to tell the tale. There was much disappointment in Britain when it
+was known that only the slowest and weakest of the German Dreadnoughts
+had been accounted for. Our losses were few: only fourteen men had been
+killed and six wounded; no British vessel had been lost; the <i>Lion</i> had
+been hit fifteen times, and the <i>Tiger</i> eight times, but the damage was
+soon repaired, and when a party of journalists visited the ships in the
+following October they could not see the scars of battle until they were
+pointed out. The Germans lost the <i>Bluecher</i>; the <i>Seydlitz</i> and
+<i>Derfflinger</i> were very hard hit, and many of their crews must have
+perished.</p>
+
+<p>During the remainder of the year 1915 the German Fleet wisely remained
+in harbour. The German High Sea Fleet had become the Kiel Canal fleet,
+and nothing more.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>There was great excitement in the Forth ports when the good news was
+received, and thousands of eyes were turned seawards to watch for the
+homecoming of the battle cruisers. Shortly after four o'clock the sound
+of cheering was heard. A moment later ringing "Hip, hip, hurrahs!"
+echoed from vessels farther up the river, and from the misty dimness of
+the upper reaches. "Got 'em this time!" said a smiling old salt on board
+a mine-sweeper. "Hark to the boys!"</p>
+
+<p>A batch of about 280 prisoners, including the captain of the <i>Bluecher</i>,
+was taken to Edinburgh Castle. As they were marched through the streets
+of the city one of the men asked the officer in charge, "What place is
+this?" When he was told that it was the capital of Scotland, he smiled
+superior. "Oh no," he said; "Edinburgh is in ruins, and the Forth Bridge
+is destroyed."</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p041.jpg" width="556" height="306" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Suez Canal at El Kantara.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>Photo, Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd.</i>)</h4>
+
+<br />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE TURKISH DESCENT UPON EGYPT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>wo days after the Battle of the Dogger Bank we learned that a Turkish
+force was advancing upon Egypt. Why were the Turks about to invade the
+"Land of the Nile"? First of all, because they believed that the
+fellahin<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> of Egypt were ready to revolt and join hands with them
+against the British. The Egyptians are Mohammedans, and are therefore
+linked with the Turks by the bond of a common religion. For three
+hundred years Egypt was part of the Turkish Empire.</p>
+
+<p>As far back as the year 1517 Egypt became a Turkish province, and fell
+under the sway of the Sultan of Turkey. In 1798 Napoleon tried to found
+a great empire of the East, and invaded Egypt as the first step. He
+stormed Alexandria, and won the Battle of the Pyramids; but Nelson
+destroyed his fleet in Aboukir Bay, and he was forced to leave the
+country.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p042.jpg" width="386" height="500" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Bedouin Arabs&mdash;Advance Guards of the Turkish Army which
+invaded Egypt in January 1915.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Central News.</i></h4>
+
+<p>The Turkish pasha who ruled Egypt soon afterwards made himself
+independent of the Sultan, and his successor, Ismail Pasha, became
+Khedive or Viceroy. The overlordship of the Sultan was, however, still
+supposed to continue, though it grew more and more shadowy as the years
+passed by. Ismail governed his country badly; and when it became
+bankrupt, Britain and France had to step in to protect the interests of
+those of their subjects who had lent money to the Egyptia<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>n Government.
+What was called the Dual Control was set up in 1879, and Britain and
+France became the real rulers of Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>The Dual Control lasted until 1882, when an Egyptian officer named Arabi
+Pasha raised a rebellion, with the watchword, "Egypt for the Egyptians."
+The French were unwilling to take part in quelling this revolt, so the
+British had to act alone. Alexandria was bombarded, and Arabi was
+defeated by Lord Wolseley at Tel-el-Kebir. Thus, the Dual Control came
+to an end, and Britain stood alone in Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>Right well has Britain borne the "white man's burden" in the land of the
+Nile. When she began her work in Egypt, the only notion of law in the
+minds of the fellahin was the unchecked will of the "strong man armed"&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"The good old rule, the simple plan,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;That they should take who have the power,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;And they should keep who can."</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>It has been said that Egypt requires two things for her
+prosperity&mdash;water and justice. Britain has given Egypt both water and
+justice. The laws have been reformed, and fair dealing between man and
+man is assured to the people. The taxes are heavy, but they are not
+unfair, and Egypt now pays her way. Schools and colleges have been
+opened, and Britain has striven with all her might to make the lot of
+the people happier and better.</p>
+
+<p>Britain has been equally careful to give the country as good a
+water-supply as possible. She has strengthened and altered the great dam
+or barrage which was built across the Nile at the point where it divides
+into the Rosetta and Damietta branches, for the purpose of storing up
+water to irrigate the Delta regularly throughout the year. The whole
+canal system of the country has been overhauled and greatly improved. At
+Assiut, and higher up the river at Aswan, huge bars of solid masonry
+have been thrown across the Nile, and stretches of the river have been
+turned into vast lakes. These dams store up sufficient water to fill the
+"summer canals" of Upper and Middle Egypt. Never before has the
+cultivated area of the Nile Valley had a supply of water for the fields
+during both summer and winter. Further, by conquering the Sudan, Britain
+has gained control of the upper waters of the Nile.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Though Britain has done so much for Egypt, we must not suppose that all
+the Egyptians are content with her rule. The great bulk of the people
+are quite satisfied to live and flourish under British control, but
+there are some pashas who long for the "good old days" when the people
+were at their mercy. Amongst these discontented persons German and
+Turkish agents have long been busy, trying to bribe them to rise against
+the British Government. By the beginning of the war they had won over
+the Khedive to their side, and in January 1915 they believed that the
+Egyptians were ready to take up arms against their rulers. As a matter
+of fact, the Egyptians as a whole had no intention of doing anything of
+the kind. They remained quite calm, even when the Turk was knocking at
+their gates. Very few of them wished to bring back the old days of
+Turkish tyranny and misgovernment.</p>
+
+<p>Another reason why the Turks prepared to descend upon the land of the
+Nile was that, on 17th December 1914, we announced to all the world that
+thenceforth Egypt was a British possession. The traitor Khedive had been
+deposed, and a new ruler who was friendly to the British Government had
+been set up in his place. Up to this time the British had recognized the
+overlordship of the Sultan of Turkey. Now they did away with it
+altogether, and the Turks saw that the last vestige of their hold on
+Egypt had vanished.</p>
+
+<p>In January our forces in Egypt consisted of Australians and New
+Zealanders, Territorials from Great Britain, Indian troops, and, of
+course, the regular Egyptian army. The Germans thought that, if the
+Turks made an attack on the country, Britain would be forced to keep
+large forces in Egypt, and that she would therefore be unable to
+strengthen her armies on the Western front. For these reasons, political
+and military, a Turkish expedition was prepared in Syria for the
+invasion of Egypt. It was 65,000 strong, and was led by Djemel Pasha,
+who cherished a deep hatred for Britain.</p>
+
+<p>To reach Egypt from Syria this force had to cross an almost waterless
+desert, which varied in breadth from 120 to 150 miles. Across this
+dreary tract of rock and sand there were three routes, all of them
+difficult. The first ran from El Arish, on the Mediterranean coast, to
+El Kantara, on the Suez Canal. It was 120 miles long, and except for a
+few muddy wells, there was no water on the road. If you look at the map
+below,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> you will see a road crossing the base of the Sinai Peninsula
+from Akaba, at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, to Suez, at the southern
+end of the Suez Canal. This road was the old pilgrim route from Egypt to
+the holy city of Mecca. It is 150 miles long, and there are but few
+wells by the way. From El Arish you will observe another road which
+strikes south, and meets the pilgrim's road about midway between Suez
+and Akaba. This road runs through a dry valley, in which it was possible
+to lay down a light railway. Only by these routes could the Turks reach
+Egypt from Syria.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p045.jpg" width="268" height="318" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Suez Canal and the Sinai District.</h4>
+
+<p>You will notice that before the Turks could set foot in Egypt they would
+have to cross the Suez Canal, which could not be turned, because it runs
+from sea to sea. If the Turks could seize the Suez Canal they would
+command our short route to India, and would be able to impede greatly
+the bringing of troops to Europe from the East. No doubt this was
+another of the reasons which led the Turks to make a descent upon Egypt.
+So important is the Suez Canal to the defence of the country that I must
+briefly describe <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>it.</p>
+
+<p>The canal is nearly 100 miles long&mdash;76 miles of it actual canal, and 24
+miles of dredged and buoyed waterway through lakes. In all this length
+there is not a single lock! The canal varies in width from 80 to 120
+yards, and it is deep enough to float the heaviest of Dreadnoughts.
+Begun in 1859, it was completed ten years later, at a cost of
+&pound;16,000,000. It is not the property of any one nation, but the United
+Kingdom is by far the largest shareholder: it holds 35 per cent. of the
+shares.</p>
+
+<p>Let us follow the course of the canal. For the first few hours the canal
+crosses the shallow arm of the Mediterranean known as Lake Menzala. Two
+long parallel embankments cross this so-called lake, which is very
+shallow, and is studded with rocks. When this section is passed, we have
+the red sands of the desert to right and left of us. Side by side with
+the canal runs a sweet-water canal. It is a simple ditch, and its course
+can everywhere be traced by the grass and trees which flourish along its
+margin. Except for this fringe of verdure, no vegetation but desert
+scrub can be seen.</p>
+
+<p>At the station of El Kantara there is a ferry, and here one may
+sometimes see caravans of Arabs with laden camels setting out on a
+journey across the desert to El Arish. Later in the day we cross Lake
+Bal&acirc;h, pursuing our way between rows of buoys. Another stretch of canal
+follows, and we cross Lake Timseh, and see away on our right the town of
+Ismailia, from which a railway strikes off westwards. Then comes another
+long, straight channel, with high sand dunes on the left bank. We pass
+the signal station of Touss&ucirc;m, set in a pleasing frame of trees, and two
+and a half miles further on is Serapeum. We now steam across the Bitter
+Lakes, which are said to represent an old arm of the Red Sea. After
+these lakes are passed we enter the last stretch of the canal, and
+finally reach Suez, beyond which lies the Red Sea.</p>
+
+<p>During our voyage we notice that the ground to the east of the canal is
+very flat, and that from the deck of our ship, or from the higher ground
+on the western bank, we can see far and wide over the desert across
+which the Turks would have to advance. Just south of El Kantara, and
+again between Lake Bal&acirc;h and the Bitter Lakes, there are sand dunes; but
+elsewhere there is no cover for an attacker. The defenders of Egypt
+thought it probable that the Turks would make their descent upon the
+canal along the line of the sand dunes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>By 28th January small advanced parties of Turks had crossed the desert.
+One party, marching by the direct route from El Arish to El Kantara, was
+met and driven back by Gurkhas; another party, advancing by the road
+from Akaba, suffered the same fate. On 2nd February the main attack was
+delivered by about 12,000 troops, who had marched along the valley from
+El Arish towards the Sinai Peninsula. When they were about four hours
+distant from the canal they divided into two columns, and proceeded
+westwards. One column moved towards the sand dunes opposite to Ismailia,
+while t<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>he second and much stronger column pushed on towards Touss&ucirc;m.
+Small flanking attacks were also made against El Kantara and Suez.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p047.jpg" width="278" height="350" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Fighting at the Suez Canal, February 2-4, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>The advance of the enemy had been known for some days, and our troops
+were in position ready to meet it. They were full of confidence, and
+were quite sure that the Turks would never enter Egypt save as
+prisoners. As the sun sank in a flaming sky on 2nd February our patrols
+saw the enemy moving towards the hummocks of sand that fringe the canal.
+When night fell, the Turks pushed their main force through the scrub and
+dunes towards a gap which gave them an easy road to the canal opposite
+Touss&ucirc;m. The Turks had dragged across the deserts in carts some
+twenty-five or thirty galvanized iron pontoons, each weighing about 850
+lbs. When they approached the canal, the pontoons were shouldered by men
+and carried towards the water. By means of these pontoons, and a few
+rafts made out of kerosene tins with a wooden frame, the Turks proposed
+to cross the canal.</p>
+
+<p>The first warning of the enemy's approach was given by a sentry of a
+mountain battery, who heard voices across the water. Soon the noise
+increased. The Turks were loudly encouraging each other by crying out in
+Arabic, "Brothers, die for the faith; we can die but once," and so
+forth. The defenders were on the alert, but they were in no hurry to
+fire. They did not even pull their triggers when the invaders were
+carrying the pontoons down to the canal. Not until numbers of the enemy
+were crowded together under the steep bank, and were pushing their
+pontoons into the water, did the machine guns and rifles of the British
+begin to rattle. Then the fire was deadly; the Turks were speedily mown
+down, and the pontoons, riddled with bullets, were soon at the bottom of
+the canal.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 929px;">
+<img src="images/p048.jpg" width="929" height="355" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Turkish Attack on the Suez Canal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By permission of
+The Sphere.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>On the night of February 2nd, 1915, two Turkish columns, numbering about
+12,000 in all, moved towards the canal&mdash;the front and smaller column
+against Ismalia; the second against Touss&ucirc;m. Our illustration shows the
+latter attack in progress. To the right, the Turks are seen advancing
+under heavy shell and rifle fire, and vainly trying to launch boats. To
+the left are the Punjabis resisting the attack. The Turks were driven
+back at this point, and an attempt to cross at Ismalia suffered a
+similar fate. The Turks retired in good order, and unfortunately were
+able to march back to Syria without much molestation.</h4>
+
+<p>The Turks now lined the banks, and redoubled their efforts to get
+across.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"They first tried to get men across by boats and by swimming, in
+order to hold a place as a bridgehead. Five boats filled with
+riflemen were rowed over; three sank with most of their
+occupants, and two touched the western bank. One boatload
+charged up the bank, but not a man reached the top. The crew of
+the other boat jumped into the water, and getting ashore,
+scraped holes in the bank with their hands to make a temporary
+shelter trench. Most of them were shot, and a few survivors gave
+themselves up as soon as it was daylight."</p></div>
+
+<p>A little torpedo boat, with a crew of thirteen, dashed to and fro,
+firing point-blank at the enemy, and smashing into fragments the
+pontoons which lay unlaunched on the bank. The duel continued through
+the dark, cloudy night.</p>
+
+<p>When morning dawned, the battle became general all along the canal. The
+enemy brought up field guns, and the British and French warships in the
+canal joined in the fray. A few Turks who had swum across the canal
+began to snipe our men from the rear, but they were soon disposed of.
+Those who swam across later were deserters eager to surrender.</p>
+
+<p>At about eleven in the morning two 6-inch shells from the Turkish
+batteries hit H.M.S. <i>Hardinge</i>, an old Indian marine transport. One of
+the shells fell with a terrific crash on the bridge, almost severing the
+leg of Pilot Carew. He calmly looked down at his mangled leg, and,
+gripping the rail, shouted, "Bring me a chair. I am going to take this
+ship into port!" During the battle Pilot Carew received no fewer than
+eighteen wounds. The guns of the warships began to fire salvos, and soon
+the Turkish batteries were silenced.</p>
+
+<p>Now that the pontoons of the enemy had been destroyed, the German
+commander had been killed, and the troops lying in cover had been
+shelled out of their hiding-places, the Turks realized that their
+attempt at invasion had hopelessly failed. Half-hearted flank attacks at
+El Kantara and Suez had been held up by our wire entanglements, and the
+time had arrived for our Indian troops to take the offensive. Excellent
+artillery and rifle fire cleared the greater part of the eastern bank,
+and by three o'clock in the afternoon of 3rd February the Turks were in
+full retreat. They had done nothing more than engage our outpost line.</p>
+
+<p>Early next morning the British troops crossed the canal in force, and
+began the work of rounding up the enemy. Many Turks were found in a
+hollow, and some of them held up their hands when our men approached. As
+a British officer advanced to take the surrender he was shot down. A
+sharp fight with the cold steel followed, during which one of our
+officers engaged a Turkish officer in single combat and ran him through.
+Some 400 dead were counted, more than 600 prisoners were taken, and the
+total Turkish casualties were probably well over 2,000. For days
+following deserters drifted in, and by 8th February there was not a
+single Turk wi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>thin twenty miles of the canal.</p>
+
+<p>Unfortunately the bulk of the enemy, with baggage and guns, got away
+safely. A heavy sandstorm came on, and our Camel Corps were unable to
+follow up the beaten and dispirited enemy. Had this not happened, it is
+probable that the whole force would have been captured or destroyed. The
+Turks declared that their advance on the canal was merely for the
+purpose of discovering the strength of the enemy and the character of
+his defences. Whatever the object was, it was not repeated during 1915;
+Egypt remained unmolested for the rest of the year.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>One incident which occurred during the fighting is worthy of special
+mention. An officer on board the torpedo boat which did such good work
+in harassing the enemy thus tells the story:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"It was now 3 p.m., so we went back down the canal to finish off
+some boats which the Turks had abandoned inshore on the east
+bank. As the 3-pounder could not get on to these, we landed and
+blew up two. To get at the third boat it was necessary to go up
+a gully some fifty yards inland, where we could see the bow
+sticking up. The enemy held this bank, so, of course, we were
+under fire the whole time. I called for volunteers, and a
+sub-lieutenant and a petty officer landed with me in a dinghy.
+We left an A.B. in her, and darted up with our gun-cotton
+charge. I went ahead and got up to the boat, when I saw five
+Turkish soldiers on the other side about ten yards away. I
+stepped round the boat to have a shot at them, and fell into a
+trench full of Turks. You never saw any one so surprised in your
+life as they were, and I myself confess to a certain
+astonishment.</p>
+
+<p>"I was too close to them to allow them to get their rifles on
+me, and, realizing that every second was of value, I gave one
+whoop and dived out of the trench. The sub-lieutenant shot a
+fellow who stuck his head over to pot me, and all three of us
+trekked back to the dinghy under a heavy fire at about thirty
+yards range. The Australian and Indian troops holding the west
+bank opened fire to cover our retreat, as did also the torpedo
+boat. It really seemed as if the air was full of lead&mdash;one long,
+continuous whistle overhead, and the sand all round flying up in
+spurts. I was still laughing from the comic expressions I had
+seen on the faces of the Turks in the trench; nevertheless, I
+got over the ground like a two-year-old. We had thirty yards to
+row to the torpedo boat, and, would you believe it? we all got
+aboard untouched. I did not blow up that boat, as I saw it had
+already been riddled with bullets from the other bank."</p></div>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p052.jpg" width="553" height="240" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Men of "Princess Pat's" Canadian Light Infantry on the
+March.<br />
+<i>Photo, Central Press.</i></h4>
+
+<br />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2>
+
+<h3>WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.&mdash;I.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">N</span>ow we must return to the battle front in the West, and see how the
+Allies fared during the months of January and February. You will
+remember that when the year 1914 closed the rival armies were facing
+each other in trenches which extended over well-nigh 500 miles&mdash;from the
+North Sea across the flats of Flanders, through the coalfield of North
+France, along the ups and downs of the Oise Valley and the heights of
+the Aisne, through the Forest of Argonne into Lorraine, along every high
+valley of the Vosges, right through Alsace to within sight of Alpine
+snows. The cold and storms of winter had put an end to operations on a
+large scale, but scarcely a day passed without artillery duels and local
+attacks.</p>
+
+<p>When General Joffre was asked to describe his operations during the
+winter months he replied, "We are nibbling away at them." He was not yet
+strong enough to pierce the German lines on a large scale, even if the
+weather had permitted him to do so. His policy was to wear down the
+Germans by provoking attacks in which they were likely to lose more men
+than the Allies. You know that the Germans believe in attacking, and
+that they consider it the best form of defence. In modern warfare the
+attackers always lose more men than the defenders.</p>
+
+<p>Let us look for a moment at the position of the Germans in the month of
+January. They had overrun Belgium, and they held a very valuable part of
+North France; but otherwise they had made many mistakes, and had failed
+to accomplish what they had set out to do. They had aimed at Paris, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>but
+had never got there; they had flung away life like water to reach the
+Channel ports, but had failed to capture them; they had intended a short
+war, in which victory would be achieved before the Allies could meet
+them on equal terms, but they were now faced by a long struggle. Every
+day the Allies were bringing fresh troops into the field, and were
+making good their many deficiencies. Meanwhile the Germans, by their
+brutal treatment of the poor people who had fallen into their hands, had
+lost the sympathy of every civilized country.</p>
+
+<p>Germany was now at the very top of her field strength. It was calculated
+that she was losing some 260,000 men every month, and that as time went
+on she would be less and less able to bring up reserves with which to
+repair the wastage of war. Experts declared that by the end of the year,
+or by the end of the following January, the supply of German reserves
+would fail, and the armies in the field would then begin to decline in
+numbers and in quality. On the other hand, the Allies had not yet come
+anywhere near their possible strength. The new British armies, which had
+been under training since September, would be ready in the spring.
+France was forming at least three new armies, and the Russians hoped to
+be able to equip their third and fourth millions and put them in the
+field some time in April. Great efforts were being made by the Allies to
+increase their artillery, and it was expected that in the early summer
+they would be able to strike a decisive blow. In these circumstances it
+was to Germany's interest to strain every nerve to win during the early
+months of the year.</p>
+
+<p>It was thought by the Allies that the great German effort would be made
+in the West; but, as we shall see in later chapters, they were mistaken.
+The Germans launched their chief attacks against the Russians, who by
+the middle of the year were so woefully lacking in munitions that they
+were forced to retire eastwards from the Vistula for about two hundred
+miles; and owing to this misfortune the "big push" of the Allies in the
+West had to be postponed.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us see what actually happened in the West during January and
+February. You already know that, until the new armies of the Allies were
+ready to take the field and the British supply of big guns and shells
+was greatly increased, they could do nothing but worry portions of the
+German front.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Such being the policy of the Allies, you will not expect to hear of big
+battles. The story of the fighting during January and February is the
+record of small things&mdash;"a sandhill won east of Nieuport, a trench or
+two near Ypres, a corner of a brickfield near La Bass&eacute;e, a few hundred
+yards near Arras, a farm on the Oise, a mile in northern Champagne, a
+coppice in the Argonne, a hillock on the Meuse, part of a wood on the
+Moselle, some of the high glens in the Vosges, and a village or two in
+Alsace." A cartoon published in a German comic paper in January showed
+two French Staff officers measuring the day's advance with a footrule.
+No doubt the gains were small; but we must remember that our object was
+not so much to win ground as to take toll of the two million Germans
+holding the trenches, and by reducing their numbers bring the day of
+their exhaustion nearer.</p>
+
+<p>We will begin our story with the Belgian-French forces on the Yser. They
+then held the bridgehead at Nieuport and the whole western bank of the
+river. During January the Germans fiercely shelled the chief centres in
+the little bit of Belgium over which King Albert still held sway.</p>
+
+<p>The German right rested on the dunes fronting the sea, and their big
+guns amongst the sandhills had Nieuport at their mercy. On 28th January
+the Allies attacked the Great Dune, which lies just east of Nieuport,
+and managed to win a good position from which they could sweep the east
+bank of the Yser and protect their own left wing. Nothing else of
+importance happened in this section for the next two months.</p>
+
+<p>On the Ypres salient, trenches were taken and retaken during January and
+the first fortnight of February. On the last day of February, Princess
+Patricia's Regiment of Canadian Light Infantry distinguished itself in a
+brilliant little affair. This regiment, which consisted almost entirely
+of old soldiers, many of whom possessed medals for previous war service,
+had been equipped by Mr. Hamilton Gault of Montreal. Lieutenant-Colonel
+F. D. Farquhar was appointed colonel, and the founder of the regiment
+became second in command, with the rank of major. The regiment was named
+after Princess Patricia, the younger daughter of the Duke of Connaught,
+then Governor-General of Canada.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p055.jpg" width="420" height="394" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Canadians on Salisbury Plain.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Sport and General.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>A portion of Stonehenge, the oldest monument in the British Isles, is
+seen in the background. It was ancient in the days when Boadicea called
+her kinsmen to arms against the Romans.</h4>
+
+<p>Princess Patricia embroidered colours and presented them to the regiment
+on August 23, 1914, when she wished the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> men good luck, and said that
+she should follow their fortunes with deep interest. In due course the
+regiment, which was generally known as "Princess Pat's," arrived with
+the Canadian contingent at Plymouth, and after training on Salisbury
+Plain, where most of the men had their first experience of the rain,
+sleet, and slush of an English winter, was dispatched to France, where
+the Christmas dinners were eaten within sound of the guns. By 26th
+January they had become inured to the hardships of the trenches, and had
+already suffered casualties. On the 28th of February, when they were
+holding a position not far from St. Eloi, about two miles south of
+Ypres, the regiment was ordered to capture a German trench. The
+following brief account of the affair is from the pen of a corporal who
+took part in it:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"On the last day of February, just before dawn, our company was
+ordered to attempt to force one of the German trenches. As we
+climbed over the parapet the enemy, by means of their magnesium
+flares, spotted us, and immediately opened up on us a withering
+machine-gun fire. We lost men&mdash;some of my best friends and
+comrades&mdash;but on we kept, plodding through a quagmire of mud,
+and when we jumped over the enemy's parapet into their trench,
+we had to tramp over dead men. The rest of the Huns, afraid of
+cold steel, fled screaming like children or went down on their
+knees and begged for mercy. This, in true British fashion, was
+granted them."</p></div>
+
+<p>The attack was led with great dash and spirit by Lieutenants Crabbe and
+Papineau, the latter of whom received the distinguished Service Order
+for conspicuous gallantry on the occasion. He was in charge of
+bomb-throwers during the attack. He shot two of the enemy himself, and
+then ran along the German sap, throwing bombs into it. As soon as the
+news of the success became known, congratulations were poured upon the
+gallant fellows. They were the first of all Canadian regiments to come
+into prominence, and they had given ample evidence of that gallantry
+which was soon to be exhibited on a larger scale, and to thrill the
+Empire with pride.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>There were other similar successes on the Ypres salient, but the almost
+continual rain, snow, and fogs of the latter part of February made
+important attacks almost impossible.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p057.jpg" width="448" height="283" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The La Bass&eacute;e Canal in Time of Peace.</h4>
+
+<br />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2>
+
+<h3>WINTER WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT.&mdash;II.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he heaviest winter fighting in the British section of the front took
+place in the neighbourhood of La Bass&eacute;e. The German Emperor's birthday
+occurs on 27th January, and his soldiers were eager to present him with
+a success in order to commemorate the event. If you look at the map on
+page <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, you will see to the east of the hamlet of Cuinchy, south of the
+canal, a district marked "Brickfields." Still further east you observe a
+triangle of ground bounded by three railway lines. The British 3rd
+Brigade was holding a sharp salient in this district. Its left rested on
+the canal, its centre was pushed forward towards the "railway triangle,"
+and its right was on the road running from Bethune to La Bass&eacute;e. All the
+ground was covered with old kilns and smoke stacks, and a few hundred
+yards behind our first line we had constructed a "keep" of bricks.</p>
+
+<p>On 24th January the Germans shelled our position, hoping to smash the
+canal lock, and so flood our trenches. About six o'clock next morning a
+German deserter came in to our lines and warned us that an attack would
+be made in about half an hour. Deserters had so frequently told similar
+tales that we took no notice of him. The man, however, had told the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>
+truth, and the half-hour had scarcely ended when a tremendous
+bombardment began. Our first-line trenches, which were held by half a
+battalion each of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards, were blown in,
+and before the damage could be repaired the Germans flung forward great
+numbers of men for an attack. After a severe tussle, in which our men
+used the bayonet with great effect, they were forced to fall back across
+the brickfields. The London Scottish and the 1st Camerons, with the
+remainder of the Coldstream and Scots Guards, were ordered up to hold
+the second line. These troops fought hard, and punished the Germans
+severely with rifle and machine-gun fire; but so numerous were the
+attackers that they managed to get in amongst the brick stacks and into
+the communication trenches on both sides of the "keep," and even to the
+west of it.</p>
+
+<p>Much-needed reinforcements were pushed forward, and at one o'clock a
+counter-attack was begun. Together with the French on their right, our
+troops moved forward in short, swift rushes, taking cover behind piles
+of bricks or lying close on the soggy ground. Good progress was made on
+the flanks, but the centre could not advance. Late in the afternoon
+another battalion was sent up in support, and the struggle continued
+throughout the night. By the morning of the 26th we had cleared out the
+enemy between the "keep" and our trenches, and had partially recovered
+the ground lost in the morning. The Germans had paid heavily for their
+trifling gain. Fifty-three prisoners were captured, and over a thousand
+German dead strewed the brickfields.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 738px;">
+<img src="images/p058.jpg" width="738" height="389" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Fighting in Givenchy Village.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the drawing by Alfred Bastien. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News.</i>)<br />
+
+The mining village of Givenchy stands on high ground, and commands the
+highroad from Bethune to La Bass&eacute;e. Our illustration shows the fierce
+fighting in the village on January 25, 1915, when our men in many cases
+fought with bayonets in their hands and even knocked out many Germans
+with their fists. In the above drawing, British troops, including
+Highlanders, are seen advancing from the left.</h4>
+
+<p>Meanwhile an equally severe fight was going on north of the canal. The
+Germans heavily bombarded the coveted village of Givenchy, which we had
+held ever since the second week of the preceding October. At 8.15 they
+swarmed out of their trenches, passed over our front trenches, and broke
+into the village, where a furious struggle raged in the streets and in
+the houses for more than an hour. "Our men," says Eye-witness, "in many
+cases fought with bayonets in their hands, and even knocked out many
+Germans with their fists. A story is told of one man who broke into a
+house held by eight Germans. He bayoneted four, and captured the rest,
+while he continued to suck at a clay pipe."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Five separate times the Germans attacked the north-east corner of
+Givenchy, but each time they were driven back with great loss. "On the
+whole," continues Eye-witness, "the 25th January was a bad day for the
+enemy in this portion of their line." The German birthday gift to the
+Kaiser was a heap of his own dead.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 738px;">
+<img src="images/p060.jpg" width="455" height="234" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Sketch Map to illustrate the Fighting near La Bass&eacute;e of
+the 1st Corps, January 25-26, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>For the next ten days the struggle continued. On the 29th the Germans
+again attacked south of the canal, and tried to get into the "keep" by
+means of scaling ladders, but were beaten off with severe losses. On 1st
+February, very early in the morning, the Coldstreams were driven from
+their trenches south of the canal, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. As the light grew better, our artillery came into action,
+and so accurate a fire was kept up on the lost trenches that the Germans
+could not hold them. At ten o'clock fifty men of the 2nd Coldstreams and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, along with sappers carrying sandbags and
+barbed wire, rushed forward, and not only recovered the lost trenches,
+but seized one of the enemy's posts on the embankment of the canal. It
+was during this attack that Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary won the
+Victoria Cross by a remarkable feat of gallantry which will be described
+in the next chapter.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Our men," says Eye-witness, "were enabled to take in flank one
+of the enemy's trenches to the south, and they fought their way
+along it, throwing hand grenades, until they dislodged the
+Germans from a considerable length. We thus established
+ourselves firmly in a good position on the canal bank and in the
+adjoining trenches. During the action we captured fourteen
+prisoners and two machine guns, also many wounded. Our losses
+were not severe, but the enemy suffered heavily, especially from
+our artillery fire. . . . Our men were in excellent spirits
+after the encounter, and on being relieved somewhat later,
+marched back to their billets singing to the accompaniment of
+mouth organs and the roar of guns."</p></div>
+
+<p>About 2 p.m. on the night of the 5th-6th February the British and French
+artillery turned their heavy howitzers on the "railway triangle," and
+began a fierce bombardment. The boom of the guns and the roar of the
+exploding shells were clearly heard twenty miles away, and to those near
+at hand the noise was terrific. One lyddite shell blew a house bodily
+into the air; while others, exploding amongst the brick stacks, wrought
+awful havoc amongst the enemy. At 2.15 a.m. an attack was launched at a
+strong position held by the Germans amidst stacks of bricks. Our
+storming columns rushed the position from three sides at once, and
+captured it with very little loss. Prisoners afterwards said that the
+noise of the bursting shells, and the thick clouds of dust which arose,
+prevented them from hearing or seeing our men until they were almost
+upon them. Other trenches were captured, and the next day the Germans
+tried hard to recover the lost ground. Our gunners, however, were too
+much for them, and succeeded in destroying one of their heavy batteries.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>I have told you the story of these small fights to give you an idea of
+how the "nibbling" process was carried on. Dozens of similar encounters
+took place in various parts of our line, and in all of them the Germans
+lost more heavily than we did. You will notice that early in February
+our artillery was able to compete with that of the Germans. Every day
+more and more big guns and more and more shells were sent to the front.
+The time was soon to arrive when a big combined effort could be made to
+pierce the German line.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>ou are now to read some soldiers' stories of the fighting during the
+winter months. The first story tells how Algerian horsemen, by a skilful
+ruse, managed to get a footing in the Great Dune<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> between the Ostend
+road and the sea.</p>
+
+<p>One morning six fine Arab horses strayed, as though by accident, between
+the French and German lines. The Germans did not fire on the horses,
+because they hoped to capture them when they came sufficiently near to
+their trenches. The animals, however, wandered off again. Towards
+nightfall on the following day twenty-four Arab horses appeared on the
+same ground. In the half light the Germans could only just distinguish
+the forms of the animals, and perceive that they were unmounted. They
+were preparing to seize them when suddenly a sharp cry was heard, and
+the horses, kicking up their heels, galloped back to the French lines.</p>
+
+<p>Almost immediately twenty-four gray forms rose from the ground and
+dashed towards the German trench. They were Algerians, who had concealed
+themselves under the bodies of their horses, and had thus got close to
+the German line. They rushed upon the enemy, and a furious struggle took
+place. The Germans in the second line dared not fire for fear of
+shooting their own comrades. The Algerians managed to get a footing in
+the German trench, and shortly afterwards French infantrymen rushed up
+to their support. By ten in the evening a portion of the Great Dune had
+been won.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>"Sniping" went on almost continuously during the winter. A Canadian
+officer thus describes his adventures while scouting in front of the
+German trenches:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Off I went, crawling through the sodden clay and branches, going about
+a yard a minute, listening and looking. I went out to the right of our
+lines, where the Germans were nearest. At last I saw the Hun trench. It
+was about ten yards from me. I waited for a long time, and then I heard
+some Germans talking, and saw one of them put his head up over some
+bushes behind the trench. I could not get a shot at him, as I was too
+low down. Of course, I could not get up; so I crawled on again, very
+slowly, to the parapet of their trench.</p>
+
+<p>"It was exciting. I peered through their loophole, but saw nobody in the
+trench. Then the German behind put up his head again. He was laughing
+and talking. I saw his teeth glisten against my foresight, and I pulled
+the trigger. He just gave a grunt and crumpled up. His comrades behind
+the bushes got up, and whispered to each other. There were five of them.
+They could not place the shot. I was flat behind their parapet, and
+hidden. I just had the nerve not to move a muscle and stay there; my
+heart was fairly hammering. They did not advance, so I crept back, inch
+by inch.</p>
+
+<p>"The next day, just before dawn, I crawled out there again, and found
+the trench still empty. Then a single German came through the woods
+towards the trench. I saw him fifty yards off. He was coming along
+upright, quite carelessly, making a great noise. I heard him before I
+saw him. I let him get within twenty-five yards, and then shot him.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing happened for ten minutes. Then there were noise and talking,
+and a lot of Germans came along through the wood behind the trench,
+about forty yards from me. I counted about twenty, and there were more
+coming. They halted in front. I picked out the one I thought was the
+officer. I had a steady shot at him. He went down, and that was all I
+saw.</p>
+
+<p>"I went back at a sort of galloping crawl to our lines, and sent a
+message that the Germans were moving in a certain direction in some
+numbers. Half an hour afterwards they attacked the right in massed
+formation, advancing slowly to within ten yards of our trenches. We
+simply mowed them down. It was rather horrible. There were 200 of them
+dead in a little bit of our line, and we only lost ten.</p>
+
+<p>"Our boys were rather pleased at my stalking and getting the message
+through. All our men have started stalking now. It is quite a popular
+amusement."</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 718px;">
+<img src="images/p064.jpg" width="718" height="437" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>"The Three Musketeers" of Princess Patricia's Own.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>Painted by S. Begg from material supplied by an officer of Princess
+Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry present at the action. By permission
+of The Illustrated London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Princess Pat's Own" first went into the firing line on 5th January.
+The trenches in which they received their baptism of fire were only
+about a hundred yards away from those of the Germans, who subjected them
+to a very heavy bombardment. About the second or third night three of
+the men established themselves during the darkness on a mound a little
+to the rear of the Canadian position. They cut a couple of dug-outs in
+the base of the mound, and fortified the top with a few bricks, behind
+which they took cover. At daybreak they discovered that they commanded a
+very fine view of the German first-line trench, and of its supporting or
+reserve dug-outs, which were occupied by the Prussian Guard. There was
+no shell fire from the British at the time, and the Germans, thinking
+themselves quite safe, were strolling about between the dug-outs and the
+trench. The "three musketeers" on the mound opened a brisk fire on the
+Germans; whereupon they scuttled off to their holes like rabbits, but
+not before nine or ten of them lay on the ground, wounded or killed. All
+day long the men on the mound were under every kind of fire, but they
+"stuck it" without flinching, and in their turn kept the enemy from as
+much as showing a finger. When darkness fell they retired to their
+trenches. Only one of the men was hurt, and he had only a slight bullet
+wound in the hand.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Here is a strange story of how some British soldiers foolishly and
+recklessly risked their lives in order to settle a bet.</p>
+
+<p>"Fighting had been very severe in front of one section, and during a
+lull an officer was surprised to see a number of khaki-clad figures
+fully exposed to the German bullets, should the enemy resume firing.
+They were peering into the trench, and were so deeply interested in what
+was 'down below' that they did not notice the officer's approach.</p>
+
+<p>"'What have you got there?' he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'A dead German, sir,' came the reply.</p>
+
+<p>"'A dead German! What on earth are you doing with a dead German?'</p>
+
+<p>"Then he was told the whole story. It appeared that in the course of the
+attack the British soldiers had noticed a particularly tall and bulky
+Hun. When the fighting was over they began to discuss his proportions.
+He was now ly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>ing dead in front of the trench, and two of the men made a
+bet about his height and weight. To settle the bet, they crawled out
+and risked death in order to drag the dead German in. He was found to be
+six feet nine inches in height, and to have a waist measurement of
+fifty-three inches.</p>
+
+<p>"The officer gave the men a severe warning, and then asked how much the
+bet was. To his amazement he received the following reply: 'A bob,
+sir!'"</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>In a dispatch published by Sir John French during February he regretted
+that it was impossible for him to bring before the notice of the public
+many acts of gallantry performed by his men. Here is an account of a
+very brave deed done by a sergeant-major in the North Somerset Yeomanry;
+the story is told by a corporal of the same regiment:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"I had a marvellous escape. A German bomb fell in the trench barely a
+foot from me. I did not see it coming, and nothing could have saved me,
+or Dick Moody, or the other fellows with us, had not Sergeant-Major
+Reeves made a dash for it. He picked up the bomb, pulled out the fuse,
+and threw it out of the trench. It was the bravest thing I have ever
+seen."</p>
+
+<p>Later on, when our men became more used to grenade fighting, such
+incidents were of almost everyday occurrence. Over and over again men
+pounced upon live bombs, and hurled them back towards the enemy's
+trenches before they had time to explode.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>On one part of our line the trenches of friend and foe were so close to
+each other, and they changed hands so often, that it was difficult to
+know at any particular moment whether they were held by British or by
+Germans. One night, after a fight, two British officers set out to
+discover whether certain trenches were occupied by their own men or by
+those of the enemy. They soon chanced upon a communication trench which
+seemed to lead in the desired direction. They walked down it, and came
+to a dug-out with a candle burning in it and German equipment scattered
+about. Thinking that the communication trench had been captured, they
+blew out the candle and pushed on. At length they reached a trench
+running at right angles to the communication trench. No sooner had they
+entered it than they were challenged sharply <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>in German. Then came a
+shower of bullets, and in a moment the officers were rushing back by
+the way which they had come, with Germans close upon their heels. They
+floundered through the mud and dodged round the traverses, and, thanks
+to the darkness, managed to get back to their own lines unhurt, where
+they told their comrades how they had spent several breathless minutes
+in the enemy's fire trenches.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now I must give you an account of one of the most striking deeds of
+gallantry ever performed by a British soldier. The <i>Gazette</i> of 18th
+February contained an announcement that the Victoria Cross had been
+awarded to</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary</span>, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, for an
+achievement of such a character that, according to Sir Arthur Conan
+Doyle, "no writer of fiction would dare to fasten it on any of his
+characters."</p>
+
+<p>At sixteen years of age O'Leary joined the Navy, but was discharged
+because he suffered with rheumatism. He soon recovered, however, and
+enlisted in the Irish Guards. After serving his time with the colours
+and passing into the reserve, he was accepted as a member of the famous
+North-West Mounted Police of Canada. The hard open-air life was much to
+his liking. All the patrol work was done on horseback, and he rode on an
+average thirty miles a day. As a North-West mounted policeman, O'Leary
+gave a taste of his cool courage in capturing two robbers, armed with
+revolvers, after a running fight which lasted two hours. For this feat
+he was presented with a gold ring, which he still proudly wears. The
+donor of it must have been a prophet, for he said to O'Leary when
+handing it over, "If you do as well on active service, you will win the
+Victoria Cross." At the outbreak of war O'Leary rejoined his old
+regiment in France. He was not then twenty-five years of age.</p>
+
+<p>I am sure you remember the occasion when the Coldstreams were driven
+from their trenches near Cuinchy, and two counter-attacks failed to
+recover them. At ten in the morning of 1st February a desperate effort
+to win them back was made by fifty men of the 2nd Coldstream Guards and
+thirty men of the Irish Guards, accompanied by sappers with wire and
+sand-bags. The Coldstreams went first. With fixed bayonets they rushed
+across the 200 yards that separ<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>ated them from the German trenches. They
+were met by a heavy fire, which checked them a little; and then the
+Irish Guards went forward in support. O'Leary, fleet of foot,
+outdistanced his comrades. He had not gone far before he felt the ground
+give beneath his feet, and springing back, he saw a German bomb-thrower
+in a pit. He shot the man, and hurrying on to the angle of a barricade
+which he had marked all day, fired five shots and killed the five
+Germans who were holding it. Leaving his comrades to take possession of
+the barricade, he dashed towards a second position, sixty yards ahead,
+where a machine-gun section was frantically trying to turn its weapon
+upon the stormers. O'Leary, however, was too quick for them. A German
+officer had his finger on the button of the gun, and was about to
+release the hail of lead, when "crack" went our hero's rifle, and the
+officer dropped dead. Again and again O'Leary fired, and two other men
+fell, while their comrades, with white, scared faces, threw up their
+hands and begged for mercy. A few moments later and the Guards, with a
+wild rush through the flying mud, secured the position. "Lance-Corporal
+O'Leary thus practically captured the enemy's position himself, and
+prevented the rest of the attacking party from being fired on." He was
+promoted sergeant on the field.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 798px;">
+<img src="images/p068.jpg" width="798" height="456" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Great Exploit of Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by A. C. Mitchell. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>Sergeant O'Leary, V.C., had a great reception when he returned to London
+in July on leave. A demonstration was held in Hyde Park by the United
+Irish League, and the hero, who was presented with a purse of gold, made
+a recruiting speech, in the course of which he said, "There are many
+others who have fought and are fighting, who have attempted and have
+done more than I for King and country. I have had the luck." In his own
+country the sergeant was enthusiastically received, and was so lionized
+that he said he must get back to the trenches to rest. At a banquet to
+his honour in his native county he asked for lemonade, and when some one
+thoughtlessly pressed him to take wine, he refused, and said that he
+must "keep fit." Not only did he receive the Victoria Cross at the hands
+of the King, but the highest awards for valour from the French and the
+Russian Government.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE GERMAN SUCCESS AT SOISSONS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n this British book, written for British boys and girls, I naturally
+give the foremost place to the doings of British soldiers. We must,
+however, always remember that up to the middle of the year the British
+only held about one-twentieth of the Western battle-front. From La
+Bass&eacute;e, through Arras, to Noyon, thence eastwards along the valley of
+the Aisne, in a wide curve round the fortress of Verdun, to the west
+bank of the Meuse, onwards to the Moselle, through Lorraine to the
+crests of the Vosges, and southwards to the borders of Switzerland&mdash;all
+this long and varied line was held by our French Allies. All through
+January and February they did not cease to nibble at the German
+trenches. In Champagne, in the section between the Meuse and the
+Moselle, and in Alsace, they were able to do more than nibble&mdash;they were
+able to seize many vantage points, and advance their front slowly but
+surely.</p>
+
+<p>In January the chief centre of interest was in that part of the Aisne
+valley which lies to the north of the old city of Soissons.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> You will
+remember that the Allies had captured the city, and the flat lands to
+the north of it, during the great advance in September 1914. Turn to the
+map on the next page and find the village of Cuffies.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> On 18th January
+this village was in French hands, and so was the village of Crouy,<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> to
+the east of it. On the road from Soissons to Laon, and between Cuffies
+and Crouy, you will notice a spur of the plateau marked Hill 132.<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> To
+the south-east of Crouy there is another spur, marked 151. On 8th
+January the French made attacks on both these hills. They specially
+wished to capture Hill 132, because it would gi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span>ve them a gun position
+from which they could command the road to Laon.</p>
+
+<p>In the drenching rain the French pushed forward, dragging their guns
+with great difficulty up the slippery slope. They carried three lines of
+German trenches, and were soon in possession of the hill. Meanwhile
+other troops had seized Hill 151. Though the Germans tried hard to
+recover the positions next day, they could not do so. Nothing happened
+on Sunday, 9th January; but on Monday, about noon, no less than two
+German corps, under von Kluck, were launched against the French, who
+were holding the hills. On the 12th the struggle grew very violent. The
+French were pushed off the eastern side of Hill 132, but with great
+difficulty they managed to cling to the western slopes.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p071.jpg" width="280" height="331" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>During the four preceding days the weather had been very bad. Torrents
+of rain had descended without ceasing, and by the 12th the river was in
+high flood. It had been rising for days, and now it was swirling along
+like an angry torrent, threatening to carry away the only bridges by
+which the French could bring up reinforcements and ammunition. By the
+13th all the bridges but two had been swept away, and the French decided
+to retreat across the river while they had the means of doing so.</p>
+
+<p>They retired slowly and skilfully. Their batteries were withdrawn from
+the hills one by one, without letting the Germans know that they were
+being moved to the rear. The commander of one battery did not give the
+order to retire until the Germans were within five hundred yards of him.
+It was perilous and difficult work getting the guns down the steep
+slope. The gunners man-handled them until t<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>hey reached the foot, and
+then they were limbered up and taken across a shaky pontoon bridge
+which had been thrown across the river at Missy. Guns on the right and
+centre had to be abandoned, but not before they were rendered useless.</p>
+
+<p>By the evening of the 14th the Germans had advanced their line until
+they held the whole of the north bank of the Aisne from a mile east of
+Soissons to Missy. By this time the French, who only numbered 12,000,
+had been reduced to half their strength, and they had lost about twenty
+guns. Von Kluck had begun well, and, under the eye of the Kaiser, he now
+made a great effort to capture Soissons. Had he done so, he would have
+been in possession of a railway junction and the best bridge over the
+Aisne. He would also have been able to force the French to retire from
+the whole line of the river.</p>
+
+<p>The floods had not reached Soissons, so the French were able to pour
+reinforcements into the city. A great struggle took place at the village
+of St. Paul, on the right bank of the river, about a mile to the east of
+Soissons. The Germans advanced in dense masses, and won the village; but
+the French artillery speedily drove them out, and von Kluck found that
+he could advance no further.</p>
+
+<p>The Germans trumpeted abroad this little success as a smashing victory;
+but it was of no particular consequence, for they had only slightly
+improved their position, and in doing so had suffered a loss of at least
+10,000 men. It was not so much German guns and rifles that drove the
+French from the spurs which they had won as the flooding of the river.
+Nature had fought for the Germans, but still they could not "make good."
+Some writers thought that it was very clever of von Kluck to postpone
+his big counter-attack until his enemies had a swollen river and flooded
+fields behind them; but the fact was that he could not attack earlier,
+because his reinforcements were late in arriving. The Germans owed their
+success not to good generalship, but to good luck.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2>
+
+<h3>WINTER FIGHTING IN CHAMPAGNE, THE ARGONNE, AND THE VOSGES.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>e now come to that part of the French front on which the most
+successful attempts of the Allies were made during January and February.
+You have already heard of the little river Suippe, a tributary of the
+Aisne. Between the upper waters of this river and the Forest of the
+Argonne there is a chalk plain, dotted with plantations of firs and
+crossed by rolling downs. In many respects it resembles Salisbury Plain,
+and for many years has been put to the same use. Before the war it was
+the great training ground of French troops and the scene of their yearly
+manoeuvres. The plain is sparsely populated; scattered farms and
+straggling homesteads are few and far between, and lack of villages
+means lack of roads. After heavy rain the whole district is a sea of
+shallow mud; but the ground does not become water-logged, and as soon as
+the rain ceases the ground dries very quickly. Operations during the
+winter were therefore possible. General Joffre decided to nibble more
+vigorously on this plain than elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>Look at the little map on page <a href="#Page_70">70</a>. You notice a railway running from
+Ste. Menehould,<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> on the Aisne at the edge of the Argonne forest, to
+Rheims. By means of this railway the French troops operating on the
+plain were supplied with all their needs. The Germans relied on the line
+which you see running from Grand Pr&eacute; in the Argonne to Bazancourt. The
+object of the French was to nibble at the German lines in the hope of
+pushing back the enemy and seizing this railway. If it could be cut or
+commanded, the Germans would be obliged to fall back along their whole
+line. At any rate, a French advance towards the railway would compel the
+enemy to waste men and shells, and would force him to keep in the region
+large f<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>orces which otherwise would have been sent to the East, where von
+Hindenburg was badly in need of assistance.</p>
+
+<p>I want you to fix your attention on the little towns of Souain<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> and
+Perthes,<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> and the farm of Beau S&eacute;jour,<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> all of which are marked on
+the map. Beau S&eacute;jour, you will notice, is about 3&frac12; miles east of
+Perthes. At the beginning of January the French line ran through Souain,
+south of Perthes and south of Beau S&eacute;jour. Almost every day during
+January the French attacked the German positions. They won a hill to the
+north of Perthes, which gave them the best gun position in the
+neighbourhood, and on the 16th of February a general advance began. The
+Germans held a strong post north of the farm, on a ridge between two
+little glens. On this ridge they had constructed a fort, which was held
+by about 500 men.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The French attacked on a plan which was soon to become the regular
+method of puncturing the German lines all along the Western front. Let
+me give you some account of this plan&mdash;the only possible method of
+capturing the strongly fortified trenches of the enemy without a
+terrible loss of life. As you know, the first obstacle to an attack on a
+line of trenches consists of the barbed wire entanglements which are
+fixed up in front of them. The attackers are held up by the network of
+wire, and can be shot down in droves by rifles and machine guns. Then
+the trench itself has a strong parapet, with loopholes through which the
+defenders fire on the attackers. For infantry to charge the barbed wire
+while the parapets are held by an enemy is to court almost certain
+disaster.</p>
+
+<p>Study the diagram on page <a href="#Page_67">67</a>. <span class="smcap">AB</span> is a line of trenches to be attacked,
+and <span class="smcap">X</span> is a line of big guns. These guns throw a shower of high explosive
+shells on to the enemy's trenches. So terrible is the explosion that the
+barbed wire is blown into a thousand fragments, the parapets are beaten
+down, the whole trench is utterly wrecked, and the defenders are either
+killed or wounded, or so stunned by the violence of the bombardment that
+they cannot make much resistance. When this is done, the gunners lift
+their sights and lengthen their fuses, and behind the trench create at C
+a curtain of fire through which no enemy reinforcements can possibly
+pass. Then the attacking infantry rush forward and occupy the wrecked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>
+trench. They work away with their entrenching tools, make a new parapet
+facing the enemy's second line of trenches, and prepare to beat off
+counter-attacks. Trenches are thus captured by gun fire alone. You can
+easily understand that advances made in this way will be slow. Telephone
+wires have to be laid, ranges calculated, and a thousand details
+arranged before an assault can be made.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p075.jpg" width="461" height="235" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>If such an attack is to succeed, two things are necessary. In the first
+place, the attackers must have many big guns and an almost unlimited
+supply of ammunition for them; and secondly, they must bring up their
+guns at <span class="smcap">X</span> unknown to the enemy, and take him by surprise. If he is able
+to see the big guns being brought up, he will fire on them before they
+can be concealed. He will also mass his own guns, and the affair will
+become an artillery duel on a large scale. Happily, in Champagne the
+French were able to mass their guns secretly. Their airmen had become so
+expert that they were able to beat back all the German aircraft that
+attempted to scout over their lines, while at the same time they could
+fly over the German lines without much hindrance.</p>
+
+<p>Here is a description of such an attack as seen by a British observer in
+Champagne:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Looking at the battle at a distance of about 2,000 yards from
+the enemy's lines, the stillness of what one sees is in marked
+contrast with the turmoil of shells passing overhead. The only
+movement is the cloud of smoke and earth that marks the burst of
+a shell. Here and there long white lines are visible when a
+trench has brought the chalky subsoil up to the top; but the
+number of trenches seen is very small compared with the number
+that exist, for one cannot see into the valleys, and the top of
+the ground is an unhealthy place to choose for sitting in a
+trench. The woods are pointed out, with the names given them by
+the soldiers; but it needs field-glasses to see the few stumps
+that remain when the artillery has done its work. And then a
+telephone message arrives, saying that the enemy are threatening
+a counter-attack at a certain point; and three minutes later
+there is a redoubled whistling of shells. At first one cannot
+see the result of this fire&mdash;the guns are searching the low
+ground where the enemy's reserves are preparing for the
+movement; but a little later the ground behind the threatened
+trenches becomes alive with shell bursts, for the searching has
+given place to the building up of a wall of fire, through which
+it is impossible for the foe to pass without enormous loss."</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p>
+<p>When a successful attack of this kind is to be made on a large scale,
+the work of the directing staff must be very perfect. Every trench in
+the line of attack must be thoroughly shelled at the same time. If
+certain trenches are left unwrecked, the infantry will be badly mauled
+when they move forward. Then all the guns of the attacking side must
+lift their sights and lengthen their fuses before the infantry reach the
+enemy's trenches, or the men will be caught by their own fire.
+Everything must work together like a well-oiled machine. A single
+mistake will be paid for by heavy loss of life.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 745px;">
+<img src="images/p076.jpg" width="745" height="467" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>French Infantry returning to their Quarters after driving
+the Germans from their Trenches near St. Mihiel.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+The French infantry came back into their second line after the action
+with their bands playing and their colours flying. Their uniforms were
+covered with mud, and they were as dirty as they could possibly be.
+Their comrades saluted the colours with love and devotion, and the
+German prisoners seemed astonished to see such patriotic fervour.</h4>
+
+<p>Such was the general character of the attacks made by the French in
+Champagne during February. The ridge, which I have already described,
+was captured by French Colonial troops towards the end of January, after
+a month's struggle; but elsewhere progress was slow. About five yards a
+day was the average gain. One by one the little woods and ridges were
+carried, but as late as 24th March the French were not sufficiently near
+the railway from Grand Pr&eacute; to Bazancourt to threaten it seriously. We
+must not, however, reckon the gains by the amount of ground which was
+won, but by the number of men which the enemy was obliged to maintain on
+this part of the front, and by the losses which he suffered. Some five
+and a half German corps, which were badly needed in the East, had to be
+massed in Champagne, and their losses were out of all proportion to
+those suffered by the French. It is said that the Germans lost 10,000
+dead and 2,000 prisoners during these attacks. The famous Prussian Guard
+suffered very heavily at a point about three-quarters of a mile east of
+Beau S&eacute;jour, where two of their regiments were almost wholly destroyed.
+The Germans themselves admitted that th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>eir losses in Champagne were
+greater than those of the Battle of the Mazurian Lakes,<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> where they
+had some fourteen army corps engaged.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p078.jpg" width="367" height="265" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Scene of the Fighting in Champagne.</h4>
+
+<p>The severe fighting in Champagne drew off some or the Crown Prince's
+forces, and he was therefore obliged to slacken his efforts in the
+Forest of the Argonne. There, too, in January our Allies won a success
+by the capture of more than a mile of German trenches. It is interesting
+to note that the regiment of Italian volunteers which captured the
+trenches was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Garibaldi, a descendant of the
+famous Italian patriot who played such a large part in bringing about a
+united Italy. During this woodland fighting the Germans also had
+successes; but, generally speaking, there was a deadlock in this region.
+The real zones of fighting were to the west and east of the Forest.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The line which the French held from Beau S&eacute;jour to Switzerland during
+the first four months of the year 1915 made a wide curve round the
+fortress of Verdun, and then ran south across a wooded plateau to St.
+Mihiel, on the left bank of the Meuse. At St. Mihiel the Germans were
+clinging to a b<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>ridgehead which they had captured as far back as
+September 1914. From St. Mihiel the line crosses the river to the right
+bank, and then proceeds eastwards to the river Moselle. It then strikes
+south-eastwards to the crest of the Vosges mountains.</p>
+
+<p>If you look at the map on the next page, you cannot fail to notice that
+St. Mihiel is the point of a very marked wedge or salient, something
+like that at Ypres, only with the point facing westwards instead of
+eastwards. A mile to the south of St. Mihiel the Germans had a strong
+position on high ground, called the Camp of the Romans, from which they
+could command the country for ten miles around. If you look at the map
+on the next page, you will see two railways within the salient. The one
+runs northwards from a place about five miles east of the Camp of the
+Romans, and crosses the French line at a village called Les Eparges;<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a>
+the other runs northwards from a place about fifteen miles east of the
+Camp of the Romans, and runs along the valley of a tributary of the
+Moselle, past Thiaucourt,<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> until it reaches the main river, which it
+follows to Metz. The Germans had constructed a field railway, which
+enabled them to reach St. Mihiel from Thiaucourt.</p>
+
+<p>The French nibbled unceasingly at this salient during the winter. Their
+object was to squeeze in its sides so as to capture the railways and
+force the enemy to withdraw from St. Mihiel. During February there was
+fierce fighting at Les Eparges, which was taken by the French along with
+a part of the neighbouring heights. At the same time they pressed
+northwards along the left bank of the Moselle, and won the Wood of the
+Priest, from which they bombarded the railway running through
+Thiaucourt. They also smashed the German bridges at St. Mihiel. Day by
+day they were pinching the German wedge more and more, and were
+threatening the railways by means of which the Germans were able to
+maintain themselves in this region.</p>
+
+<p>The French were eager to capture the heights to the east of Les Eparges,
+because guns on these heights would command much of the northern part of
+the salient. The Germans, knowing how important these heights were to
+the French, had turned them into a very strong fortress. They had lined
+the steep slopes with trenches, and had honeycombed them with shelters
+and dug-outs. About 4 p.m. on 5th April, when the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>rain was falling
+heavily and the hillsides were sodden, the French made a great attack
+on these fortified heights. They gained some ground, but next morning
+they were driven back. That evening they made a second attempt, and by
+means of bayonet charges captured 1,500 yards of trenches, and gradually
+approached the summit.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p080.jpg" width="448" height="277" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Fighting between the Meuse and the Moselle.</h4>
+
+<p>Next morning the Germans brought up reinforcements, and strove with all
+their might to hurl the French down the slopes. The French guns,
+however, prevented the Germans from massing, while the German guns held
+off the French. On the morning of the 8th the French made another bold
+bid. They could scarcely keep their footing in the slime, and it is said
+that many of them were drowned in the mud. Never was an attack made
+under greater difficulties. Slipping in the greasy mud, buffeted by the
+wind, and almost blinded by the rain, the French advanced against
+endless machine guns posted at carefully-chosen points. So determined
+were the Germans to hold the position that they had chained the machine
+gunners to their weapons. After an hour's struggle the French won the
+summit, and managed to clear th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>e Germans off the heights, except for a
+small triangle at the east end.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the 9th French reinforcements struggled up the
+hillside. So violent was the storm, and so miry was the ground, that
+they took fourteen hours to reach their comrades. In the afternoon an
+assault was made on the eastern triangle, and the Germans were swept
+from it. A fog descended, under cover of which the Germans
+counter-attacked, and pushed the French back. But as soon as the fog
+lifted the French guns came into action, and another bayonet charge was
+made. By 10 p.m. the French held the whole of the spur, and were able to
+command the northern part of the salient. They had performed a notable
+feat of arms during five days of tempest. The German loss was estimated
+at more than 30,000.</p>
+
+<p>Elsewhere the French also won ground. On the south side of the salient,
+where the country is covered with thick, scrubby woods, the fighting was
+very severe. Small gains were made, and by the month of May the French
+were about four miles from Thiaucourt, and were able to hurl shells from
+their heavy guns within the outer fortifications of Metz. It seemed that
+any further advance would endanger the whole position of the Germans at
+St. Mihiel, and force them to retreat towards the highlands west of
+Metz. Nevertheless, when the year 1915 came to an end, the Germans were
+still holding St. Mihiel, and the salient was theirs, though it had worn
+very thin.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now let us briefly glance at the campaign in the Vosges.</p>
+
+<p>Look closely at the map on the next page, and notice the river Ill, a
+tributary of the Rhine. Its most important feeder is the river Thur,
+which runs down a long glen. It was in the valley of this river that the
+French made their chief advances during the winter. On 3rd January the
+Chasseurs Alpins, fighting their way down the valley of the Thur,
+captured the village of Steinbach, which stands just where the mountains
+fall steeply to the Alsatian plain, about ten miles as the crow flies
+from Mulhouse. Steinbach, which had been converted by the enemy into a
+series of blockhouses, was only secured after ten days of deadly combat.</p>
+
+<p>The French were trying to take Mulhouse in flank, and they had therefore
+to capture the village of Cernay, which blocked the way. Meanwhile
+another force att<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>acked Altkirch, to the south of Mulhouse, and quite
+close to the Swiss border. During the fighting some of the shells
+actually fell on Swiss ground. The force advancing from Steinbach could
+not capture Cernay, so it turned to the south, and tried to seize the
+village of Burnhaupt in order to attack Mulhouse from another angle. The
+village was taken by the French; but was retaken, though with heavy
+loss, by the Germans. Strive as they would, the French could get no
+nearer to Mulhouse.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p082.jpg" width="367" height="298" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>If you look to the north of Cernay, you will see a spur of the Vosges
+known as Hartmannsweilerkopf. It stands 2,000 feet above the plain, and
+consists of rugged rocks covered with pine trees. He who possesses the
+kopf can command a very large part of the plain, for he can shell many
+roads and railway lines. The French greatly coveted it, and they had
+already established a small advance post on it. Let me tell you how this
+post was lost and won again. Soon after the fighting at Altkirch,
+violent winter storms began to rage. Snow fell without ceasing for a
+fortnight, and the upper glens were choked with drifts. When the sky
+cleared the chasseurs donned their skis and made some daring raids on
+German posts in the hills. The Germans were active too. On 19th January,
+during a blinding snowstorm, they climbed Hartmann<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>sweilerkopf and
+attacked the French post at the summit. Four companies of chasseurs
+made a most gallant attempt to relieve the defenders, and for two days
+fought fiercely amidst the icy rocks and snow-laden bushes. They could,
+however, make no headway, and the post was captured by the Germans on
+21st January.</p>
+
+<p>Not until the 27th of March was it recaptured. On that day the Chasseurs
+Alpins made a fierce onset and carried the last line of the German
+defence, which was protected by a blockhouse. Once more they were in
+possession. At once the Germans hurried up reinforcements from all parts
+of Alsace, and the order went forth that the position was to be
+recaptured at all costs. They attacked in dense masses with great
+courage, and were able to entrench themselves hurriedly on the edge of
+the summit and along the slopes. During the night, however, the French
+Alpine troops were reinforced, and by dint of tremendous efforts guns
+were dragged up the icy slopes to the top of the spur, and were placed
+in position on the right and left flanks of the enemy. Next morning the
+chasseurs attacked the Germans and drove them back, while the guns
+assailed them with a terrible fire. The enemy made a stubborn resistance
+and brought up fresh troops, specially trained for mountain warfare and
+supplied with mountain guns. For three days the struggle continued, and
+at the end of it the whole of the slopes were clear of the enemy. The
+recapture of the spur was a great feather in the French cap. Again and
+again during the year the Germans made efforts to seize it, and more
+than once it fell into their hands. Late in December the Germans claimed
+to have recovered the whole position, but this was denied by the French.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p083.jpg" width="367" height="497" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Chasseurs Alpins attacking a Custom House in the High Vosges.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Paul Thuriot. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+This incident took place in the district south of the Schlucht Pass. The
+blockhouse was defended by Germans. A French lieutenant rushed forward
+and attempted to batter down the door with his rifle, but was
+immediately shot. A second officer fell, and then the men rushed the
+house and captured it. The French soldiers shown in the picture are
+Chasseurs Alpins. Notice that some of them are on skis.</h4>
+
+<p>For the rest of the year the battle-front in Alsace showed but little
+change. The French held every gun position on the eastern slopes of the
+Vosges, and were in command of all the roads leading down to the plains.
+The Germans held the plain and its railways, and were able to oppose any
+movement from the mouths of the valleys towards the Rhine. The French
+had secured one great advantage. Should they wish to push towards the
+Rhine through the Gap of Belfort, their left flank was secure.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE SUBMARINE BLOCKADE BEGINS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>o far the Germans had failed hopelessly at sea. The battle off Coronel
+had been their only success, and the squadron that had achieved it was
+now no more. The bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby, and the Hartlepools
+had been hailed in Germany as a great victory, and the enemy loudly
+boasted that the British fleet no longer commanded the North Sea. We at
+home were filled with anger, but we showed no panic; while in America
+the bombardment of innocent townsfolk in unfortified places was held to
+be sheer murder, and there were many jeers at the German commanders who
+had struck foul blows at those who could not strike back, and had then
+run away. The German navy was covered with ridicule. It dared not come
+out and risk a battle, while to sit still and do nothing was to proclaim
+itself a mere sham.</p>
+
+<p>The British fleet, ever since the beginning of the war, had stopped and
+searched all merchant ships bound for ports on the North Sea and the
+Baltic Sea, in order to ascertain whether they had on board contraband
+of war&mdash;that is, arms, ammunition, explosives, or other articles or
+materials which might be used against us. It is a rule of international
+law that if such goods are sent by a neutral to a State which is at war,
+they may be seized by the enemy of that State. We had sent lists to all
+neutrals setting forth the kinds of goods which we would not allow the
+enemy to receive, and our warships had discovered many vessels which
+were laden with such goods. These ships were taken into port, and a
+court sat to decide whether or not they were guilty of carrying
+contraband. If found guilty, they were seized by the State. You can
+easily understand that the trade of neutrals with our enemies almost
+came to an end. The exporters of New York, who were chiefly
+German-Americans, found their business falling off greatly, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> they
+tried hard to stir up quarrels between the United States and Great
+Britain.</p>
+
+<p>The United States had determined to be strictly neutral in the war. Most
+of the people were friendly to the Allies, but there were about four
+millions of Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians in the country, and many
+of them were strongly in favour of the Central Powers. Germany sent
+agents to stir up these people, and to do everything in their power to
+bring about quarrels between Great Britain and the States.</p>
+
+<p>The Germans, as you know, were powerless on the seas, while we were
+all-powerful. From the States we imported large quantities of munitions
+of war. The Americans would gladly have sent munitions to Germany also,
+but as no German ship dared cross the Atlantic, the Germans were
+altogether cut off from this source of supply; hence their anger with
+the United States. We shall see later that the German agents in the
+States committed all sorts of crimes in the hope of stopping the
+manufacture of munitions and preventing their export to Great Britain.</p>
+
+<p>About a week after the Hartlepools raid, von Tirpitz, who was then at
+the head of the German Admiralty, told the Americans that they had
+stopped their trade with Germany because Great Britain had ordered them
+to do so, and he asked them how they would like to see all trade with
+Britain stopped by German submarines. Then came the Battle of the Dogger
+Bank, in which the German vessels scuttled for home as soon as they
+sighted the British fleet, but in the course of their flight lost the
+<i>Bluecher</i>. It was after this discreditable affair that von Tirpitz
+decided to carry out his threat. He gave notice to the President of the
+United States that on and after 18th February the waters surrounding the
+British Isles would be considered to be within the seat of war, and that
+all enemy merchant ships found in these waters would be sunk by German
+submarines. He also said that it might not always be possible to save
+the crews and the passengers of these ships, and that neutral vessels
+within this zone of war would be exposed to danger, and might even be
+sunk. To this the President replied, begging Germany to consider
+carefully before taking any such action, and warning her that the
+destruction of a United States ship or the death of American citizens
+would be considered an unfriendly act which might<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> lead to war. The
+President then went on to point out that, until a blockade&mdash;that is, a
+complete stoppage of sea trade&mdash;could be carried into effect, the sole
+right which fighting nations possessed with regard to neutrals was to
+visit and search their ships in order to discover whether or not they
+were carrying contraband, and, if so, to bring them into port, where a
+court would adjudge them guilty or not guilty.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p087.jpg" width="352" height="433" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>A German Submarine awash.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Central News.</i></h4>
+
+<p>Of course, the German submarines could not completely blockade the
+coasts of the British Isles, nor could they take into port the ships
+which they stopped and searched. In the latter case they might be
+justified in sinking the ships, but they would be guilty of crime if
+they did not save the crews and passengers. A submarine cannot possibly
+take off the crews of merchant vessels, for it has no accommodation for
+them. Von Tirpitz's plan was piracy, and nothing else. In order to find
+an excuse, the Germans declared that all the wheat and flour coming into
+Germany from abroad belonged to the Government. The British now seized
+the cargoes of ships thus laden, because they were the property of an
+enemy Government. Then the Germans began to call heaven and earth to
+witness that Great Britain was trying to starve German women and
+children. Horrible pictures were painted of innocent people perishing of
+hunger. A German newspaper put the enemy's view in a nutshell when it
+said, "England wants to employ every means to shorten the war. The
+number of lives that would be lost if she could starve Germany is
+nothing to her. . . . Whether we wish it or not, we must seek to destroy
+England's life-nerve&mdash;namely, her merchant shipping." How she attempted
+to do this we shall read in the next chapter.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE SINKING OF THE "LUSITANIA."</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he Germans were quite right in speaking of our mercantile marine as our
+"life-nerve." In 1913 we had nearly 39,600 merchant vessels, with a
+tonnage of more than 14,000,000 tons. You will get some idea of the
+vastness of our overseas trade when I tell you that the tonnage of ships
+owned in Liverpool alone exceeds that of the German Empire. On an
+average about 1,400 merchant vessels enter and leave our ports every
+week. This means that the submarines which were now going to destroy our
+"life-nerve" were presented with about two hundred targets a day.</p>
+
+<p>You must not suppose that the Germans waited until 18th February to
+begin their attacks on our merchant vessels. Early in February the
+German submarine U21 appeared in the Irish Sea, and proceeded to sink
+three small ships. On the same day other enemy submarines sank ships in
+the English Channel, one of them, the <i>Toko Maru</i>, being laden with
+mutton, stores, and clothing for Belgian refugees. Between "Pirate Day,"
+18th February, and 11th April, fifty-eight ships were attacked, most of
+which were sent to the bottom. Neutral as well as British ships were
+sunk by the submarines, several of them without warning. Sometimes the
+officers gave ten minutes' grace to allow passengers and crews to take
+to the boats; but in other cases the ships were sunk at sight, and more
+than once shells were fired at men in the boats who were trying to
+rescue their comrades struggling in the water. Frequently fast steamers
+escaped, and more than one vessel charged down on the attacking
+submarine. The <i>Thordis</i>, for example, crashed at full speed into the
+submarine which threatened her off Beachy Head, and sent it to the
+bottom.</p>
+
+<p>On 1st March Great <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>Britain declared a blockade of Germany. By this time
+it was apparent that as a means of reducing our food supply or
+weakening our determination to continue the war, Germany's submarine
+"blockade" had proved to be a failure. Between 18th February and the
+middle of August less than one and a half per cent. of our ships were
+sunk, and we went on our way quite unmoved. Neutral countries, however,
+saw clearly what Germany's command of the sea would mean to them. The
+American nation was soon to be roused to the highest pitch of
+indignation by one of the foulest crimes ever committed.</p>
+
+<p>Already four American ships had been destroyed by the Germans, and
+several American citizens had been drowned. On 27th March the British
+steamer <i>Falaba</i> was sunk off the Pembrokeshire coast with a loss of 112
+lives, including that of an American. The Germans did not wait until all
+the boats had been lowered before firing a torpedo into the steamer's
+side, and then, not content with sending so many helpless people to
+their doom, they watched them struggling in the icy waters without
+lifting a hand to help them. It is even said that they mocked and jeered
+at the drowning men and women. "This is not war; it is murder," said the
+<i>New York Times</i>. This crime, however, was soon to be outdone.</p>
+
+<p>On May 7, 1915, the Cunard liner <i>Lusitania</i> was steaming a few miles
+south-west of the old Head of Kinsale, on her homeward voyage to
+Liverpool. She was one of the largest and finest liners afloat. She was
+totally unarmed, and she carried passengers and crew to the number of
+1,906, many of them being citizens of the United States. Before she left
+New York her passengers had been warned that the Germans meant to sink
+her. Nobody, however, dreamed that even Germans could descend to such
+depths of infamy.</p>
+
+<p>As the <i>Lusitania</i> approached the Irish coast she received a message
+from the Admiralty warning her that German submarines were in the
+neighbourhood. She had reduced her speed to eighteen knots, so as not to
+arrive at the Mersey bar before the tide was high enough to enable her
+to cross. An artist who was saved thus described what happened:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"The voyage from New York to London was made in excellent
+weather. The sun shone all the way, and on the afternoon of the
+disaster a golden sun lit up a beautifully blue, calm sea. I
+think I can say that I was one of the four people who really saw
+the torpedo discharged at the <i>Lusitania</i>. I was in the
+dining-room about 2.15, and had just finished luncheon. I went
+out, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span>and leaned against the starboard side of the vessel, just
+outside the palm lounge. I saw the periscope of a submarine
+about 200 yards away. Then I noticed a long white streak of
+foam. It gave me the impression of a frothy fizzing in the
+water. A lady and two gentlemen came up to me and exclaimed, 'Is
+that a torpedo?' I felt too sick to answer, and turned away.
+Almost immediately there was a terrific impact, followed by the
+explosion. . . ."</p></div>
+
+<p>Steam and smoke came up between the two last funnels, and almost
+immediately there was a second report, probably due to the bursting of
+the main steam pipe. "I at once gave the order," said Captain Turner at
+the inquest, "to lower the boats down to the rails, and I directed that
+the women and children should be got into them. The moment the vessel
+was struck she listed to starboard. I stood on the bridge as she sank,
+and the <i>Lusitania</i> went down under me. She floated about eighteen
+minutes after the torpedo struck her." An English passenger thus
+described the scene as the <i>Lusitania</i> sank:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Nearly a score of the boats on the port side were filled with
+passengers, but it was found impossible to lower them owing to
+that side of the ship standing so high above the water. I
+managed to get across to starboard. The ship's deck was then
+level with the sea. I made for a boat which was just putting
+off, and, in fact, had one foot on the craft and the other on
+the ship. Then, owing to something going wrong, the lifeboat
+jammed, and all the occupants were thrown into the water. It was
+a terrible moment. The passengers in the boat, including women,
+screamed with terror, and soon sank. Other boats collapsed or
+turned over, and hundreds of people, men, women, and children,
+were struggling helplessly in the water, some clinging to boats
+which had been upset. I struck out, and managed, after swimming
+for about fifteen minutes, to come across a boat, into which I
+was dragged. Hundreds of people were on rafts, and the sea was
+alive with men and women."</p></div>
+
+<p>There was no ship of any kind in sight when the <i>Lusitania</i> was
+torpedoed, except a Peel trawler which was lying inshore. She started at
+once to the rescue; but the wind was light, and she was slow in
+arriving. Nevertheless she managed to pick up over a hundred persons
+from lifeboats or rafts. So crowded was the trawler with rescued people
+that some had to sit with their legs dangling over the side. Other
+trawlers and boats from Kinsale came to the rescue, and later on the
+<i>Indian Prince</i>, a steamer from Queenstown, arrived, and began to pick
+up survivors. When the death-roll was finally made up, it was discovered
+that 1,134 persons had been killed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>by the explosion or drowned. Over a
+hundred American citizens went down that day.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 723px;">
+<img src="images/p090.jpg" width="723" height="430" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>On the Face of the Waters&mdash;after the Sinking of the
+"Lusitania."</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of the Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+We can never know all the acts of heroism and self-sacrifice which were
+performed when the passengers and crew of the <i>Lusitania</i> were
+struggling for life in the water, but we know that Mr. Vanderbilt, the
+American millionaire, though unable to swim, gave his life-belt to a
+woman, and remained steadfastly on the deck awaiting his end. One of the
+drowned sailors was found with a little child strapped to his back, and
+no doubt its weight cost the swimmer his life.</h4>
+
+<p>No incident of the war provoked more terrible indignation against the
+Huns. It is said that two wealthy American citizens who were saved in a
+lifeboat stood up amidst the scene of horror, and pledged themselves
+that, if the United States did not go to war with Germany within seven
+days, they would forswear their country for ever. The news was received
+with bitter anger in Great Britain, and in New York there was a hush of
+horror, broken only by "the sniggers of German-Americans." A coroner's
+jury which sat at Kinsale brought in a verdict of wilful murder against
+the Emperor of Germany and his Government. "Remember the <i>Lusitania</i>"
+became a watchword at recruiting meetings, and thousands of men flocked
+to the colours, eager to avenge this foul and cowardly crime.</p>
+
+<p>America had declared that she would hold Germany to strict account for
+every American life lost as a result of the submarine "blockade." Seven
+days after the sinking of the <i>Lusitania</i>, President Wilson sent a very
+calm and moderate Note to Germany, declaring that American citizens had
+the right to travel wherever their business called them on the high
+seas, without their lives being endangered by warships, and that their
+Government would do everything to maintain this right. At the same time
+the Note suggested that the sinking of American ships and the
+<i>Lusitania</i> was due to mistakes on the part of the commanders of
+submarines, and it called upon the German Government to disavow these
+acts, and prevent them from taking place in the future. Germany replied
+in a shuffling fashion; and on 21st July President Wilson sent another
+Note which practically threatened war if the Germans did not cease their
+blockade.</p>
+
+<p>How did Germany reply to this Note? On 19th August one of her
+submarines, without warning, torpedoed the White Star liner <i>Arabic</i> off
+Cape Clear. The loss of life was small, for the vessel remained afloat
+for ten minutes, and there was time to lower the boats. When it became
+known that the <i>Arabic</i> had twenty-six American citizens on board, anger
+flamed up anew. The wrath of Americans was raised almost to war pitch,
+especially when the Germans put forward a series of falsehoods in
+excuse. The German Minister<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> at Washington now saw that his Government
+had gone too far. He begged the United States Government to wait for a
+report, and a little later he promised that full amends should be made.
+On 1st September he gave a written pledge that thenceforward passenger
+liners would not be sunk by submarines without warning, and without
+ensuring the safety of the lives of those on board, provided that the
+liners did not try to escape or show fight. He also declared that
+Germany had decided to make this change in her policy before the sinking
+of the <i>Arabic</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The Americans were delighted with this very doubtful promise, and they
+believed that they had forced Germany to give up the worst features of
+the blockade. If you read the promise carefully, you will see that the
+Germans had so worded it that they could still proceed in the old way. A
+submarine might give passengers time to get into small boats in
+mid-ocean, but how could it ensure their safety? There was a case during
+the "blockade" of men who had escaped in a boat being afloat for four
+days without food and water, and some of them dying from exposure. Then,
+again, the promise only applied to passenger liners, and not to merchant
+ships. It was quite easy for a submarine commander to sink a liner, and
+then pretend that it had resisted or tried to escape. Above all, nothing
+was said about the right of Americans to sail the seas without their
+lives being endangered by warships. Nevertheless, the Americans were
+delighted with the promise, and plumed themselves greatly on having done
+a great service to mankind.</p>
+
+<p>Three days later came a rude awakening. On the night of 4th September
+the Allan liner <i>Hesperian</i> was torpedoed by a German submarine <i>without
+warning</i>. The liner was then 130 miles west of Queenstown She kept
+afloat for some time, and was towed towards port, but went down at seven
+o'clock on the morning of 6th September. There was a small loss of life,
+and there were two Americans on board. It was now clear to everybody
+that the German promise was a mere "scrap of paper." Wrath surged up
+again in the United States, but it led to nothing. The Germans
+untruthfully declared that the vessel was sunk by a mine and not by a
+submarine.</p>
+
+<p>During the last three weeks of August and the first week of September
+ships of all sorts were sunk at the rate of about sixteen a week. Then
+came a rapid fa<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>lling off, and during the week ending 10th October only
+two ships were sent to the bottom. The submarine blockade was fizzling
+out. The Germans had changed their policy, not because of the protests
+of the Americans, but because they had discovered that the game was not
+worth the candle. Mr. Balfour, in a letter to a correspondent, gave the
+true reason why the Germans were bringing the blockade to an end. He
+said that while the losses of German submarines had been very great, the
+British merchant navy was stronger than when the blockade began. Though
+many innocent persons, women and children as well as men, had been
+robbed and killed, the criminals had paid a heavy toll. The reason why
+the Germans had changed their policy was not because the United States
+had protested, not because the Germans had revolted against lawless
+cruelty. "No. The reason is to be found elsewhere. It is to be found in
+the fact that the authors of the submarine policy have had time to
+measure its effects, and that deeds which were merely crimes in May, in
+September were seen to be blunders."</p>
+
+<p>By the month of June the British navy had learnt the art of capturing
+the submarines of the enemy; and so expert had it become in this work
+that a U boat, once discovered, had but little chance of escape.
+Submarine-hunting became the great sport of the navy, and every young
+officer and bluejacket was eager to engage in it. We do not know how
+many German submarines were destroyed, but we were informed, through
+America, that seventy-eight of them had been seized or sunk, and that in
+December 1915 at least five of the Kaiser's submarines, manned by
+British seamen, were doing splendid work against his ships in the
+Baltic. The British only rarely announced their successes, and the
+German submarine crews were always in doubt as to the fate of their
+fellows. Before long their nerve failed them, and even at the beginning
+of their voyages they were disheartened and hopeless.</p>
+
+<p>The methods by which the enemy's submarines were captured or destroyed
+were not revealed, but we know that fast motor boats, each armed with a
+powerful gun, were employed in the hunt, and that steel nets were
+sometimes used. When a big fish was caught the floats of the nets gave
+warning, and destroyers promptly arrived to deal with it.
+Innocent-looking patrol boats were sometimes attacked, and, too late,
+the biter discovered that he was bitten. There is a story th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span>at a
+submarine commander, approaching one of these patrols, called out, "I
+give you ten minutes to take to your boats;" whereupon the skipper,
+whipping a concealed gun round and preparing to fire, returned answer,
+"And I give you three minutes to go to the bottom."</p>
+
+<p>No submarine loss caused such bitter chagrin in Germany as the sinking
+of the famous U29 late in March. You will remember that it was this boat
+which had sunk the <i>Hogue</i>, <i>Cressy</i>, <i>Aboukir</i>, and <i>Hawke</i>. Captain
+Weddigen, who commanded U29, had become a popular hero in Germany, and
+the Kaiser had showered honours on him. He was a good type of sailor,
+both skilful and brave, and it is to his credit that he was known in
+this country as "the polite pirate." He not only expressed his regret at
+having to sink merchant ships, but gave food and comforts to their
+crews, and towed their boats some distance towards the land. When it was
+known that Weddigen had gone down with all his crew in U29, the Germans
+put forth an absurd story that the submarine had been sunk while she was
+engaged in life-saving, and was unable to defend herself. One German
+newspaper demanded "revenge for Weddigen," and declared that no more
+sacrifices must be made to "the German system of humanity in war"!</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the troubles and
+trials which the Americans had to endure because of the attempts of
+German agents to stir up all sorts of strife in their country. Almost
+from the beginning of the year there were explosions and fires in the
+factories which were making munitions for the Allies, and there was
+little doubt that these outrages, which frequently led to loss of life,
+were the work of German hirelings. During August the <i>New York World</i>
+published evidence proving that German money was lavished amongst
+newspapers for the purpose of getting them to publish articles in favour
+of Germany. It also proved that men were paid to bring about strikes in
+engineering shops, to blow up ships laden with munitions, and to
+interfere in every possible way with American affairs, so as to cause
+trouble between Britain and the United States.</p>
+
+<p>On 6th September matters came to a head. Papers taken from an American
+journalist at Falmouth showed that Dr. Dumba, the Austro-Hungarian
+ambassador, was at the bottom of a series of attempts to prevent
+factories from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span>making munitions for the Allies, and to stir up American
+exporters against Britain. Amongst these papers was a private letter
+from Captain von Papen, a German soldier attached to the German Embassy.
+In it he spoke of "these idiotic Yankees." The Americans were indignant
+at these exposures and insults, and the Government demanded that Dr.
+Dumba should be recalled. He was handed his passports, and he left
+America&mdash;for America's good.</p>
+
+<p>On 10th November the Italian liner <i>Ancona</i>, bound from Naples to New
+York, was fired at and torpedoed in the Mediterranean Sea by two large
+submarines, probably German, but carrying the Austrian flag. Some 500
+persons were on board, and only some 260 were saved. Amongst those who
+perished were about 20 American citizens. At once President Wilson sent
+a sharp Note, demanding that Austria should disavow the crime, punish
+the captains of the submarines, and promise to safeguard American
+passengers in the future. To this Note Austria replied in a very defiant
+fashion, and by so doing again strained the patience of the American
+people almost to the breaking point. At the close it looked as though
+America was about to break off all relations with Austria.</p>
+
+<p>In December the German Government was obliged to recall Captain von
+Papen and another member of the Embassy. These two men had set the
+American Government at defiance, and had encouraged plots throughout the
+length and breadth of the country. Some of their agents were brought to
+trial, and were punished, and President Wilson announced that the men
+who were plotting to destroy property and to undermine the Government
+must be "crushed out." Thus, at the close of the year America seemed to
+be ready to put an end to the German mischief-makers who had done so
+much to disturb the peace of the country, and to foster lawlessness and
+strife.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p098.jpg" width="550" height="287" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>A German Submarine half submerged.</h4>
+
+<br />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES OF SUBMARINES.</h3>
+
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"<i>We'll duck and we'll dive like little tin turtles,</i></span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;<i>We'll duck and we'll dive beneath the North Seas,</i></span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;<i>Until we strike something that doesn't expect us:</i></span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;<i>From here to Cuxhaven it's go as you please.</i>"</span>
+</div></div>
+<p style="margin-left: 70%;"><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span> have told you in these pages of many daring deeds and narrow escapes
+on the battlefield; but for exploits which really thrill us and make us
+hold our breath, we must go to the men who fight in the air or under the
+sea. Jules Verne never imagined anything half so marvellous as their
+doings. When the war is over, we shall hear stories of aviators and of
+the crews of submarines which will make the wildest inventions of
+writers of adventure seem tame and colourless.</p>
+
+<p>"The business of the submarines," says Mr. Kipling, "is to run monstrous
+risks from the earth, air, and water, in what, to be of any use, must be
+the coldest of blood." Submarine officers, he continues, "play hourly
+for each other's lives, with Death, the umpire, always at their elbow on
+tiptoe, to give them 'out.'" And consider the bowling and fielding in
+this nightmare game, where there is rarely a second innings. A bomb from
+a Zeppelin or an aeroplane, a shot from a 4-inch gun, a bump against a
+mine, a collision with a reef or the bows of a destroyer, trawler, or
+tramp, an accident to the complicated gear&mdash;and all is over.
+Nevertheless, the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>officers and crews of submarines soon lose the sense
+of imminent peril, and go about their business quite unconcerned.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following story shows how a submarine was trapped, but managed to
+free herself and turn the tables on her enemy. A British boat, which was
+cruising under water in the North Sea, ran her nose into a net and
+became entangled. She rose to the surface, meaning to cut away the net
+and get clear. No sooner did her conning tower appear above the water
+than her commander saw a Zeppelin hovering right above him, and in a
+moment a bomb plumped into the sea unpleasantly near. He had no
+alternative but to go below again; but this he had to do as gingerly as
+possible, for otherwise the submarine would have wrapped herself up in
+the net still more. Steadily she sank, and by slow working and wriggling
+managed to get clear of the entanglement. Then she lay on the bottom,
+and her commander began to think out the next move in the perilous game.
+Should he go back to warn the other submarines, or should he wait and
+try to "bag" something? He knew that the Zeppelin believed him to be
+entangled in the net, and that it was sure to signal for destroyers to
+come and finish him off, so he sat tight and waited. In a few minutes he
+heard the screws of the destroyers churning above him. Then he rose, and
+at the critical moment gave the signal to let loose a torpedo. The shot
+went home: the destroyer crumpled up, and was taken in tow by a consort.
+Unhappily, as the commander had no more torpedoes, he was balked of a
+second victim.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Since the war began, British submarines have penetrated into every
+harbour and river mouth on the coast of Germany. One day a British boat
+in the mouth of a German river was seen by the enemy. At once she went
+under; but though she lay on the silt at the bottom, she had not more
+than five feet of water above her. Almost any patrol boat could have hit
+her and destroyed her had her whereabouts been known; but somehow the
+Germans missed her. They meant to catch her, however, and began to sweep
+the river with a wire trawl. Before long the commander of the submarine
+heard the trawl rasping along his hull. He sat and listened, expecting
+every moment that it would catch on something, and revea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>l him to the
+Germans working above. The suspense was enough to turn a man's hair
+gray. Happily, the trawl slid off the hull, and the danger passed. At
+nightfall the submarine made her way into the open sea, and finally
+reached harbour safely.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following story has been told of a fight between a British submarine
+and a Zeppelin. One day a boat came to the surface, and found herself
+right underneath a Zeppelin that was flying only a few yards above the
+sea. The commander could not see the sky, only the shining bulge of the
+airship. Luckily he was not under the "stinging end" of the monster.
+Immediately he sank till his decks were awash, and went away to
+windward, so that the Zeppelin had to follow him with the wind in its
+teeth. Then he sent a man to the gun on deck. The waves were washing
+over the submarine, and the man was nearly drowned; but he hung on, and
+whenever he saw a chance, fired a shot at the airship, which by this
+time was dropping bombs. One of his shots got home, and the Zeppelin was
+obliged to steer to leeward and give up the chase. A fortnight later she
+was seen with a patch on the place where she had been hit.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>On page 283 of our third volume I told you how Lieutenant Holbrook won
+the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery while in command of a
+submarine which was scouting in the Dardanelles during December 1914. In
+these narrow waters, and in the Sea of Marmora, some extraordinary feats
+were performed by our submarines during the year 1915. An American
+correspondent tells us that our under-water boats created a reign of
+terror amongst the peasants and villagers living on the shores of that
+sea. Turkish warships and gunboats and large numbers of transports and
+supply ships were sunk, and navigation was almost entirely suspended. On
+April 27, 1915, Submarine E14 dived under the enemy mine fields and
+entered the Sea of Marmora. In spite of strong currents, the presence of
+hostile patrols, and the hourly danger of attack from the enemy, she
+succeeded in sinking two Turkish gunboats and two transports, one of
+them large and full of troops; and after cruising in the enemy's waters
+for twenty-two days, returned in safety. For this remarkable exploit,
+which the admiral at the Dardanelles declared himself unable to do<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>
+justice to, <span class="smcap">Lieutenant-Commander Edward Courtney Boyle</span> received the
+Victoria Cross.</p>
+
+<p>Late in May the British submarine E11 had an extraordinary "bag." She
+succeeded in destroying one large Turkish gunboat, two transports, one
+ammunition ship, and three storeships, and drove another storeship
+ashore. Then she passed through the minefield on her homeward way; but,
+on sighting another Turkish transport, returned, and managed to torpedo
+it. In the course of her cruise she entered the Golden Horn, and
+actually discharged a torpedo at a transport lying alongside the
+arsenal. The Turks declared that the torpedo struck the quay and blew up
+two hundred yards of masonry. <span class="smcap">Lieutenant-Commander Martin Eric Nasmith</span>,
+who was the heart and soul of these intrepid feats, was rightly awarded
+the highest token of valour.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Getting into and out of the Sea of Marmora is a terribly difficult
+business, as the "Narrows,"<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> through which all ships must pass, was
+strewn with mines; the shores were studded with batteries and concealed
+torpedo tubes. Lieutenant Holbrook, you will remember, had to dive under
+five rows of mines before he could torpedo the Turkish battleship
+<i>Messudiyeh</i>. Mr. Kipling tells us that "one boat went down the straits,
+and found herself rather canted over to one side. A mine and chain had
+jammed under her forward diving-plane. So far as I made out, she shook
+it off by standing on her head and jerking backwards; or it may have
+been, for the thing has occurred more than once, she merely rose as much
+as she could, when she could, and then 'released it by hand,' as the
+official phrase goes."</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p102.jpg" width="629" height="449" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes starting off with his Raft.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>Photo, Central News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>Perhaps the most thrilling feat of daring ever associated with submarine
+warfare was performed by Lieutenant Guy D'Oyly Hughes on August 21,
+1915. Lieutenant Hughes had already distinguished himself during the
+operations of E11 which I have described above. He volunteered to make a
+single-handed attempt to blow up a Turkish railway. A raft was prepared,
+and on it were place<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span>d the charge, his clothes, a revolver, a bayonet,
+and an electric torch. Round his neck he carried a whistle. Towards
+dusk the submarine ventured within sixty yards of the land, and then
+Lieutenant Hughes, stripped to the skin, went overboard, and pushing his
+raft before him, swam to the shore. When he touched bottom he found that
+the cliffs were too high to scale. He therefore started off again, and
+swam along the shore until he reached a less precipitous landing-place.
+Having dressed, he clambered up the rocks, carrying his charge with him.
+After a stiff climb he reached the top of the cliffs, and proceeding
+with great caution, made his way to the railway line, which he followed
+towards a viaduct.</p>
+
+<p>He had only advanced about five or six hundred yards when he heard
+voices, and shortly afterwards caught a glimpse of three Turkish
+soldiers sitting by the side of the line and talking loudly. After
+watching them for some time he decided to leave the charge, which was
+heavy and cumbersome, and make a wide circuit inland, so as to get to
+the viaduct unseen. This he did, the only incident by the way being an
+unfortunate fall from a wall into a farmyard, where his sudden
+appearance startled the poultry and disturbed the household. He was not,
+however, detected. When he came in sight of the viaduct he found that it
+was guarded. A fire was burning at one end of it, and there were men
+close at hand. It was impossible to destroy the viaduct, so he returned
+to the place from which he had started, picked up his charge, revolver,
+bayonet, and electric torch, and looked for a spot where he might do as
+much damage as possible to the line.</p>
+
+<p>Searching about, he found a low brickwork support over a small hollow,
+and there he placed his charge. He was only 150 yards from the three
+soldiers, who were still sitting by the line. He muffled the fuse pistol
+as tightly as possible with a piece of rag; but when he pulled it the
+noise was sufficiently loud to be heard by the soldiers, who stood up,
+looked around them, and catching sight of the lieutenant, ran towards
+him. He fired two shots at them, but missed, and hotly pursued, beat a
+hasty retreat along the line to the eastward. A few shots were fired at
+him, but he was not hit, and after running about a mile he found himself
+close to the shore.</p>
+
+<p>At once, without discarding <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>his clothes, he plunged into the water, and
+as he did so the charge exploded. Fragments of brick and earth fell
+around him, and even near the submarine, which was then in a small bay
+behind the cliffs about six hundred yards from the shore. After swimming
+for four or five hundred yards the lieutenant blew a long blast on his
+whistle, but the submarine did not hear it. Day was now rapidly
+breaking, so he turned back to the shore and rested for a short time.
+Then he threw away his revolver, bayonet, and electric torch, and
+entering the water once more, swam towards the bay in which the
+submarine was lying. Not until he had rounded the last point was his
+whistle heard.</p>
+
+<p>As his comrades prepared to come to his assistance he heard shouts from
+the cliffs above, and saw Turkish soldiers firing on the submarine,
+which now came out of the bay stern first. In the morning mist he
+mistook the bow, the gun, and the conning tower for three small rowing
+boats. Thinking that these boats were manned by his enemies, he swam
+ashore again and began to climb up to a hollow of the cliffs some
+distance above him. He had not climbed more than a few feet before he
+saw the submarine, realized his mistake, and began shouting to his
+comrades. Once more he entered the water, and about forty yards from the
+rocks was picked up in an exhausted condition. He had swum the best part
+of a mile in his clothes.</p>
+
+<p>Thus happily ended Lieutenant Hughes's daring adventure. I think you
+will agree with me that as a story of pluck, endurance, and resource it
+is hard to beat.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>MORE STORIES OF SUBMARINE WARFARE.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>ou must not suppose that our submarines carried out their raids in the
+Dardanelles and in the Sea of Marmora without loss. Several of our
+under-water boats came to grief. E15, for example, while trying to
+torpedo a Turkish ship at the Narrows,<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> ran ashore on the Asiatic
+side. She was undamaged, and a Turkish destroyer speedily appeared on
+the scene. The admiral on the station was anxious that she should not
+fall into the enemy's hands, so he gave orders that she was to be
+destroyed. The story of how she was finally blown up is worth telling.
+Five different methods of destroying her were tried, but all in vain.
+Aeroplanes endeavoured to drop bombs on her, but without success;
+submarines tried to torpedo her, but failed; destroyers attempted to
+sink her, but could not manage to do so; and two battleships fired at
+her, but did not hit her. The battleships aimed their turret guns from a
+distance of 5&frac14; miles, and found that the conning tower of the submarine
+was too small a target. As a last resort the admiral gave the following
+order: "Two picket boats from <i>Triumph</i> and <i>Majestic</i> are to attack E15
+to-night (April 18) with torpedoes fitted to dropping gear. . . . Only
+volunteer crews to be sent."</p>
+
+<p>An officer in charge of the <i>Triumph's</i> boat tells us<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> that he was
+joined by the boat from the <i>Majestic</i> at 10 p.m.</p>
+
+<p>"We steamed about eight knots, as the current was strong, and until we
+reached the beginning of the dangerous area we chatted&mdash;to keep up our
+courage, perhaps! As a matter of fact, I wasn't in much of a funk, and
+felt fairly cool, for I have been under fire a good many times, and I
+recognized that I had got a chance that does not often come in a man's
+life. It was a bit eerie, though, steaming along in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>pitch dark, with
+all lights out in the boat, towards the distant searchlights, not
+knowing whether death or life awaited us. . . .</p>
+
+<p>"We kept nearly in the centre of the channel, to avoid being spotted by
+the No. 7 searchlight, which was not a very high one. We had come along
+quite unobserved until we were abeam of it, passing the smaller
+searchlights without much trouble. Unfortunately the men stationed near
+the No. 7 searchlight saw us, and started firing 6 or 12 pounder
+shrapnel at us.</p>
+
+<p>"Thus the ball opened. We still had three to four miles to go. We
+continued our way and approached the other searchlights. The alarm
+having been given, all the other searchlights came on and sent their
+beams searching round to pick us up, and as each beam struck us, bang
+would go another gun. A few seconds later we would hear a ping as the
+projectile whizzed past us, or a sharp metallic crack as a shrapnel
+burst just over our heads."</p>
+
+<p>By the time they arrived near the stranded submarine eight searchlights
+were trained on them, and guns were firing at them from six different
+points. Presently they saw a dark mass which they thought to be the
+submarine, and fired a torpedo at it, but missed.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p106.jpg" width="631" height="433" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The End of a Submarine.</h3>
+
+<h4>The cruiser has fired at the submarine and hit her, but to make
+assurance doubly sure, is now crashing down upon her at full speed.</h4>
+
+<p>"Suddenly we saw the <i>Majestic's</i> boat in trouble and the crew calling
+for help. It appeared that coming up behind us, and whilst the
+searchlights were focussed on us, one of the beams passed us and shone
+right on E15; and the <i>Majestic's</i> boat was luckily only two hundred
+yards away, and saw it. Lieutenant Godwin immediately fired one torpedo,
+which did not strike the object. At that moment his boat was struck by a
+shell under the water-line aft, and commenced to take in water rapidly.
+He gallantly turned his boat towards E15 again, steamed in a bit, and
+fired his second torpedo, which caught E15 just in front of the conning
+tower and on the forward whale-back of the hull, making a fine
+explosion. I consider this was a very brave deed, as Godwin knew he was
+in imminent danger of sinking, but ran in again to have a second shot.</p>
+
+<p>"When we saw them their stern-sheets were awash, and it looked as if
+they might have to swim for it. We manoeuvred the boat to go alongside;
+but the current was terrible, and it made the handling a very difficult
+matter. The enemy saw the disaster, and redoubled their efforts. The sea
+all r<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>ound us was a mass of splashes from projectiles, some of them
+fifteen to twenty feet high, whilst the water where the shrapnel burst
+was pitted as if by heavy rain. How it was we were not hit I cannot say;
+one would imagine it was impossible to come out of such a hail alive.
+All I can say is that God preserved us, and not a shot actually hit us,
+though we were one and all wet with the splashes.</p>
+
+<p>"As we steamed round again before heading out, we saw a man crawling out
+of the other boat's stern-sheets. He had been forgotten in the hurry of
+the moment. It looked like suicide to go back, but of course we could
+not leave him there, so manoeuvred close again and shouted to him to get
+into the water and swim towards us, which he did, and we hauled him into
+the boat unconscious. . . .</p>
+
+<p>"By this time we thought we had better clear out, so turned our nose
+towards home and steamed away at half speed, still under heavy fire. We
+did not like to go full speed, as we thought it would shake up the
+wounded man too much."</p>
+
+<p>The officer who relates the story tells us that when he reached the
+<i>Majestic</i> the commander, "with the true old Navy touch, instead of
+congratulating us on the success of the expedition, and our people on
+their lives being saved, only asked them if they had saved any of the
+boat's gear!" Congratulations, however, came later, when the
+Vice-Admiral signalled that he had read with much pride the report of
+the torpedo attack on the wreck of E15, and that he considered the
+service which had been rendered of the greatest value.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>During the early months of the war the Baltic Sea was Germany's own
+domain. Her merchant vessels went to and fro across its waters without
+molestation from the British. By July 1915, however, our submarines had
+got through the dangerous channels, and were busily engaged in
+destroying German shipping. It was no easy matter for our submarines to
+enter the Baltic. The Germans had laid mines in the narrow waters by
+which alone entrance could be gained, and had established a patrol
+service. They felt sure that they could keep out the British submarines,
+but they had underestimated British skill, courage, and caution. From
+that time onward German vessels were sunk at the rate of about two a
+day. A battleship and at least two cruisers were sunk before the end<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> of
+November, and a state of panic reigned. It was all-important that the
+Germans should maintain sea communication with Sweden, from which they
+drew vast quantities of iron ore and other raw materials, and also with
+Denmark. You can imagine their consternation when they found that none
+of their merchant ships dare leave port without the risk of being sent
+to the bottom. I need not tell you that in every case the British were
+most careful to save the lives of the crews.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>One of the most successful of our submarine officers was Commander Max
+K. Horton. He was present during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and you
+have already read (page 168, Vol. II.) how on September 13, 1915, he
+sank the light cruiser <i>Hela</i>, and was playfully dubbed by his comrades
+"The Double-toothed Pirate." The next day, at great risk, he examined
+the outer anchorage of Heligoland, and on 6th October sank a German
+destroyer off the mouth of the Ems. When or how he got into the Baltic
+Sea we do not know, but we do know that on July 2, 1915, he torpedoed
+the German battleship <i>Pommern</i>, and that shortly afterwards the Tsar
+recognized this important service by conferring on him the Order of St.
+George. At the same time the cross of the same order was awarded to the
+members of his crew. During the Battle of the Gulf of Riga, which I
+shall describe in a later chapter, Commander Noel Laurence torpedoed the
+German cruiser <i>Moltke</i>, which, you will remember, took part in the East
+Coast raids and in the Battle of the Dogger Bank. She was badly
+disabled, and was towed away, probably towards Kiel. The Tsar awarded
+Commander Laurence and his crew similar distinctions to those conferred
+upon Commander Max Horton and his comrades.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>One of our submarines, E13, ran aground early in the morning of 19th
+August on the Danish island of Saltholm, which lies in the Sound between
+Copenhagen and the Swedish town of Malm&ouml;. At 5 a.m. a Danish torpedo
+boat saw her, and signalled to her that she would be allowed twenty-four
+hours in which to try to get off. At the same time a German destroyer
+arrived, and remained close to the submarine until two other Danish
+torpedo boats came up, when she withdrew. The submarine, you must
+remember, was in Danish waters, and if the Germans should attack her
+they wo<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>uld commit an act of war against Denmark, which, as you know, is
+neutral. Nevertheless, at 9 a.m., two German destroyers appeared,
+launched a torpedo at the submarine, and fired at her with all their
+guns. The British commander ordered his men to abandon the vessel; but
+while they were doing so machine guns were turned on them, and shrapnel
+was burst above them. Fourteen of the poor fellows were killed, and not
+a soul of the crew would have remained alive had not a Danish torpedo
+boat gallantly steamed in between the submarine and the German
+destroyer, and thus covered the stranded vessel. This cowardly and
+murderous act caused great indignation not only in Britain but in
+Denmark. Once more German sailors had covered themselves with infamy.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Russian submarines were also active in the Baltic. The following story
+tells us how a Russian submarine collided with a German warship which
+she had just torpedoed.</p>
+
+<p>Having picked up the smoke of enemy vessels on the horizon, the
+submarine approached them, and by means of her periscope discovered that
+they consisted of ten ships of the line and several torpedo boats. To
+prevent the enemy from seeing his periscope, the commander of the
+submarine steered to the port side of the squadron, where he was between
+the ships and the light. With his periscope six inches above the water,
+he approached the squadron, and then dived. When he rose again he
+sighted on his starboard the ram of the leading warship, which was
+cutting across his course at a distance of not more than sixty yards.</p>
+
+<p>Again he dived, and gave the order to fire a torpedo. The order was
+obeyed, and was immediately followed by a collision. A terrible crash
+was heard. The whole submarine trembled; the electric bulbs burst;
+crockery and all kinds of articles flew about; something above cracked,
+broke, and gave way. The submarine took a list to starboard, and the
+crew were unable to keep their feet. What had happened? The hull of the
+warship had struck the centre of the submarine. The men hung on to
+anything within reach, and fortunately kept their heads. "Full speed
+ahead" was the order, and soon the submarine regained her balance.</p>
+
+<p>She was 75 feet below the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> surface when a loud explosion was heard. The
+torpedo had got home. The noise was so great that the commander thought
+the shell of his boat had been damaged by the collision, and that it was
+collapsing under the pressure of the water. He therefore rose to 60
+feet, but the sound of the approaching screw of a large ship forced him
+to dive to 80 feet. Again and again he tried to rise, but every time he
+heard the screws of battleships and torpedo boats above him. He now
+discovered that his periscope was damaged, and that his boat was leaking
+and losing its buoyancy. Water had to be blown out of the tanks from
+time to time, and this revealed the presence of the submarine to the
+ships above. It was not until near midnight that she dared come to the
+surface. She rose carefully, and, thanks to the darkness, was not seen.
+Soon she was making her way to the shore, having been under water for
+four hours without a break.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>About the second week of May German submarines were reported in the
+Mediterranean. During the month of February the Germans completed the
+first of their big submarines which were capable of making the journey
+from Zeebrugge to the Dardanelles within three weeks. Secret bases had
+been established in Eastern waters, and the British Government offered a
+large reward for their discovery. Several of them were found on Greek
+islands. Before long the German submarines made their presence felt. We
+shall learn in a later chapter how, on 26th May, one of them managed to
+torpedo the <i>Triumph</i>, and the next day sent the <i>Majestic</i> to the
+bottom. The submarines practically put an end to the bombardment of the
+Dardanelles forts by our ships of war. While firing at the forts the
+ships were obliged to move slowly, and thus were at the mercy of an
+enemy under water.</p>
+
+<p>Germany's new submarines in the Mediterranean mounted bigger and more
+effective guns than had formerly been employed on under-water craft, and
+they were able to destroy several vessels by shell fire. Not only
+British, French, and Italian vessels were sent to the bottom, but one if
+not two American ships. I have already told you of the sinking of the
+<i>Ancona</i>. Dastardly as it was, it was outdone on 30th December, when the
+Peninsular and Oriental liner <i>Persia</i> was sent to her doom. She was on
+her outward voyage, and at lunch time was off the island of Crete, when,
+without warning of any kind, a torpedo was launched against her. Five
+m<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>inutes after she received her death-blow she had vanished utterly. More
+than 330 out of the 501 passengers and crew were lost, and amongst the
+victims were a large number of women and children. Lord Montagu, who was
+saved, cabled home as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"I have had a miraculous escape. The ship sank by the stern,
+dragging me down with her. When I was blown up to the surface
+again I saw a dreadful scene of struggling human beings. There
+was hardly any wreckage to grasp. Nearly all the boats were
+smashed, and only three remained afloat. After a desperate
+struggle, I climbed on the bottom of a broken boat with 28
+Lascars and three other Europeans. Our number was reduced to 19
+by Thursday night, and only 11 remained on Friday, the rest
+having died from exposure and injuries. We saw a neutral steamer
+pass close by on Thursday evening at about 8 o'clock, but she
+took no notice of the red flare shown by another of the
+<i>Persia's</i> boats. We saw a large steamer three miles away on the
+next day; but she too ignored our signals, probably thinking
+they were a ruse of an enemy submarine. Our broken boat capsized
+constantly, and we were all the time washed by the waves, so
+that we were almost exhausted when the second night began. At
+8.30 p.m. we saw the Alfred Holt steamer <i>Ningchow</i> near us, and
+shouted as loudly as we could. On Friday night at 9 o'clock she
+rescued us. We had been thirty-two hours in the sea without
+water or food, except one biscuit, since breakfast time on
+Thursday."</p></div>
+
+<p>Within a day or two of this outrage the British steamer <i>Glengyle</i> was
+also sunk in the Mediterranean, but happily all the passengers were
+saved. In the North Sea we had got the submarine danger well in hand,
+but in the far more extensive Mediterranean the enemy remained powerful
+for mischief down to the close of the year.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>WINTER FIGHTING IN POLAND AND EAST PRUSSIA.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n chapter XXIX. of our third volume I told you how von Hindenburg's
+second attempt on Warsaw was foiled, and how the Russians during the
+last days of December 1914 stood firm on a front of great strength. At
+the beginning of the year 1915 the Russian front extended from the
+Baltic Sea right to the border of Rumania&mdash;a distance of at least nine
+hundred miles. In January 1915 the Russians were holding the longest
+battle front ever known in the history of the world.</p>
+
+<p>We may divide this very extended battle front as Caesar divided
+Gaul&mdash;into three parts. The trenches in the central or Polish zone ran
+from the mouth of the Bzura, on the Middle Vistula, to the Upper
+Vistula, at its confluence with the Donajetz, in a fairly straight line,
+for a distance of about two hundred miles. On either side of this
+central zone there were two wings which differed greatly in character.
+Both were bent back from the line of the central zone: the north or
+right wing followed a sickle shape through a region of lake and marsh
+from the Baltic to the Vistula, and was for the most part within the
+East Prussian frontier; while the south or left wing ran from the Upper
+Vistula to follow the line of the Carpathians.</p>
+
+<p>We will now learn something of the fighting which took place in the
+first three months of the year 1915 on the north or right wing. For the
+first few weeks there was ordinary trench warfare such as was going on
+in the West. Attacks and counter-attacks were frequent, but there was no
+action of any great importance. Most of the attacks were made by night,
+beneath the light of rockets and star-shells and the glare of
+searchlights. On the Bzura River the trenches of friend and foe were
+only sixty yards apart, and in this section of the line the Germans
+tried a very ingenious method of breaking down the Russian wire
+entanglements. They filled <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>barrels with clay, and rolled them down the
+slopes towards the Russians, who believed that men with wire-cutters
+were hiding behind the barrels and pushing them forward. They therefore
+flung their hand grenades at the barrels, only to discover that they
+were moving by their own weight, and that there were no men behind them.
+When the Russians had thus exhausted their supply of hand grenades, the
+Germans pushed forward and tried to rush the trenches. They were only
+beaten off after a furious struggle. Shells and bombs containing poison
+gases were also used by the Germans on this part of the line.</p>
+
+<p>In Poland there was the same kind of warfare as on the Bzura. Across the
+plains the Germans had made a maze of very strong trenches and
+earthworks with deep underground chambers, floored and roofed with wood.</p>
+
+<p>In Galicia, towards the end of January the bright sun melted the snows
+of the Carpathians, and the streams became roaring torrents which made a
+very effective barrier against surprise attacks. Nevertheless the enemy
+kept up a very heavy bombardment across the flooded waters. On the
+Donajetz River the Austrians broke the rules of war, and fired from
+their machine guns explosive bullets, which when they entered a man's
+body blew away half his back.</p>
+
+<p>Towards the end of January the Russians began to take the offensive on
+the wings. At this time, you must remember, the new forces which the
+Allies in the West had raised were not yet ready to take the field. The
+"thin line of steel and valour" in Artois and Flanders was only just
+holding its own, and it was feared that if the Germans brought troops
+from the East they would be able to break through the Allied line and
+reach the Channel ports. The Grand Duke Nicholas was, therefore,
+requested to attack von Hindenburg, and prevent him from releasing
+troops for service in the West. Earlier in the war he had sacrificed
+large numbers of his men in East Prussia to give his Western Allies a
+breathing space. Now, although his forces were very weak in guns,
+rifles, and ammunition, he showed the same high courage and chivalry. He
+knew that, if he pushed forward into the sacred land of East Prussia,
+von Hindenburg would hasten to engage him, and that if he threatened
+Hungary, the great granary of the Central Powers, the enemy would be
+bound to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span>oppose him. The Grand Duke Nicholas was well aware that he
+could not hope for conquest. All that he could do would be to worry the
+enemy and prevent him from sending troops to the West.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p115.jpg" width="374" height="485" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Russians retaking a Trench before Bolimov.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+The following account of the incident pictured above was given by a
+Russian soldier:&mdash;"They did not stay long when we came down on them with
+our bayonets. Our artillery had dropped many shells right in the trench
+before we got there. The machine guns played on us until the last
+minute, and we paused to fire at the gunners. The few Germans who were
+left tried to drag the guns away with them, but our men took them away
+from them."</h4>
+
+<p>In order to provide a sufficient force for these attacks, the Russians
+had to draw off men and guns from their centre. Von Hindenburg knew
+this, and he therefore determined to make another effort to capture
+Warsaw by a frontal attack. The fifty-sixth birthday of the Kaiser was
+drawing near, and what better present could be made to him than the
+great Polish capital? You will remember that at this time the Russians
+were lying along the right bank of the Bzura and its tributary the
+Rawka. Look at the map on the next page and find the town of Bolimov, on
+the western bank of the Rawka. It is about forty miles from Warsaw, and
+is connected with it by a fairly good road. In front of Bolimov there
+are rolling downs and belts of wood. You will notice that the Russian
+lines cross the Rawka south of Bolimov.</p>
+
+<p>On the last day of January von Mackensen, who had brought up large
+numbers of heavy guns all along the left bank of the Rawka, began a
+terrific bombardment of the Russian lines. This was done to puzzle the
+Russians and make them uncertain as to where the infantry attack was to
+be made. The Germans proposed to advance on a line of seven miles
+between Bolimov and the Bzura.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of 1st February, when the snow was falling heavily, the
+German guns fiercely shelled the Russian trenches between the Warsaw
+road and the Bzura River. When it was supposed that the wire
+entanglements had been blown into a million fragments and the trenches
+utterly wrecked, 140,000 Germans, including Prussian Guards, advanced in
+masses, sometimes ten and sometimes twenty-two deep. They were mown down
+by Russian shot and shell; nevertheless they carried the first line of
+trenches, and by the evening of the 2nd February had pushed the Russians
+back to the crest of a ridge behind the town of Borzymov. On Wednesday
+the Germans looked like succeeding; but by means of the railways which
+you see to the north and to the south of Borzymov, and also by means of
+the roads, the Grand Duke hurried up reinforcements from Warsaw. They
+marched through the driving snow, and arrived on the scene of battle
+late on Thursday. By this time the Germans<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> had been checked. They had
+pushed across the crest of the ridge behind Borzymov, had advanced five
+miles along the railway, and had very nearly broken through the Russian
+front.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p117.jpg" width="280" height="264" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Battle on the Rawka.</h4>
+
+<p>The fighting was terribly fierce, and the Germans lost heavily. Around
+Borzymov the slaughter was so great that the ground was cumbered with
+German dead, and the survivors used the bodies of their fallen comrades
+to build up defences. The woods to the south of the Bolimov-Warsaw road
+were also strewn with dead. By 8th February the Germans had been flung
+back to the banks of the Rawka, and the Russians had crossed the river
+at Dachova. The German loss cannot have been less than 20,000 men. The
+great attempt had failed, and it was now clear that Warsaw could not be
+captured by a frontal attack.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as von Hindenburg saw that the Bzura-Rawka lines were too strong
+for him, he was ready with a new plan. He was now about to try a flank
+attack. Look careful<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>ly at the map on the next page and notice the
+railways which meet in the Polish capital. By these railways alone can
+a Russian army maintain itself westward of the Vistula. In front of the
+main railway (A A) from Warsaw to Petrograd you see a river line&mdash;that
+of the Niemen and the Narev. Von Hindenburg's plan was to push out from
+East Prussia, carry the river line, cut the railway, and thus force the
+Russians to retire from Warsaw, which would then fall into his hands.
+Meanwhile the Austrians, on the Russian left wing, were to drive back
+Brussilov, relieve Przemysl, and try to recapture Lemberg. If these
+operations should succeed, the Russians would be forced back from the
+line of the Vistula to the river Bug, and it would take them a year's
+fighting to recover the lost ground.</p>
+
+<p>First of all we will follow the fortunes of the East Prussian campaign.
+While the fighting was proceeding on the Rawka, the Russians, who
+numbered about 120,000, were making headway in East Prussia. Despite the
+keen frost, the icy winds, and the deep snowdrifts, they pushed back the
+weak German forces opposed to them, until, on 6th February, their right
+was not far from Tilsit, and their left rested on the town of
+Johannisburg. Nowhere were they less than twenty-five miles within the
+East Prussian frontier.</p>
+
+<p>On 7th February von Hindenburg sprang his surprise upon the invaders. He
+suddenly hurled 300,000 men against the whole line which the Russians
+were holding. According to custom, the German left wing made an
+outflanking movement. It was successful, and the Russians holding this
+part of the line were forced to retreat along the railway towards Kovno.
+The 20th Corps just to the south of it now had its right "in the air,"
+and was obliged to retire. In the forests and marshes north of Suwalki
+it was broken up into parties of stragglers. The remainder of the
+Russian line was also driven back, but only after a stern struggle. By
+15th February the Germans were on Russian soil, and were moving towards
+the river line which screens the railway from Warsaw to Petrograd. They
+were about to attack on the Niemen, the Bobr, and the Narev at one and
+the same time. If the river line should be forced, the railway would
+soon be reached and cut.</p>
+
+<p>I have told you what happened in East Prussia in a few sentences; but
+you must not suppose that the Germans won easy victories. The Russians
+resisted despera<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>tely, and many of them fought to the last cartridge.
+Though their losses were very heavy, they performed a great feat in
+retreating seventy miles with a force three times as great hard on their
+heels. The Germans had a good railway system to help them in their East
+Prussian advance, but more than half of the Russian army had to retire
+through thick forests and drag heavy guns across a rough, broken country
+deep in snow and without railways.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p119.jpg" width="444" height="345" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Map to illustrate the German attack on the river line.</h4>
+
+<p>The Kaiser sent the following message to his people: "Russians
+crushingly defeated. Our beloved East Prussia liberated from the enemy.
+Our beautiful Mazurian land is waste. (Signed) Wilhelm." The Germans
+claimed that they had captured 75,000 prisoners and 300 guns, but this
+was false. The total Russian losses were, perhaps, 80 guns and 30,000
+men.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 732px;">
+<img src="images/p120.jpg" width="732" height="466" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Austrian Trenches.&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Topical Press.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>This photograph gives a good idea of the way in which trenches are
+constructed and manned. It will be noticed that the front and rear
+trench communicate by means of a narrow cutting, and that the trenches
+are dug zigzag so that they cannot be enfiladed along the full length.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2>
+
+<h3>A BATTLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he Russians had already prepared positions on the river line, and by
+19th February they had occupied them, and were waiting for the Germans
+to attack. Next day the enemy launched forces against the Niemen, about
+fourteen miles to the north of Grodno. A thick belt of wood on the banks
+of the river screened them from view, and some of them succeeded in
+crossing the river, but could not emerge from the forests on the other
+side. Though the railway was less than ten miles away, they were unable
+to reach it.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the fortress of Ossowietz, on the Bobr, was undergoing a
+second siege. You will remember that the Germans had tried to capture it
+in the previous September, but had failed, because the fortress stands
+amidst marshes, and they could not find solid ground from which to fire
+their big guns. Again they failed, though they used every possible
+device to bring about its downfall. Every knuckle of hard soil on which
+a howitzer could be placed was known to the garrison, and they were able
+to silence the big guns of the enemy before they could do much mischief.
+It is said that the Germans lost 15,000 dead in their attempts to storm
+the fortress.</p>
+
+<p>Thus the attacks on the Niemen and the Bobr had come to nothing. By the
+beginning of March the Russians were advancing everywhere along the line
+from Kovno to the Narev, and the Germans were slowly retiring towards
+East Prussia. There was desperate fighting with the bayonet amidst the
+marshy woods near Augustovo, where large captures were made of German
+guns, supplies, and prisoners. By the middle of March the Germans were
+covering the East Prussian frontier, and were only ten miles within
+Russian te<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>rritory. Meanwhile a great battle had been fought and lost on
+the Narev.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Look carefully at the map on p. <a href="#Page_115">115</a>; it shows you the country between
+the East Prussian frontier and the Narev. This river flows in a winding
+course through a district of marshes and heavy woods, with here and
+there a few ridges. To the north of the river, and to the east of the
+town of Przasnysz,<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> which stands midway between the frontier and the
+Narev, there are some fairly high hills with patches of forest on their
+sandy slopes. The crossing-places of the Narev are protected by
+fortified towns, some of which you see marked by a star on the map.</p>
+
+<p>Find the town of Mlawa, of which you have already heard. On a front
+stretching for some twenty-five miles to the north-east of that town,
+and about a day's march in front of the Prussian frontier railway, the
+Germans massed two corps, and on 22nd February began to advance in three
+columns. The right travelled from Mlawa by the railway which you see
+marked on the map, the centre marched along the main highway towards
+Przasnysz, and the left followed the valley of a little river towards a
+road which enters the same town from the north-east. There was only a
+single Russian brigade in front of Przasnysz, and it was easily driven
+back. On the 24th the Germans entered the town, in which they seized a
+number of guns and captured about half the brigade which had been
+defending it.</p>
+
+<p>On the previous day another Russian advanced body which lay on a ridge
+near the village of Vola, to the south of Przasnysz, had been attacked.
+Elsewhere the Germans were advancing without much difficulty, but on
+this ridge a violent battle raged, and the Russians made a most heroic
+stand. For thirty-six hours they held out, and on the evening of the
+24th their reinforcements arrived. Four columns of Russians had advanced
+on Przasnysz from the Narev line, and the invaders were pressed
+northward on three sides. They were driven through the town in
+confusion, and on the 26th it was once more in Russian hands. All the
+next day the battle raged amongst the snowy ridges to the north-east and
+north-west of the town, and by Sunday morning the enemy was in full
+retreat for the frontier, leaving 10,000 prisoners behind him. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span>Thus the
+whole attempt to capture Warsaw by a flank movement had failed.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p123.jpg" width="469" height="303" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Scene of the Fighting round Przasnysz.</h4>
+
+<p>The Battle of Przasnysz was more like a struggle of the Middle Ages than
+a modern battle. The Russians short of arms and ammunition, and they
+could not supply all their trained men with rifles. In this and in other
+fights the Russians kept unarmed troops in the rear. When the men with
+rifles fell, the unarmed were sent forward to take up the weapons of the
+dead and wounded and then fling themselves on the foe. Men rushed into
+the firing line at Przasnysz with a sword bayonet in one hand and two
+bombs in the other. They charged through rifle and machine-gun fire
+until they were near enough to fling their bombs, and then fell
+furiously upon the enemy with cold steel, utterly reckless of wounds and
+death. The Germans could not stand against such an onset, and fled. Thus
+by sheer bodily might the Russians had flung back in rout a foe superior
+to them in numbers, and once more von Hindenburg found Warsaw beyond his
+grasp.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 713px;">
+<img src="images/p124.jpg" width="713" height="481" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Retreat of the Austrians across the Uzsok Pass.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By
+permission of The Sphere.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>This spirited drawing shows Russian cavalry driving the Austrians across
+the snow-bound Uzsok Pass. (See page <a href="#Page_120">120</a>.) In this attack the Russians
+fell upon the flank and rear of the Austrians during a violent
+snowstorm, and pursued them for many miles. Hundreds of Austrians
+surrendered.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE FALL OF PRZEMYSL.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>ou will remember that while von Hindenburg was vainly attempting to
+pierce the river line of the Niemen and the Narev on the Russian right
+wing, the Austrians were in motion against the south or left wing. On
+page 249 of our third volume I gave you a map, which I repeat on page
+119, showing the line which the Russians were holding in Galicia at the
+close of the year 1914. They then held the northern entrances to the
+Carpathian passes, and had pushed up the Dukla Pass almost to the crest.
+Newspaper readers in this country believed that before long the Russian
+legions would be pouring down on the Hungarian plain, and that when the
+great granary of the Central Powers was invaded the end of the war would
+be in sight.</p>
+
+<p>During the month of January the Russians strove hard to push across the
+Galician passes, and their cavalry actually descended to the Hungarian
+plain thirty miles south of the mountains. Not only was fighting going
+on in Galicia, but in Bukovina<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a>&mdash;that is, the country of the beech
+woods&mdash;which stretches southward from the Dneister, across the Pruth and
+the Sereth, to the eastern face of the Carpathians. Ever since September
+1914 the Russians had held Northern Bukovina, and they now wished to
+conquer the whole of it, for several reasons. In the first place, it was
+Germany's main source of supply for petrol; in the second place, it lay
+on the frontier of Rumania, and it was thought that the presence of a
+Russian army in Bukovina would induce Rumania to join the Allies.
+Further, if Rumania should elect to do so, she would be able to join
+hands at once with the Russians. In the third place, there are several
+fairly easy passes from Buko<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>vina into Hungary, and one of them is the
+main route from the north to the plains of Hungary.</p>
+
+<p>The Russians had only a division in Bukovina, and the Austrians opposed
+them with a force which was not much stronger. By the middle of January
+almost all the country was in the hands of the Russians. They had,
+however, not yet secured the pass which would enable them to advance
+into Hungary.</p>
+
+<p>The time had now come for the Austrians to make a great effort to save
+Hungary, and to prevent Rumania, with her large and well-equipped army,
+from entering into the struggle on the side of the Allies. How was this
+to be done? Two campaigns were necessary&mdash;the one to drive back
+Brussilov from the passes and to relieve Przemysl, and the other to
+clear Bukovina of the invaders.</p>
+
+<p>Let us see how the campaign in Bukovina fared. Three Austrian corps and
+one German corps crossed the mountains and advanced in two columns. The
+Russians, you will remember, had only one division with which to meet
+these four army corps. They were obliged to fall back, and thus Bukovina
+was cleared. The Austrians captured town after town, and early in March
+they entered Stanislau,<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a> a railway junction only seventy miles from
+Lemberg. They were delighted with their success, and they reported that
+they had made huge captures of prisoners. They had now reached a
+position from which they could threaten the Russian communications.
+Soon, however, it was discovered that the Russians had only fallen back
+to a point where they could be reinforced. As soon as their numbers were
+sufficiently increased they advanced again, and pushed the Austrians out
+of Stanislau, and almost back to the line of the Pruth. By doing so they
+removed the danger to their communications.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p127.jpg" width="368" height="292" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Position of the Russians in Galicia at the end of 1914.</h4>
+
+<p>Meanwhile what had happened in Galicia? Two Austrian armies had been
+fighting fierce battles in the deep snows and slush of the Carpathians.
+With infinite labour guns and transports had been hauled up the icy
+slopes, where a foothold could barely be maintained. Infantry attacks
+were difficult; the white snow threw up the figures of the men, who thus
+became excellent targets, no matter what uniforms they wore. Even night
+attacks were revealed, for on moonl<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span>ess nights the light reflected from
+the snow made all things clear. Both sides suffered terribly from the
+cold, but it told more severely on the Austrians than on the Russians,
+who are accustomed to bitter winters. In the last week of January a
+bright sun shone, and often the pure white snow was stained scarlet with
+the blood of the fallen. Blizzards swept across the mountains during
+February, and checked the fighting on the uplands, though it continued
+to rage in the foothills. Perhaps the most terrible hand-to-hand
+fighting known to history took place at a little village near the Uzsok
+Pass. Large German forces for two months vainly tried to oust the
+Russians, who had captured the position from them. Some idea of the
+awful losses sustained by the Germans may be gathered from the statement
+that one regiment changed from colonel to drummer boy three and perhaps
+four times. The village stands on a height, and during the winter is
+shrouded in snow. While the furious battles were raging, the height was
+reduced to bare soil, every foot of its surface having been ploughed
+with shell and drenched with blood. You can imagine the horror of trench
+life in this region, with the thermometer below freezing-point and the
+icy blizzards b<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span>lowing almost daily. In some places the trenches were
+only forty paces apart, and so fierce were the attacks and
+counter-attacks that eight out of every ten men engaged in them are said
+to have fallen. At the beginning of February the Russians in this region
+destroyed a whole battalion of Germans, save the commander and twenty
+men.</p>
+
+<p>The Austrian army which fought between the Dukla Pass and the Uzsok Pass
+was charged with the duty of relieving Przemysl, but it was held back by
+the Russians, as also was the army which was operating more to the east.
+During the last days of February and the first days of March Brussilov
+fought a fierce battle on a ridge near the Uzsok Pass. He held the
+heights, drove back the Austrians, and even the most desperate bayonet
+attacks could not force him from his position of vantage. The Austrians
+were held up, and the Russians gained sufficient time to reinforce their
+weak troops which had been driven out of Bukovina. I have already told
+you that they advanced again and pushed the Austrians back to the line
+of the Pruth.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The attempt to relieve Przemysl had failed, and on 22nd March the
+fortress fell. Before I proceed to tell you the story of this Russian
+success, let me give you some idea of the situation and importance of
+Przemysl. It has been famous as a fortress for a thousand years. In
+early times it was regarded as the key to the Hungarian plains, and in
+modern times it has been considered as the main outlying protection to
+the city of Cracow. The town claims to date back to the eighth century,
+and certainly is one of the oldest cities of Galicia. The river San,
+which washes its walls, descends in wide sweeps from the Uzsok Pass,
+through mountain glens filled with fir and beech trees, and then through
+the vales of the foothills, which are planted with groves of apricot,
+pear, and cherry, and are dotted here and there with brightly painted
+wooden houses. The valley of the San is the orchard land of Galicia.</p>
+
+<p>The first modern forts of Przemysl were erected in 1871, and since then
+have been several times enlarged and improved, until, on the eve of the
+war, the fortress was one of the strongest in the country. It was a ring
+fortress like Li&eacute;ge and Namur. At a distance of six miles from the city
+there was a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> circle of outer forts with smaller works connecting them.
+Within this ring, about a thousand yards from the city, there was
+another circular series of forts. Had Russia been supplied with heavy
+siege guns such as the Germans brought against the Belgian and French
+fortresses, Przemysl would have fallen in a month. As it was, it held
+out, during its second siege, for seven months.</p>
+
+<p>A glance at the map<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> shows you that Przemysl is chiefly important
+because of its situation with regard to the railways of Galicia. It
+stands on the main trunk line connecting Lemberg with Cracow, and it
+gives railway access to the Lupkow and Uzsok passes. While Przemysl held
+out the Russians had to send supplies to their armies by long and
+roundabout routes, and they could not readily mass troops for a big
+movement against the passes. As far back as September 27, 1914, the
+Russians had closed round it, and had sat tight in their trenches hoping
+to starve it into surrender. The town was not well supplied with
+provisions, and by the middle of October the defenders were on very
+short commons indeed. Then came a blessed respite. Von Hindenburg's
+first assault on Warsaw forced Ivanov to retire beyond the San, and the
+Austrians found themselves able to pour food, ammunition, and supplies
+into the besieged fortress. By the 12th of November, when the Russians
+had surrounded it once more, there were four Austrian army corps in the
+place, and these, with the townsfolk and refugees, numbered some 200,000
+souls.</p>
+
+<p>It is still a matter of wonder why the Austrians kept four army corps in
+Przemysl. To hold the twenty-five miles circuit of the fortress 50,000
+men would have been ample, and every extra mouth in the place only
+brought the day of surrender nearer. One would have supposed that during
+the retreat of the Russians in October distant lines of trenches would
+have been flung out from Przemysl, as had been done at Verdun. The
+Austrians, however, showed no foresight, and the governor seems to have
+considered the town a capital place in which to spend the winter. When
+the Russians returned they had nothing to do but sit down and let the
+garrison eat up its supplies. When food gave out the fortress was bound
+to fall.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 835px;">
+<img src="images/p130.jpg" width="835" height="473" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Fall of Przemysl.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by H. C. Seppings-Wright. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture, which was drawn by the artist on the spot, shows Russians
+advancing to occupy the fortress, and passing on the way large numbers
+of Austrians who had been captured in the final sortie. The town of
+Przemysl is seen in the distance on the right. In the background are
+seen Austrian forts and a railway bridge being blown up. Almost in the
+middle of the picture a land-mine is exploding.</h4>
+
+<p>In December the Austrians made <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>an attempt to relieve the fortress. In
+Chapter XXVII. of our third volume I told you how the Austrians
+launched two armies against the Russians, who were then threatening
+Cracow, and how the Russians were forced to retreat to the position
+shown on the map on page <a href="#Page_119">119</a>. During the Russian retreat the Austrians
+were so near to Przemysl that they could hear its guns thundering, and
+exchange signals with its garrison by means of searchlights. The time
+had come for the Austrians within the fortress to dash out and break
+through the lines of their besiegers. On 15th December five regiments
+did so.</p>
+
+<p>They broke through the Russian lines at the south-east angle, and for
+four days there was fierce and doubtful fighting. The Russians, however,
+managed to drive the Austrians back into the town. The sortie had
+failed, with a loss of 3,000 killed and wounded. Shortly afterwards
+Brussilov cleared the mouths of the passes, and by Christmas Day
+Przemysl was once more girdled by a ring of iron. I have already told
+you how the Austro-Germans made another attempt late in January and
+early in February 1915 to relieve the strain on the fortress, and how it
+came to nought. Thereafter the fall of Przemysl was only a matter of
+time.</p>
+
+<p>Fighting went on night and day. Many times the Austrians strove to break
+out, but each time they were driven back, with huge losses on both
+sides. The Russians counter-attacked, and won several of the forts.
+"These unexpected blows," wrote a Russian general, "greatly excite the
+garrison. Right through the night their searchlights sweep to and fro
+over our positions, and the long white rays rest trembling on every fold
+of the ground. At times something alarms the forts, and the air is
+instantly filled with the thunder of Austrian guns. The fire is kept up
+for thirty minutes to an hour before it subsides again." It is worthy of
+note that not a single Russian shell fell within the town itself.</p>
+
+<p>But all the time famine was doing its deadly work. Up to December there
+was no shortage of food; but when the new year set in the rations were
+severely cut down, first for the civilians, then for the soldiers, next
+for the hospitals, and finally for the officers. The weather grew cold,
+and there was no firewood. Bread could not be obtained at all, and a
+fowl cost twenty-four shillings. Soon the cavalry began slaughtering
+their horses<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> for food. By March a cow was selling for &pound;140, and a dog
+for &pound;2, 10s.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Stanley Washburn, a correspondent with the Russian army, tells us
+that the place was greatly over-garrisoned by patient, haggard soldiers
+starving in the trenches and sleek faultlessly-dressed officers living
+on the fat of the land in fashionable hotels and restaurants. While the
+garrison became thin and half starved, the officers ate three meals a
+day, and enjoyed fresh meat, cigars, wines, and every luxury. While
+soldiers were falling fainting in the streets, their officers were
+leading the life to which they had been accustomed in Vienna during
+times of peace.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of 13th March the end began. The Russians pushed through
+the outer line of defences and began to bombard the inner forts. Four
+days later the Austrians strove for the last time to break out, but the
+Russian guns caught them and mowed them down in swathes. The survivors
+were driven back with heavy loss, and 4,000 prisoners remained in
+Russian hands. Early on the morning of the 22nd the besiegers were
+awakened by the noise of loud explosions. The Austrians were blowing up
+the forts before surrendering the city. We are told that the burning
+forts smoked like a circle of volcanoes. Soon a white flag was seen
+fluttering above the highest building in the town. Przemysl was ready to
+surrender. Meanwhile the officers were shooting their chargers, to
+prevent them from falling into the hands of the Russians, and the
+soldiers, crazy with hunger, were greedily devouring the raw flesh. Tons
+of explosives were sunk in the river, guns and rifles were destroyed,
+and bridges were blown up.</p>
+
+<p>About nine o'clock a letter reached the Russian headquarters from the
+Austrian general saying that hunger had forced him to yield the
+fortress. A few Russian officers entered and received the surrender; but
+there was no triumphal parade such as had been witnessed when the
+Germans entered Antwerp.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Civilians inform me," wrote Mr. Washburn, "that they gladly
+welcome the Russians, and that the first troops who entered were
+greeted with cheers, while the garrison was frankly pleased that
+the siege was over and their troubles at an end. I have seen on
+the road and in the town tens of thousands of prisoners, and I
+believe the Austrians, especially the Hungarians, are
+first-class raw material, but that now they are utterly broken
+and helpless." (This he considered to be due to their wretched
+officers, who, if those seen in Przemysl were fair samples,
+appeared to be the most selfish and incompetent in Europe.) "I
+have never witnessed a more unpleasant sight than that of the
+dapper, overdressed Austrian officers laughing and chatting
+gaily as they were driven in carriages to the railway station
+for departure, passing through columns of their own men, pale
+and haggard from hardships which apparently had not been shared
+in any particular by their officers."</p></div>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>So fell Przemysl. Its capture was not so much a Russian victory as an
+Austrian disgrace. By overcrowding the place with soldiers, and putting
+careless, ignorant officers in charge of them, the Austrians ensured its
+downfall. About 120,000 prisoners, including 2,600 officers, fell into
+Russian hands; about 1,000 guns were captured, 180 of them fit for use,
+as well as a large amount of shell and small-arm ammunition. Russia had
+obtained an excellent base from which to advance against the central
+passes of the Carpathians, and she had set free an army of 100,000 men
+for future operations.</p>
+
+<p>The fall of Przemysl was greeted with great delight by the Allies, and
+it was thought that before the end of the summer Cracow would be sure to
+fall, Silesia would be entered, and the Russian legions would be
+sweeping through Hungary. Alas! these rosy hopes were soon to be
+disappointed. Within five weeks clouds began to gather in the East. The
+Russians were caught napping. The strongest army which Germany had ever
+mustered was hurled against them, and huge guns drove them remorselessly
+back from the soil which they had so hardly won. Less than forty days
+after the Austro-Germans began to move, Przemysl was once more in their
+hands. Nor was the retreat stayed until the Russians were driven far
+back on their own soil, and the very existence of their armies was at
+stake.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES FROM EASTERN BATTLEFIELDS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n this chapter I shall tell you some stories illustrating the fierce
+fighting which took place in the Eastern theatre of war during the first
+three months of the year 1915. I have already told you that Russian
+women frequently disguised themselves as men and fought with great
+heroism in the ranks. A Russian girl named Alexandra Lagereva was
+awarded a commission early in the year for fine soldierly conduct in the
+field. During one of the battles fought near Suwalki her detachment was
+surrounded by the Germans, and forced to surrender. Alexandra noticed,
+from the way in which her captors looked at her, that they had guessed
+her secret. Perhaps for this reason they did not go through her pockets,
+in which she carried a watch and a compass.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners were locked up in a church, and a sentry was placed at the
+door. At night, when all was quiet, Alexandra formed a plan of escape. A
+window was broken, and the girl crept through it. She stealthily
+approached the sentry, whom she felled with a stone. Then several of her
+comrades clambered out of the window, recovered their horses, and, along
+with her, made off. Soon, however, a force of eighteen Uhlans barred
+their way; but Alexandra and her comrades managed to capture them. When
+the German lieutenant learned that his eighteen men had been overpowered
+by a girl and six Russians, he tore his hair in rage. He was found to be
+carrying important papers, and these Alexandra took to the nearest
+Russian commander, whose report on her gallant conduct led to her
+promotion. She was described as of middle height, slender and graceful,
+and by no means of that masculine character which her deeds would lead
+one to suppose.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p>
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Mr. Washburn, who has already been mentioned in these pages, tells us
+that the Russian officer looks upon his men as his children, and that
+they call him "father." "It is a strange relation," he says, "that one
+sees between them. I recall seeing a grizzled old colonel marching his
+much-cut-up regiment past him on the plains of Poland after an action.
+As each company passed the old hero called out in his deep bass voice,
+'I am pleased with you, my children; you have done well,' And each
+company replied in unison, 'Thank you, father; we are willing to do as
+much again.' And then they all marched back to the trenches and took up
+the burden of the campaign once more."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>You have already heard much about the Cossacks, who used to be
+considered demons of cruelty, but are now known to be much like other
+Russians&mdash;easy-going, kindly, and good-natured. One of the Cossack
+regiments is described as being clad in baggy greatcoats of undressed
+sheepskin dyed a deep claret colour, while other regiments sport similar
+garments of a bright orange hue. All wear on their heads hairy busbies
+about the size of a bushel measure. Each man owns his horse, and grooms
+it until it looks like a racing thoroughbred. The Germans go in terror
+of the Cossacks. A story is told that when a German soldier was captured
+in Poland he looked uneasily about him. On being asked what worried him,
+he said, "The Cossacks." He then went on to say that he and his comrades
+believed that the Cossacks could not be trusted alone even by the
+Russians. They were, he said, brought to the front in huge vans, and
+when an action began the vans were turned towards the enemy, and the
+doors were thrown open, when out leaped the Cossacks, sword in hand, and
+dashed upon the foe. When the fight was over, so he told his captors,
+the Cossacks were rounded up and coaxed back into their cages, where
+they were kept in confinement until the next battle!</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>An American doctor who offered his services to Russia because "Russia
+stuck to us during the Civil War," tells us that though the Germans are
+better rifle shots than the Russians, they cannot compare with the
+Tsar's soldiers when it comes to the bayonet. "When these moujiks,"<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a>
+said the doctor, "climb out of their trenches and be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>gin to sing their
+national songs they just go crazy, and they aren't scared of anything;
+and believe me, when the Germans see them coming across the fields
+bellowing these songs of theirs, they just don't wait one minute, but
+dig right out across the landscape as fast as they can tear. I don't
+think there's a soldier in the world that has anything on the Russian
+private for bravery. They are a stubborn lot, too, and will sit in
+trenches in all weathers, and be just as cheerful under one condition as
+another. One big advantage over here, as I regard it, is the good
+relations between the soldiers and their officers."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Mr. Washburn tells us<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a> how the colonel of a Russian battery "had a
+great laugh on the enemy. What happened was this. A German Taube flew
+over the line several times, and it kept coming back so frequently, and
+hovering over the battery, that the officers who were watching it became
+suspicious that they had been 'spotted.' When darkness fell the men of
+the battery became extremely busy, and by working like bees moved their
+guns perhaps 600 yards to the south, and by daylight had them in the new
+positions and fairly well masked. Shortly after sunrise back came the
+aeroplane, and when over the old position it gave a signal to its own
+lines and then flew back. Almost instantly shells fell fast and thick on
+the abandoned spot. Six hundred yards away the men of the battery
+watched the shells falling, and laughed their sides out at the way they
+had fooled the Germans. . . . From glancing at the field torn up with
+shell fire one begins to realize what observation means to the enemy.
+With modern methods a single signal from an aeroplane may mean the
+wiping out in a few minutes of an unsuspecting battery that has been
+safely hidden for months."</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>e now return to the sodden plains of Flanders, where the torn and
+slashed fields, the riven woods, and the tattered hedgerows are
+beginning to don the livery of spring. Men looking out of their trenches
+are gladdened by the pale sunshine, the tender green of the young
+leaves, the songs of the birds, the patches of blue in the showery sky,
+and the early flowers that coyly peep out amidst the grass. These signs,
+which in the happy days of peace foretell the manifold delights of
+summer, have no such meaning for the men in the trenches; yet they are
+welcome, for they indicate that the long inactivity of the winter is
+drawing to a close. The day will soon arrive when the soiled and
+battered men who have watched each other so long from muddy holes in the
+ground will come to close grips again. Fierce, relentless warfare will
+begin once more; with what result only the future can tell. One thing is
+certain&mdash;many of those who now watch the miracle of spring will never
+see the glory of summer.</p>
+
+<p>The month of March has come. The trenches are in much the same position
+as they were in the preceding November. The gains and losses of the last
+five months have been trifling. But amongst the Allies there is a
+feeling that their day has at last arrived. Especially strong is this
+belief in the British lines. New troops are crossing the narrow seas
+every day; the Canadians and many Territorial divisions are in the
+field, and before the month is over there are half a million Britons on
+French and Flemish soil. Never before have we arrayed such a mighty
+army. It is fifty-five times as great as that with which King Harry
+charged the French at Agincourt, twelve times as great as that with
+which Wellington won victories in the Peninsula, twenty-five times as
+great as the British part of the mixed army with which he made an <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span>end of
+Napoleon at Waterloo, and twice as great as that which brought the
+South African War to a close. Four months ago the little British army
+had barely been able to beat off the fierce attacks of an overwhelming
+enemy. By miracles of valour alone had our much-tried soldiers been able
+to stem the torrent in the first onset of its fury. Now, for every man
+who kept the gate at La Bass&eacute;e and Ypres there are four. Britons and
+Germans have now changed parts. It is ours to attack, theirs to defend.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>By the middle of February our General Staff felt itself strong enough to
+take the offensive. In Chapter IX. I told you how the French in
+Champagne had punctured the German line by means of an intense
+bombardment of the opposing trenches. We were now ready to make a
+similar attempt. If you look at the map on page <a href="#Page_131">132</a>, you will see a
+thick black line showing the position of our trenches about midway
+between La Bass&eacute;e and Estaires. In front of the village of Neuve
+Chapelle this line makes a distinct sag to the westward. It was upon
+this section of the line that we meant to operate, and we hoped that we
+might not only capture the village and straighten out our line, but push
+the Germans off the Aubers ridge, from which coign of vantage the La
+Bass&eacute;e-Lille railway line could be commanded. If fortune were kind, we
+might even reach Lille itself.</p>
+
+<p>Though Neuve Chapelle is only a small village, its fame is now world
+wide, and it will figure in the history books of the future. It is an
+unimportant collection of houses and small farms scattered about a
+junction of country roads, with a church in its centre. Our soldiers
+looking eastward from the British front could see the long, straggling
+line of houses among gardens, and the white church standing up tall and
+clear from the flat, marshy land. Let us suppose that we are aviators
+flying over the pretty village. What do we see? First, we notice the
+broad highway running from La Bass&eacute;e to Estaires (<span class="smcap">AA</span>), and from this
+road see two other roads, less than a mile apart, running parallel in a
+north-easterly direction (<span class="smcap">BB</span> and <span class="smcap">CC</span>). A road (<span class="smcap">DD</span>) almost parallel to the
+broad highway (<span class="smcap">AA</span>) connects these roads, and thus forms a diamond-shaped
+figure which is divided into two by a winding cross road (<span class="smcap">EE</span>). Neuve
+Chapelle lies within the northern half of the diamond. Along the road
+(<span class="smcap">DD</span>)<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> the houses are small, and stand close together; those along the
+roads <span class="smcap">CC</span> and <span class="smcap">EE</span> are surrounded by gardens and orchards. At the
+north-east of the village (<span class="smcap">F</span>) there is a small piece of ground filled
+with enclosures, and bounded on three sides by roads. Here the Germans
+have made a strong post so as to flank the approaches to the village
+from the north. Between the houses and the La Bass&eacute;e-Estaires road are
+meadows and ploughland, seamed with German trenches. At the northern
+angle of the diamond our own trenches are but 100 yards away from those
+of the Germans. In other parts of the line the distance is greater.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p139.jpg" width="286" height="272" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>From our lofty eyrie we look eastward, and make out a clearly-marked
+ridge which is well known to us as the Aubers ridge. We see at a glance
+that Neuve Chapelle is the gateway to this ridge. Between the ridge and
+the village runs a small stream, and behind it, to the south-east, is
+the Biez wood. Along the stream is the German second line of defence,
+with strong posts at the bridgeheads. We notice that the stream crosses
+the La Bass&eacute;e-Estaires road, and that to the north of it <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span>is a group of
+ruined buildings which our men call "Port Arthur." A mile eastward from
+the village is Pietre<a name="FNanchor_27_27" id="FNanchor_27_27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a> Mill, with a tall chimney, which is a landmark
+for miles around. From the mill to Port Arthur runs a great network of
+German trenches. Earthworks are also to be seen in the Biez wood to the
+south-east of the stream. It is clear that before our soldiers can
+attain the ridge and threaten Lille they must carry this formidable
+line.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 683px;">
+<img src="images/p140.jpg" width="683" height="466" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Battle of Neuve Chapelle.</h3>
+
+<h4>The black line shows the general position of the British front before
+the battle. A, 24th Brigade; B, 23rd Brigade; C, 25th Division; D,
+Garhwal Brigade; E, Dehra Dun Brigade.</h4>
+
+<p>On 8th March Sir John French called his commanders together and
+explained his plans. The main assault was to be made by the First Army,
+and two Indian divisions were to share in it, while the Second Army was
+to form a general support. In order to prevent the Germans from sending
+up reinforcements to the scene of the main attack, two other attacks
+were to take place at the same time, the one from Givenchy, the other
+just south of Armenti&egrave;res. A great mass of artillery was to be brought
+up, and a bombardment four times as intense as any which we had yet made
+was to be undertaken. Then when the German trenches were wrecked, our
+infantry were to go forward and attempt to drive a deep wedge into the
+German line. If all went well, we might be in Lille within a few days.</p>
+
+<p>On the 8th and 9th of March our big guns were brought up very quietly
+and placed in position. We were able to do this quite unknown to the
+Germans, because our aircraft had gained the upper hand of theirs. All
+sorts of big guns were massed together, and their positions are roughly
+shown on the map (page <a href="#Page_131">132</a>). Meanwhile, from ten o'clock that evening
+endless files of men marched silently down the roads leading towards our
+trenches. Watch the troops as they file by. Here are sturdy Garhwalis,
+with slouch hats and kukris at their belts, and farther down the road
+you see Gurkhas. Here, too, are the Leicesters&mdash;"the Tigers," as they
+are called from their badge. Yonder go the Lincolns and the Berkshires.
+You see the silver cross of the Rifle Brigade, the star and bugle of the
+Scottish Rifles, the Black Watch in their bonnets, the North Hants and
+the Worcesters, heroes of Ypres. Halted by the road are the Middlesex,
+the West Yorks, the Devons. Every British dialect is heard; men are here
+from Land's End to John o' Groats. All are eager for the fray; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>all long
+for the moment when the whistles will blow and the command will be
+given, "Over the parapet! Charge!"</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Before morning our trenches were literally wedged with men, waiting in
+silence for the dawn. From the enemy's front there was as yet no sign of
+alarm, though their trenches at many points were less than one hundred
+yards away. A prisoner afterwards said that his captain noticed the
+massing of our men, and sent urgent messages to the artillery to open
+fire, but with no result. Before sunrise on the morning of the 10th hot
+meals were served out all along our line, for, as everybody knows, a
+Briton fights best when his inner man is satisfied. Then came another
+long wait in tense silence. Aeroplanes buzzed aloft, and every now and
+then officers looked at their watches. Every man knew that with the
+earliest light of morning the guns would begin to speak, and that some
+time later he and his fellows would be out in the open, making for the
+enemy's line as hard as they could pelt. The minutes dragged on. Would
+the dawn never come?</p>
+
+<p>Away to the east the faint light of a gray and sullen day now began to
+appear. The heavy clouds hung low in the sky, and ahead the mist
+shrouded the view. Before long the Germans knew that a big attack was
+preparing, but they took no steps to meet it. Our artillery now began to
+boom; "ranging shots" were being fired, but soon all was silent again.
+On the stroke of 7.30 some 350 guns suddenly spoke with an overpowering
+din that racked the brain and split the ears. The terrific roar was
+incessant, and the discharges were so rapid that it seemed as if they
+came from a gigantic machine gun. The very earth shook as though struck
+by Thor's<a name="FNanchor_28_28" id="FNanchor_28_28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a> hammer. The first shells that hit the German position
+raised huge clouds of smoke and dust, and nothing could be seen but the
+green fumes of lyddite and the spouting columns of red earth.
+Barbed-wire entanglements were blown into a myriad fragments, parapets
+crumbled like sand castles, and trenches on which men had worked for
+months were flung into shapeless ruin. Bodies of mangled men were hurled
+high into the air, and ghastly fragments were blown back into the
+British lines. Four shells were hurled on every yard of the German
+tre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>nches, and more ammunition was used in the thirty-five minutes during
+which the bombardment lasted than in a year and a half of the South
+African War. Long before the awful cannonade ended the German trenches
+had ceased to exist. They were reduced to a welter of earth and dust.</p>
+
+<p>While the bombardment lasted our troops could walk outside their
+trenches in safety, for the Germans were so "pinned to the ground" that
+those of them who remained alive dared not lift their heads. From behind
+the ragged clouds in the sky where the aeroplanes were sailing the sun
+now began to shine, making still darker the black pall that hung over
+the German position, and flashing back from the rows of gleaming
+bayonets in the British trenches. At five minutes to eight our gunners
+lengthened their fuses, and shells began to fall fast and furiously on
+the village itself. Some of the houses were seen to leap into the air.
+Columns of dust like the sand spouts of the desert sprang up; trees went
+down like wheat before a sickle; bricks and stones fell in torrents.
+Then came the great moment. Whistles blew; our men swarmed over the
+parapets and rushed towards the German trenches.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 800px;">
+<img src="images/p144145.jpg" width="800" height="513" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Rifle Brigade racing headlong through the Ruins of
+Neuve Chapelle during the Attack on the Village.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+"The village," says a writer who visited the scene a few days after the
+battle, "was a sight that the men say they will never forget. Once upon
+a time Neuve Chapelle must have been a pretty little place, big as
+villages in these parts go, with a nice clean church (whence it probably
+got its name), some neat villas, half a dozen inns, a red-brick brewery,
+and on the outskirts a little old white ch&acirc;teau. Now hardly stone
+remains on stone. It was indeed a scene of desolation into which the
+Rifle Brigade&mdash;the first regiment to enter the village, I believe&mdash;raced
+headlong. Of the church only the bare shell remained; the interior was
+lost to view beneath a gigantic mound of rubbish. Of all that once fair
+village but two things remained intact&mdash;the great crucifixes reared
+aloft, one in the churchyard, the other over against the ch&acirc;teau. From
+the cross that is the emblem of our faith the figure of Christ, yet
+intact, though all pitted with bullet marks, looked down in mute agony
+on the slaying in the village."</h4>
+
+<p>Five separate infantry attacks were made on the village. The first
+attack was made by the 24th Brigade, to the north of the village; the
+second, by the 23rd Brigade, against its north-east corner; the third,
+by the 25th Division, against the village itself; the fourth, by the
+Garhwal Brigade of Indians, against its south-west corner; and the
+fifth, by the Dehra Dun Brigade, against Port Arthur. The 25th pushed
+into the wreckage of the German trenches without difficulty. They were
+only occupied by the shreds and tatters of the dead and a few dazed and
+stupefied men, their faces yellow with fumes, their clothes torn from
+their backs, and their equipment and weapons destroyed. In some places a
+few machine guns which had escaped destruction kept up fire from
+concealed positions, and snipers took toll of our men as they advanced.
+The first to reach the goal were the 2nd Lincolns and the 2nd Royal
+Berkshires, who opened out to let the Irish Rifles and the Rifle Brigade
+pass through them and take the village. From a trench in front of the
+Berkshires came the rattle of machine-gun fire. Two German officers,
+alone, were working the gun, and they continued to fire until they fell
+beneath the b<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>ayonets of our men. Equally gallant deeds were done on the
+British side. A lance-corporal who had been wounded three times and had
+been told to lie down insisted on advancing with his fellows. Nor was he
+the only wounded man who plied bayonet and grenade on that red day.</p>
+
+<p>The village was now only a rubbish heap; the church was a broken shell,
+and the very graves in the churchyard had been torn open by our shells.
+Strange to say, while houses and trees were falling, a crucifix at the
+cross roads remained untouched, and spread its gaunt arms in mute
+protest above the terrible scene of slaughter and destruction. Once more
+our gunners lifted their sights and lengthened their fuses, and between
+the village and the German supports in the rear created a curtain of
+fire through which no living thing could pass. Then our men swept into
+the battered streets. Through the thick pall of smoke Germans were seen
+on all sides, some holding up their hands, others flying for life, and
+others, again, firing from the windows, from behind carts, and even from
+behind overturned tombstones. Machine guns clacked viciously from houses
+on the outskirts, and many a Briton fell a victim to them. Nevertheless,
+before long the village was wholly ours.</p>
+
+<p>The Garhwalis to the right of the 25th were equally successful. Within a
+quarter of an hour after the assault began they had carried the first
+line of German trenches, and soon afterwards the 3rd Gurkhas met the
+Rifle Brigade in the southern outskirts of the village. Together they
+swept on past the heap of ruins which had once been the hamlet of Port
+Arthur into the woods at the foot of the rising ground.</p>
+
+<p>Now comes the tragical part of the story. The 23rd Brigade, which
+attacked to the left of the 25th, advanced, you will remember, against
+the north-east of the village. Unhappily, the artillery had not properly
+shelled this part of the German position, and in a slight hollow the
+wire entanglements and the trenches were almost untouched. When the 2nd
+Devons, the 2nd West Yorks, the 2nd Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), and
+the 2nd Middlesex pushed forward they found themselves up against
+unbroken wire. The Cameronians suffered severely. A storm of bullets
+from rifles and machine guns assailed them, but they never wavered. Go
+on they could not; go back they would not. Men were seen in that zone of
+death tearing at the wire with raw and bleeding hands, while t<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>heir
+comrades were falling fast around them. Those who survived were obliged
+to retire and lie down in the open under a tornado of shot and shell,
+until one company made a gap and broke through the line of defence.
+Fifteen officers, including the commander, Colonel Bliss, were killed or
+wounded, and when the terrible day was over only 150 men out of 750
+answered the roll call. "You have many noble honours on your colours,"
+said Sir John French, when he addressed the gallant remnant some days
+later; "none are finer than that of Neuve Chapelle, which will soon be
+added to them."</p>
+
+<p>The 2nd Middlesex had a similar trial, and bore it with the same
+bravery. Machine guns were turned on them from several points, and as
+they pressed forward men fell at every step. Three times they strove to
+reach the trench, but three times they failed, and were forced to lie
+down in the open until a message was sent back to the artillery. Guns
+were relaid on the trench, and before long the entanglements were
+destroyed. When this was done the Middlesex, aided by a bombing party,
+carried the position, and were able to move forward to an orchard on the
+north-east of the village, where they joined the Devonshires. The 1st
+Battalion of the King's Liverpool, which was attached to the ill-fated
+division, also found itself up against unbroken wire. A company
+sergeant-major spent five minutes under the entanglement trying to cut
+it, and miraculously escaped with his life. The colonel, though wounded,
+refused to leave his men, and remained with them throughout the day. A
+young officer who had been shot down near the wire kept shouting to his
+men to come on until his breath failed him. In this battalion alone 100
+men were killed and 119 were wounded.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p150.jpg" width="629" height="436" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Neuve Chapelle, March 10, 1915.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the drawing by D. Macpherson. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture shows a batch of the Prussian Guards surrendering to the
+2nd Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at the first line of trenches
+before the village of Neuve Chapelle. The distance at this point from
+the British advanced line was about sixty-five yards, and our men were
+upon the enemy while most of them were still dazed from the effects of
+the terrific bombardment. The prisoners were taken in batches of thirty
+or forty, and were handed over to the oncoming lines of supports until
+they were passed back to headquarters, the captors meanwhile sweeping on
+with the advance.</h4>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the success of the 25th Brigade had turned the flank of the
+Germans north of the village, and when the 23rd Brigade at last managed
+to struggle through the orchard and join hands with the 24th Brigade,
+which had attacked to their left, the time had come for the combined
+force to sweep onward to the Aubers ridge. The Germans were still dazed
+with surprise, and completely paralyzed by the heavy bombardment of the
+morning; while our men were flushed with victory, and were eager to
+press forward. But at this moment there was a long delay. The telephone
+wires had been cut by the bursting shells, and it was difficult to get
+orders<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> quickly to the first line. The check to the 23rd Brigade had
+thrown everything out of gear. A halt had to be called for fresh troops
+to come up, and they were very slow in arriving. The village was ours by
+noon, but not until 3.30 did the reserve brigades arrive. Had they been
+brought up promptly the Aubers ridge would have been won. As it was, we
+were robbed of a great victory. A splendid chance had been thrown away,
+and an unavailing sacrifice of life was to follow.</p>
+
+<p>The newly-arrived brigades, all belonging to the 7th Division, which had
+won such glory in the October battle round Ypres, formed up on the left
+of the 24th Brigade, and the attack began again; but everywhere
+difficulties were met with. The Germans had taken advantage of the lull
+to strengthen their third line of trenches, and had brought up
+reinforcements. When our men advanced they were ready to receive them.
+The Indian brigades pushed through the wood towards the ridge, but could
+make but little headway, and suffered terrible losses. One of the Indian
+battalions would have been entirely cut off but for a splendid bombing
+attack by the 2nd Leicesters. It was at this point of the battle that
+the 3rd London&mdash;a Territorial regiment&mdash;made a brilliant charge to aid
+the front line, and won the cheers of their regular comrades by their
+gallantry and devotion.</p>
+
+<p>Further to our left the 25th Division was checked along the line of the
+little river, while the 24th Brigade and 7th Division were held up by
+machine-gun fire from the cross roads and the defences of Pietre Mill.
+The line of the river could not be forced without artillery
+"preparation." Everywhere in this part of the line there were German
+positions which our big guns had not touched. To push infantry against
+them was simple murder. So, as the evening closed in, we busied
+ourselves in strengthening the positions which we had already won. The
+village was ours; we had gained a mile, and had straightened out our
+line. We had, however, failed in the bigger business of seizing the
+Aubers ridge.</p>
+
+<p>Not until darkness fell did the 1st Brigade of the First Corps arrive.
+Next morning our guns began to boom again, but they could not repeat the
+surprise of yesterday. The Germans had pulled themselves together; their
+lines were strongly reinforced, and mist prevented the artillery
+observers from directing the fire of their guns. More th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span>an once our
+infantry were caught by their own shells. We could make no further
+headway, and on the 12th the Bavarians advanced against Neuve Chapelle,
+an officer on horseback with drawn sword leading them right up to the
+Worcesters, who met them with a shattering fire. At another point
+twenty-one machine guns were turned against them, and they fell by the
+hundred. So fierce was the fire that the survivors were forced to
+protect themselves behind ramparts of their own dead.</p>
+
+<p>All that day the 7th Division struggled to carry Pietre Mill, while the
+rest of the line attacked the bridges over the river and the German
+trenches in the wood. Round about the mill the fighting was very fierce;
+ground was gained and lost again; houses were captured and recaptured;
+and friend and foe were mixed up in confused hand-to-hand fighting. Here
+it was that the 6th Gordons lost Lieutenant-Colonel Maclean. A subaltern
+found him lying in the open behind the trench with a bullet in his back,
+and sinking fast. The young officer brought him morphia to ease his
+pain, and when he had taken it he said, "And now, my boy, your place is
+not here. Go about your duty." So died a very gallant gentleman.</p>
+
+<p>Victoria Crosses were won on this part of the front by Private Edward
+Barber and Lance-Corporal Wilfred Fuller of the Grenadiers for a
+brilliant bombing attack, of which we shall read later. Further south,
+the 2nd Rifle Brigade managed to carry a section of German trenches, and
+Sergeant-Major Daniels and Corporal Noble did deeds of outstanding
+valour which won them the proudest decoration that a soldier can wear.
+Unhappily, their unit, the Rifle Brigade, was enfiladed and forced to
+fall back on its old lines.</p>
+
+<p>By the evening of the 12th Sir John French was convinced that nothing
+more could be won, and he ordered the attack to be suspended for the
+present. All the 13th was spent by our weary soldiers in digging
+themselves in on the banks of the little river which they had failed to
+cross. So worn out were many of the men that they fell asleep while
+standing at their loopholes. Counter-attacks were to be expected, and
+they soon began, but met with no success. Only at one point, north-east
+of the village, did the Germans manage to get into our trenches, and
+their stay was brief indeed. In one of their attacks they lost more than
+600 prisoners, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> the captured men seemed glad to be out of the
+terrible fighting.</p>
+
+<p>The most severe counter-attack was made not at Neuve Chapelle, but at
+the tiny Belgian hamlet of St. Eloi, 15 miles to the north, and at the
+junction of two main roads. On the 14th, when mists lay thick on the
+flats, the Germans, following our example at Neuve Chapelle, began a
+fierce bombardment of our trenches, and at the same time exploded mines
+on our front and on a large mound which we held to the south-east of the
+village. The infantry attacks of the enemy were very determined; our men
+were driven from their trenches, and our whole line had to fall back.
+Under cover of the darkness we prepared for a counter-attack, and on the
+morning of the 15th managed to win back most of the lost ground. The
+mound, which our soldiers called "the Mound of Death," was not
+recovered; it lay in the No Man's Land between the rival trenches,
+exposed to the gun fire of friend and foe.</p>
+
+<p>In this action Princess Patricia's Own specially distinguished itself,
+and won the praise of Sir John French. It co-operated with a battalion
+of the Rifle Brigade in an attack on the mound, and advanced with great
+coolness and resolution, but was checked by a murderous machine-gun
+fire. Three platoons, however, held on to a breastwork, while the
+remainder retired across a zone of fire without leaving behind them a
+single wounded man. Five days later Princess Pat's lost its commanding
+officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar, one of the bravest and
+kindest of men.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that our assault on Neuve Chapelle was supported by
+other attacks on various parts of the German front, in order to prevent
+the enemy from suddenly massing reinforcements against our main attack.
+I need not describe these operations, for they were only "holding
+attacks," and were not expected to succeed. Nevertheless the assault on
+a hamlet to the south-east of Armenti&egrave;res was successful, and an advance
+of 300 yards on a front of half a mile was made.</p>
+
+<p>Our airmen were very busy during the three days of struggle, though the
+weather was against them. Bombs were dropped on railway stations and
+bridges behind the German lines, and much damage was done. One daring
+aviator flying over Lille hit a house which was used as the German
+headquarters.</p>
+
+<p>The Battle of Neuve Chapelle was not a failure, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span>but it was not a
+complete success. We straightened out the sag in our line; we won the
+village, advanced one mile, took 2,000 prisoners, and killed or wounded
+20,000 of the enemy. Our offensive put new heart into our men, who went
+into battle with the utmost zeal, joking and laughing even under fire.
+It is said that when they crowded into the German first-line trenches
+and there was no room for them all to line the parapet, a man would pull
+his comrade down, crying out that it was his turn for a shot. The
+Indians greatly welcomed the opportunity of fighting in the open, and
+the Gurkhas and Garhwalis plied their kukris with deadly effect. Our
+losses were very heavy. In the three days' fighting we had about 13,000
+casualties: 2,337 men and 190 officers were killed.</p>
+
+<p>Our failure to "make good" at a time when the Germans were almost at our
+mercy was as much due to accident as to blunder. Parts of the enemy
+lines had not been properly "prepared," and some of our troops were
+shelled by their own guns. This was, no doubt, due to the dull sky and
+the mists, which prevented the observers from properly controlling the
+fire of their guns. It was our first attempt to combine artillery and
+infantry on a great scale, and, naturally, mistakes were made. The best
+result was the new ardour which inspired our men. "This time," said one
+of them, "it was pushing the Germans, instead of trying to hold them.
+You can't realize, unless you have been in it from Mons onwards, how
+that bucks you up."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The German people took their beating very badly. They accused us of
+using German prisoners to screen our advance, and they complained
+bitterly that we had brought such a vast force of artillery against
+them. "This is not war; it is murder," they said, coolly ignoring the
+fact that a mighty artillery onslaught had been their favourite method
+of attack since the beginning of the war. When they were given a taste
+of their own medicine they cried out in the usual fashion of the bully.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>SOLDIERS' STORIES OF NEUVE CHAPELLE.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>s soon as the wounded men from Neuve Chapelle arrived in Great Britain,
+budgets of personal experiences began to appear in the newspapers. All
+the men dwelt upon the terrible effects of our artillery and the
+splendid spirit shown by our troops, not only while under fire, but when
+stricken down. Private Selwood of the Rifle Brigade said: "Men who
+fought at Mons have told me that Mons was only a tea-fight compared with
+Neuve Chapelle. In the half-hour's bombardment that began the day some
+say 400 guns were used; others, 525. The noise was terrific. Our boys
+went on cheerful enough, singing 'Tipperary' and anything. When we got
+to the dug-outs we found dozens of Germans, all dead. It was a surprise
+attack. They did not know it was coming off. At the third line of
+trenches I was hit in the leg by a bullet. I crawled back about five
+hundred yards, because there was too much work for the
+stretcher-bearers. They worked heroically, taking the most serious cases
+first."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A private of the 4th Black Watch thus describes a Highland charge: "We
+witnessed a magnificent charge of the first battalion of a famous
+Scottish regiment. Artillery fire ceased suddenly, and before the enemy
+could be reorganized the 'kilties' were over our trenches and dashing at
+them with fixed bayonets. It might have been a parade advance, so
+perfectly did each section of the line move forward. Th The first lot
+sprang up and over the German trenches, followed almost immediately by
+the rest, and in a very few minutes the trench was ours. Just before
+dusk I laughed for the first time that day. And no wonder! for at one
+point on that go<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span>ry battlefield stood a notice-board inscribed with one
+word, 'Danger!'"</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>"Eye-Witness" tells us how our men behaved while they were watching the
+artillery bombarding the enemy's trenches and waiting for the word to
+advance. "They could see our shells bursting in the thick veil of smoke
+and dust that hung over the German trenches, and as the minutes wore on
+our artillery fire grew hotter and hotter, and the time grew nearer for
+them to rush forward. Their excitement rose to fever pitch. In some
+places they were seen to jump up on the parapets, brandishing their
+rifles towards the Germans, and shouting remarks which were drowned in
+the roar of the guns. When the rush was actually made our losses were
+trifling. It was only in the subsequent advance that heavy casualties
+occurred."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>It is noteworthy that the enemy's wounded had to thank our men for many
+acts of kindness, even in the excitement of the assault. One of our
+soldiers, finding a wounded Prussian officer who had had his arm blown
+off by a shell, carried him to a place of safety under heavy fire. In
+one cellar a portly German was found dancing about in an agony of fear,
+screaming in a high-pitched voice in English, "Mercy! mercy! I am
+married!" "Your missus won't thank us for sending you home," replied one
+of our men, who took him prisoner, and his life was spared. A Rifle
+Brigade lieutenant, falling over a sandbag into a German trench, came
+upon two officers, hardly more than boys, holding their hands above
+their heads. Their faces were ashen gray, and they were trembling. One
+said gravely in good English, "Don't shoot! I am from London also." They
+too were spared.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>During the counter-attacks of the Germans from the Biez wood their
+losses were very heavy. Line after line went down before our rifles. One
+of our Sepoys said that shooting the enemy was like cutting grain. Some
+of the German officers displayed the most reckless courage in leading
+the attacks. On more than one occasion they invited certain death by
+riding forward on horseback to within a few hundred yards of our line.
+None of those who so exposed themselves escaped. One German officer in
+charge of a machine gun kept his gun in action throughout the terrible
+bombardment, and then, when our men charged down upon him, awaited
+dea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>th, calmly standing on the parapet of the trench and emptying his
+revolver at them.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The Indians were greatly pleased at the result of the action, and
+constantly asked their officers when they were going to have another
+fight. Many stories are told of their prowess. One Gurkha made his way
+into a house, and single-handed captured five Germans, whom he marched
+off at the point of his kukri. It was curious to see the Indians
+returning with articles of German equipment. When they held them up for
+inspection they called out, "<i>Souvenir! souvenir<a name="FNanchor_29_29" id="FNanchor_29_29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a>!</i>"</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p155.jpg" width="367" height="495" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Bengal Lancers returning from "Port Arthur" after the
+capture of Neuve Chapelle.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+Notice the "souvenirs" which they are carrying on their lances.</h4>
+
+<p>Canadian infantry were not specially engaged in the fighting at Neuve
+Chapelle, but the Canadian artillery played an active part in the
+bombardment which preceded the British advance, and the infantry were
+ready during the battle to go forward at a moment's notice. A Winnipeg
+"boy" wrote home as follows: "At 5.30 on the morning of Wednesday (the
+first day of the Neuve Chapelle attack) our officer told us to hurry
+over our breakfast, as a heavy fire was to be opened by our side, and
+the enemy, in replying, would probably drop a few rounds in our
+vicinity. We had just started to line up in the road outside when
+'whop!' came a shell, which burst a few yards ahead. 'Double for the
+trenches!' was the order, and away we went. The trenches were only about
+one hundred and fifty yards away, yet the Germans had our position to a
+foot, and sixteen rounds of shrapnel burst literally in our midst. Had
+they burst overhead, as they should have done, it's a very fair bet that
+nearly every man of us would have 'gone west;' but only one man was hit,
+a fellow a short distance back of me. . . . We had to stay in the
+trenches until evening that day, and all next day."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A wounded German officer said that the suddenness of our bombardment was
+"like the burst of a great storm, instantly filling all the space with
+countless crashes of thunder, flame, smoke, and lead. Six of your great
+black howitzer shells," said he, "fell within fifty yards of a trench on
+my right, and so completely was our trench blown asunder that when the
+earth fell back it buried hundreds with it. When <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>the storm abated I
+crawled out, only to be bayoneted in the shoulder by, as I learned, a
+Territorial, and while I was lying there thousands of British pursuing
+our retreating battalion passed by me. But I lifted my sound arm, and
+they spared me&mdash;why, I do not know. It seemed to take hours for the
+British soldiers to pass me, and then I saw groups of my own regiment,
+unguarded and without guns, many slightly wounded, walking back to the
+British base. Such faces I did not think could be worn by human beings;
+they were orange with lyddite smoke. The men were palsied with what they
+had been through, and were too dazed to answer my call."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The part played by the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and the Irish
+Rifles in the advance towards the line of the little river is thus
+described:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Two companies of the Lincolns rushed the enemy's trenches under a
+pretty hot fire. Grenades were thrown at the enemy, and they ran out of
+their trench to the rear. There, however, Captain Peake's company threw
+grenades to cut off their line of retreat, and they ran back to their
+trench and surrendered. Captain Peake, who had advanced down the trench
+holding his blue flag up in the air, offered a conspicuous target to the
+enemy, and was shot. Meanwhile two other companies had followed through
+the gap caused by the charge; the enemy seemed in full retreat, and our
+men were very elated.</p>
+
+<p>"Many who were hit continued to advance. Lance-Corporal Perry was hit
+rather badly in the foot three times, and, though told to take cover and
+lie down, persisted in going on and rallying his men. The reinforced
+line continued to advance until they reached a broad strip of water
+running right across their front, from four feet to five feet deep, and
+quite impassable. After a while a plank was found sufficiently long to
+bridge the water, and the men crossed to form a firing line on the other
+side. The heavy guns were shelling the Germans about one hundred and
+fifty yards in front, and on the Lincolns opening fire they retired.</p>
+
+<p>"A few minutes after the Lincolns had recrossed the water to a slight
+rise behind it the Irish Rifles went through, and were given a lusty
+cheer. Lieutenant Graham was rallying his men with a French newsboy's
+horn, giving a 'View hullo' like a Master of Hounds collecting his pack.
+One co<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>mpany of the Lincolns crossed the water for the third time and
+assisted the Irish Rifles in making a trench. Afterwards they returned
+to entrench themselves behind the water."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A young officer who fought in the battle wrote home as follows: "My
+word, mother, yesterday we commenced a most almighty attack on the
+unsuspecting enemy. It had all been planned and organized for some time,
+and I should think it has been the finest show on record. Whether we had
+the advantage in the number of men I cannot say, but we certainly had in
+guns. You never heard such a din in all your life. All the farmhouses
+vibrated all day long, and during the first half-hour there were some
+17,000 shells screaming towards the Bosches. Our lads who were wounded
+came down the road in batches of twos and threes to the dressing
+stations. They were very cheerful. They simply laughed and cracked jokes
+amongst themselves. They are a wonderful lot of Tommies. They were all
+so jolly brave, and keen, and determined."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A private of the Berkshire Regiment thus related his experiences: "We
+lost fairly heavily in the big fight at Neuve Chapelle, but the loss we
+inflicted on the Germans must have been frightful. They were lying all
+over the place. There was great rejoicing when we found that our
+regiment had been selected for the post of honour with the Lincolns
+forming the first line of the frontal attack. . . . Our boys were out
+like one man, and charged across to their first trench. We took that in
+less than five minutes, and, leaving a few men to secure the prisoners,
+swept on to the next. Men were falling on every side, as their machine
+guns and artillery were playing on us from beyond the village, and some
+of the sights were terrible. It seemed as though the air was full of
+shrapnel and bullets; but our boys were magnificent. Not one man
+wavered, even for a second, and nothing could have stopped that charge.
+The second trench was soon cleared out, and our bomb throwers&mdash;we call
+them 'Tickler's Artillery'<a name="FNanchor_30_30" id="FNanchor_30_30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a>&mdash;did terrible execution. On we went for
+the third line. This was a bit more difficult, as there were a thick
+hedge and some barbed wi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span>re. But the boys would not be stopped, and in a
+very short time the third line was ours. The Rifles now came on to take
+the village, and they gave us a cheer and a shout of 'Well done, Berks!'
+as they passed through. We gave them an answering call as they charged
+and captured the village."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>I will conclude this chapter with a brief account of the ten heroes who
+were awarded Victoria Crosses for splendid deeds of valour at Neuve
+Chapelle.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private William Buckingham</span>, 2nd Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that at Neuve Chapelle the 2nd Leicesters were
+attached to the Garhwal Brigade, and that when a Garhwali battalion was
+cut off a bombing party of the Leicesters brought them timely and
+effective assistance. No regiment played a finer part in the battle than
+the Leicesters. The Victoria Cross was awarded to Private Buckingham for
+his bravery and devotion to duty in rescuing wounded men and in
+rendering first aid to the fallen while exposed to heavy fire on several
+occasions, notably on the 10th and 12th of March.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi</span>, 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.</p>
+
+<p>Gobar Sing Negi was the third Indian to win the Victoria Cross. During
+our attack on the German positions he was one of a bayonet party which
+entered a main trench. Pushing on in advance of his fellows, the gallant
+Indian bombed the enemy from traverse to traverse, and at last forced
+them to surrender. Unhappily, he did not live to wear the coveted
+honour, but fell in a later stage of the engagement.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal William Anderson</span>, 2nd Battalion, Alexandra Princess of Wales's
+Own (Yorkshire) Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 12th March, at Neuve Chapelle, Corporal Anderson led three men armed
+with bombs against a large party of the enemy, then in possession of one
+of our trenches. After he had thrown his own bombs he found that his
+three comrades had been shot down, and that he was alone amongst the
+Germans. Nothing dismayed, he took the bombs of the three wounded men,
+hurled them against the foe, then opened rapid fire upon them, and by
+his prompt and determined action kept back the G<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span>ermans until his
+comrades arrived and drove them from the trench.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private E. Barber</span>, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.</p>
+
+<p>During the fighting round Pietre Mill on 12th March Private Barber, who
+was one of a grenade company, ran ahead of his fellows and threw bombs
+on the enemy with such effect that a large number of them at once
+surrendered. When his comrades reached him, they found him quite alone
+and unsupported, with Germans holding up their hands all around him.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Company Sergeant-Major Harry Daniels</span> and <span class="smcap">Acting Corporal Cecil Reginald
+Noble</span>, both of the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).</p>
+
+<p>On 12th March the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade was held up by
+entanglements near Pietre Mill, and was subjected to a heavy machine-gun
+fire. Sergeant-Major Daniels volunteered to go forward and cut the wire.
+"Come along," he called to his chum, Corporal Noble, and without a
+moment's hesitation the two men rushed across the forty yards that
+separated them from the obstacle. Lying on their backs, they cut the
+lower wire, and thus opened a gap for their comrades to proceed. A
+bullet struck Daniels in the thigh, and a few minutes later he heard a
+gasp, and called out, "What's up?" Noble replied, "I am hit in the
+chest, old man," and became unconscious. Shortly afterwards he died.
+Daniels dragged himself to a shell hole, where he remained until dusk,
+and then painfully made his way back to his own lines. When interviewed
+in a London hospital, he had little to say about his own exploit, but
+was full of admiration for the gallantry of his dead friend. "Noble and
+I," he said, "had done everything together since we went out in
+November. I trusted him, and he trusted me. It was hot work, but the
+worst moment was when I heard my poor chum call out that he was hit in
+the chest. I am more glad about Noble's V.C. than I am about my own."</p>
+
+<p>The exploit of these two brave men recalls that of the famous Swiss
+patriot Arnold von Winkelried at the Battle of Sempach, 1386. An
+unbroken line of Austrian lances barred the way of the Swiss; whereupon
+Winkelried determined to sacrifice himself in order that his comrades
+might break through.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span></p>
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"'Make way for Liberty!' he cried;</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;Then ran with arms extended wide,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;As if his dearest friend to clasp.</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;Ten spears he swept within his grasp.</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;'Make way for Liberty!' he cried.</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;Their keen points crossed from side to side.</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;He bowed amongst them like a tree,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;&nbsp;And thus made way for Liberty."</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Charles Calveley Foss, D.S.O.</span>, 2nd Battalion, Bedford Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>At Neuve Chapelle Captain Foss turned failure into victory. The enemy
+had captured part of our trenches, and our counter-attack, which was
+made with one officer and twenty men, failed, all but two of the party
+being killed or wounded. Seeing this, Captain Foss with eight men dashed
+forward through a fierce fire, and began pelting the enemy with bombs.
+So successful was his attack that he recaptured the position, and with
+it no less than fifty-two Germans. No words of mine are needed to extol
+the splendid bravery of Captain Foss and his gallant little company.
+Nine Britons retook a trench from more than fifty Germans!</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal W. D. Fuller</span>, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.</p>
+
+<p>Observing a party of the enemy trying to escape along a communication
+trench, Corporal Fuller ran towards them, flinging bombs. The foremost
+man was killed, and the remainder, finding no means of escape, held up
+their hands and begged for mercy. All alone, Corporal Fuller received
+the surrender of fifty Germans! Prior to the war he was a miner of
+Mansfield. During a spell of leave in July 1915 he did excellent work as
+a recruiter. While he was telling the men of Fishguard, in
+Pembrokeshire, that if they were not fit to die they were not fit to
+live, some one in the crowd challenged him to enter the cage of two
+African lions then on exhibition in the town. At once Fuller threw his
+cap into the den, and then followed it. You can imagine the excitement
+of the townsfolk as he calmly stood by the lions and stroked their
+manes. As a result of this incident many men enlisted.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant Cyril Gordon Martin, D.S.O.</span>, 56th Field Company, Royal
+Engineers.</p>
+
+<p>On 12th March, when in command of a bomb-throwing party of six men,
+Lieutenant Martin, a young officer of twenty-four years of age, was
+wounded, but nevertheless led his comrades into an enemy's trench and
+held off all attempts to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>recover it for nearly two and a half hours. He
+had already distinguished himself, and had won the D.S.O. during the
+retreat from Mons by gallantly capturing and holding a German trench
+with a platoon of engineers. He was twice wounded on that occasion, and
+was invalided home. He had only been back at the front a few days when
+he won the V.C. for the exploit described above.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p159.jpg" width="365" height="466" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Lieutenant Cyril Martin and his grenade-throwing party in
+the enemy's trenches.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+In this drawing Lieutenant Martin is shown seated on the right,
+wounded.</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Jacob Rivers</span>, 1st Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
+Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).</p>
+
+<p>Private Rivers was another of the bombers who won the highest award of
+valour during the first day of the great battle at Neuve Chapelle.
+Noticing that a large number of Germans were outflanking an advanced
+company of his regiment, he dashed forward, without waiting for orders,
+and flung bombs amongst the enemy with such effect that they were forced
+to retire. His prompt bravery undoubtedly saved the advanced company
+from disaster. Later in the day he performed a similar feat, but while
+engaged in this heroic work was shot through the heart. He was a native
+of Derby, and was thirty-four years of age. When the war broke out he
+had completed twelve years of service with the Royal Scots; but he
+immediately enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters, and, being an
+experienced soldier, was sent to France with one of the earliest drafts.
+He had a brother in the Grenadier Guards, and three brothers-in-law were
+serving in his own regiment. The cross of bronze which he did not live
+to wear was sent as a sad but proud memorial to his widowed mother.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 707px;">
+<img src="images/p164.jpg" width="707" height="494" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The "Prince George" Motor Ambulance at Buckingham Palace.</h3>
+
+<h4>On January 26, 1916, Prince George travelled from Sandringham to
+Buckingham Palace, for the purpose of receiving our motor ambulance and
+handing it over to the Belgian Field Hospital. His Royal Highness spent
+a full half-hour in examining the motor ambulance and the hand ambulance
+which accompanied it, and was highly pleased with all that he saw. Our
+readers will remember this occasion, as it was Prince George's first
+public function. On the left of the Prince is his tutor, Mr. Hansell,
+M.A. The total cost of the motor ambulance, the hand ambulance, and a
+supply of "spares" amounted to &pound;456. We are deeply indebted to Her
+Majesty the Queen for permission to reproduce this photograph, which is
+not to appear in any other book or periodical.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE DARDANELLES.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he year 1915 saw the beginning and the end of a campaign which will go
+down to history as a splendid failure. Aided by the French, the British
+strove to force a right-of-way through the narrow and strongly fortified
+channels which give access from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern
+shores of Russia. Two attempts were made&mdash;the one naval, the other
+military&mdash;but both were fruitless. Ships of war strove to batter down
+the forts that commanded the channels, but had to retire discomfited.
+Then an army was landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, and a desperate
+effort was made to take the forts from the rear. The army was set an
+almost impossible task, yet it very nearly achieved the impossible. Men
+still live who surmounted the last great obstacle that lay between them
+and victory.</p>
+
+<p>How the British and French landed on narrow beaches in the face of
+superior numbers of the enemy; how they fought their way up the cliffs
+in spite of artillery, machine guns, and entrenched infantry; how with
+superb courage and dogged endurance they established themselves on the
+peninsula; how they sacrificed themselves like the Spartans of old in
+fierce assaults on the ridges and high hills that barred the way to
+their goal; and how, finally, they withdrew to their ships without the
+loss of a single life&mdash;all this is a story which no Briton can read
+without mingled pride and pain: pride in the men of his race who nobly
+fought and died in the hopeless struggle; pain, that so much bright and
+gallant life should have been given in vain.</p>
+
+<p>Henceforth the Gallipoli peninsula is sacred ground. The bones of tens
+of thousands of our gallant fellows lie buried in its soil. In days to
+come, when wandering Britons shall sail by its peaceful shores, they
+will hush their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> voices and think tenderly of those who sleep their last
+sleep amidst its rugged hills and deep ravines. It will be strange,
+too, if a prayer does not arise from their hearts that the Empire may
+ever be defended by men of such matchless valour and lofty devotion.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Before I describe the Dardanelles and the great naval attack on its
+forts, you must understand why we undertook the enterprise. It was, of
+course, to assist the Russians, who in the early months of 1915 were
+running short of big guns, rifles, and ammunition, and were unable to
+supply their needs by means of their own workshops. The Allies wished to
+help them, but were prevented from doing so to any great extent; because
+Russia in Europe is cut off from the open sea on all sides except in the
+extreme north, where the coast fronts the Arctic Ocean. The only port to
+which the Allies could send munitions was Archangel, which for about
+nine months of the year is frozen up. During the winter it was
+impossible for our ships to enter the harbour of Archangel at all. Even
+if Archangel had been open, matters would have been but little improved,
+for only a single line of railway connected this remote and
+evil-smelling port with the interior.<a name="FNanchor_31_31" id="FNanchor_31_31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a></p>
+
+<p>Russia has a good deal of coast and many excellent harbours at the
+eastern end of the Baltic Sea; but our trading ships could not enter
+that sea because the Germans held the upper hand in it. Their warships
+lay in wait for all vessels coming through the narrow Danish channels.
+The only remaining sea coast of Russia in Europe lies along the ice-free
+Black Sea; but in order to reach its shores ships must traverse the
+narrow sea lane of the Dardanelles, cross the Sea of Marmora, and thread
+the strait of the Bosporus. When Turkey took the side of Germany this
+route was closed. Then, the only way by which the Allies could send guns
+and rifles and ammunition to Russia was to carry them by sea to one of
+the Siberian ports on the Pacific Ocean, where they were transferred to
+the Siberian railway and carried right across North Asia to Russia.
+Before a British or a French shell could reach Poland or Galicia it had
+to make an eight or nine weeks' voyage to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> the East, and a railway
+journey of more than five thousand miles.</p>
+
+<p>Now I think you understand why it was so vastly important that we should
+try to force a right-of-way through the Dardanelles. Until this was done
+the Allied armies in the East and in the West were more completely cut
+off from each other than if they had been fighting in different
+hemispheres. It was impossible to send reinforcements from one to the
+other without carrying them almost round the globe. Further, the
+overseas trade of Russia was terribly hampered by the blocking of the
+Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Millions of bushels of wheat lay rotting
+in the warehouses of the Black Sea ports, and vast sums of money were
+being lost because they could not find an outlet. If Constantinople
+could be captured, the Turks could be ejected from Europe, and their
+armies rendered powerless. When this happened, Greece and Bulgaria would
+no longer listen to the tempting voice of the German. So you see that
+the forcing of the Dardanelles was of the utmost importance to the
+Allies. It was felt that once we had a clear road to South Russia the
+end of the war would be in sight.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Roughly speaking, the waterway between the Mediterranean Sea and the
+Black Sea resembles a narrow glass tube with a bulb blown in the middle
+of it. The Dardanelles forms the first part of the tube, the bulb is the
+Sea of Marmora, and the remaining part of the tube consists of the
+Bosporus, or Ox Ford. The Dardanelles, or the Hellespont as it was
+called in ancient times, extends for 45 miles; the Sea of Marmora is 175
+miles in length, and the Bosporus continues the waterway for another 17
+miles. On a clear day it is said that from a hill on the shores of the
+Dardanelles one may look right across the Sea of Marmora and behold
+Constantinople, nearly two hundred miles away.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us suppose that we are making a voyage from the &AElig;gean Sea to the
+Sea of Marmora in times of peace. When we enter the strait we find that
+it resembles a wide river rather than an arm of the sea; and this is not
+surprising, for the channel is nothing but the bed of a river that was
+submerged in far-off days. The channel is only about two and a half
+miles wide, and we can clearly see the shores on either side of us. On
+our right is Asia; on our left is Europe. Along the line of this
+waterw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>ay East and West have met since the days when the world was
+young.</p>
+
+<p>Almost every mile of the Asiatic shore of the Dardanelles recalls
+memories of the song and story of ancient days. We have scarcely entered
+the strait before we see on the Asiatic side the Kum Kale fort, and
+behind it the classic ground on which stood the famous city of Troy. I
+am sure you remember how Paris carried off the lovely Queen Helen to
+Troy, and how Homer's heroes fought for ten long years before the city
+was captured, and she was recovered and carried back by her husband to
+her home in Greece. Modern historians, however, tell us that the Trojan
+War was fought not for the fair face of Helen, but because the king of
+Troy almost closed the waterway by levying crushing duties on the goods
+that passed his shores. It is strange to note that Britons and French
+have shed their blood at the Dardanelles in order that wheat from the
+fruitful lands bordering the Black Sea might pass freely to the
+Mediterranean, and so to the crowded cities of Western Europe.</p>
+
+<p>On the eastern or Asiatic side we see sloping gardens and rich
+vineyards, and elsewhere there are low, wooded hills; but the western or
+European side consists of a long unbroken line of barren cliffs. We are
+gazing at the shores of the long and hilly Gallipoli peninsula, which,
+you will see from the map, somewhat resembles a thumb bent at the joint.
+At the tip of the peninsula are the forts of Cape Tekke, Cape Helles,
+and Sedd-ul-Bahr. These, with the fort of Kum Kale, which I have already
+mentioned, guard the entrance to the Dardanelles.</p>
+
+<p>As we proceed, the Asiatic shore curves inland, but the European shore
+continues straight and unbroken. The strait now widens to a breadth of
+five miles; but at Kephez Point it closes in to less than two miles.
+About three miles further on the "Narrows" begin. At one point the
+shores are not more than fourteen hundred yards apart, and for about a
+mile onward they are everywhere within a mile and a half of each other.
+Every ship that sails from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Marmora
+must pass through this bottle neck.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p169.jpg" width="576" height="293" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Dardanelles in Time of Peace.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Daily Mirror.</i></h4>
+
+<br />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2>
+
+<h3>SHIPS VERSUS FORTS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">N</span>o part of the Dardanelles is more famous in history than the "Narrows."
+Across the narrowest part of the Narrows Xerxes<a name="FNanchor_32_32" id="FNanchor_32_32"></a><a href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a> flung his bridge of
+boats when he set out to conquer Europe. Herodotus, "the father of
+history," tells us that his Persians took seven days and seven nights,
+going continuously without any pause, to cross the bridge. A century and
+a half later Alexander the Great<a name="FNanchor_33_33" id="FNanchor_33_33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a> re-bridged the channel when he
+began his great march into Asia. An old story tells us that every night
+Leander used to swim the Narrows from the Gallipoli side to visit Hero,
+his lady-love, who dwelt at Sestos, on the Asiatic side. The lighthouse
+at Sestos guided him; but one stormy night the light failed, and Hero
+waited for him in vain. Lord Byron swam the straits at this point in
+1810. It was on the Asiatic shore of the Narrows that St. Paul heard the
+cry from Macedonia, "Come over and help us."</p>
+
+<p>We need not proceed further with our voyage. The whole problem of
+forcing the Dardanelles centres on the "Narrows." Once they are safely
+passed, the broad, deep Sea of Marmora is easily traversed, and there is
+no obstacle between us and Constantinople. But how to pass the Narrows?
+There's the rub.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 718px;">
+<img src="images/p170.jpg" width="718" height="482" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>A Turkish Fort on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the
+Dardanelles.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Photo, Central News.</i></h4>
+
+<p>You may be sure that the Turks jealously g<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>uard these narrow waters. As
+early as 1460 forts were erected to defend them. Now both sides of the
+Narrows fairly bristle with powerful forts, in which big modern guns are
+mounted. You have already heard that the forts are provided with
+searchlights, which play across the water at night, and reveal the
+movements of even the smallest craft. Not only are the shores studded
+with forts, but batteries of big guns are concealed on the heights
+behind, and hidden torpedo tubes are ranged along the water's edge.
+Nature has also played her part in the defence of this dangerous and
+difficult channel. Swift currents sweep through the Narrows, and not
+only make navigation difficult, but carry along drifting mines. An enemy
+warship venturing into the channel must run the gauntlet of big guns on
+the shore and deadly explosives in the sea. While the defences remain
+intact the waterway is barred to her. To reduce the forts was,
+therefore, our first task.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>I have already told you that when Britain declared war on Turkey
+(November 5th, 1914) a long friendship was broken. Our support of Turkey
+arose out of our deep distrust of Russia, now our good friend and loyal
+ally. We distrusted Russia because we knew that ever since the days of
+Peter the Great she had coveted Constantinople, and we feared that if
+she gained possession of that city our Far Eastern possessions would be
+threatened. We therefore threw in our lot with Turkey, and more than
+once saved her from being wiped off the map of Europe. During the
+present war we have reaped the bitter fruits of Turkish ingratitude.</p>
+
+<p>About the year 1840 it seemed clear that Turkey was going to pieces, and
+that the break-up of her empire was only a matter of time. The Tsar
+Nicholas said to one of our ambassadors, "We have on our hands a sick
+man&mdash;a very sick man. It would be a great misfortune if one of these
+days he should slip away from us before the necessary arrangements have
+been made." He therefore proposed to divide up the Turkish dominions,
+taking Constantinople for himself, and offering us Crete an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span>d Egypt as
+our share of the spoils. The bribe was, of course, refused.</p>
+
+<p>A few years later Greek and Latin priests quarrelled as to who should
+take charge of the holy places in Palestine. The Tsar Nicholas supported
+the Greeks, and the French became the champions of the Latins. Then the
+Tsar put forward a claim that the Sultan should recognize him as the
+protector of all Christians within the Turkish Empire. This demand was,
+of course, resisted, and in 1853 Russian armies invaded Turkey. We were
+not in the least interested in the trivial dispute, but we hated and
+feared the prospect of the Russians in Constantinople. Further, as a
+great trading nation, we wished to keep the Dardanelles open for
+peaceful commerce, and we thought that this could best be done if the
+straits remained in the hands of a weak Power such as Turkey. So we
+joined the French, and fought the Russians in the Crimea. We lost 24,000
+men in the course of the war, and added &pound;41,000,000 to our national
+debt; but we prevented the Russians from overwhelming the Turks.</p>
+
+<p>Even this poor success was not lasting. Strife, tumult, and murder
+reigned in the Balkans under the cruel and blighting government of the
+Sultan, and twenty-four years later Russia again sent her armies into
+Turkey. The Russians drove back the Turks, and early in 1878 they were
+within a short distance of Constantinople. A cry of alarm and
+indignation broke out in England, and people went about the London
+streets shouting a popular song with the refrain, "The Russians shall
+not take Constantinople."</p>
+
+<p>So strong was public feeling that a British fleet was ordered to the
+Dardanelles. The admiral was instructed to pass the straits, and, "if
+fired upon and his ships struck, to return the fire, but not to wait to
+silence the forts." On February 13, 1878, seven ships of war, under
+Admiral Hornby, steamed up the Dardanelles. The Turks manned the forts
+at the Narrows; but when the ships came up against a strong current and
+in the face of a blinding snowstorm, they forbore to fire their guns.
+There was an anxious moment when the <i>Alexandra</i>, which led the line,
+ran aground on the Asiatic side, within easy range of Turkish batteries.
+She was, however, unmolested, and managed to get off after four hours'
+hard work. She then joined her consorts in the Sea of Marmora, and the
+guns of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span>the ships were trained on the domes and minarets of the Turkish
+capital.</p>
+
+<p>No doubt the presence of a British fleet within striking range of
+Constantinople had its effect upon the Russians. They did not enter the
+city, but agreed to make a treaty with the Powers, by which Serbia,
+Montenegro, and Rumania became independent states, and Bulgaria was
+granted a form of Home Rule. The Christian states which have been carved
+out of Turkey in Europe owe everything to Russia. As you know, the
+Christians of the Balkans are Slavs, and are akin to the Russians both
+by race and religion. Russia has always been their friend and champion,
+and Serbia and Montenegro have stood by their benefactor during the
+present war. Rumania had, so far, determined to remain neutral; but
+Bulgaria, as we shall learn later, played a traitor's part, and before
+the year 1915 was out she had joined the Central Powers.</p>
+
+<p>Britain has suffered greatly for her mistake in bolstering up the Turks,
+and in preventing the Russians from becoming masters of Constantinople.
+Had they been in possession of that city when the present war broke out,
+the work of overcoming the Germans and Austrians would have been shorn
+of half its difficulty. The Dardanelles would have been in the hands of
+our friends, and there would have been an open sea road by which Russia
+could have carried on her overseas trade, and received munitions and
+supplies from her Allies. There would have been no need for that naval
+attack on the forts of the Dardanelles which I am about to describe; nor
+should we have undertaken that land campaign in the Gallipoli peninsula
+which cost us more than 117,000 casualties, and ended in failure, only
+redeemed by the splendid gallantry of our men.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p176.jpg" width="398" height="533" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Map of the Dardanelles.</h4>
+
+<p>You have heard how Admiral Hornby's fleet threaded the Dardanelles in
+1878 without firing a shot. Now let me tell you very briefly how a
+British squadron forced its way through the straits in spite of strong
+resistance. In the year 1807, when we alone of all the European nations
+were holding out against the French, it was thought that if a British
+fleet were sent to Constantinople the Turks might be forced to break
+with Napoleon. So a powerful squadron under Admiral Duckworth sailed for
+the Dardanelles, with orders to demand the surrender of the Turkish
+fleet. If the demand was refused, he was to bombard Constantinople.
+Those were the days of sailing ships, and it was not easy to get
+men-of-war and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>frigates up the narrow winding waters, where the winds
+were irregular and the currents were baffling. The "castles" at the
+entrance and the forts at the Narrows opened fire on the ships; but
+little harm was done, and they passed through and anchored off
+Constantinople. It now seemed likely that under the muzzles of British
+guns the Sultan would give way. The French agents, however, persuaded
+him to "play for time," so that heavy batteries might be set up on the
+shores of the straits, and Duckworth's ships might be bombarded as they
+tried to return to the Mediterranean. Duckworth, you will notice, was in
+a very tight place. He was cut off from the open sea, and he could
+obtain no fresh supplies of food, water, or ammunition. It was clear
+that when his stores were exhausted he would be at the mercy of his
+enemies. So, before he could come to any agreement with the Sultan, he
+was forced to retire. His ships sailed slowly across the Sea of Marmora,
+and when the Narrows were reached the Turkish batteries opened fire with
+huge balls of marble, said to be hewn out of columns found amidst the
+ruins of Troy. One enormous stone shot cut the mainmast of the flagship
+in two; a second, that hit another vessel, knocked three gun ports into
+one, and killed or wounded sixty men. Finally, by good luck, the ships
+reached the open sea in safety. All on board were convinced that the
+experiment was too risky to be repeated.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Our greatest sailor, Nelson, always believed that strong, heavily armed
+forts could resist the attack of ships. When he was asked to reduce
+certain forts in Corsica by means of gun fire, he pointed out that stone
+walls were stronger than wooden walls, and that red-hot cannon balls
+from the guns of the forts might set his ships on fire. Since his day
+wooden walls have been replaced by armour plate, and red-hot shot by
+high-explosive shells. Nevertheless it is still true that shore
+batteries are more than a match for the heaviest armed battleships
+afloat. Of course, weak or badly-manned forts have been overcome by the
+guns of ships, as in the case of those at Alexandria, which were
+silenced by a British fleet in 1882; but as a rule ships run a great
+risk in attacking forts at close range, and are more than likely to come
+off second best.</p>
+
+<p>While a fort can only be put out of ac<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>tion by gun fire, a ship can be
+sunk not only by gun fire, but by mines or torpedoes. Forts can be
+strengthened to almost any extent, and protected by earthworks of all
+kinds, but there is a limit to the thickness and weight of the armour
+plate with which ships can be clad. Further, while shore batteries can
+be so hidden that they cannot be detected even from aeroplanes, a ship
+in action is in full sight of the fort, and is thus a good target. Then,
+again, hits made on the outer slopes of forts do but little damage. The
+only hits that really count are those which destroy or dismount guns,
+and such "direct hits" are few and far between. On the other hand, every
+shot that hits the ship is bound to tell, and the ship may be put out of
+action without a single gun being hit. You must also remember that while
+the fortress gunner is aiming at a wall twenty or thirty feet high and a
+hundred feet long, the ship's gunner can only fire at a low mound, or at
+a battery not more than four and a half feet in height.</p>
+
+<p>Even more difficult is the task of a ship's gunner when he is aiming at
+forts or batteries on high ground. It is not easy for a naval gun to
+bring an effective fire to bear on a target at a high level above the
+sea. Batteries on rising ground are difficult to reach, and when they
+are "spotted" they can be shifted to other positions, in which case the
+ship's gunners have to find the range all over again. When the shells
+from the ship's guns strike the ground they throw up columns of dust,
+and it is difficult for observers on board the ship or in the air to see
+exactly where the shells fall; but shells from the forts or land
+batteries drop into the sea, and throw up fountains of water which are
+clearly visible, and enable the observers on land to discover and set
+right all errors of range.</p>
+
+<p>A ship attacking a fort from the sea may silence it for a time; but when
+the ship draws off, as it is bound to do, the fort may be repaired and
+new guns may be mounted. Unless a landing-party goes ashore and utterly
+destroys the fort, there is no guarantee that the ship's work will not
+have to be done all over again. Even if forts are blown up, land
+batteries can be established, and resistance can be continued. Without
+land forces to occupy the shores on which the forts are situated, no
+really lasting result can be obtained by the ships.</p>
+
+<p>Now that you understand the disadvantages under which a fleet attacks
+forts, you will naturally ask why the British Government only sent ships
+to break down th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span>e defences of the Dardanelles. Why was not an army
+landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, to get behind the forts, or to
+attack them in the rear while the ships bombarded them from the sea? In
+the first weeks of February we were not ready to fit out and send a
+sufficiently strong army to the Gallipoli peninsula. Why, then, were the
+naval attacks not postponed until the army <i>was</i> ready? Probably it was
+thought that if we hastened to show our strength in Near Eastern waters
+Greece, Bulgaria, and perhaps Rumania, might be won over to our side,
+or, at least, persuaded to turn a deaf ear to the tempting voice of the
+Kaiser. Further, some of the rulers of our navy really believed that the
+armament of our warships was now so powerful that the straits could be
+carried by gun fire alone. The idea of our Admiralty was to silence the
+forts at the entrance to the straits, then with a fleet of mine-sweepers
+from the North Sea to clear the inner waters so that warships could
+steam sufficiently near to the forts at the Narrows to concentrate a
+fierce fire on them. When they were silenced the ships would dash
+through.</p>
+
+<p>But even supposing the forts could be thus silenced, and our warships
+could slip through the straits, what then? So long as the Turks held the
+shores they could repair the damage to their forts, mount new batteries,
+strew the waters with mines, and take a heavy toll of our ships when
+lack of supplies forced them to return. Those who planned this naval
+attack probably thought that the Turks would give in as soon as
+Constantinople was shelled. But such a happy ending to the adventure was
+very doubtful.</p>
+
+<p>So you see that unless the ships were supported by land forces
+sufficient to hold at least one of the shores of the straits, all the
+efforts of the fleet were likely to prove fruitless. Nevertheless an
+unsupported naval attack was decided upon, and this was the first of the
+many costly mistakes which were made at the Dardanelles. When our ships
+began bombarding the forts, the Turks and their German advisers knew
+that we should have to make a land attack sooner or later. With feverish
+haste they therefore began to dig trenches and make gun pits on the
+Gallipoli peninsula. Thus, the Turks were afforded a breathing space in
+which to make any future land operations doubly difficult.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2>
+
+<h3>HOW WE FAILED AT THE "NARROWS."</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>s far back as November 3, 1914, a British and French squadron of
+battleships and battle cruisers shelled the forts which guard the
+entrance to the Dardanelles both on the Gallipoli and the Asiatic side.
+The attack was not long sustained; each ship only fired about twenty
+rounds. The forts replied, but most of the shots fell short. The sole
+object of this brief bombardment was to get the range of the forts. A
+spectator noticed that while the firing continued a heavy haze of smoke
+hung over the Turkish positions, and columns of dust rose high into the
+air, making "spotting" very difficult.</p>
+
+<p>Three months elapsed before the real attack began. On February 9, 1915,
+five British warships, the <i>Inflexible</i>, <i>Agamemnon</i>, <i>Cornwallis</i>,
+<i>Vengeance</i>, and <i>Triumph</i>, along with the French cruisers <i>Bouvet</i>,
+<i>Suffren</i>, and <i>Gaulois</i>, and a flotilla of destroyers, turned their
+guns on the entrance forts once more. Behind the battle line lay the
+<i>Ark Royal</i>, a mother ship for seaplanes. The aircraft which ascended
+from her decks carried observers, whose duty it was to direct the
+gunnery. Long-range firing began at eight in the morning, and before
+long the forts seemed to be smothered in bursting shells. Hits were
+frequently made both on the forts at Cape Helles and at Kum Kale, on the
+opposite shore; but what happened to the low earthworks of the batteries
+at Sedd-el-Bahr was difficult to ascertain. The forts did not reply, and
+Admiral Carden, who was in command of the bombarding fleet, thought that
+they must be out of action. Shortly before three in the afternoon he
+ordered six of his ships to close in, and bring all their guns to bear
+on the forts. As they did so the silent batteries awoke to life, and
+shells fell fast and thick around the attacking vessels. The Turkish
+fire, however, was badly aimed, and not a single ship was hit. By
+sundown the Gallipoli batteries<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> were again silent; but Kum Kale was
+still firing when dusk began to fall, and Admiral Carden had to
+withdraw his fleet for the night.</p>
+
+<p>Next day there was bad weather, which continued for a week, and the
+attack could not be resumed until the 25th. The <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>,
+<i>Agamemnon</i>, <i>Irresistible</i>, and <i>Gaulois</i> pounded the forts at such a
+long range that the guns on shore could not reach them. At the end of an
+hour and a half the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> had silenced the forts at Cape
+Helles, but not before the <i>Agamemnon</i> had been struck by a shell which
+killed eight men and wounded five others. Under the protection of the
+super-Dreadnought's fire, the <i>Vengeance</i> and <i>Cornwallis</i> now steamed
+in to complete the destruction of the forts. Meanwhile the
+<i>Irresistible</i> and the <i>Gaulois</i> had severely hammered the Kum Kale
+batteries and the <i>Suffren</i> and <i>Charlemagne</i> were told off to put the
+finishing touches to the work of their bigger sisters. By 5.15 that
+evening all the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles were rubbish
+heaps. The Turkish gunners had fought pluckily for seven hours against
+overwhelming odds, and their defeat brought them no discredit. So far,
+the naval attack had been quite successful.</p>
+
+<p>When the ships ceased fire North Sea trawlers began the business of
+mine-sweeping. As you know, it is dangerous and difficult work; but it
+was admirably done, and by the morning of the 26th the first four miles
+of the straits were clear of mines, and all was ready for an attack on
+the inner forts. The <i>Albion</i>, <i>Vengeance</i>, and <i>Majestic</i> now steamed
+up the straits to the limit of the mine-swept waters, and began to
+bombard Fort Dardanos, on the Asiatic side. The fort replied, as also
+did certain concealed batteries at various points along the shore. Once
+more the aim of the Turkish gunners was uncertain, and the ships
+suffered no damage. The guns of the ships dispersed several bodies of
+troops behind the forts.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile landing-parties of Royal Marines were sent ashore to blow up
+the forts which had been silenced on the previous day. Everywhere,
+except at Kum Kale, this was successfully done. The parties which landed
+on the Asiatic side were stubbornly resisted. They fought a hot little
+fight with the Turks, and had to fall back to their boats with a few
+casualties. Next day the Turks falsely announced that they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> had
+everywhere beaten off our landing-parties with heavy loss.</p>
+
+<p>The entrance to the straits was now in our hands; but its capture was
+only the beginning of the task. I have already told you that the main
+defences of the Dardanelles consist of the clustering forts and
+batteries on both sides of the bottle neck known as the Narrows. Our
+ships had now to deal not only with these forts and batteries, but with
+drifting mines and hidden torpedo tubes. Their hour of trial was fast
+approaching. Strong and bitterly cold northerly winds postponed the
+attack until 4th March; but in the meantime the trawlers, under cover of
+the destroyers, swept another five miles of the straits up to within a
+mile and a half of the beginning of the Narrows.</p>
+
+<p>On 4th March the ships were again in action, and another attempt was
+made by the Marines to land at Kum Kale. Once more they found a strong
+body of Turks awaiting them, and had to retire to their boats with a
+loss of nineteen killed, twenty-five wounded, and three missing. Many of
+the men were killed by snipers concealed in the ruins or in trees. A
+midshipman of the <i>Ocean</i> tells us that a sergeant of Marines was found
+pierced by fourteen bullets. His comrades searched round until they
+found a German concealed in a wood exactly opposite to the wounded man.
+"He was put up against a tree and shot without a word."</p>
+
+<p>Next day a squadron of battleships and cruisers began the bombardment of
+Smyrna, the chief city of Asia Minor, and one of the greatest ports in
+the Turkish Empire. Some thirty-two hits were made on the forts, which
+made no reply. The attack was renewed on several of the following days,
+but with no result. Probably it was never intended to be serious, and
+was only made to distract the attention of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of 6th March the forts at the Narrows were assaulted by
+ships well up the straits. The attacking vessels were frequently hit by
+shells, but no serious damage was done, and there was no loss of life.
+The bombardment from the inside of the straits was not the main attack.
+That was made by the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>, <i>Agamemnon</i>, and <i>Ocean</i> from
+the Gulf of Saros. The ships lay off the point of Gaba Tepe, and, under
+the direction of aeroplanes, hurled their shells on to the forts at
+Chanak, which you will see on the Asiatic side of the Narrows, twelve
+miles away. The great 15-inch guns of "Big Lizzie," as the bluejackets
+du<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>bbed the monster battleship, fired twenty-nine rounds, and played
+havoc with the forts. A shell from the "Lizzie" blew up the powder
+magazine of one of the batteries. You must not suppose that the ships in
+the Gulf of Saros went unmolested. The Turks had concealed guns on the
+heights of the peninsula, and with them they made good practice. The
+"Lizzie" was hit three times.</p>
+
+<p>The attack now seemed to be proceeding favourably. Every day newspaper
+readers at home expected to hear that the forts at the Narrows had been
+silenced, and that the guns of the fleet were within range of
+Constantinople. Little real progress, however, was being made. Often
+when forts ceased fire we flattered ourselves with the belief that they
+had been destroyed. What had really happened was that the heavy fumes
+from our shells had driven the gunners out of their casemates. As soon
+as the air became clear again they returned to work their guns once
+more. Even at Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale our success was not complete. We
+had blown up the forts, but we had not occupied the ground on both sides
+of the entrance, and the Turks had strongly entrenched themselves near
+at hand, and had mounted guns, which were able to continue the
+resistance.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of 13th March the small light cruiser <i>Amethyst</i> performed
+a very daring feat. She dashed into the Narrows, and attempted to rush
+through. Concealed batteries opened fire on her, and she was hit several
+times at close range. Before she could run back into safety some fifty
+of her men had been knocked over. At home it was reported that she had
+actually succeeded in passing the forts, and everybody hoped that the
+beginning of the end was in sight. By this time an enormous number of
+vessels of all sorts and sizes had been mustered. Never before had such
+a fleet been seen in Eastern waters. Amongst the newcomers was the
+Russian cruiser <i>Askold</i>, which our sailors called "the packet of
+Woodbines," because of her five slim funnels. On 18th March Admiral
+Robeck, who had succeeded Admiral Carden in command of the fleet, felt
+that the time had come for a big effort.</p>
+
+<p>Thursday, 18th March, broke bright and clear, with a light wind and a
+calm sea. At a quarter to eleven the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>, <i>Inflexible</i>,
+<i>Agamemnon</i>, and <i>Lord Nelson</i>, supported by the <i>Triumph</i> and
+<i>Swiftsure</i>, steamed u<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>p the bright blue waters of the straits, and began
+firing at long range on the batteries on both sides of the Narrows.
+Forts, batteries, howitzers, and field guns replied, and after the
+bombardment had lasted an hour and a half, a French squadron of four
+ships, including the <i>Bouvet</i>, steamed in to attack the enemy at close
+range. Ten ships were now hurling their missiles on the forts, and under
+this terrific bombardment they were powerless to reply. Then a British
+squadron of six ships came up to push the attack home. As this squadron
+steamed towards Chanak, the French ships were withdrawn from the narrow
+waters, in order to make room for the newcomers. Suddenly, while this
+movement was going on, the forts began to fire again. It was now clear
+that they had not been seriously injured by our heavy bombardment.</p>
+
+<p>As the <i>Bouvet</i> retired an officer on a British destroyer saw three
+shells strike her. Almost at the same moment she blew up with a terrific
+explosion, and was hidden in a dense cloud of smoke. In three minutes
+she heeled over and disappeared. A consort rushed to her assistance,
+only to find bubbles rising to the surface, and a pall of black smoke
+slowly lifting. Out of her crew of 630, only 64 were saved. At first it
+was thought that the enemy's shells had destroyed her, but the real
+cause of the disaster was a floating mine. The Turks, seeing the narrow
+waterway full of ships, had dropped mines in the channel, and the
+current had swept them along on their mission of destruction.</p>
+
+<p>This grave misfortune led to no slackening of the bombardment. An hour
+and a half later the <i>Irresistible</i>, a British battleship, thirteen
+years old, also fouled a mine. She began to list heavily, and slowly
+dragged her way from the firing line towards the entrance to the
+straits. At ten minutes to six she sank, but happily not until our
+destroyers had taken off nearly all her ship's company. The rescue of
+the <i>Irresistible's</i> crew was a very gallant and skilful bit of work,
+for the destroyers were under Turkish fire all the time. A midshipman
+named Hugh Dixon did splendid service in picking up officers and men
+while shells were falling round his boat. He afterwards received the
+Distinguished Service Cross.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p181.jpg" width="498" height="618" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Irresistible and the Ocean in Action.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture, taken from the deck of a British warship, shows the
+<i>Irresistible</i> and <i>Ocean</i> shelling the Kum Kale and other forts on the
+Asiatic side. Both vessels were sunk on March 18, 1915, by drifting
+mines. (See page <a href="#Page_175">175</a>.)</h4>
+
+<p>The tale of disaster was not yet complete. A quarter of an hour after
+the <i>Irresistible</i> went down the floating mines claimed another victim.
+The <i>Ocean</i>, a British batt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>leship, fifteen years old, suddenly sank; but
+once more the destroyers were on the alert, and few lives were lost.
+Nor had other ships of the fleet escaped scathless. The <i>Gaulois</i> had
+been holed in the bows, the fire-control station on the <i>Inflexible's</i>
+foretop had been shot away, and several of her men had fallen. Later in
+the day she received a gaping wound from a mine.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun set on that disastrous day the fleet slipped out of the
+Dardanelles, never again to renew its attack in force. The great attempt
+had failed; three battleships had gone down, and the French and British
+navies were the poorer by the loss of many gallant men. It was now clear
+to all that an unsupported naval attack was powerless to force a
+right-of-way through the Hellespont. Though the lost battleships had
+been destroyed by mines, the wisdom of our forefathers had been fully
+justified: well-armed forts are more than a match for the gun fire of
+ships.</p>
+
+<p>For the next month one or more vessels entered the straits each day and
+opened fire in order to prevent the Turks from repairing their forts. On
+28th March the Russian Black Sea Fleet bombarded the outer forts of the
+Bosporus. There was, however, no sting in these attacks. The fleet had
+shot its bolt. Our war lords were now preparing for a combined movement
+by land and sea.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The Victoria Cross was awarded to <span class="smcap">Lieutenant-Commander Eric Gascoigne
+Robinson</span> for several acts of bravery during the operations described
+above. On 26th February, when detailed to destroy a fort which had been
+silenced by our ships, he advanced alone, under heavy fire, into the
+enemy's position, and blew up a 4-inch gun. He then returned to his
+party for another charge, with which he destroyed a second gun. He did
+the work single-handed, because he knew that the white uniforms of his
+comrades would make them a good mark for the enemy. Commander Robinson
+distinguished himself not only by destroying guns, but also by taking
+part in four attacks on mine-fields&mdash;in each case under heavy fire.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE STORY OF HILL 60.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>hree miles south of Ypres, close to the railway line which runs from
+that city to Comines, on the Lys, stands Hill 60, now known to all the
+world as the scene of a furious struggle which merged into a long and
+fierce battle. You must not imagine Hill 60 as a towering peak, but as a
+gentle swell of ground not rising much more than sixty feet above the
+level of the surrounding country. It was, indeed, formed by the earth
+taken out of a railway cutting and dumped down by the side of the line.
+At the time when my story opens (17th April) it was a hillock of
+ploughed land, with woods on all sides of it. Humble as it was, the
+heroisms done on it have given it a fame that Mont Blanc might envy.</p>
+
+<p>Hill 60 was valuable to the Germans because it overlooked the lower
+ground on which the British had dug their trenches. Observers on the
+hill could watch what was going on down below, and direct the fire of
+their heavy guns which were stationed a couple of miles or so to the
+rear. The whole hill was seamed with trenches and saps. The Germans held
+the upper slopes and the summit, and their positions were only fifty
+yards away from those of the British. They had strongly fortified the
+hill, because they knew that its loss would force them to give up a
+large part of their line. For this reason, and because it would afford
+us a gun position commanding much of the German front, we now prepared a
+bold attack upon it.</p>
+
+<p>Since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the counter-attack at St. Eloi
+there had been a lull in the fighting. Of course, the big guns on both
+sides fired daily, and the aeroplanes of friend and foe made constant
+raids and observation flights; but the infantry had been but little
+engaged. On 1st April an Allied aviator played a practical joke on the
+Germans. He flew over Lille, and dropped a football on the
+aerodrom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>e.<a name="FNanchor_34_34" id="FNanchor_34_34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a> It bounded up to a great height, and the Germans,
+thinking that it was a new kind of bomb, at once scuttled away into
+cover. The supposed bomb did not explode, and after a time they ventured
+out to examine it, and discovered this inscription on it: "April
+fool&mdash;Gott strafe England,"<a name="FNanchor_35_35" id="FNanchor_35_35"></a><a href="#Footnote_35_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a></p>
+
+<p>In the early days of April our engineers, all unknown to the enemy, were
+busy driving galleries under Hill 60, and preparing mines. At seven
+o'clock on the morning of 17th April, when the 1st Royal West Kents and
+the 2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers were waiting with fixed bayonets,
+the mines under the hillock were exploded. There was a terrific roar,
+and it seemed as though the German trenches had been struck by an
+earthquake. Parapets, sand-bags, wire entanglements, and the bodies of
+the men were blown high into the air. The trenches disappeared, and in
+place of them yawned huge craters and mounds of piled earth. Before the
+dense columns of dust and smoke could subside, our guns belched forth
+shrapnel and high-explosive shells, so as to prevent the enemy from
+sending up reinforcements. In the midst of the whirlwind of shot and
+flame the Germans who had survived the explosions were seen falling over
+one another in their efforts to escape by means of the communication
+trenches. They were so panic-stricken that some of them forced a way to
+safety by charging through their own ranks with the bayonet.</p>
+
+<p>Then the whistles blew, and the West Kents, closely followed by the
+Scottish Borderers, clambered over their parapets, and, rushing up the
+slope, took possession of the craters, while some of their comrades
+pursued the flying Germans and fought furiously with them in the narrow
+trenches. Barricades were erected in the communication trenches, and
+over these the enemy flung hand grenades. The British, however, made
+good their hold on the craters, and twenty minutes after the charge was
+made were strongly posted with machine guns on the coveted position.
+Hill 60 was ours.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p187.jpg" width="423" height="564" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Hill 60.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From a sketch made just before its capture by the British. By
+permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>Early next morning <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>(Sunday, 18th April) the Germans in mass formation
+made two attacks on the hill, but they were mown down by machine guns
+and shrapnel. Nevertheless they kept up their assaults all day, and by 6
+p.m. had won back part of the southern edge. The 2nd West Riding and 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry were now sent up to relieve the West Kents and
+Scottish Borderers. Supported by heavy artillery fire, they dashed
+forward and drove out the enemy at the point of the bayonet. While doing
+so they captured fifty-three prisoners, including four officers. During
+this advance we lost heavily, but the Germans lost more, and the slopes
+were littered with the bodies of friend and foe.</p>
+
+<p>For three days the struggle continued, almost without pause. The Germans
+fiercely shelled the hill, and hurled upon it a constant shower of
+bombs. Our men were exposed to fire from three sides, but they held on
+like limpets to a rock. On the evening of the 20th the Germans made
+another infantry attack, which lasted for an hour and a half, but once
+more they were repulsed by the stubborn British. It was during this
+period of fighting that Lieutenant George Roupell and Second Lieutenant
+Geoffrey Woolley won the Victoria Cross, as you will read on a later
+page.</p>
+
+<p>At dawn the next morning we discovered that the Germans had dug
+themselves in on the north-east edge of the hill. In the afternoon they
+were driven off, and then their artillery literally plastered the hill
+with shells of all kinds, some of them containing gases which blinded
+and choked our men. Against a tiny table top of 250 yards long by 200
+yards deep tons of metal and high explosives were flung from howitzers
+and field guns at close range. It seemed to observers that nothing could
+live in that zone of fire; nevertheless the defenders hung on for four
+and a half terrible days. The hill was still ours on Thursday, the 22nd.
+Then came a lull: the storm of battle had begun to rage over a far wider
+field.</p>
+
+<p>The struggle for the hill did not cease with the opening of this new
+battle. Before every big attack which the Germans made elsewhere they
+delivered a furious assault on the hill. At length, on 6th May, after a
+series of gas attacks, they won it back, and also some trenches to the
+north of it. By this time, however, it had been so blown away by mine
+explosions and artillery fire as to be of little value. A friend of
+mine, who visited it a week later, "could barely detect the gentle swell
+among the flat meadows."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span></p>
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Before I pass on to describe the Second Battle of Ypres, let me relate
+some soldiers' stories of the fierce fighting on Hill 60. A
+correspondent tells us that the Scottish Borderers never lost heart
+during the awful bombardment to which they were subjected. "These
+astounding men," he says, "holding hastily-dug trenches by the side of a
+yawning crater full of dead and wounded, with high-explosive shells
+bursting all around them and often falling amongst them, actually sang
+as they fired over the parapets or lobbed their bombs over the barriers
+across the old communication trenches of the Germans. Amid the flares
+that lit up the hilltop as clear as day, and the shells that burst with
+clouds of whitish yellow smoke, they shouted in chorus, '<i>Here we are!
+Here we are! Here we are again!</i>' Thus a company of the West Kents, sent
+up in support, found them at daybreak. The Borderers had been obliged to
+fall back from the trench on the outer lip of the crater to a trench on
+its near side, so that the chasm lay between them and the Germans. Their
+captain lay stark and stiff in the crater, which was so full of dead and
+wounded that, in the words of a West Kents' officer, 'hardly a portion
+of the ground could be seen.'" "It's dogged as does it," according to
+the old saying, and never were men more dogged than the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers during that fearful ordeal.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The same correspondent gives us some details of the splendid advance
+made by the Duke of Wellington's Own (2nd West Riding) and the 2nd
+Yorkshire Light Infantry, when they drove the Germans off the southern
+edge. "At six o'clock the Duke's, as full of fight as ever, with
+bayonets fixed, were away over the parapet of their battered trench,
+followed by their fellow-countrymen of Yorkshire, some of the
+K.O.S.B.'s, and the Queen Victoria Rifles, a London Territorial
+battalion that did magnificent work that day. 'B' Company of the Duke's,
+on the right, reached the German trenches with only slight casualties.
+'C' company, in the centre, had to cross open ground, and of the hundred
+men who charged only Captain Barton and eleven others got into the
+German trench, where, notwithstanding their small numbers, they killed
+or routed all the Germans there. 'D' Company, on the left, had likewise
+to traverse the open, and lost all its officers in passing through the
+heavily-shelled zone; but with the help of the gallant Yorkshire Light
+Infantry it managed to secure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> the trench. Some fine deeds of gallantry
+were performed on that sombre hillside. Privates Behan and Dryden, of
+the Duke's, became separated from their company, but charged a German
+trench single-handed, killing three Germans and capturing two others.
+When they were reinforced by a detachment without an officer, Behan took
+command, and showed great ability. Both men afterwards received the
+Distinguished Conduct Medal."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A "Gaspipe Officer,"<a name="FNanchor_36_36" id="FNanchor_36_36"></a><a href="#Footnote_36_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a> writing in <i>Blackwood's Magazine</i>, tells us
+that, on the evening of 17th April, a group of officers standing on a
+little rise watched the shrapnel bursting over Hill 60, three and a half
+miles away. "They were half joyful and half sick at heart. Not one of
+them would have confessed it, yet each had a great pride in the old
+division, and a great anxiety that it should do well. Had the charge
+been successful? Had the gains been made good? They went back into their
+hut, and sang . . . until it was time to go to bed.</p>
+
+<p>"In the morning news came that the position had been rushed; the Germans
+had been filled with such panic that they had fled from the trenches on
+either side of the crater; they were heavily attacking; their guns and
+bombs were sweeping the new position; there was no wire down yet.</p>
+
+<p>"About nine the same night there was much cheering in the darkness of
+the camp. The remains of two battalions had returned from the hill. Then
+first we learned the names of the fallen. Still there was no wire down.
+. . . It took five or six days before the wire was down and trenches
+properly made. During those days no battalion could remain for more than
+fifteen hours on the hill, and at the end of its shift it would return
+broken. The men could see the guns that were firing at them. . . . The
+hill was death. But the 5th Division never let go. They stuck to the
+hill while the sappers put up wire and made it defensible."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Before I close this chapter I will give you some account of the soldiers
+who won the Victoria Cross for deeds of outstanding gallantry during the
+period between the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the beginning of the
+Second Battle of Ypres.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Privat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>e Robert Morrow</span>, 1st Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish)
+Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>Near Messines, on 12th April, some of our trenches were destroyed by the
+enemy's shell fire, and several of our men were buried in the ruins.
+Without waiting for orders, and under a very heavy fire, Private Morrow
+dug out the men and carried them one by one to places of shelter. A
+score of times he hazarded his own life in rescuing his comrades, and
+the highest award of valour was the King's tribute to such fearless
+self-devotion.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Edward Dwyer</span>, 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>When His Majesty the King pinned the coveted cross on the breast of
+Private Dwyer, he was amazed at the boyish appearance of the hero. He
+was but nineteen years of age when he ran through the hail of death up
+the slope of Hill 60; yet he was already a veteran, for he had fought
+from Mons to the Marne, and back to the Aisne, and had played his part
+in many a Flanders battle. He and his comrades of the East Surreys held
+a trench of Hill 60 with wonderful doggedness. Quite early in the
+encounter Dwyer went out from the cover of his trench and bandaged
+several of his badly-wounded comrades. No one would have been more
+surprised than Edward Dwyer if he had been told that these acts of mercy
+were heroic. He considered them his plain duty&mdash;that was all.</p>
+
+<p>Dwyer and his comrades were assailed by German hand-grenade throwers.
+Their bombs came hurtling into the trench, and did awful execution.
+Dwyer saw that unless the Germans were beaten back with their own
+weapons the position would be lost. Seizing a supply of bombs, he sprang
+upon the parapet, and flung his missiles so rapidly and with such
+unerring aim that he broke up the enemy's advance. At once he became a
+mark for the enemy's bombers and sharpshooters. Standing high on the
+parapet, he was an excellent target. Grenades whizzed and cracked in the
+air around him, rifles were fired at him, and only by a hair's breadth
+did he escape time after time. At last he was wounded in the head, but
+even then he did not cease to fling his bombs. They fell right in the
+thick of the Germans, who were forced back. One man had beaten back a
+whole company!</p>
+
+<p>Private Dwyer came down from the sand-bags sorely wounded but
+victorious. He was still unaware that he had done anything heroic. But
+you and I honour him as a supremely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> brave man, who added to his
+gallantry the charm of modesty. While he was recovering from his wounds
+he addressed recruiting meetings with such burning words that many a man
+forthwith offered his services to his King and country. Before the year
+was out he carried the King's commission as second lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant George Rowland Patrick Roupell</span>, 1st Battalion, the East
+Surrey Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>This young officer was in command of his company in a front trench on
+that terrible April day when our men were clinging on to Hill 60 by
+their eyebrows. Though wounded in several places, he remained at his
+post, and led his men when they repelled a strong German assault. During
+a lull in the shattering salvos of fire he had his wounds hurriedly
+dressed, and then insisted on returning to his trench, which was soon
+heavily shelled once more. Towards evening, when his company was
+dangerously weakened, he went back to headquarters through a whirlwind
+of fire, and returned, bringing with him reinforcements. With these he
+held the position until his battalion was relieved next morning.
+Lieutenant Roupell was one of the few survivors of his company. It was
+his splendid example of courage, devotion, and doggedness that inspired
+his men to hold out to the end.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Benjamin Handley Geary</span>, 4th Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), East Surrey Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>Second Lieutenant Geary held the left crater on Hill 60 with his
+platoon, a detachment of the Bedfordshire Regiment, and a few
+reinforcements sent up during the evening and night. The crater was so
+heavily bombarded by the enemy that the defences were broken down, and
+throughout the night there were repeated bomb attacks which filled the
+great hole with dead and wounded. Each attack, however, was splendidly
+repulsed, mainly owing to the personal gallantry and inspiring example
+of Lieutenant Geary. At one time he used a rifle with great effect, at
+another time he threw hand grenades and held off the enemy. Again and
+again he exposed himself with entire disregard of danger, in order to
+see by the light of flares where the attack was to be made. In the
+pauses between the attacks he was busy arranging for ammunition supply
+and for reinforcements. Lieutenant Geary displayed all the ancient
+virtues of his race&mdash;alertness in seizing opportunities, courage that is
+heedless of self, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>leadership that inspires confidence, and steadfastness
+that never knows defeat. He was severely wounded just before daylight
+on 21st April. A bullet passed through his head from one side to the
+other, completely destroying the sight of one eye, and seriously
+injuring that of the other. He made, however, a rapid recovery.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley</span>, 9th (County of London) Battalion,
+the London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), Territorial Force.</p>
+
+<p>At one time during the frenzied struggle which I have described in this
+chapter, Lieutenant Woolley was the only officer on the hill. With a
+handful of men he resisted all attacks on his trench, and continued
+throwing bombs and encouraging his comrades until he was relieved. All
+this time his trench was under heavy fire from the artillery, bombers,
+and machine gunners of the enemy. For "sticking it" so gallantly
+Lieutenant Woolley was rightly awarded the cross of valour. He had the
+honour of being the first of all Territorials to win this high
+distinction. Lieutenant Woolley was the son of an Essex clergyman, and
+was a student at Oxford, preparing to take holy orders, when the war
+broke out. Although he confessed that he hated fighting, he nevertheless
+felt that he must serve his country. Shortly after his exploits on the
+hill he was promoted captain.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 960px;">
+<img src="images/p192193.jpg" width="960" height="599" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The first Territorial to win the V.C. An heroic Exploit on Hill 60.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by R. Caton Woodville, from material supplied by men
+who fought in the action. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News.</i>)<br />
+
+"He successfully resisted all attacks on his trench and continued
+throwing bombs"&mdash;such was the exploit which won Lieutenant Geoffrey
+Harold Woolley the Victoria Cross. You will read the story of his
+heroism on page <a href="#Page_187">187</a>.</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Edward Warner</span>, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 1st May the Germans launched a gas attack against Hill 60, and Trench
+46 had to be abandoned by our men. Though suffering agonies from the
+poisonous fumes, Private Warner, all by himself, returned to the trench,
+and prevented the enemy from taking possession of it. Reinforcements
+were ordered up, but they could not reach the gallant fellow owing to
+the gas. He then came back, and returned with other men, who helped him
+to hold the trench until the enemy's attacks ceased. By this time he was
+completely worn out, and shortly afterwards died from the effects of gas
+poisoning. Thus perished a hero of heroes.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE POISONOUS CLOUD.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>hile the Germans were fiercely shelling Hill 60 the tide of war rolled
+along the Ypres Salient, which has so often figured in these pages. The
+Gaspipe Officer already quoted says: "The old Ypres salient was such a
+silly thing. Imagine for a moment one of those old Greek theatres,
+semicircular. All the way round the Germans were on the top row of
+seats, and we were only halfway up. They could see everything that we
+were doing, while we, hemmed in, had to trust to aeroplanes. And down on
+the floor of the theatre stood Ypres, through which, or by which, nearly
+every road to the salient passed."</p>
+
+<p>If you look at the diagram on page <a href="#Page_189">189</a>, you will see how we were holding
+the salient on the morning of 22nd April. Our lines ran in a semicircle
+from Steenstraate, on the Yser canal, about four and a half miles to the
+north of Ypres, right round to the Ypres-Comines canal, about two miles
+south of the city. Nowhere was the salient more than four and a half
+miles across; every part of it, including Ypres itself, was, therefore,
+within range of the enemy's big guns. As the Gaspipe Officer tells us,
+the Germans held the higher ground, and were thus in a very favourable
+position for sweeping all parts of the salient with their fire. All the
+roads to the outer rim of the salient spread out from Ypres like the
+spokes of a wheel. Our supply and ammunition columns were, therefore,
+under fire the moment they entered or passed by the city.</p>
+
+<p>The British forces had greatly increased since those days of terrible
+trial in the preceding October and November, when, with never more than
+150,000 men, we had beaten back the furious onrush of at least half a
+million Germans, and had blocked for ever the coveted road to Calais. We
+had now some 500,000 men at the front, and we felt, after <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>our great
+assault at Neuve Chapelle, that we had the upper hand of the enemy, and
+that henceforth the attack was with us and the defence lay with him.
+Before, however, he sank into this secondary position he meant to make
+another desperate effort to reach the Channel ports. This long and
+fierce struggle, which I am now about to describe, is known as the
+Second Battle of Ypres.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p197.jpg" width="279" height="258" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Second Battle of Ypres.</h3>
+
+<h4>Sketch showing position at the Ypres salient on the morning of April 22, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>Look again at the diagram. The Allied line from Steenstraate to
+Langemarck was held by Turcos and Spahis, French colonial troops from
+Algeria. Continuing the curve for 5,000 yards was the Canadian Division,
+consisting of three infantry brigades, in addition to artillery
+brigades. The first infantry brigade was in reserve, the second (8th and
+5th Battalions) lay on the right, and the third (13th and 14th
+Battalions) on the left, next to the French. The whole division was
+commanded by General Alderson; Brigadier-General Turner commanded the
+3rd Brigade, and Brigadier-General Curry th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span>e 2nd Brigade. The trenches,
+which the Canadians had taken over from the French, were badly made and
+very wet, and could only be improved with difficulty, as the dead had
+been buried in the bottoms and the sides. The 28th Division continued
+the line to the south-east corner of Polygon Wood, where Princess
+Patricia's Own were stationed. From the wood to Hill 60 the remainder of
+the salient was manned by the 27th Division.</p>
+
+<p>Though the salient was well known to be a source of weakness, it was not
+strongly held by the Allies at this time. Probably the Germans were
+aware of the fact, for suddenly they launched a furious and determined
+attack against the forces holding it. The only warning which the Allies
+received was on the 20th, when the guns of the enemy began to bombard
+Ypres. Huge shells from the heaviest of guns fell in the streets, which
+were then thronged with citizens and our own reserves. Fifteen little
+children were killed at their play, and a number of the townsfolk
+perished amidst the ruins of their houses. Our generals understood at
+once the meaning of this bombardment. It was meant to block the roads to
+our lines on the salient, and make the work of sending forward supplies
+and ammunition very difficult, if not impossible. It was not meant to
+embarrass us at Hill 60, for we had free roads leading to that position
+from the west. It could only be the forerunner of an attack on that part
+of the salient extending from the Yser Canal to the Menin road&mdash;that is,
+on the portion held by the French Colonials, the Canadians, the 28th
+Division, and Princess Pat's. Our generals viewed the bombardment with
+anxiety; they knew that we were ill prepared to meet the attacks which
+were soon to follow.</p>
+
+<p>Thursday, 22nd April, was a peaceful day, warm and sunny. A light,
+steady wind was blowing from the north-east. About five in the evening
+an aviator reported that he had seen a strange green cloud, higher than
+a man, surging across the open ground from the German lines towards the
+French trenches. It was the deadly poison gas chlorine, which when taken
+into the lungs sets up acute bronchitis and causes its victims to die in
+horrible agony. At every fifty feet or so along the German front a
+battery of twenty retorts had been established. The gas from these
+retorts had been pumped at high pressure into huge reservoirs from which
+pipes ran to the front trenches. When the nozzles were turned<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> on, the
+deadly gas rushed out, and was carried by the wind towards the French
+lines. Special respirators had been served out to the German soldiers,
+who were waiting in readiness to take advantage of this foul blow. Never
+before had poison gas been used in this manner on the battlefield. The
+Germans were about to sound the deepest depths of their infamy and try
+to poison those whom they could not beat in fair fight.</p>
+
+<p>Onward rolled the greenish-white cloud, across fields, through woods,
+and over hedgerows. Soon the Turcos in their trenches were gasping and
+choking and suffering unspeakable tortures. They were brave men; there
+was no mortal foe they were not ready to engage; but this creeping cloud
+that struck them down in agony was a devilish magic which they could
+neither understand nor resist. A horrible, unreasoning terror took
+possession of them, and they ran. Back they fled through the dusk, a
+coughing, blinded crowd, leaving behind them hundreds of their comrades
+gasping out their lives or lying dead with blue faces and frothy lips.
+Some of them fled due south towards the Langemarck road, and in the
+early darkness came upon the reserve battalions of the Canadians, who
+gazed in amazement upon their wild dark faces, their heaving chests, and
+speechless lips. Soon the Canadians began to feel the effects of the
+gas, and many of them were afflicted by a deadly sickness.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 732px;">
+<img src="images/p198.jpg" width="732" height="473" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Stand to your Arms!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By permission of The Sphere.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>The incident pictured above occurred when the Turcos were assailed by
+poison gas and fled from their trenches. When the first fugitives
+arrived on the outskirts of Ypres, some of our reserves gathered in
+groups, wondering what had happened and trying to find out what was the
+matter. Suddenly a staff officer rode up, shouting, "Stand to your
+arms!" and in a few minutes the troops had fallen in and were marching
+to the scene of the fight. "Nothing more impressive ran be imagined than
+the sight of our men falling in quietly and in perfect order amid the
+scene of wild confusion caused by the panic-stricken refugees who
+swarmed along the roads, striving to flee as quickly as possible from
+the German menace behind them."</h4>
+
+<p>A great breach, four miles wide, now yawned between Steenstraate and
+Langemarck. On the left of the Canadians there was a huge rent, through
+which the Germans were preparing to advance, while their artillery
+pitilessly whipped the fugitives onward. The situation was dangerous in
+the extreme. Ypres appeared to be within the Kaiser's grasp. The
+Canadians were unsupported on their left; the French trenches were
+choked with dead and dying; and fifty French guns were in the hands of
+the enemy. In vain the officers strove to rally the fleeing Turcos.
+Meanwhile a great mob of Germans pushed through the wall of gas which
+was now breaking up into patches behind them, and rushed on towards
+Ypres. Only two miles of open country now separated them from the city
+of their desire.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE GLORY OF CANADA.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">E</span>very Briton may thank God that the Canadians were where they were when
+the cloud of poison gas sent the Turcos fleeing in panic to the rear.
+These sons of the eldest daughter of the Empire, who prior to the war
+knew little or nothing of the art and discipline of warfare, were now
+called upon to save the situation when all seemed lost. They, too, had
+been "gassed;" and though they had not suffered so severely as the
+French, many of them were already out of action. Against the 3rd
+Canadian Brigade four divisions of Germans now flung themselves. They
+were working round to the rear when General Turner threw back his left
+flank until his line ran roughly thus:&mdash;</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p201.jpg" width="283" height="219" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>This movement had to be carried out while the air was foul with
+poisonous fumes, while shells were bursting all around, and bullets were
+flying from scores of machine guns and hundreds of rifles. By nightfall
+the left wing of the 3rd Brigade was in its new position. Then, under
+the flickering light of burning farmhouses and cottages and the fitful
+rays of the moon, the men dug themselves in and prepared to hold on,
+come what might. By midnight two battalions of the reserve had been
+brought up, and the Canadians had settled down to their desperate task.
+So fierce was the German curtain of fire that no food could reach the
+trenches for twenty-four hours, and then only bread and cheese. A
+company of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> the Buffs which attempted to bring relief was altogether
+destroyed.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The story of the Second Battle of Ypres is mainly the story of how the
+Canadian Division&mdash;outflanked, and outnumbered by four to one, stormed
+at with shot and shell by the heaviest artillery known to warfare,
+stupefied by poisonous vapours, unsupported by big guns, unaided by
+reinforcements, and short of food and water&mdash;fought through the day and
+through the night, and then through another day and night, losing
+heavily hour by hour, but enduring gloriously, and finally retiring with
+the proud knowledge that by its superb endurance it had saved the day.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>When the French Colonials fled from their trenches, the enemy captured
+four British guns in the little wood which you see to the east of St.
+Julien. The teams were miles away, and the guns could not be carried off
+during the hurry and confusion of changing position. It was gall and
+wormwood to the Canadians to think these guns should be lost, and they
+were eager to recover them. Towards midnight, Colonel Leckie and Colonel
+Boyle led the Canadian Scottish (the 16th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade
+and the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Brigade) into the wood in a desperate
+endeavour to win back the guns. Let me tell you the story of this fine
+charge in the words of an officer who took part in it:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"It wanted but a few minutes to midnight when we got to a hollow
+which was at most three hundred yards from the wood. The moon
+now reappeared at intervals, and we could have done without her.
+The shrapnel fire had completely ceased, and we had a second
+spell of a 'silence which could be felt.'</p>
+
+<p>"Whispered orders were given to fix bayonets, which were obeyed
+in a flash. Overcoats, packs, and even the officers' equipments
+were dropped, and we immediately advanced in light order.</p>
+
+<p>"Scarcely had we reached a low ridge, in full view of the wood,
+when a perfect hail of fire was loosed on us from rifles and
+machine guns, which the Germans had placed in position behind
+the undergrowth skirting the wood.</p>
+
+<p>"Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed,
+cheering, yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. At first the
+Germans fired a little too high, and our losses until we came
+within fifty yards of them were comparatively small. Then some
+of our chaps began to drop; then the whole front line seemed to
+melt away, only to be instantly closed up again.</p>
+
+<p>"Cheering and yelling all the time, we jumped over the bodies of
+the wounded and tore on. Of the Germans with the machine guns
+not one escaped, but those inside the wood stood up to us in a
+most dogged style. We were so quickly at work that those at the
+edge of the wood could not have got away in any case. Many threw
+up their hands, and we did not refuse quarter.</p>
+
+<p>"Pressing on into the wood itself, the struggle became a
+dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought in clumps and batches,
+and the living struggled over the bodies of the dead and dying.
+At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily driving
+the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight.</p>
+
+<p>"Sweeping on, we came upon lines of trenches which had been
+hastily thrown up and could not be stubbornly defended. Here all
+who resisted were bayoneted; those who yielded were sent to the
+rear."</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span></p>
+<p>Another officer who took part in the attack described how the men about
+him fell under the fire of the machine guns, which, in his phrase,
+played upon them "like a watering-pot." He added quite simply, "I wrote
+my own life off." But neither he nor his men wavered. When one man fell
+another took his place, and with a final shout the two battalions flung
+themselves on the wood. The Germans were thrust back by the impetuous
+advance of the Canadians, who reached the far side of the wood and there
+entrenched themselves. They retook the guns, but were sorely
+disappointed to discover that the Germans had rendered them useless.
+They also captured a number of prisoners, including a colonel.</p>
+
+<p>That night a terrible artillery fire swept the wood "as a tropical storm
+sweeps the leaves from a forest," and the Canadians fell back from the
+position which they had won at the price of many a brave life. All
+through the night the fighting went on without pause. The attacks
+constantly grew in strength, and it seemed hardly possible that the
+Canadians could resist much longer.</p>
+
+<p>At six on the morning of Friday the enemy began an outflanking movement
+that looked very dangerous. In order to relieve the strain a
+counter-attack on the first line of German trenches was ordered. This
+was carried out by the Ontario 1st and 4th Battalions of the 1st
+Brigade, under General Mercer. The advance was made across 2,300 yards
+of open country, every yard of which was under hot shell fire.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"It is safe to say," writes Sir Max Aitken, the Canadian record
+officer, "that the youngest private in the ranks, as he set his
+teeth for the advance, knew the task in front of him, and the
+youngest subaltern knew all that rested on its success. It did
+not seem that any human being could live in the shower of shot
+and shell which began to play upon the advancing troops.</p>
+
+<p>"They suffered terrible casualties. For a short time every other
+man seemed to fall, but the attack was pressed ever closer and
+closer. The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a
+particularly withering fire. For a moment&mdash;not more&mdash;it wavered.
+Its most gallant commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel
+Birchall, carrying, after an old fashion, a light cane, coolly
+and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the very moment when his
+example had infected them, fell dead at the head of his
+battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward (for,
+indeed, they loved him) as if to avenge his death.</p>
+
+<p>"The astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in the face
+of direct frontal fire, made in broad daylight, by battalions
+whose names should live for ever in the memories of soldiers,
+was carried to the first line of the German trenches. After a
+hand-to-hand struggle, the last German who resisted was
+bayoneted, and the trench was won."</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span></p>
+<p>The Canadian left was now safe. The German trench was occupied, and
+held against all comers in the teeth of every kind of deadly missile
+that could be hurled against it. It was still in the hands of the
+victors on Sunday, 25th April, when all that remained of the war-broken
+battalions was relieved.</p>
+
+<p>At 4 a.m. on the morning of Friday, the 23rd, the Germans sent a great
+discharge of poison gas against the 2nd Brigade, which held the line
+running north-east, and upon the 3rd Brigade, which had continued the
+line up to the pivotal position and had then spread down in a
+south-easterly direction. In two minutes a cloud seven feet high rolled
+from the German trenches into those of the Canadians. The defenders had
+no respirators, but some of them wrapped wet handkerchiefs about their
+mouths, and thus obtained a little relief. They dared not retire, even
+if they had wished to do so, for the gas would follow them, and the
+exertion would cause them to draw deeper breaths of the deadly vapour.
+So, with blue, swollen faces and bloodshot eyes almost bursting from
+their sockets, they held on. Men went sick and giddy a thousand yards
+behind the line, and even the grass and trees grew white as the fumes
+passed over them.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p203.jpg" width="436" height="558" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Gassed!</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+"The green mist came rolling towards the parapet from the enemy's empty
+front trench, several hundred yards away. It looked like a vapour rising
+from a marsh, and the wind was strong enough to carry it rapidly towards
+the parapet. One battalion had time to fire two rounds through the
+screen of gas before it came pouring over the sand-bags, penetrating
+into every crevice of the dug-outs, and choking the men who lay there.
+It was so thick at first that objects three feet distant could scarcely
+be seen."</h4>
+
+<p>Many of the men were struck down by the fumes, and the Royal Highlanders
+of Montreal, 13th Battalion, and the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion,
+specially suffered. For a short time the 48th were obliged to withdraw a
+short distance from their trench. Soon, however, they were their own men
+again, and they advanced and reoccupied their old position. The Germans,
+as you know, had long been striving to driv<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>e back the devoted 3rd
+Brigade, in order to sweep round and overwhelm its left wing. In the
+course of the attacks a large number of the enemy managed to slip in
+between the wood and St. Julien. For a time it seemed as though the
+Germans had succeeded, and that the last obstacle to their advance would
+be swept away. Not only the men of the 13th Battalion, but of every
+other battalion, fought like heroes to avert the danger. All that mortal
+men could do they did. Major Norsworthy, who had already been disabled
+by a bullet, was bayoneted and killed while rallying his men. Major
+M'Cuaig, who had been seriously wounded in a hastily-constructed trench,
+insisted on being left behind lest he should be a hindrance. So fierce
+and constant were the German attacks that orders were now given for the
+brigade to retire.</p>
+
+<p>The men were very unwilling to withdraw, and they insisted, at great
+risk, on carrying with them their belongings. A wounded officer,
+following the example of Major M'Cuaig, refused to move, and asked his
+comrades to leave him alone in the trench. He begged them to give him
+two loaded Colt revolvers, and with these and his own weapon ready at
+hand, he prepared to sell his life dearly.</p>
+
+<p>On Friday afternoon the left of the Canadian line was strengthened by
+the arrival of seven battalions of British troops. But the artillery
+fire of the enemy grew fiercer and fiercer, and it was clear that the
+Canadian salient could not be held against the fierce and constant
+attacks which were being launched against it; so, slowly and stubbornly
+contesting every yard of ground, the defenders fell back upon St.
+Julien, and then still farther south, until the deserted village was
+half a mile in front of their new lines. The Germans swarmed into the
+village, but before they could call it their own they had to reckon with
+detachments of the Royal Highlanders of Montreal and of the Royal
+Montreal Regiment, unavoidably left behind when the main body retired.
+What befell these devoted fellows in St. Julien we shall probably never
+know, but as the crack of their rifles did not cease for a long time, we
+may rest assured that they fought and died as worthy sons of Canada.</p>
+
+<p>The success of the Germans in capturing St. Julien threatened a new and
+dangerous attack by the enemy. In order to check it a British brigade
+was ordered to advance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>. The thrust was made through the Canadian left
+and centre, and as the troops went forward, many of them going to
+certain death, they broke out into loud cheers for Canada. There was no
+man in the British army who was not filled with admiration for the
+Canadians that day. The advance was very costly, but it succeeded. For a
+time the Germans were checked.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us see how the 2nd Brigade fared. At five o'clock on Thursday it
+was still holding the whole of its original line of trenches. Now that
+the 3rd Brigade had retired, General Curry, who was in command, had to
+do as General Turner had done&mdash;that is, throw back his left flank to
+protect his rear. It is the glory of the 2nd Brigade that they never
+lost their trenches. They hung on from Thursday at five o'clock until
+Sunday afternoon. Then there were no trenches left; they had been wiped
+out by the German shell fire. General Curry withdrew his unbroken and
+undefeated troops from the tumbled heaps of earth and sand-bags, but not
+before many a deed of heroism had been done.</p>
+
+<p>At Grafenstafel, the extreme north-eastern point of the Ypres salient,
+the position was held by the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, under
+Lieutenant-Colonel Lipsett. His battalion had been driven from its
+trenches by gas early on Friday morning, but in three-quarters of an
+hour it had recovered itself and retaken its old quarters. When the 3rd
+Brigade retired, as described above, a gap was left, through which the
+Germans strove desperately to force their way. Had they done so they
+would have been in the rear of the 28th Division, and the whole eastern
+section would have been in perilous plight. Colonel Lipsett, however,
+held on to this key to Ypres, though his left was "in the air," and kept
+the Germans out of the gap until the arrival of two British regiments.
+It is said that Lieutenant Bellew, a machine-gun officer of the 7th,
+stuck a loaf on his bayonet and hoisted it upon the parapet in defiance,
+while he worked his gun. It was smashed to pieces, but he afterwards
+continued the fire with relays of rifles. On Sunday evening the 2nd
+Brigade was relieved for much-needed rest. The 3rd Brigade had been
+relieved on the previous night.</p>
+
+<p>Monday morning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 960px;">
+<img src="images/p208209.jpg" width="960" height="600" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Fight in the Wood by Moonlight. Canadian Scottish and
+the 10th Infantry recapture lost guns at the point of the bayonet.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of the Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+"Instantly the word was given to charge, and on we rushed, cheering,
+yelling, shouting, straight for the foe. . . . Pressing on into the wood
+itself, the struggle became a dreadful hand-to-hand conflict; we fought
+in clumps and batches, and the living struggled over the bodies of the
+dead and dying. At the height of the conflict, while we were steadily
+driving the Germans before us, the moon burst out. The clashing bayonets
+flashed like quicksilver, and faces were lit up as by limelight." (See
+pages 194, 196.)</h4>
+
+<p>Monday mor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>ning broke bright and clear, but it was a day of terrible
+anxiety, and every man was needed in the firing line. So the 2nd
+Brigade, now less than a thousand strong, was ordered back. "The men are
+tired," said General Curry, "but they are ready and glad to go again to
+the trenches." They had to cross a zone of shell fire in daylight before
+they regained their old position, and this was no easy task for men who
+had lived through such shattering days. They held the trenches all day
+on Monday; on Tuesday they were withdrawn to reserve trenches, and on
+Wednesday were relieved, and retired to billets in the rear.</p>
+
+<p>In this account of a great and glorious feat of arms I have confined
+myself to the work of the infantry. A word must be said as to the
+behaviour of the other units. The signallers proved themselves cool and
+resourceful. During the fierce bombardment the telegraph and telephone
+wires were constantly cut, and in carrying out the repairs many brave
+men lost their lives. The dispatch carriers, as usual, showed the utmost
+bravery. One of them, sore wounded, gasped out his message to a passing
+officer before swooning away. The artillery never flagged, and not a
+single Canadian gun was lost in the long and confused battle. On one
+occasion the gunners of a battery were compelled to swing two of their
+guns round, and to fire on the foe in front and in the rear at the same
+time. Canadian engineers and the medical corps also played a devoted
+part, and are entitled to share with their comrades of all arms in the
+glory of a great achievement.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>So ended the great ordeal of the Canadians in the Second Battle of
+Ypres. When the story of their glorious courage and endurance was
+flashed across the sea, Britons everywhere throughout the wide Empire
+were thrilled with pride. Consider for a moment what they had done. They
+had stemmed the onrush of an enemy which outnumbered them by four to
+one, and they had done it in spite of the deadly poison gas that choked
+and blinded and stupefied them. They had no heavy artillery to assist
+them; they were without reinforcements; they were unceasingly assailed;
+they held on for days and nights of incessant struggle and anxiety; yet
+so undismayed were they that they could counter-attack with fiery
+courage. And when, after enduring such trials, they were called from a
+brief rest to re-enter the zone of death, they were glad to return. Sir
+John French confessed that "by their gallantry and determination they
+had undoubtedly saved the situation." While t<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>he British Empire can boast
+such men, its future and its fame are secure.</p>
+
+<p>Messages of congratulation were showered upon the gallant fellows. Here
+is the King's message, which was sent to the Duke of Connaught as
+representing Canada:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Congratulate you most warmly on the splendid and gallant way in
+which the Canadian Division fought during the last few days
+north of Ypres. Sir John French says their conduct was
+magnificent. The Dominion will be justly proud.&mdash;<span class="smcap">George.</span>"</p></div>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Great was the price of victory. Three battalion officers died&mdash;Colonel
+Birchall of the 4th, Colonel M'Harg of the 7th, and Colonel Boyle of the
+10th. Only ten officers of the 5th Battalion survived; only five were
+left alive in the 7th, only seven in the 8th, and eight in the 10th.
+When the long fight was over the machine gunners of the 13th Battalion
+only mustered thirteen out of fifty-eight, and there was but a single
+survivor of those attached to the 7th Battalion. Up to 2nd May the
+Canadian Division had lost in killed, wounded, and missing 252 officers
+and 6,332 men. When the tale of losses was unfolded there were many
+bleeding hearts in Canada; but mingled with the grief there was a
+sorrowful pride, and even those who had lost their dearest and best were
+as resolute as ever to continue the struggle to a triumphant end.</p>
+
+<p>"The graveyard of Canada in Flanders is large. It is very large. Those
+who lie there have left their mortal remains on alien soil. To Canada
+they have bequeathed their memories and their glory."</p>
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"On Fame's eternal camping-ground</span>
+<span class="i2">Their silent tents are spread,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;And glory guards with solemn round</span>
+<span class="i2">The bivouac of the dead."</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 809px;">
+<img src="images/p212.jpg" width="809" height="505" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Charge of the 4th Canadian Battalion.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+"The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a particularly
+withering fire. For a moment&mdash;not more&mdash;it wavered. Its most gallant
+commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Birchall, carrying, after an old
+fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the
+very moment when his example had infected them, fell dead at the head of
+his battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward as if to
+avenge his death. . . . After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German
+who resisted was bayoneted, and the trench was won."</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.&mdash;I.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span> have told you in the form of a continuous story how the Canadians
+saved the day. In doing so I have had to keep your attention fixed on
+that part of the British line extending from Grafenstafel to the little
+wood where the Canadians made their midnight charge in order to recover
+the lost guns. We have now to learn what took place on the left and
+right of the Canadian position, and to follow the fortunes of the
+long-drawn-out battle to its close.</p>
+
+<p>You already know that when the poison gas rolled down on the French
+trenches and drove the panic-stricken Turcos in headlong flight, a great
+breach of four miles yawned in the Allied line. By swinging back their
+left the Canadians barred a portion of this gap, but only a portion.
+From the little wood on which their left rested to the line of the Yser
+Canal there was still an undefended gap of at least two and a half
+miles. Had the Germans been prompt they could have marched through this
+gap into Ypres, almost without firing a shot. Strange to say, they were
+slow in moving, and did not push their advantage. As in the First Battle
+of Ypres, they broke our line, but could do nothing in the breach.</p>
+
+<p>Not until the small hours of Friday morning did the first British
+reinforcements arrive in the gap. They had been drawn chiefly from the
+28th Division, which was holding the line from Grafenstafel to Polygon
+Wood. All the battalions that could be spared from the 28th Division
+were hurried across the salient, and it was a strange mixture of units
+that held the pass between the Canadian left and the canal. As the
+fighting proceeded, this force, which was commanded by Colonel Geddes,
+altered its character from day to day and almost from hour to hour. A
+grenade company of the Northumberland Fusiliers, consisting of two
+officers and 120 men, was added to it by accident. They had been
+fighting at Hill <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>60, and had been eight days in the trenches. On the way
+back to join the 28th Division, to which they belonged, these grimy,
+weary, and hungry warriors fell in with Geddes's force, and promptly
+took their places in his firing line. That night they lived up to the
+fame of the old "Fighting Fifth."</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p214.jpg" width="279" height="255" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Second Battle of Ypres.</h3>
+
+<h4>Position on the morning of Friday, April 23, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>By the morning of Friday the Germans had crossed the canal south of
+Steenstraate, and were threatening that village, which was held by the
+French. Allenby's three divisions of cavalry, along with two Indian
+divisions, were being hurried up with all speed to help the French, who
+were struggling on the west of the canal. Meanwhile all along the line
+from Polygon Wood to the canal the big guns of the enemy were heavily
+shelling our lines. The fighting, as we already know, was heaviest
+against the Canadian 3rd Brigade, which had suffered great losses both
+from gas and from artillery fire. There were gaps all along our front,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span>and in one place the machine guns of the enemy were behind our trenches.</p>
+
+
+<p>While the Canadians between the little wood and Grafenstafel were
+holding on, British battalions were being hurried up as rapidly as
+possible. You will see from the map on page <a href="#Page_208">208</a> that the 13th Brigade
+filled the gap between the canal and the Pilkem road, and that they were
+supported by Territorials of the York and Durham Brigade, who had
+arrived in France only three days before. Between Geddes's detachment
+and the little wood lay the 10th Brigade, consisting of Territorials,
+the 1st Warwicks, 2nd Seaforths, 1st Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Dublin
+Fusiliers, and 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The Durhams and
+the 1st Hants were holding the gap between the Canadians and the 28th
+Division. Such was the condition of the northern side of the salient on
+Saturday evening when the 3rd Canadian Brigade was retired. The
+Northumbrian Division took its place.</p>
+
+<p>About 4.30 on Sunday morning the 10th Brigade and two battalions of the
+York and Durham Brigade made a great attempt to recapture St. Julien.
+The men reached the cottages at the end of the village, but were brought
+to a standstill by German machine guns. They lost very heavily in the
+advance, but for the rest of the day they hung on to the blood and gas
+stained position. Further east, at Grafenstafel, the Durhams were
+assailed by shells filled with gases that choked and stupefied them, and
+at two o'clock in the afternoon, before they could breathe freely again,
+the Germans charged down upon them. From two o'clock until seven the
+Durhams hurled back attack after attack, but as the evening wore on the
+pressure proved too great, and they were forced to retire with heavy
+losses to the little village of Fortuin. A similar attempt was made on
+the 28th Division, but without success. When night fell, our front was
+unbroken on the east as far north as Grafenstafel. That Sunday night,
+you will remember, the Canadian 2nd Brigade was retired only to be
+called up again the next day. Its place was taken by the Lahore Division
+of Indians.</p>
+
+<p>Monday, 26th April, was a day of furious fighting and constant anxiety.
+The salient was greatly narrowed now, and our men were shelled on three
+sides. The Germans were making a curtain of fire behind our lines in
+order that no reinforcements could be brought up. Another fierce attack
+was made on the Durhams, who were compelled to fall back behind a little
+stream to the south of Fortui<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span>n, where they stood fast until the end of
+the day. Shortly after ten in the morning the Northumbrians and the
+Indians made another desperate attempt to recapture St. Julien. It fared
+ill. The Northumbrians were held up by wire, and were shot down in
+droves. The Brigadier was killed; 42 officers and some 1,900 men fell.
+Neither the Northumbrians nor the Indians could pierce the curtain of
+fire. The 40th Pathans, known in India as the "Forty Thieves," lost
+their colonel and nearly all their British officers. The famous 57th
+Wilde's Rifles made a most heroic advance, and though shells of all
+kinds fell thick and fast amongst them and their numbers were greatly
+reduced, the survivors managed to get within eighty yards of the German
+trenches, where they dug themselves in. When Captain Banks fell, his
+Sikh orderly, though weak from loss of blood, picked up his body and
+staggered with it to the rear until he fell exhausted.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p216.jpg" width="280" height="260" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Second Battle of Ypres.</h3>
+
+<h4>The position on the evening of Saturday, April 24, 1915.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.&mdash;II.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he Germans now opened the nozzles of the gas tubes in front of their
+trenches and sent a cloud of poisonous vapour against the Indians. The
+wretched victims suffered horribly, and the survivors had to retire
+through the deadly gas amidst bursting shells and the incessant fire of
+machine guns and rifles. It was during this retirement that Jemadar Mir
+Dast won the Victoria Cross, as you will read later.</p>
+
+<p>That night the northern side of the salient fell back. Fighting still
+went on; there were attacks and counter-attacks without number, and the
+Germans ceaselessly shelled our front. By this time there were many
+Territorial regiments holding the northern face of the salient, and
+right gallantly did they behave. The salient was now an oblong of so
+awkward a shape that the front had to be shortened. "The old Ypres
+salient was such a silly thing;" it had always been a danger, and now it
+was more perilous than ever. Accordingly, preparations were made to
+withdraw the whole line until the salient became an easy curve, with its
+outer line three miles from Ypres.</p>
+
+<p>Before, however, this could be done, the Germans made another gas
+attack, both against the French on the Ypres Canal and against our
+troops lying behind Fortuin. The French were ready for it, and their
+75's took a terrible toll of the enemy. Our men were also ready for it:
+they were now provided with respirators&mdash;not yet of the best pattern,
+but good enough to save them from the worst effects of the gas. The 12th
+Brigade suffered most, and was obliged to give way a little. The 2nd
+Seaforths and the 10th Brigade did not move at all. The Seaforths'
+doctor, Lieutenant Jones, behaved with wonderful courage; although badly
+"gassed," he stuck to his work for two whole days. One Territorial
+battalion&mdash;the 7th Argyll and Sutherland High<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span>landers&mdash;actually charged
+through the gas and captured a German trench.</p>
+
+<p>Many other striking deeds of valour were done on that day. A huge shell
+fell into a trench held by the 1st Rifle Brigade and buried Captain
+Ralston alive. He was dug out only to be hit by the fragment of a shell,
+and by this time there were only three men left in the trench. Though
+shell after shell continued to drop into it, the four men still fought
+on until their rifles were too hot to hold. They snatched up the weapons
+of the dead and took the full cartridge clips from the bodies of the
+slain, and by so doing managed to keep up such a continuous fire that
+the Germans believed the trench to be held by a full company. Ralston
+and his men ran up and down the trench, stumbling over sand-bags,
+tripping over heaps of blown-in earth, and falling over their dead
+comrades. They fired first from one point and then from another, and in
+this way "bluffed" the Germans and held the trench until nightfall, when
+reinforcements came up. Three men and one officer had baffled swarms of
+Germans!</p>
+
+<p>Later on we shall read how Private Lynn, of the 2nd Lancashire
+Fusiliers, won the Victoria Cross by keeping his gun in action while
+enveloped in the deadly gas. I could fill many pages with stories of men
+who did miracles of heroism during this awful time.</p>
+
+<p>On 3rd May we shortened our line. The 12th Brigade at the pivot held
+fast. During the night, while picked riflemen from each company fired on
+the enemy, battalions were withdrawn piecemeal, in perfect order, and
+with no losses. You can form some idea of the skill with which this
+retirement was conducted when I tell you that in some places our
+trenches were within ten yards of those of the enemy. All the wounded,
+except a few who were too far gone to be moved, were safely carried to
+the rear, and in this merciful work the R.A.M.C. covered itself with
+glory. Long lines of stretcher-bearers bore the stricken men, swiftly
+and silently, from cellars and dug-outs, along the dark roads until they
+were out of danger from shell fire. Some 780 of them were thus carried
+into safety, and not one of them was lost.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p219.jpg" width="480" height="603" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>"All that was left of them."</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+When the wearied Canadians appeared on the outskirts of Ypres after
+their heroic struggle, their British comrades in the town turned out in
+crowds, lined the streets, and cheered and cheered again. The pipers of
+a Highland regiment put themselves at the head of the Canadian Scottish,
+and amidst scenes of great enthusiasm played them through the streets
+into camp.</h4>
+
+<p>Many of our men were reluctant to leave their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> trenches, especially those
+on which they had spent much time and labour. One man solemnly cleaned
+and swept his dug-out before saying good-bye to it. In one trench held
+by a score of picked shots belonging to the 2nd Cheshires, one man did
+not receive the order to retire. For a whole hour he remained and
+continued to fire&mdash;one man against the whole army of Wurtemberg! At last
+he discovered that he was alone, and then, and only then, did he follow
+his comrades. Not until the early morning of the 4th did the Germans
+know that we had retired. For hours before they had been busy shelling
+our empty trenches.</p>
+
+<p>The map on page <a href="#Page_213">213</a> shows you how the new line ran. You will notice that
+it was much easier to hold than the old salient, which had been
+hopelessly knocked out of shape. The Germans now began to batter at the
+new line, and especially at the portion between the pivot and the
+Ypres-Menin road. On the 8th they attacked furiously, and though some of
+our battalions fought almost to the last man, the centre was all but
+driven in. The 1st Welsh, however, refused to budge. They sent message
+after message back that they were holding a hot corner, but that they
+were very comfortable and could "stick it" as long as was necessary. No
+fewer than 900 shells were flung into the trenches of the 9th Argyll and
+Sutherland Highlanders, but the men did not yield a single inch. On that
+day they lost Colonel James Clark, their well-beloved leader, who in
+days of peace was Chairman of the Edinburgh School Board.</p>
+
+<p>It was now time to withdraw the 28th Division. It had fought without a
+pause from 22nd April to 12th May, and had suffered almost as severely
+as the famous 7th Division at the First Battle of Ypres. Cavalry
+divisions took over its trenches, and the weary and much-battered
+survivors went into billets for greatly-needed rest. Still the fierce
+contest continued. The cavalry were terribly assailed, and on 13th May
+the artillery fire was so deadly that the 7th Brigade, lying to the
+north of the lake which you see on our eastern front, had to fall back,
+leaving an ugly rent in the line. Troops were hurried up to fill the
+gap, and at 2.30 the 8th Brigade, assisted by armoured motor cars, made
+a charge that will go down to history. The dismounted cavalrymen
+advanced as if on parade; they swept forward, utterly regardless of
+death, and won back the lost ground. But no soldiers that ever wore
+uniform could have held on to the position in face of the awful fire of
+the German guns. Our men did all that men could do, but they had to
+retire; and when the muster roll was read, the regiments which had taken
+part in this glorious bu<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span>t unavailing charge were found to be but shadows
+of their former strength.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p221.jpg" width="324" height="355" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Second Battle of Ypres.</h3>
+
+<h4>Sketch showing the shortening of the line on May 3, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>The infantry on our left were also fiercely attacked, but they managed
+to hold their ground. The Territorial battalions on this part of our
+front fought like veterans. Sergeant Douglas Belcher, with six men,
+repeated the exploit of Captain Ralston, and nobly won the Victoria
+Cross for saving the flank of his division (see page <a href="#Page_221">218</a>). The 2nd Essex
+cleared the Germans out of Shell-trap Farm at the point of the bayonet,
+and held on to the ruins all day. Like the Welsh, they were quite
+cheerful under their ordeal, and one of them swam to and fro across the
+moat carrying messages to headquarters.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 745px;">
+<img src="images/p222.jpg" width="745" height="471" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Northumberland Fusiliers (the Fighting Fifth) beating off a German Attack.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+"It was in the early hours of morning that the Germans began to attack
+us in force. They battered our entanglements and our trench breastwork
+for some time, and part of the entanglements was actually blown across
+the trenches. Fortunately, we were able to meet them with steady and
+continuous rifle fire, and stopped the rush. . . . . In some cases the
+Germans were so bunched together that our men simply fired into the
+brown, it being impossible to miss them at such close range."</h4>
+
+<p>The great battle was now ebbing away into a series o<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>f lesser
+engagements. As we shall learn later, the Allies had begun to make a
+big thrust near Festubert and towards Lens. The Germans had been obliged
+to send some of their heavy guns to the south, and the artillery fire on
+the Ypres salient consequently slackened. But before the battle ended
+the Germans made one more attempt&mdash;and this the most terrible of all&mdash;to
+shatter our lines. Again they used the foul weapon by which they had won
+ground at the outset of the struggle.</p>
+
+<p>On the early morning of Monday, 24th May, when the sky was cloudless and
+a light north-easterly breeze was blowing, they released gas against our
+front from Shell-trap Farm to the lake. The wind carried the poisonous
+vapour towards the south-west, and it rolled over nearly five miles of
+our trenches in a cloud which in some places was forty feet high. For
+four and a half hours the gas surged towards us. Where our men were
+quick to don their respirators, they were able to hold their ground; but
+where there was delay, they suffered horribly. After the gas came a
+violent bombardment from three points of the compass, and in various
+places our line was pushed in until three dangerous salients appeared.
+British steadfastness, however, prevailed. Except in two places, our
+lines remained intact. The 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the
+2nd Royal Irish, and the 9th Lancers lost very heavily. Amongst those
+who fell was Captain Francis Grenfell, who had already won the Victoria
+Cross for a splendid deed of pluck and coolness, which I described on
+page 88 of our second volume.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The Second Battle of Ypres was over. It was not so full of danger to us
+as the first battle, but it will be ever memorable because, for the
+first time in the warfare of civilized men, a foul and deadly weapon had
+been used. You must have noticed, in reading these pages, how the
+Germans relied on machinery to overcome us. High-explosive shells and
+poison gas&mdash;these were the weapons which they believed would give them
+victory. During the Second Battle of Ypres the German infantry made few
+serious attacks, and when they did so they were almost destroyed to a
+man. Cannot you imagine the anguish of our brave fellows assailed by gas
+and shell fire and unable to reach their foes? Many of them, goaded to
+madness, stood up on their parapets and challen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>ged the enemy to come on.
+Some of the Germans accepted the challenge; our men cheered, and then
+swept them to earth. It was the Second Battle of Ypres which taught us
+how inferior we were to the Germans in machinery, and our bitter
+experience had much to do with the formation of the National Government
+and the setting up of a Ministry of Munitions.</p>
+
+<p>We lost ground in front of Ypres, and we lost tens of thousands of
+gallant men; but we had something to be proud of when the end came. We
+knew that our soldiers, man for man, were superior to the Germans, and
+we were specially proud of our Territorials&mdash;not only of the Canadians,
+but of the miners of South Wales and North England, the hinds and
+tradesmen of the Scottish Lowlands, the shepherds and gamekeepers of the
+Highlands, the clerks and tradesmen of our great cities. A few short
+months ago they had been working in the mine, the field, the factory,
+the shop, and the office, never dreaming that they would be called on to
+ply rifle and bayonet in a life-and-death struggle for all that they
+held dear. But in front of Ypres they bore themselves as though war had
+ever been their business, and they fought and died with a heroism that
+must never be forgotten. They went down into the Valley of the Shadow of
+Death, and some of them came out of it silent, weary, sick at heart; but
+no man of them felt his faith falter, and all were determined that
+never, while God gave them the strength to pull a trigger, should the
+foul foe prevail.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The beautiful little city of Ypres, famous as far back as the days of
+Chaucer, and adorned with old-time buildings that were the gift of the
+ages to the modern world, was now a heap of ruins. German guns had
+shattered it beyond repair. It resembled a city destroyed by an
+earthquake&mdash;a rubbish heap, with here and there a few gaping walls and
+shot-rent towers brooding over the desolation like gaunt skeletons.
+Never while our Empire endures&mdash;and God grant that it may be for
+aye&mdash;can Ypres and the blood-sodden meadows that lie eastward of the
+city be anything but holy ground to the British people. For ever the
+city and its neighbourhood will be sacred to the memory of our glorious
+British dead.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>HEROES OF THE YPRES SALIENT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>even Victoria Crosses were awarded for remarkable feats of courage and
+devotion during the great series of struggles known as the Second Battle
+of Ypres. You will not, I am sure, make the mistake of supposing that
+this little list comprises the names of all who wrought deeds of
+glorious valour during those days and nights of combat. Hundreds of men
+who received no mention proved themselves worthy of the honour, and many
+of those who were awarded less notable decorations fell no whit short of
+those who carried off the palm. According to custom, I shall now give
+you some account of those on whom the highest of all military honours
+was conferred.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher</span>, 13th Canadian Battalion.</p>
+
+<p>You already know that the Second Battle of Ypres was largely Canada's
+battle. It is therefore fitting that the first three heroes in our roll
+of glory should be Canadians. On 23rd April 1915, in the neighbourhood
+of St. Julien, Lance-Corporal Frederick Fisher, who was in charge of a
+machine gun, went forward under heavy fire and most gallantly assisted
+in covering the retreat of a battery. Four of his crew were killed, but
+as soon as he had made up the number, he went forward to the firing line
+and engaged the enemy once more. While bringing his gun into action in
+order to cover the advance of supports, he was shot down and killed.
+Canadian boys and girls will have a warm place in their hearts for the
+hero who thus nobly fought and fell.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Colour-Sergeant Frederick William Hall</span>, 8th Canadian Battalion.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span></p>
+<p>On 24th April, in the neighbourhood of Ypres, Company Sergeant-Major
+Hall heard a wounded man, who was lying some fifteen yards in front of
+his trench, call out for help. A heavy enfilading fire was at that time
+raking the trench. Nevertheless, two men climbed over the parapet and
+strove to reach him. Both were shot down in the attempt, and it was
+feared that the wounded man could not be brought in. Seeing this,
+Sergeant-Major Hall went to the rescue. He reached the wounded man, and
+was just lifting him up when a bullet pierced his brain and he fell
+dead. Sergeant-Major Hall died the most glorious death that a man can
+die&mdash;he gave his life for a comrade.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger</span>, Canadian Army Medical Service,
+14th Battalion, Royal Montreal Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On the afternoon of 25th April, Captain Scrimger was in charge of an
+advanced dressing-station which had been established in some farm
+buildings near Ypres. While he was attending to the wounded, the enemy
+heavily shelled the farm, and it was clear that all his patients would
+soon be killed. Despite the heavy fire, Captain Scrimger directed the
+work of removing the wounded to a place of greater safety, and himself
+carried out of a blazing stable an officer who had been badly hit. When
+he could carry the officer no farther he remained with him while the
+shells were bursting all around, and did not leave him until help
+arrived. Nor was this the only gallant deed to Captain Scrimger's
+credit. From 22nd to 25th April he was unwearied in well-doing, and
+never relaxed his attentions to the wounded, night or day.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Jemadar Mir Dast, I.O.M.</span>, attached to 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier
+Force).</p>
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_209">209</a> I referred to the splendid courage and coolness of this
+hero, who was the fourth Indian soldier to win the Victoria Cross. You
+will remember that Wilde's Rifles made a heroic advance to within eighty
+yards of the German trenches at St. Julien, and that the survivors of
+the charge dug themselves in and maintained their position until
+dislodged by gas. Jemadar Mir Dast remained behind, and, undaunted by
+the ceaseless fire that was poured upon him, collected all the men he
+could find, amongst them many who were slowly recovering from the
+effects of the gas. He kept them under his command until they were
+ordered to retire. As he led them to the rear he picked up many men in
+the old trenches and brought them in. Later in the day, while exposed to
+very heavy fire, a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>nd himself wounded, he assisted in carrying eight
+British and Indian officers into safety. He was afterwards promoted
+Subahdar.<a name="FNanchor_37_37" id="FNanchor_37_37"></a><a href="#Footnote_37_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Acting-Corporal Issy Smith</span>, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 26th April, near Ypres, Corporal Issy Smith saw a severely wounded
+man lying far in front of his trench. Without waiting for orders, he
+clambered over the parapet, and while machine-gun and rifle bullets
+whizzed around him, pushed forward for some two hundred and fifty yards.
+He hoisted his wounded comrade on his back, and succeeded in returning
+safely with his charge to the trench. Later on he went out again and
+again to rescue the wounded, and showed the most fearless courage in
+ministering to them under fire.</p>
+
+<p>Corporal Issy Smith also received from the Tsar the Order of St. George,
+the Russian equivalent to our Victoria Cross. He was a Jew, and when he
+returned to London the Jewish body gave him a great welcome. His
+fellow-members of the Berner Street School Old Boys' Club presented him
+with a gold watch suitably inscribed. After receiving it Corporal Smith
+assured his "pals" that he had only done his duty, and said that any
+other man would have done the same.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private John Lynn</span>, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>When the Germans were advancing behind their waves of poison gas,
+Private Lynn, though almost overcome by the deadly fumes, rushed to his
+machine gun without waiting to put on his respirator. Single-handed he
+kept his gun in action all the time the gas was rolling over the trench.
+When he could no longer see his foes, he moved his gun higher up the
+parapet, and poured such a stream of lead into the advancing Germans
+that they were completely checked. The gallant fellow, now gasping and
+choking from the effects of the gas, was carried to his dug-out; but
+when he learnt that the enemy was coming on again, he tried to get back
+to his gun. Twenty-four hours later he died&mdash;a victim to gas-poisoning.
+"That Lancashire lad," says a writer, "died a hundred deaths. He knew
+his risk&mdash;saw the fume-bank rolling towards him, yet fought on in the
+hideous fog, resolute still, though in the clutch of a terrible fate."</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span>-Sergeant Douglas Walter Belcher</span>, 1/5th (City of London)
+Battalion, the London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade).</p>
+
+<p>Lance-Sergeant Belcher was the second Territorial to receive the
+Victoria Cross. Early on the morning of 13th May he was in charge of an
+advanced breastwork, which guarded the flank of one of our divisions
+somewhere to the south-west of Fortuin. The Germans fiercely bombarded
+this breastwork, and blew it in. Nevertheless, Lance-Sergeant Belcher
+and ten men remained amidst the ruins of their position and sent back to
+their comrades who had retired the following message: "We're holding on,
+whatever happens." Belcher and his handful of "die hards" kept a close
+watch on the enemy, and as soon as they saw parties of Germans massing
+for an attack, opened a rapid and skilful fire on them. Time after time
+the parties were dispersed, and the Germans came to the conclusion that
+a whole company was opposing them. By means of this heroic "bluff" a
+large force was kept at bay for thirteen hours, and the flank of the
+line was saved. Lance-Sergeant Belcher was afterwards promoted second
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 746px;">
+<img src="images/p226.jpg" width="746" height="494" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Lance-Sergeant Belcher and his Men holding a battered
+Breastwork.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Philip Dadd. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+The breastwork was knocked to pieces in places, and Sergeant Belcher
+determined to transfer his men to the unoccupied right wing of the work.
+Our picture shows the heroic little party at the moment when they were
+moving round the traverse. (See page <a href="#Page_221">221</a>.)</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.&mdash;I.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>hile the Second Battle of Ypres was raging, the French were making a
+big effort in Artois, more especially in the district between Lens and
+Arras. On page <a href="#Page_222">223</a> you will see a map showing the main features of this
+district. Fix your attention for a moment on the high ground marked
+"N.D. de Lorette"&mdash;that is, Notre Dame de Lorette. You notice by the
+side of the name a cross; this shows the position of the church of Our
+Lady of Lorette. It stands on a bare ridge, broken by many gullies, and
+with a few coppices here and there. To the south of the ridge there is a
+broad hollow, from which rises Mont St. Eloi. Do not confound this hill
+with the St. Eloi which lies to the south of Ypres.</p>
+
+<p>In the early days of May the Germans were holding a sharp salient in
+this district. Their lines extended from the east of the village of
+Loos,<a name="FNanchor_38_38" id="FNanchor_38_38"></a><a href="#Footnote_38_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a> across the broad highway which you see running south to Arras,
+then across the Lorette ridge, and to the west of the two villages which
+lie to the south of it. From Carency the German lines curved sharply
+back, still covering the highroad. Upon this salient the French made a
+great onslaught, which began on 13th May, and did not end until the
+close of the month.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p231.jpg" width="317" height="459" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The French Offensive between Arras and Lens.</h4>
+
+<p>The salient consists mainly of a chalky plateau full of hollows, each
+with its village or little town. The fields are hedgeless, and are cut
+across by many white roads. The ravines of the plateau and the many
+villages had been made almost impregnable by the Germans, who had set up
+all along their line numberless little forts, armed with machine guns,
+and connected by a maze of trenches. There were at least five lines of
+very strong trenches, one behind the other, in that part of their
+position which lay between Loos and the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>village of Ablain. It was a
+desperate task which the French now set themselves, but should it prove
+successful it would be well worth the sacrifice entailed. Further, an
+assault on the German lines in the west was now necessary. The Russians
+at this time were being driven back by a storm of artillery to which
+they could make no resistance, and General Joffre saw that something
+must be done to draw off German forces from the Eastern front if the
+Russians were not to be overwhelmed and put out of action altogether.
+His plan was as follows: the French were to try to capture Lens, and the
+British, further north, were to make a desperate push towards Lille. If
+these movements succeeded, the line of railway all along the German
+front from Lille to Soissons would be captured, and the enemy would be
+forced to retreat into Belgium.</p>
+
+<p>I shall tell you the story of the British assault in a later chapter. I
+will now confine myself to the French effort. On Sunday, 9th May,
+General Foch, who had brought up no less than 1,100 guns of all kinds,
+began to bombard the German trenches between the villages of Carency and
+La Targette. You will notice from the map on page <a href="#Page_222">223</a> that these
+trenches were called "The White Works." They were so named because the
+parapets, being cut from the chalk, showed up white and clear. The
+French bombardment was the most terrible that had ever been known in
+Europe up to that time. It went on for hours, and the French 75's, which
+can fire twenty-five aimed shots a minute, seemed to be pouring out
+shells like gigantic machine guns. When the bombardment ceased the White
+Works were simply a ploughed field strewn with fragments of wire and
+human bodies. More than 300,000 shells were hurled upon them in the
+course of the day.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF THE ARTOIS.&mdash;II.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>t ten in the morning of Sunday, 9th May, the infantry advanced; the
+right seized the ruins of La Targette, and pushed on to capture Neuville
+St. Vaast, which lies in a hollow to the east of it. The big church, the
+cemetery, and almost every house in the place bristled with machine
+guns, and furious fights took place inside the buildings from cellar to
+garret. Nevertheless, by noon the village was in French hands. Farther
+north the centre had swept over the torn and tumbled ground which had
+once been the White Works, had crossed the highroad, and had dug itself
+in two and a half miles to the east of the position from which it had
+started that morning. Never since the trench war began had so much
+ground been gained in a single day. The French troops in the centre were
+in the highest spirits; as they surged on they plucked sprigs of lilac
+and hawthorn and stuck them in their caps. Had the whole line been able
+to advance along with the centre, Lens would have been captured that
+day. The left, however, was held up in front of Carency, which was now
+being bombarded. When night fell three lines of German trenches had been
+won, 3,000 prisoners had been taken, and 10 field guns and 50 machine
+guns had been captured.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 770px;">
+<img src="images/p234.jpg" width="770" height="468" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>A French Bayonet Charge in the "Labyrinth."</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+In the left background is seen the cemetery of Neuville St. Vaast,
+through the walls of which French troops are seen advancing towards the
+Labyrinth. Our illustration shows the fighting reported by the French on
+June 6. At Neuville St. Vaast, said the report, we captured several
+houses, and drew closer to a redoubt on the north-west and occupied the
+communication trench which leads to it. We captured new trenches in the
+centre and in the south of the Labyrinth, and advanced a hundred yards.
+In this great work the struggle has continued without ceasing for eight
+days, and we now hold two-thirds of it.</h4>
+
+<p>Next day the French were hard at it again. They pushed on to the
+outskirts of Loos, attacked the church on the Lorette ridge, took
+trenches to the south of it, seized the cemetery at Neuville, and beat
+off the German reserves which had been hurried up in motor cars.
+Everywhere the fighting was most desperate, for the Germans had turned
+every possible place into a little fort, and each of them had to be
+carried by storm. By Wednesday, 12th May, the Germans in Carency were
+surrounded. More than 20,000 shells had been hurled into the village,
+and 2,000 Germans were obliged to ho<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>ld up their hands. Meanwhile the
+summit of the Lorette ridge had been carried, and only two or three
+strongholds on this high ground held out. The Germans at once rained
+shells on the ridge, and the ghastly scenes of Hill 60 were repeated.
+The French, however, clung to their trenches; nothing could move them.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p235.jpg" width="244" height="260" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>On the 13th, amidst drenching rain, and in teeth of a bitter north wind,
+they returned to the assault. They had broken the German line; but their
+work was by no means done, for though the trenches had been carried, the
+German forts all along the front still held out, and each of them had to
+be besieged. The strongest position of all lay to the south of Neuville,
+and was known as the Labyrinth.<a name="FNanchor_39_39" id="FNanchor_39_39"></a><a href="#Footnote_39_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a> It was a wonderful network of
+trenches and redoubts, tunnels and roofed-in pits; it covered two square
+miles, and was so situated that the long-range fire of the French
+artillery could not get at it. Probably never before had such a
+stronghold been constructed. It was a cunning maze, furnished with every
+death-dealing device known to the science of war. It contained engines
+for making poison gas, machines for throwing liquid fire, scores of
+small fortresses, and underground passages which enabled the defenders
+to get to the rear of the attackers. In the background an enormous
+collection of big guns was in position, ready to sweep away any troops
+advancing upon it. Such was the Labyrinth which the French were
+attacking. They could not proceed until it was captured, for, as y<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span>ou
+will observe from the map on page <a href="#Page_222">223</a>, it enfiladed their advance.</p>
+
+<p>By the end of May good progress had been made in clearing the Labyrinth.
+The German salient had gone, the French line had been straightened out,
+and Lens was closely beset.</p>
+
+<p>An officer gives us a vivid picture of the struggle in the Labyrinth,
+which was not captured till towards the end of September:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"The war of trenches is nothing compared with the struggle of
+the burrows. Picture to yourselves narrow galleries, feebly
+lighted by flickering oil lamps, in which the foes are separated
+only by sand-bags, which they keep pushing against each other.
+As soon as an opening shows, a terrific hand-to-hand fight
+begins, in which grenades and the bayonet are the only arms
+possible. Sometimes the Germans take to knives and revolvers,
+and one day they even began throwing burning liquids; but in
+spite of these cowardly tricks, our men always had the best of
+it. They fought with clubbed rifles and fists when required, and
+their courage was never shaken, as the Germans soon saw. . . .</p>
+
+<p>"The passages in which we were advancing were 18 feet deep, and
+often 24 feet and more. The water was sweating through in all
+directions, and the sickly smell was unbearable. Imagine, too,
+that for three weeks we were not able to get rid of the dead
+bodies, amongst which we had to live night and day! One burrow,
+120 feet long, took us thirteen days of ceaseless fighting to
+conquer entirely. The Germans had placed barricades, trap doors,
+and traps of all kinds in it. When we stumbled we ran the risk
+of being pierced by bayonets hidden in holes lightly covered
+with earth. And all this went on in almost complete darkness. We
+had to use pocket electric lamps and advance with the utmost
+caution."</p></div>
+
+<p>The first stage of the Battle of Artois may be said to have ended with
+the capture of Neuville St. Vaast on 8th June. The French had done
+splendidly, though they had not yet won a decisive success. The German
+losses during the terrible month of May cannot have been less than
+60,000, and the French had suffered almost as severely. They had
+advanced with but few casualties; it was in the hand-to-hand fighting in
+the villages and against the forts that so many of their men fell. The
+victory was due largely to the French artillery, but the infantry did
+more than its fair share. It had shown itself as full of fiery courage
+and dashing bravery as in the great days of Napoleon.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXI" id="CHAPTER_XXXI"></a>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF FESTUBERT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>uppose for a moment that, in the first week of May, a British soldier
+in the captured village of Neuve Chapelle is looking towards the German
+lines. Away to the north-east he sees a long ridge crowned by the
+village of Aubers. He gazes upon this ridge with eyes of desire, and
+recalls the many determined but, so far, fruitless efforts which the
+British army has made to capture it. He remembers that, as far back as
+October 17, 1914, the red-roofed village in the distance was in British
+hands, and that two days later the 2nd Royal Irish, by storming the
+hamlet of Le Pilly,<a name="FNanchor_40_40" id="FNanchor_40_40"></a><a href="#Footnote_40_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a> attained our "farthest east." But our grasp of
+the ridge was very feeble; it could not be held, and by mid-November we
+had fallen back behind the ruins amidst which our soldier now stands.
+The coveted position was as far off as ever.</p>
+
+<p>Fresh in his memory is that terrible day in the second week of March
+1915, when he raced through the streets of Neuve Chapelle full of hope
+that the goal would be reached before nightfall. Alas! he and his
+fellows were again doomed to disappointment. The Aubers ridge, so near
+and yet so far, was still beyond our grasp. And now the rumour reaches
+his ears that another big effort is to be made. The French are striving
+south of the canal to carry Lens,<a name="FNanchor_41_41" id="FNanchor_41_41"></a><a href="#Footnote_41_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a> and we are to attack for the
+double purpose of preventing the enemy from sending reinforcements to
+the south, and of reaching the ridge if possible. Once we are securely
+established on it the flat plain to the eastward will be commanded by
+our guns, and La Bass&eacute;e and Lille will soon know the German no more.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span></p>
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Look at this map and find the wood of Biez, which, you will remember,
+figured largely in the fighting around Neuve Chapelle. To the east of
+the wood you will see a road which skirts the ridge for a mile and a
+half and then climbs it to pass through the villages of Aubers and
+Fromelles. We were now about to make a thrust through the wood and
+through Fromelles, in the hope of reaching the ridge. On the morning of
+Sunday, 9th May, the 8th Division advanced against the village, and at
+the same time the 1st Corps and the Indians began to push through the
+wood. The attacks were preceded by the usual bombardment. Our
+high-explosive shells wrecked the first line trenches of the enemy, but
+unhappily did not do sufficient damage to the second line, and our men
+found themselves up against unbroken wire and unbreached parapets. Some
+ground was gained, but it could not be held, and by the evening we had
+made but little progress. Many fine deeds of heroism were done during
+the fierce fighting of the day.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p238.jpg" width="239" height="252" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>On the left the 24th and 25th Brigades behaved most gallantly, and a
+Territorial battalion, the 13th (Kensington) of the London Regiment,
+performed a feat which won high and well-deserved praise from Sir John
+French. The Kensington men carried three lines of German trenches with
+the bayonet, and held on to them until the German artillery fire became
+so intense that flesh and blood could no longer endure it. When they
+fell back they had but four company officers left.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Douglas Haig now recognized that the attack against the Biez Wood
+and Fromelles had failed. Nothing daunted, he now proposed to make
+another attempt to win the Aubers ridge, this time from positions
+between Neuve Chapelle and Givenchy. On the map (p. <a href="#Page_231">231</a>) you will see
+Festubert, which is less than a mile to the north of Givenchy. From
+Festubert, and from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span>the points to the north of it marked <span class="smcap">A</span> and <span class="smcap">B</span>, three
+attacks were to be made. The Indians and part of the 2nd Division were
+to push forward from <span class="smcap">A</span>; the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division was to
+advance from <span class="smcap">B</span>; the 22nd Brigade of the same division, from Festubert.
+In front of our positions, across the wet fields, the Germans lay in
+three lines of trenches, all of which would have to be carried before
+the Aubers ridge could be reached.</p>
+
+<p>All day Saturday, 15th May, British troops were pouring into the
+trenches, and the Germans guessed what was afoot. During the afternoon
+they frequently shouted, "Come on; we are ready!" In the late afternoon
+Sir John French rode along the line greeting his men with inspiring
+words, and wishing them good luck in the coming struggle. A heavy
+bombardment of the German front had been going on for some days. Now it
+grew heavier, and shortly before midnight on Saturday evening, 15th May,
+the order to assault was given.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p239.jpg" width="243" height="229" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>As our men at <span class="smcap">A</span> left their trenches the sky was lit up by the white
+glare of German flares and searchlights. The Indians soon found
+themselves checked by the fire of many machine guns installed in a group
+of farms which the Germans had turned into little fortresses. The 2nd
+Division, however, carried the first line trenches opposite to them, and
+broke into the second line. By daybreak five or six hundred yards of the
+first two lines of the enemy's trenches were in our hands. All day
+Sunday the big guns of the enemy fiercely bombarded these trenches, and
+created a zone of fire behind them. Nevertheless many heroes carrying
+supplies of ammunition and bombs crossed the three hundred yards which
+separated them from their comrades. Shells burst around them; the whole
+space was swept by machine-gun fire, and a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> man had to risk his life a
+hundred times before he could get through.</p>
+
+<p>Ammunition parties of the "A" Company of the 1st King's (Liverpool),
+under Lieutenants Hutchison and Roberts, succeeded in this perilous
+work, though their casualties were very heavy. Lance-Corporal Tombs of
+the same regiment displayed wonderful heroism in rescuing the wounded,
+lying out in the open, and was afterwards awarded the Victoria Cross. On
+the 17th Lieutenant Hutchison led a party of bombers along a trench,
+partly held by us and partly by the Germans. So skilfully was this work
+accomplished that 200 Germans were forced to surrender, and 200 others
+were driven pell-mell down their communication trench. For this fine
+exploit Lieutenant Hutchison was awarded the Military Cross.</p>
+
+<p>The attack in the centre made good headway. Though checked by a flanking
+fire, the 20th Brigade pushed on, and when reinforced reached the
+outskirts of the hamlet marked <span class="smcap">C</span>, where it broke into the second line
+trenches. Late on Sunday evening the 1st Grenadiers were brought up, and
+their bombing attacks were successful in driving many Germans from their
+lairs. One company of the 2nd Scots Guards on this part of the line
+advanced too far ahead, and was cut off. Like the Canadians at St.
+Julien, the trapped Guards fought to the last man. When we took the
+ground a few days later the gallant fellows were found lying stiff and
+cold, with the enemy's dead thick around them.</p>
+
+<p>The movement from Festubert was still more successful. The trenches
+against which the attack was launched formed a perfect maze; yet an
+advance of more than a mile was made. The 1st Welsh Fusiliers swarmed
+over the German parapets with real Celtic ardour, and drove the enemy
+down a long communication trench into an orchard. Company Sergeant-Major
+Barter of this regiment called for volunteers, and he and his eight
+devoted companions did miracles of heroism in the German second line.
+They cleared five hundred yards of trench, discovered and cut the leads
+of eleven mines, and captured three officers and 102 men. Sergeant-Major
+Barter afterwards received the Victoria Cross.</p>
+
+<p>Next day rain fell heavily, but the struggle in the trenches still
+continued. On this day a terrible scene was witnessed at a point between
+<span class="smcap">A</span> and <span class="smcap">C</span>. The remnant of a battalion of Saxons proposed to surrender. As
+they advanced towards our line they waved a white flag tied to a stick.
+At once<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> their comrades opened rifle fire on them, and the guns behind
+dropped shells among them. In a few moments the Saxons were destroyed
+almost to a man.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the 21st Brigade on the right made another advance, in
+the course of which a Territorial battalion, the 4th Cameron
+Highlanders, recruited mainly from Inverness-shire, Skye, and the misty
+Hebrides, pushed on far before their comrades. Under heavy fire, they
+advanced over country liberally seamed with ditches, one of which was so
+deep and wide that most of the men had to swim across it. The third
+company reached the back end of a German communication trench; but being
+without bombs, and having almost wholly used up its cartridges, was soon
+in desperate straits. About midnight these gallant fellows were
+reinforced by two platoons; but as they had no machine guns, and as the
+Germans were fast closing in on both sides of them, and they were "in
+the air," they were ordered to retire. In the small hours of the morning
+they made their way back through a heavy rain of shells, and by the time
+that the weary, mud-stained battalion had regained the British position
+it had been reduced to half its strength.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 896px;">
+<img src="images/p240241.jpg" width="896" height="526" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Playing their Comrades up to the Germans: the Pipers of
+the Black Watch at Richebourg.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+During the general advance in May the Black Watch suffered very heavily.
+They assaulted the German trenches a few miles east of Richebourg (point
+A on the map, page <a href="#Page_231">231</a>). Their first charge in the morning only reached
+the German wire, and they fell in swathes under the merciless
+machine-gun fire of the enemy. During the afternoon other companies of
+the Black Watch dashed up, and by a brilliant charge captured the
+trenches which had defied them in the morning. It was during this charge
+that the pipers showed wonderful courage. The two pipers of each company
+played their comrades right up to the Germans. The skirl of their pipes
+was heard above the din and crash of Maxims, rifles, and bursting
+shrapnel. The lads of "brown heath and shaggy wood" rushed on to victory
+with the pibroch of their sires ringing in their ears.</h4>
+
+<p>Still the fight went on. The Canadians, who had recovered from their
+terrible ordeal on the Ypres salient, were now sent up to relieve the
+two brigades of the 7th Division. On the afternoon of 18th May two
+companies of the 16th (Canadian Scottish) were ordered to advance on the
+hamlet at <span class="smcap">C</span>, to the north-west of the orchard already mentioned. One
+company made a frontal attack, and the other proceeded along the
+communication trench which had been won by the Welsh Fusiliers. The
+advance was partly successful, and the companies dug in five hundred
+yards in front of the starting point.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of the 20th an attack was made on the orchard itself.
+During the afternoon the little enclosure was heavily bombarded, and at
+7.45, when the artillery fire ceased, the Canadians climbed over their
+parapets and dashed forward. The advance was made in broad daylight, and
+a torrent of fire beat down upon them. At the edge of the orchard they
+discovered a deep ditch full of water, with a wired hedge on the other
+side. Without pause, the men plunged into the water, and, scrambling up
+the bank, pushed through gaps in the hedges and swarmed into the
+orchard. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span>On the far side there were many Germans, but they fled as the
+Canadians charged. Before long the orchard was in British hands.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the 20th the 10th Canadian battalion made a gallant but
+unavailing attempt to seize a very strong German position known as
+Bexhill. The approach to it was defended by a redoubt strongly held with
+machine guns. On the evening of the next day the Canadians returned to
+the attack, but it was not until the early morning of the 24th that the
+redoubt was captured. Five hundred men of the 5th Brigade, along with
+100 men of the 7th (British Columbia) Battalion, made an advance in the
+bright moonlight across a ditch which had been previously bridged, and
+by four in the morning were in possession of the stronghold. Two hours
+later Bexhill itself was won, and the victors received orders to "dig in
+and hang on." They did so, in spite of three very fierce
+counter-attacks.</p>
+
+<p>It was now clear that we could make no further headway without more guns
+and more shells than we then possessed. We were meeting with the same
+difficulty that had beset the French in Artois. The German lines broke
+up into a series of little fortresses, each of which could only be
+captured by a separate assault. It was the Battle of Festubert which
+brought home to the British people the absolute necessity for providing
+the army with more and more big guns and an almost unending stream of
+munitions. Our losses were very heavy, and they would have been greatly
+reduced had our artillery been more numerous and better supplied. Less
+than three weeks after the close of the battle the Government appointed
+a Minister of Munitions.</p>
+
+<p>The battle came to an end on the 26th, about the same time that the
+fierce struggle on the Ypres salient died down. The results were summed
+up by Sir John French as follows: "Since 16th May the First Army has
+pierced the enemy's lines on a total front of four miles. The entire
+first line system of trenches has been captured on a front of 3,200
+yards, and on the remaining portion the first and second lines of
+trenches are in our possession." During the fighting we captured 8
+officers, 777 men, 10 machine guns, and a considerable amount of war
+material.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXII" id="CHAPTER_XXXII"></a>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE HEROISMS OF FESTUBERT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n the great struggle for the trenches which I described in the former
+chapter there was plentiful opportunity for our men to do deeds of
+individual daring. The fighting was at close quarters, and often men
+were engaged in hand-to-hand struggles. I could fill a volume of this
+work with the heroisms of Festubert alone. Let me tell you a few of the
+many gallant deeds done in the ten days of the battle.</p>
+
+<p>I have already mentioned the exploit of Company Sergeant-Major Barter
+and his eight comrades. One of the men who joined his party was known as
+Private Hardy. While the bombing of the German second line trenches was
+going on, Hardy did splendid work, but was hit in the right arm, and
+fell fainting to the ground. His wound was dressed, and he recovered. As
+soon as he was on his feet again he cried, "Luckily, I am left-handed,"
+and ran off to rejoin Barter. With his left hand he flung grenade after
+grenade; but the white bandage on his arm made him a good mark for the
+German sharpshooters, and he fell with a bullet through his head. Now
+comes the astonishing part of the story. Soon after the war broke out,
+Captain H. S. Smart of the 53rd Sikhs was granted short leave, and
+returned to England. He overstayed his leave, and disappeared. All
+inquiries failed to trace him, and his name was removed from the Army
+List. After the death of Private Hardy it was discovered that the
+dauntless man was none other than the missing Captain Smart. He had so
+longed to fight in France that he had deserted the Indian army, and had
+joined the 2nd Battalion of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment as a
+private. When the story became known the King o<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span>rdered the hero's name to
+be restored to the Army List with full honours.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>During the fighting in the Festubert district one of our officers was
+seen lying out on our front wounded. He was on the lip of a mine crater,
+where he was hidden from the Germans. Our people could see him, and when
+he gave signs of life they determined to bring him in. Under cover of
+the fire of our snipers, a non-commissioned officer crawled out with a
+rope, which he made fast to the wounded officer, who then crawled or was
+gradually dragged into our trench, <i>his rescuer staying behind in his
+place</i>! This noble fellow was continually bombed, but at last he, too,
+was able to crawl back to safety.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Sir Max Aitken tells us that the Canadian artillery, shortly after the
+affair at the orchard, played a very effective trick on the Germans.
+They opened fire on the enemy's trenches, and meanwhile the infantry
+made a great show of fixing bayonets, rigging up trench ladders, and
+blowing whistles, just as though they meant to attack as soon as the
+bombardment was over. The Germans, according to their custom, promptly
+retired to their support trenches and prepared to shoot down the
+Canadians as they advanced. As soon as the Germans were in the support
+trenches, the gunners lifted their sights and began shelling them;
+whereupon the Germans rushed back to the front trenches. Still there was
+no infantry attack. When the front trenches were full once more the
+Canadian gunners shortened their range, and the full blast of their fire
+fell upon the crowded Germans, causing great havoc. Next day the world
+was told that the Germans had beaten off a desperate attack! The Huns in
+the trenches, however, knew better, for that evening one of them cried
+out: "Say, Sam Slick, no dirty tricks to-night!"</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>On the 26th Corporal Pym of the Royal Canadian Dragoons showed great
+self-sacrifice and contempt of danger in rescuing wounded men. The
+British and German lines were only sixty yards apart. An English voice
+in the narrow No-man's Land was heard calling for help, and Pym
+determined to try to bring in the sufferer. He crept out into a zone
+swept by constant rifle and machine-gun fire, and found the man, who had
+been wounded in both thigh bones, and had been lying out in the open for
+three days and nights. T<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span>he poor fellow was in such torment that he could
+not bear to be dragged in. Pym, therefore, called back to the trench,
+and Sergeant Hollowell crept out towards him. Just as he reached the
+wounded man, however, he was shot dead. Pym thereupon crawled back
+across the fire-swept space, to see if he could get a stretcher; but
+when he considered the position, he decided that the ground was too
+rough for him to drag a stretcher across it. Once more, therefore, he
+recrossed the fire-zone, and at last, with the utmost difficulty,
+brought the wounded man in alive.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The heroism of Sergeant Hickey of the 4th Canadian Battalion must not go
+unrecorded. On 24th May he volunteered to go out and recover two trench
+mortars which belonged to his battalion and had been abandoned in a
+ditch the previous day. In doing so he was going to almost certain
+death. Over and over again he escaped by the narrowest shave; yet,
+nevertheless, he found the mortars and brought them in. He also
+discovered the shortest and safest route by which men could be brought
+up from the reserve trenches to the firing line. "It was a discovery,"
+says Sir Max Aitken, "which saved lives at a moment when every life was
+of the greatest value; and time and time again he guided party after
+party up the trenches by this route." Unhappily, this cheery, modest
+soldier was shot down by a stray bullet on 30th May. "And so there went
+home to the God of battles a man to whom battle had been a joy."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following Victoria Crosses were awarded for outstanding deeds of
+bravery during the Battle of Festubert:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Company Sergeant-Major Frederick Barter</span>, Special Reserve, attached 1st
+Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>You have already read a brief account of this hero's exploits. You will
+remember that on 16th May, at Festubert, with eight volunteers he
+attacked the German position with bombs, capturing 500 yards of trench,
+three German officers, and 102 men. Later on he discovered the leads of
+eleven of the enemy's mines, situated about twenty yards apart, and cut
+them. Had he not done so he and his brave comrades would have been blown
+sky-high by the touch of a button a mile away.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span></p>
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant John George Smyth</span>, 15th Ludhiana<a name="FNanchor_42_42" id="FNanchor_42_42"></a><a href="#Footnote_42_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a> Sikhs, Indian army.</p>
+
+<p>On 18th May, at the point marked <span class="smcap">A</span> on our map (page <a href="#Page_231">231</a>), the Sikhs were
+holding a section of German trench known as the "Glory Hole," and a
+portion of the same trench was in the hands of its original occupants.
+Next morning the Germans brought up a large number of men, and it
+appeared that they were about to make an attempt to drive out the Sikhs.
+Shortly afterwards the Germans began a heavy bombing attack, to which
+the Sikhs made a vigorous reply until noon, when their bombs gave out.
+It was then decided to send up a bombing party from the reserve
+trenches, and Lieutenant Smyth was ordered to lead forward ten men laden
+with two boxes of 96 bombs. Dropping over the parapet they wriggled
+their way through thick mud, pulling and pushing the boxes between them.
+They had to cross rough ground while bullets whizzed around them and the
+air was white with puffs of shrapnel. All the time they were in full
+view of the enemy. The little party had now been reduced to
+two&mdash;Lieutenant Smyth and Sepoy Lal Singh. After fording a stream the
+survivors reached the trench, both untouched, but with their clothes
+shot through and through by bullets. The fresh supply of bombs which
+they had thus brought up enabled the Sikhs to beat back the Germans. Sad
+to relate, Lal Singh was killed shortly after reaching the trench.
+Lieutenant Smyth was described by a <i>Times</i> correspondent as "a short,
+ruddy, smiling officer lad, with merry gray eyes."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal Joseph Tombs</span>, 1st Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment).</p>
+
+<p>On 16th May, during the fighting mentioned on page <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, Tombs of his own
+accord repeatedly crawled out of his trench under very heavy shell and
+machine-gun fire and brought in wounded men. Altogether he rescued four
+of his comrades, one of whom he dragged back by means of a rifle sling
+placed round his own neck and the man's body. So severely wounded was
+the rescued man that he must have died had he not been promptly brought
+in.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>n 25th April&mdash;six weeks and four days after our naval failure at the
+Narrows&mdash;British forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula. Before I
+relate the marvellous story of how our men gained a footing on its
+rugged shores, I must give you some idea of the nature of the country.
+On pages 248, 249 you will see a bird's-eye view of part of the
+peninsula. One glance at it shows clearly that Gallipoli is a natural
+fortress, and that it is the most unlikely bit of self-contained country
+in which any general would wish to conduct a campaign. In its
+bewildering mass of hills and ravines it resembles a portion of the
+North-West Frontier of India.</p>
+
+<p>The peninsula is connected with the mainland by the isthmus of Bulair,
+which is but three miles across from beach to beach. From Bulair the
+peninsula runs in a south-westerly direction for fifty-two miles, and
+near its centre broadens out to its greatest width of twelve miles. The
+shores of the northern half of the peninsula slope steeply to the Gulf
+of Xeros from a chain of hills which extend as far south as Cape Suvla.
+On this part of the coast the cliffs rise up almost from the water's
+edge, and there are no landing-places except a few gullies which are too
+narrow for military movements.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Ian Hamilton,<a name="FNanchor_43_43" id="FNanchor_43_43"></a><a href="#Footnote_43_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a> the accomplished general who commanded our forces
+in Gallipoli, tells us that the southern half of the peninsula resembles
+a badly-worn boot with the ankle between Gaba Tepe and Maidos; beneath
+the heel lies the cluster of forts at the Narrows, while at the toe we
+find the stron<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span>gholds which were reduced by the gun fire of our ships on
+25th February.</p>
+
+<p>At first sight the interior of the peninsula from Suvla Bay southwards
+looks like a choppy sea which has been suddenly frozen. If, however, we
+look closely at the map on page <a href="#Page_165">168</a>, we shall be able to make out three
+prominent features. Running right across the toe of the peninsula from
+sea to sea, at a distance of three and a half miles from Cape Helles, is
+a ridge which rises in its highest part to the Achi Baba peak, 591 feet
+above sea level. Big guns on this ridge command all the toe of the
+peninsula, which is hollowed out something like the bowl of a spoon, so
+that only the outer edges can be shelled directly from the sea. The
+inside of the bowl is not level, but is filled up with numerous spurs
+and gullies.</p>
+
+<p>Now look at the forts of the Narrows. Behind them is a plateau&mdash;the
+Kilid Bahr plateau&mdash;which rises in the peak of Pasha Dagh to a height of
+700 feet above the level of the sea, and extends westwards for about
+five miles. The Achi Baba ridge, you observe, is the buttress and
+outlying defence of this plateau on the south. To the north-west of the
+plateau you see a network of high hills with very steep sides and deep
+ravines. This is the Sari Bair mountain, which forms the buttress and
+outlying defence of the Kilid Bahr plateau on the north. Some of its
+peaks are nearly 800 feet high.</p>
+
+<p>I have already told you that the forts at the Narrows are the real
+defence of the Dardanelles. We had already failed to capture them by a
+naval attack. If, however, we could reach the Kilid Bahr plateau by
+land, we could attack the forts from the rear&mdash;the side on which they
+are least capable of resistance. But, as you notice, nature has made
+this plateau very difficult of access. An invader from the south must
+first carry the Achi Baba ridge before he can reach it, and if he lands
+south of Suvla Point he must fight his way across the Sari Bair.</p>
+
+<p>You have already gathered that the peninsula is difficult to traverse
+even in times of peace; the few dwellers on it make most of their
+journeys from point to point by water. Except in a few valleys, there
+are no cultivated fields; and save for a few cypress and olive groves,
+the whole peninsula consists of bare or scrub-covered hills and ravines
+filled with jungle. Amidst the rocks flourish many strange and beautiful
+flowers.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> Water is scarce, and the villages and hamlets are few and far
+between.</p>
+
+<p>Look again at the map on page <a href="#Page_165">168</a>, and follow the track which runs from
+Cape Helles northward through the village of Krithia and over the Achi
+Baba ridge. A branch of this track leads, as you see, across the Kilid
+Bahr plateau. On the western coast just north of Gaba Tepe you will
+observe a track which meets the track from Krithia. General Ian Hamilton
+proposed to land a force on the tip of the peninsula, and another force
+near Gaba Tepe. These forces were to fight their way forward until the
+left wing of the southern army came into touch with the right wing of
+the northern army. Then the united armies would advance on to the Kilid
+Bahr plateau, from which our big guns would be able to destroy the
+European forts at the Narrows. When these were reduced we should be in a
+position to attack the forts on the Asiatic side at short range, and if
+all went well, our ships would be able to dash through and, in the
+course of a day or two, train their guns on Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>The first business was to put our troops ashore. The line of high yellow
+cliffs fringing the sea was carefully surveyed, and note was taken of
+every place where a landing was possible. A glance at the bird's-eye
+view shows you clearly that good beaches are rare. On the map (page <a href="#Page_165">168</a>)
+you will see various spots marked by capital letters round the tip of
+the peninsula. Just south of Cape Tekke, where you see the letter W,
+there is a small sandy bay, and half a mile north of it a break in the
+cliffs marked X. Three and a half miles further up the coast (Y) there
+is a scrub-covered gully, and eastwards of W there is another sandy
+beach (V), about three hundred yards across. Round the corner, still
+further eastwards, is Morto Bay, with a small beach (S) commanded by the
+guns of Kum Kale. On these beaches General Hamilton decided to land his
+southern army. The northern army was to be put ashore to the north of
+Gaba Tepe, where the sandstone cliffs recede a little from the water's
+edge.</p>
+
+<p>Not a single one of the beaches affords a really good landing-place.
+Almost everywhere the cliffs rise steeply from a narrow strip of shore.
+As you know, the Turks had ample notice of our invasion, and they had
+diligently and skilfully prepared for it. There were mines, barbed-wire
+entanglements, and trenches on the beaches, and along the cliff tops
+they had constructed very formidable works, in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span>some places ten feet
+deep. There were snipers in every bush, machine guns were cunningly
+hidden in the rocks, and behind the trenches on the cliffs there were
+field guns, backed by heavy pieces on the Achi Baba ridge. To land on
+these beaches and carry the cliffs would be worse than "storming the
+Embankment out of Thames barges, with the enemy comfortably established
+with his guns on the second floor of the Savoy Hotel." The Turks
+believed the operation to be quite impossible, and indeed, according to
+all the rules, not a single invader should have left the beaches alive.</p>
+
+<p>For this most difficult and dangerous enterprise General Hamilton was
+supplied with a weak and somewhat motley army of 120,000 men&mdash;a force
+far inferior in numbers to that which the Turks could bring against us.
+One division of this army (the 29th) was composed of two brigades of
+regulars and a third brigade consisting of three regular battalions and
+a Territorial battalion&mdash;the 5th Royal Scots; the remainder consisted of
+two naval brigades and a brigade of marines, the Australian and New
+Zealand Division, a large number of Indian troops, and the East
+Lancashire Territorial Division, together with French marines, French
+Colonial troops, and the Foreign Legion. To oppose these three army
+corps the Turks are said to have had 275,000 troops within reach.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Ian Hamilton's army was assembled in Egypt. By the 17th of March the
+transports were at Tenedos. Unfortunately, they were found to be wrongly
+loaded, and the bulk of them had to be sent back to Alexandria, where
+the various units were properly redistributed amongst the ships. About
+the middle of April the expedition began to arrive in the Bay of
+Mudros.<a name="FNanchor_44_44" id="FNanchor_44_44"></a><a href="#Footnote_44_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a> Part of the force was landed on the island, and the rest
+remained on board ship, where night and day, under the direction of
+naval officers, dress rehearsals of the landing took place. By the 20th
+of April all was ready, and five days later the great adventure began.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXXIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF THE LANDING.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>ou are now to imagine yourself wrapped in the invisible cloak of the
+fairies, and able to move over land and sea, where you will, with the
+speed of thought. Thus magically endowed, you will be able to flit to
+and fro, and witness one of the most remarkable invasions known to
+history.</p>
+
+<p>Dusk is falling on the evening of 23rd April, and you are hovering over
+the Lemnian harbour of Mudros. The haven is as crowded as the port of
+Liverpool. In the dim light you see a huge fleet of grim, gray warships
+of all classes, from the mighty <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> down to the little
+puffing launches that speed from ship to ship. You also notice many
+great transports, grimy colliers, mine-sweepers, and trawlers. As you
+watch, a large number of the warships, transports, and mine-sweepers
+cast off and move out of the harbour. Their lights disappear in the
+distance. They are off to Tenedos, where they will embark the troops
+that are to land on the beaches round the tip of the peninsula.</p>
+
+<p>The morning of the 24th sees the harbour still busy and animated, though
+most of the ships have departed. An almost unending stream of boats,
+each of them packed with tall, bronzed Australians and New Zealanders,
+plies towards the warships and transports that remain. By noon 10,000
+men are on board; all are in the highest spirits, keen and eager for the
+coming battle. Every man knows what lies before him. All have read or
+heard the Commander-in-Chief's message addressed to "Soldiers of France
+and of the King":&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war.
+Together with our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a
+landing upon an open beach in face of positions which have been
+vaunted by our enemies as impregnable.</p>
+
+<p>"The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy;
+the positions will be stormed, and the war brought one step
+nearer to a glorious close.</p>
+
+<p>"'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding adieu to your
+Commander&mdash;'remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli
+Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish.'</p>
+
+<p>"The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.</p>
+</div>
+<p style="margin-left: 70%;">"<span class="smcap">Ian Hamilton</span>, <i>General</i>."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span></p>
+<p>We will now follow the fortunes of the gallant Australians and New
+Zealanders. The transports, escorted by the Second Squadron of the
+Fleet, steam slowly on, and by half-past one on the morning of the 25th
+have reached a prearranged point. The sea is calm, there is scarcely a
+breath of wind, the moon is shining behind the ships, and the silence of
+night is only broken by the throb of the propellers. The ships heave to.
+Swiftly, and with scarce a sound, shadowy figures climb down into boats.
+They are the 1,500 men who are to be the first to set foot on the
+peninsula. Meanwhile their comrades are being transferred from the
+transports to six destroyers. It is now 2.30, and the warships, together
+with the destroyers and the towed boats, move slowly and silently
+towards a point about a mile north of Gaba Tepe. At 3.30 the order is
+given to "go ahead and land." Away go the boats, and, forty minutes
+later, the destroyers follow them.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 800px;">
+<img src="images/p256257.jpg" width="800" height="521" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>How the Five Beaches&mdash;Y, X, W, V, and S&mdash;were stormed and
+the British and French landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Sunday, April
+25, 1915.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+The following units landed on the various beaches:&mdash;<i>Beach Y</i>: 1st
+King's Own Scottish Borderers and The Plymouth (Marine) Battalion, Royal
+Naval Division. <i>Beach X</i>: 1st Royal Fusiliers, together with a beach
+working party of the Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division. <i>Beach W</i>:
+1st Battalion, (Lancashire Fusiliers). <i>Beach V</i>: Dublin Fusiliers,
+Munster Fusiliers, half a battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, the West
+Riding Field Company, and other details. <i>Beach S</i>: 2nd South Wales
+Borderers (less one company). At <i>Gaba Tepe</i>: 3rd Australian Brigade,
+followed promptly by the 1st and 2nd Brigades and two batteries of
+Indian Mountain Artillery; the remainder of the New Zealand and
+Australian Division landed later in the day.</h4>
+
+<p>Now the hazy dawn begins to break, and the men in the boats see before
+them the loom of the steep cliffs underneath which they are soon to
+tread. Beneath those cliffs there is a very narrow strip of sand, about
+a thousand yards long, closed in on the north and south by small
+promontories. Near the northern end of the beach a small but steep gully
+runs up into the hills at right angles to the shore. At the southern end
+there is a deep ravine with very steep, scrub-clad sides. Between the
+ravine and the gully a lofty spur comes down to the shore. Such is the
+landing-place. The Commander-in-Chief has chosen it because he thinks
+the enemy would never suppose that he would dream of making a landing in
+such an unfavourable position. Henceforth it will be known all the world
+over as Anzac<a name="FNanchor_45_45" id="FNanchor_45_45"></a><a href="#Footnote_45_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a> Cove.</p>
+
+<p>The boats and destroyer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span>s steal in towards the land. They are now close
+to the shore, and the troops perceive that they must fight for a
+footing. Turkish soldiers are seen running along the beach ready to give
+the boats a warm reception. Not a word is spoken: our men remain
+perfectly still and quiet, awaiting the enemy's fire. A few moments
+more, and bullets rain down on them. Many a man has breathed his last
+before the boats run aground.</p>
+
+<p>The keels have not touched the sand when the Australians of the 3rd
+Brigade spring out of their boats. A blaze of fire sweeps against them
+from the Turkish trenches on the beach, but they heed it not. With fixed
+bayonets they dash forward, as though they mean to conquer the whole
+peninsula by one mighty rush. On they go, and the Turks flee before
+them. The beach is carried with cold steel, and in open order they dive
+into the scrub and scramble up the hundred feet of cliff that rises
+before them. The famous exploit at Wolfe's Cove, when the Heights of
+Abraham were scaled, is altogether outdone.<a name="FNanchor_46_46" id="FNanchor_46_46"></a><a href="#Footnote_46_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a></p>
+
+<p>Now they are on the top of the cliff, and come under the main Turkish
+fire. The ground, however, gives them good cover, and they speedily dig
+themselves in. By seven in the morning they are holding the cliff top.
+Meanwhile the 1st and 2nd Brigades have come ashore, and two batteries
+of Indian Mountain Artillery have been landed. The enemy is now shelling
+the transports, and they are obliged to stand out to sea. Further
+artillery cannot, therefore, be put ashore just yet. By noon more than
+10,000 men are on the beach, or are climbing the gully and the ravine.
+The thousand yards of shore is covered with busy working-parties. Stores
+are being landed, the Royal Engineers are making roads, and wireless
+stations are being erected; and all the time Turkish shells are falling
+fast and thick. Our warships are at work, but the morning sun is in the
+eyes of the gunners, and they fire at a disadvantage.</p>
+
+<p>The Australians on the cliff top have not been content to remain idle in
+their hastily-dug trenches. They rashly push on across three ridges, and
+actually come within sight of the Narrows; but now the enemy is strongly
+rei<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span>nforced, and they are driven back with heavy loss. Stretcher-bearers
+are stumbling down the steep paths and across the beach carrying their
+freight of wounded to the hospital ships on the bullet-splashed sea.
+There is much confusion as the advancing troops meet those who are
+retiring; but before noon a semicircular position on the cliffs is
+firmly held. Parties of the 9th and 10th Battalions charge and put out
+of action three of the enemy's Krupp guns.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks now begin their counter-attacks, which continue far into the
+night. Again and again our men make bayonet charges, and the line holds
+fast. They have suffered terribly, but they have made good their
+footing, and are firmly placed at Gaba Tepe, on Anzac territory.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now we must hurry southwards and see how matters are faring at Beach Y.
+Three cruisers&mdash;<i>Dublin</i>, <i>Amethyst</i>, and <i>Sapphire</i>&mdash;have covered the
+landing of the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and the
+Plymouth (Marine) Battalion. The men have leaped ashore on a narrow
+strip of sand at the foot of a crumbling, scrub-covered cliff 200 feet
+high. They climb to the top of the cliffs by means of a number of small
+gullies, and there establish themselves, almost without loss. Food,
+water, and ammunition are hauled up. Now the Turks begin to attack them,
+and are fiercely resisted. Later in the day the enemy, largely
+reinforced, advances from the direction of Krithia, and our men have to
+dig in. Against them the Turks launch attack after attack, supported by
+heavy guns. Owing to the sharp fall of the ground behind the cliffs, our
+warships can render but little assistance. Through the afternoon and
+night the attacks continue, and our men make several desperate bayonet
+charges. But it is clear, even now, that they cannot maintain themselves
+in this position. By seven o'clock on the morning of the 26th the King's
+Own Scottish Borderers have lost half their number, including their
+gallant colonel.</p>
+
+<p>The order for withdrawal is given. A small rearguard of the King's Own
+Scottish Borderers with desperate valour holds off the enemy, while the
+rest, with their wounded, stores, and ammunition, re-embark, and are
+safely brought round to the southern end of the peninsula. The landing
+at Y has failed, and our losses have been very heavy; b<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span>ut the plucky
+stand of the two battalions has prevented large numbers of the enemy
+from going to the assistance of their comrades at other points, where,
+as you will soon learn, a very touch-and-go struggle is in progress.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A short journey southward brings us to Beach X, where the 1st Royal
+Fusiliers have been landed. The <i>Swiftsure</i> has plastered the high
+ground with shells, and the <i>Implacable</i>, which has anchored close
+inshore, is bringing every gun to bear on the Turkish position. Without
+losing a single man, the Fusiliers push up a low cliff and entrench
+themselves. By evening they are in touch with their comrades at Beach W.
+A Turkish battery which gets the range of our men is knocked out by a
+fine shot from the <i>Implacable</i>. At Beach X everything is going well.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>We now hurry away to Beach W, between Cape Tekke and Cape Helles. Here a
+doubtful battle is raging. The beach consists of deep, powdery sand, and
+is 350 yards long, with steep ground on the flank and sand dunes in the
+centre. The Turks have turned this beach into a perfect death-trap.
+Close to the water's edge there is a broad wire entanglement running the
+whole length of the shore, and in front of it, in the shallow sea, there
+is another similar barricade. There are lines of trenches on the high
+ground; machine guns are tucked away into holes in the cliff; snipers
+lurk in the scrub, and there is not an inch of the shore which cannot be
+swept by deadly fire. On a hill overlooking the beach there are two
+redoubts, and elsewhere in the line of possible advance there are other
+formidable obstacles. Land mines and sea mines have been laid, and the
+Turks may well boast that no invader will ever remain alive on this
+terrible beach.</p>
+
+<p>Lancashire men are now about to perform one of the finest feats of arms
+ever achieved by British soldiers or by any other soldiers. They are
+about to storm this death-trap from open boats! Hereafter, as a tribute
+to their splendid valour, Beach W will be known as Lancashire Landing.</p>
+
+<p>At six in the morning of the 25th eight picket boats, in line abreast,
+each boat towing four ship's cutters packed with men of the 1st
+Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, approach the shore. As soon as shallow
+water is reached the tows a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span>re cast off, and oars are plied. The first
+boat touches the shore, and out spring the Fusiliers, to be met by a
+hurricane of lead from the Turkish trenches. Many a man receives his
+death-wound while waist-deep in the water, but the unfaltering Fusiliers
+rush ashore, and though fired at from the right, the left, and the
+centre, begin hacking their way through the wire. A long line of men is
+at once mown down as by a scythe; but the remainder, now covered by the
+guns of the warships, and helped by the flanking fire of a party which
+has secured a foothold on a small ledge of rock under the cliff, break
+through the entanglements, and, rapidly re-forming, hurl themselves on
+the Turkish trenches. Several land mines are exploded, but nothing can
+stem the torrent of the British advance. By ten o'clock three lines of
+the enemy's trenches are in our hands.</p>
+
+<p>On the right some of the Fusiliers have come under the fire of a
+redoubt, and they can make but little headway in this direction. The
+edge of the wire entanglements is reached, but they can go no further.
+They are now lying under the scanty cover of a sand-bank, cleaning their
+rifles, which have been wetted by sea-water and choked with sand.</p>
+
+<p>The guns of the warships boom out, and a rain of shells falls near the
+redoubt. About 2 p.m. the Worcester Regiment dashes forward. Men hack
+their way through the entanglements, and, in spite of heavy losses,
+carry the redoubt by storm. Now an attempt is made to join hands with
+the troops which are in dire peril on Beach V; but the defences are too
+strong to be broken through. Men are seen under an awful fire calmly
+snipping the wire as though they were pruning a vineyard. But the troops
+are worn out by their long labours under a hot sun, and the attack is
+perforce suspended. When night falls the Turks make assault after
+assault on the wearied invaders. So hard pressed are they that even the
+working parties on the beach have to be flung into the trenches in order
+that the line may be held. Happily the attacks of the enemy are beaten
+off, and no ground is lost. So the night passes, and the dawn ushers in
+another day of struggle and anxiety.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now we hurry off to Beach V, where tragic events are taking place. Beach
+V resembles an old Greek theatre. There is a stretch of sand as at Beach
+W, and running along it is a low sandy ridge, four feet high, which
+affords some sh<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span>elter. Beyond rise grassy terraces to a height of 100
+feet. The rising ground is flanked on the one side by an old castle,
+and on the other side by a modern fort. On the heights overlooking the
+shore the Turks have massed artillery, machine guns, and riflemen. On
+the very margin of the beach there is an exceedingly strong barbed-wire
+fence, and two-thirds of the way up there is an even stronger obstacle.
+From all sides the defenders can pour down a deadly fire on the landing
+parties. So strongly defended is this beach that special arrangements
+have been made to cope with it. Large doors have been cut in the steel
+plates of a collier, the <i>River Clyde</i>, and wide gangplank have been
+slung from her side. These gangways slope gradually down from the doors
+to her bows, so that men can pass along on both sides in single file,
+and jump on to the lighters which she will tow in with her. Her bridge
+has been turned into a little fortress, and behind steel plates and
+sand-bags in her bows there are twelve machine guns to cover the
+landing. Two thousand men of the Hampshires and Munster Fusiliers have
+been stowed on board, and now she steams bow on to the shore close to a
+reef of rock. The lighters are placed in position so as to form a bridge
+between the gangway and the rock.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 766px;">
+<img src="images/p262.jpg" width="766" height="446" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Lancashire Fusiliers landing on Beach W.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+You will read a full account of this heroic landing on pages 211, 212.
+Three Victoria Crosses were afterwards awarded to those who had
+displayed the most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, by the vote
+of their comrades.</h4>
+
+<p>Eight boatloads of Dublin Fusiliers towed by steam pinnaces make a dash
+for the shore. Every kind of missile is hurled at them, and the men
+suffer horribly. Some few manage to gain the beach and take refuge under
+the sandbank already mentioned. None of the boats, however, push off
+again. They and their crews are destroyed.</p>
+
+<p>Now comes the moment for the <i>River Clyde</i>, like the horse of Troy, to
+pour forth its living freight; but there is grievous delay, for the
+current runs strongly, and there is grave difficulty in keeping the
+lighters in position. The splendid pluck and tenacity of the naval
+working-party are tried to the utmost, and many splendid deeds of
+heroism are accomplished before the bridge of boats holds fast. Now a
+company of the Munster Fusiliers, followed by a second company, issues
+from the ship and strives to cross the shifting and swaying bridge. The
+lighters give way in the current; the end one nearest the shore drifts
+into deep water, and many men striving to swim from it to the beach are
+drowned. All the time a perfect tornado of fire sweeps down upon them. A
+third comp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span>any essays the task: the lighters are filled with dead and
+wounded. A thousand men have striven to land, but barely five hundred
+have got ashore. So hot is the Turkish fire that the remaining men in
+the <i>River Clyde</i> dare not emerge. A man has only to show his head to be
+instantly picked off.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Twenty-four hours after the <i>River Clyde</i> runs ashore there are but the
+survivors of the Dublin and the Munster Fusiliers and two companies of
+the Hampshire Regiment on the beach, and they are still crouching
+beneath the shelter of the sandy ridge. Early in the morning the
+<i>Cornwallis</i>, <i>Albion</i>, and <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> come to the rescue and
+begin a heavy bombardment of the enemy. Under cover of this bombardment
+the men on the beach push up the slopes on the bluff under a most
+galling fire, and capture the village, a fort, and a hill. The landing
+can now go forward. By the evening of Tuesday, the 27th, Beach V is in
+working order.</p>
+
+<p>The whole scene on the beach reminds you of a gigantic shipwreck. It
+looks as if the whole army with its stores had been washed ashore after
+a great gale, or had saved themselves on rafts. All this work is carried
+on under an incessant shrapnel fire which sweeps the trenches and hills.
+The shells are frequently bursting ten or twelve at the same moment,
+making a deafening noise, and plastering the foreshore with bullets. The
+only safe place is close under the cliff, but every one is rapidly
+becoming accustomed to the shriek of the shells and the splash of
+bullets in the water, and the work goes on as if there was not a gun
+within miles.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Before I conclude this account of the landing I must say a word as to
+the part played by the French in the operations. Their duty was to land
+on the Asiatic shore at Kum Kale, and engage the batteries so that they
+could not interfere with the landings at Beaches V and S. During a
+skirmish which took place on the height at Kum Kale and on the Trojan
+plain the French took 500 prisoners, and would have captured more had
+there been room for them in the boats. This French diversion enabled
+trawlers to land 700 men of the 2nd South Wales Borderers at Beach S. A
+stiff little fight followed; but the Welshmen gained the top of the
+cliff, and digging themselves in, managed to hold their own until the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span>
+position was taken over by the French. Their landing had only cost them
+fifty casualties. A company was also put ashore at Camber, a little boat
+harbour nestling just east and under the ruined fort of Sedd-ul-Bahr.
+This little force, however, met with such a fierce fire that it could
+make no progress up the steep cliffs towards the village, and had to be
+withdrawn.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Thus the landing was made, and a feat believed to be impossible was
+performed. When we consider how strongly the Turks were posted, how
+skilfully their trenches were made, how completely the beaches were
+swept by their fire, we are lost in admiration of the superb gallantry
+and contempt of life displayed by our men. You will read on a later page
+some account of those who specially distinguished themselves; but do not
+forget that many heroes who deserved the Victoria Cross had laid down
+their lives before the tops of the cliffs were reached. We were on the
+peninsula at last, but our footing was very insecure. We had our backs
+to the sea and our faces to a stubborn foe, who was holding positions of
+enormous strength. In later chapters we shall learn how these positions
+baffled every effort of the most heroic of men to carry them. For the
+moment, however, we were flushed with victory, and our hopes were high.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXV" id="CHAPTER_XXXV"></a>CHAPTER XXXV.</h2>
+
+<h3>HEROES OF THE LANDING.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">N</span>ow that you have read an account of how we gained a foothold, and no
+more than a foothold, on the Gallipoli peninsula, you will agree with me
+that only an army of heroes could have performed the feat. All fought
+magnificently, but the Anzacs carried off the palm. A correspondent
+tells us that one man, renowned for his height and great strength,
+jumped into a Turkish trench and bayoneted five men one after the other,
+hurling each of them over the parapet as coolly and as easily as if he
+had been tossing hay. Hundreds of grim tales of this kind are told of
+the Australians' fierce onset. Wounded men who emerged from the struggle
+shouted to those who cheered them, "We are going to do better when we
+get back." They described the fighting as "a great game&mdash;the best game
+we ever had." "We made them run," said one Australian. "We wanted to let
+the Turks know what Australian steel was like, and they ran screeching
+and howling before us." Two New Zealanders were seen chasing eleven
+Turks, who fled in terror before them.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Bugler W. S. Manchip of the 1st Australian Imperial Force thus describes
+the desperate fighting in which he took part: "When we were near the
+shore a signal light flashed two or three times, but the boat I was in
+ran up the beach, and several of us were safe ashore before a rifle shot
+split the air. Then almost immediately a perfect shower of bullets fell
+around us. Fixing bayonets, the boys charged the hills without firing a
+shot until the light of the dawn was sufficient to enable them to make
+sure of their aim. Although I passed several dead Turks on my way
+forward, I only saw two who had been bayoneted, for most of them did not
+wait for a taste of that eighteen inches of cold steel, but ran, sn<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span>iping
+at us whenever they got the chance, until we had them back about two
+miles, when we emerged from the undergrowth and broken country on to a
+stretch of flat land. There we were met by a perfect fusillade from
+thousands of rifles, and we had to take what cover we could, which was
+not much. After being under the withering fire of the Turkish rifles and
+machine guns, which were well entrenched, for nearly an hour, the enemy
+opened fire on us with shrapnel, and it was terrible, as we were unable
+to move, and men were falling around us by the dozen. . . . In the night
+they charged upon our trenches, blowing bugles and shouting, 'Allah!
+Allah!' When the order was given to 'Fix bayonets! Charge!' they did not
+wait for us, but fled back to their trenches. About four o'clock on
+Wednesday I was passing across an open space in the trench with a tin of
+water, when a bullet struck me in the back, cutting through my
+equipment, tunic, jersey, and braces. The latter, being made of hard
+leather, stopped the course of the bullet, and I only received a bruise
+on my back."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A writer in <i>Blackwood's Magazine</i> thus describes the landing of the
+K.O.S.B.'s on Beach Y: "It is no time to dwell on what might have been,
+but I cannot deny myself mention of the fact that we were actually on
+the slopes of Achi Baba that first day, thanks to the dauntless
+K.O.S.B.'s, who pushed through from Y Beach to Krithia almost unopposed,
+fought their way through the ruins on to the farther slopes&mdash;and then,
+owing to lack of supports, marched all the way back again under a
+devastating fire. In the advance the battalion's losses were small;
+coming back they were dreadfully punished, and at last dug themselves in
+on the seaward side of Krithia, to meet a force of at least five times
+their number." The K.O.S.B.'s, you will remember, were re-embarked and
+taken round to Beach W.</p>
+
+<p>"'Could you have done anything else?' I asked a Scottish Borderer, as we
+sat in the scrub looking towards the hill, long afterwards.</p>
+
+<p>"'Ah believe,' said he, 'properly reinforced in the rear, we could 'a
+taken Achi Baba by twelve noon on the day o' the landin'.'</p>
+
+<p>"This<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> is the opinion of a serving soldier, one of the eighty odd men
+still alive who won to the gently rising slopes of this formidable
+position, a bone in our throats for six deadly months&mdash;and there still."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Corporal J. Collins of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers gives us a
+glimpse of the terrible scenes which took place on Beach W, where the
+men of his regiment covered themselves with glory. "In my first boat,"
+he says, "there were thirty-eight soldiers and four sailors, and when we
+got near the shore the boat drifted about, so I decided to make for
+land. I got into the water, and, being a strong swimmer, I was able to
+pull one of my comrades on to my shoulder. Thus we struggled ashore.
+Then we stumbled across barbed wire. The sand and the water choked my
+rifle, and I was unable to use it when I landed, except the bayonet. We
+struggled through the entanglements, and made for the cliffs, while
+bullets were whistling and shrapnel shrieking all round us. While I was
+advancing a shrapnel shell whistled past my breast, tearing my
+ammunition pouch away, and reducing my clothes to tatters. The same
+shell killed some of my comrades farther in the line. Keeping on, we
+took the first Turkish trench."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Leading Seaman Gilligan of H.M.S. <i>Euryalus</i> thus wrote: "We landed the
+Lancashire Fusiliers, thirty-five in each boat. I shall never forget it
+as long as I live. It was wicked, and I, like a lot more, never expected
+to come through it whole. There were four boats in tow of a steam
+pinnace, and there was no sign of the enemy until we touched the shore.
+Then they opened fire, strongly entrenched above us in the cliffs, with
+machine guns. As soon as we touched the beach we could see the wire
+entanglements. The fire was terrible&mdash;just like a hailstorm. I jumped
+out of the stern up to my arms in water, and pushed the boat in. The
+sergeant jumped in front of me, and got mortally wounded. The cries of
+the wounded were terrible. It is without equal in this war, this landing
+of troops under fire. The Turks drove our men right back to the beach
+that Sunday night. There were 38,000 Turks, and 1,100 of our fellows
+held them. However, we have made progress since then, and I am proud to
+have had a share in it."</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 786px;">
+<img src="images/p268.jpg" width="786" height="431" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Landing from the "River Clyde" on Beach V.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By
+permission of The Sphere.</i></h4>
+
+<p>An observer on a battleship<a name="FNanchor_47_47" id="FNanchor_47_47"></a><a href="#Footnote_47_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a> thus de<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span>scribes what he saw on Beaches V
+and W: "Towards Sedd-ul-Bahr (where the forts were beginning to reek
+with bursting shells) I saw a transport with her nose well up the beach.
+This was the <i>River Clyde</i>, then in the act of letting loose out of her
+riven side those unspeakably gallant men of the Munster, Dublin, and
+other regiments, whom Colonel Doughty-Wylie (amongst us only the day
+before) led to the capture of a strong redoubt and to his death. Between
+us and the <i>River Clyde</i>, in the lee of the low, scrubby cliffs, I could
+make out a flag-pole and a dark cluster on the beach around it. This was
+the point of assembly on W Beach, now christened Lancashire Landing, to
+commemorate the daring of those Lancashire regiments which won through
+here. Gradually a movement became noticeable. The cluster spread out,
+took the nearest dunes at a run, disappeared&mdash;and a crackling
+undercurrent in the din of big guns was all that told of a fierce charge
+and the first trenches won. All the while the little trawlers, the tug
+boats, and the lighters, full of the finest soldiers, went to and fro
+through a deluge of bullets, which splashed the water with a hiss like
+the rain that comes with thunder."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following heroes of the landing were awarded Victoria Crosses:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Richard Raymond Willis</span>, <span class="smcap">Sergeant Alfred Richards</span>, and <span class="smcap">Private
+William Keneally</span>, all of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>You have already heard of the marvellous heroism of the Lancashire
+Fusiliers on Beach W, and no Lancashire boy or girl will ever forget how
+they cut their way through the wire entanglements, notwithstanding a
+terrific fire from the enemy, and, in spite of unheard-of difficulties,
+gained the cliffs, and there firmly established themselves. Every man
+who engaged in this desperate struggle deserved the highest award of
+valour. It was quite impossible for the generals to pick and choose
+amongst these bravest of the brave, so the survivors were asked to elect
+the three of their comrades who, in their opinion, had done the most
+signal acts of bravery and devotion during the day of the landing. With
+one consent they elected the three heroes named above.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span></p>
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal William Cosgrove</span>, 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>On Beach V, where so many of the Munsters went gallantly to their death,
+Corporal Cosgrove showed splendid dash and spirit. Single-handed he
+pulled down the posts of the enemy's high wire entanglements,
+notwithstanding a terrific burst of fire from the enemy. Thanks very
+largely to the corporal's splendid pluck the heights were at last
+cleared.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu Doughty-Wylie</span>, Headquarters
+Staff, and <span class="smcap">Captain Garth Neville Walford</span>, Brigade Major, Royal
+Artillery.</p>
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_253">253</a> I told you that the Dublin Fusiliers, the Munsters, and the
+Hampshires, who had landed on Beach V from the <i>River Clyde</i>, were
+rallied and led forward to attack the village and a redoubt on a hill
+inland. The officer who rallied the men was Lieutenant-Colonel
+Doughty-Wylie, a staff officer, who ought not to have been in the firing
+line; but seeing that the attacking force had lost many of its officers,
+he sprang into the breach. He was seen with a cane in his hand going
+amongst the troops and encouraging them. When they charged up the hill
+with the bayonet he was at their head. Unhappily he was shot down, and
+the Victoria Cross was awarded to him after his death. Captain Walford
+behaved in the same heroic fashion, and he, too, lost his life during
+those terrible hours.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Commander Edward Unwin, R.N.</span>; <span class="smcap">Midshipman Wilfred St. Aubyn Malleson,
+R.N.</span>; <span class="smcap">Midshipman George Leslie Drewry, R.N.R.</span>; <span class="smcap">Able Seaman William
+Charles Williams, R.N.</span>; <span class="smcap">Seaman George M'Kenzie Samson, R.N.R.</span></p>
+
+<p>No finer deeds of heroism stand to the credit of the British Navy than
+those which I am now about to describe. When the <i>River Clyde</i> was run
+ashore a floating bridge of lighters was formed. The swirling current
+drove the lighters adrift, and the bridge was broken. Observing this,
+<span class="smcap">Commander Unwin</span> left the <i>River Clyde</i>, and, standing waist deep in the
+water under a murderous fire, endeavoured to get the lighters into
+position again. He worked on until, suffering from the effects of the
+cold water, he was obliged to return to the ship, where he was wrapped
+in blankets. Having somewhat recovered, he returned to his work against
+the doctor's orders, and completed it. Later on he was slightly wounded
+by three bullets; but as soon as the doctor had attended to him he once
+more left the ship, this time in a lifeboat, to save some wounded men
+who were lying in shallow water near the beach. He <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span>continued at this
+labour of mercy, under constant fire, until he was so worn out that he
+could no longer stand.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Midshipman Drewry</span> assisted Commander Unwin in the work of getting the
+lighters into position, and toiled on, utterly regardless of the heavy
+fire. He was twice hit; but even when wounded he tried to swim from
+lighter to lighter with a line, and only gave up the effort when he was
+thoroughly exhausted. An observer saw him swimming to a lighter with a
+line in his mouth and a wound in his head, while rocks, lighters, and
+boats were covered with dead and dying. When he was utterly worn out
+<span class="smcap">Midshipman Malleson</span> took the line, swam to the second lighter, and made
+it fast, thus enabling some of the men from the <i>River Clyde</i> to get
+ashore. Later on the line broke, and he once more took to the water with
+another line. Twice he attempted to reach the lighter, but all his
+efforts were in vain.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Seaman Samson</span> worked all day on the lighter nearest to the shore,
+attending to the wounded and getting out lines. At length he was badly
+hit, but he made a good recovery, and when he reached Portsmouth was
+received by the Mayor and a guard of honour. Some weeks later the people
+of Carnoustie, his native place, made him handsome presents at a public
+meeting. Seaman Samson was the first British bluejacket for fifty years
+to win and wear the Victoria Cross. <span class="smcap">Seaman Williams</span> went ashore with a
+line, and, waist-deep in the water, held on to it for over an hour. He
+was fired at constantly, and at last fell riddled with bullets. The
+coveted badge of valour was awarded after his heroic death.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Sub-Lieutenant A. W. St. Clair Tisdall, R.N.V.R.</span></p>
+
+<p>This gallant officer, who in his Cambridge days was renowned as a
+scholar and a poet, fought as an ordinary seaman at Antwerp. During the
+landing on Beach V he displayed remarkable heroism. Hearing the cries of
+wounded men on shore, he jumped into the water, and pushing a boat
+before him went to their rescue. With the assistance of several comrades
+he made five trips under heavy fire between the <i>River Clyde</i> and the
+shore, and thus saved the lives of many wounded men. He was killed in
+action on May 6, 1915, and his Victoria Cross was not announced until
+the last day of March 1916.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 896px;">
+<img src="images/p272273.jpg" width="896" height="526" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>"In files they lay, like the mower's swathes at close of
+day." A Turkish Column wiped out by the Inniskilling Fusiliers.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of the Illustrated London News.</i>)
+
+Our illustration shows the repulse of a Turkish night attack on our
+trenches near Achi Baba on May 1, 1915. On the extreme left of our
+position lay the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Northern Irish
+Regiment, and in front of them was a small vineyard with a mud wall
+round it, the vine branches being entwined with a thick network of
+barbed wire. The Turks, led by German officers, moved directly on the
+Inniskillings; but the Irishmen lay low until their attackers were only
+a hundred and fifty yards away. Then light balls were fired from
+pistols, and a terrible torrent of lead swept the first line of the
+Turks to earth. The second line shared the same fate, and the survivors
+turned and fled. Several German officers were found shot amidst the
+heaps of slain next morning. (See page <a href="#Page_267">267</a>.)</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXXVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>BATTERING AT THE BARRIERS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he Gallipoli campaign was a diversion that did not succeed&mdash;a side-show
+that failed. I shall not, therefore, describe the progress of the
+fighting in full detail. The story is rather a footnote to the history
+of the Great War than part of the text. We may divide the story&mdash;as
+C&aelig;sar did Gaul&mdash;into three parts. Part I. deals with the fighting from
+the day of the landing on 25th April down to 13th July, and tells how we
+battered at the Achi Baba barrier while the Anzacs strove to carry the
+high and rugged hills on their front. Part II. carries on the story to
+the middle fortnight of August, when, with the aid of five new
+divisions, we made a big effort to break through at Suvla and Anzac; and
+Part III. describes the long period of waiting until those December and
+January days when we "came off" the peninsula without the loss of a
+single life. In this chapter I shall give you very briefly Part I. of
+the story.</p>
+
+<p>On the night of 27th April the Allies lay on a line running across the
+peninsula about three miles north of Cape Tekke. Next day, at eight in
+the morning, an advance was made on the village of Krithia; and though
+the Turks strongly opposed us, the 87th Brigade, on the left, advanced
+two miles, while the French, on the right, pushed forward a mile. By the
+evening of the 27th we securely held the tip of the peninsula. During
+the fighting the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>, far out at sea, observed 250 of the
+enemy preparing to make an attack from a point where they could not be
+seen by the troops on shore. Immediately she dropped a shrapnel shell
+amongst them. It weighed 1,800 pounds, and contained 13,000 bullets.
+When the smoke cleared away it was discovered that the attacking party
+had been completely wiped out.</p>
+
+<p>On 1st May, after we had been reinforced, the Turks m<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span>ade a fierce
+counter-attack, and what is known as the First Battle of Krithia
+began.<a name="FNanchor_48_48" id="FNanchor_48_48"></a><a href="#Footnote_48_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a> All day their big guns roared, and at night, when the moon
+rose, their infantry darted forward. On the right, where the shelling
+had been heaviest, the Turks opened a gap in our lines, but it was
+promptly filled up by the 5th Royal Scots, who with the bayonet cleared
+the Turks out of the trenches which they had occupied. All night the
+battle raged, and we only held on to our position with the greatest
+difficulty. At dawn the next day we counter-attacked, and the whole line
+moved forward five hundred yards. Had the French not been held up on the
+right by barbed wire and concealed machine guns, we should have carried
+Achi Baba that day. Severe fighting went on during the 4th and the 5th,
+and our casualties were very heavy. Between the day of the landing and
+6th May we lost 14,000 men, 3,593 of whom had been cut off in the
+difficult country and made prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>The Second Battle of Krithia, which began on 6th May, lasted for three
+days. Our left and centre strove to carry Krithia ridge, while the
+French attempted to get across the small river beyond Morto Bay which
+you see on the map. The French 75's and the guns of the warships opened
+fire, and prepared the way for the advance. Again, however, our Allies
+were held up by concealed Turkish trenches; but they struggled on, and
+by the close of the day, at the cost of many lives, pushed across the
+river. During the night they held their ground, in spite of a strong
+counter-attack. Next day the warships shelled the Turkish right, and we
+carried the front Turkish trenches, but could go no farther. On the
+right the French advanced, but, caught by shrapnel, wavered and fled.
+The lost ground, however, was recovered. So the fight went on, every
+inch being bought at a heavy price. At the close of the three days'
+struggle we had won a thousand yards, but had not touched the enemy's
+main position, which was terribly strong. We now knew that it could not
+be rushed.</p>
+
+<p>While these battles were going on, the Anzacs were slowly gaining ground
+at Gaba Tepe. On the night of 18th May fresh bodies of Turks were flung
+against their trenches; but the cool and steady shooting of the men from
+"down under" kept them at bay. On that red day the Turks lost some 7,000
+men, while the Australians lost but 500. The Turkish trenches were in
+some places less than two hundred yards away f<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span>rom those of the Anzacs,
+and the ground between was carpeted with dead. You will read on a later
+page how Lance-Corporal Jacka won the Victoria Cross by capturing a
+trench single-handed.</p>
+
+<p>The third great attempt upon Krithia and Achi Baba was made on 4th June;
+but though our men fought like heroes, and the East Lancashire
+Territorial Division on the right centre made a splendid advance, we
+only gained some five hundred yards on a front of three miles. After
+five weeks' desperate struggle we had not touched the outer Turkish
+position. The German engineers had made it almost as formidable as the
+Labyrinth in Artois. It was clear that without large reinforcements we
+could make no headway. Already we had lost 38,636 men&mdash;more than the
+whole casualty list for three years of the South African War.</p>
+
+<p>The British and French fleets had taken part in every attack, and so far
+had been almost unmolested. Now German submarines began to appear; but
+before they got to work a Turkish destroyer managed to sink the old
+British battleship <i>Goliath</i> by means of a torpedo. On 26th May a German
+submarine launched a torpedo which tore through the nets of the
+<i>Triumph</i>, and sank her in nine minutes. Next day the <i>Majestic</i>, when
+steaming close to the shore, was sunk in the same manner. It was now
+evident that our ships could no longer take part in the bombardment and
+escape the submarines, so most of them were sent home, and the Allied
+naval strength was reduced to a few of the older battleships and
+cruisers, together with destroyers and one of the monitors which had
+checked the shoreward march of the Germans on the Flemish coast. Other
+new monitors arrived later, and, being submarine-proof, were able to do
+excellent work.</p>
+
+<p>By midsummer we knew, more than ever, how necessary it was that a right
+of way should be forced through the Dardanelles. We shall learn in a
+later chapter that the Russians had been forced back, and were terribly
+hard pressed. Without an open sea-road by which they could be supplied
+with munitions, it seemed likely that they would be put out of action
+for months to come, and that the Germans would be able to spare large
+bodies of troops to reinforce the Western front. We therefore determined
+to push on in the peninsula with renewed vigour. Reinforcements had now
+been lan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span>ded, and it was necessary that we should strike, and strike hard
+at once.</p>
+
+<p>During the first fortnight of June the enemy made many attempts to
+thrust us from the positions which we had won, and during the fighting
+many notable deeds of heroism were done by our men. A very determined
+attack by the Turks on 18th June carried some of our trenches; but they
+were won back by a brilliant charge of the 5th Royal Scots and a company
+of the 4th Worcesters. You will remember that the 5th Royal Scots had
+already distinguished themselves on 1st May. They formed part of what
+Sir Ian Hamilton calls "the incomparable 29th Division."</p>
+
+<p>On 21st June we began the work of straightening out our line, which then
+formed an awkward salient in the centre. After a heavy bombardment the
+French infantry rushed two lines of Turkish trenches. Most desperate
+fighting followed, in which every gun that could be brought to bear was
+turned on the enemy. Six hundred yards were won, and the whole Allied
+right wing was well beyond the little river already mentioned. Though
+many of the French were little more than boys, they fought with the
+utmost dash and contempt of death.</p>
+
+<p>The right wing having advanced, an attempt was now made to bring up the
+left. The movement began on the morning of 28th June with a fierce
+bombardment. When it ceased at 10.45 our infantry leaped forward, and
+within half an hour had won three lines of trenches between a ravine and
+the sea. East of the ravine the 7th Royal Scots made good progress, but
+the right met with a heavy fire, and could gain but little ground. A
+second attack which began at 11.30 was magnificently made. The men
+dashed forward without wavering, and before long our left wing was less
+than a mile west of Krithia. The whole of the ravine, which was littered
+with dead, rifles, bayonets, boxes of ammunition, soldiers' packs,
+firewood, etc., was in our hands. Much booty and about 200 prisoners
+were taken, and our losses were not more than 1,750.</p>
+
+<p>On the last day of June there was fighting all round the peninsula. In
+the Anzac territory, about midnight, Enver Pasha came specially from
+Constantinople to see his army drive the Australians and New Zealanders
+into the sea. Heavy firing began, to which the Anzacs replied with
+cheers. At 1.30 in the morning a strong column of Turks advanced, but it
+was broken to atoms by the rifles and machine guns of the 7th and 8th
+Light Horse. Other attacks melte<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span>d away before the swift and deadly fire
+of the defenders, and Enver Pasha returned to Constantinople a
+disappointed man.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the morning of the same day the French had a success. They
+carried by storm a network of trenches at the head of the river along
+which they had been fighting so long, and held on to the ground which
+they had won. Sir Ian Hamilton thought that the Turkish losses during
+the five days following 28th June were over 20,000; yet all this
+sacrifice had availed them nothing.</p>
+
+<p>The July fighting was of the same nature as that of June. On 4th July an
+enemy warship fired on the Australian lines, and aeroplanes tried to
+drop bombs on our trenches. This was followed by an infantry attack
+which was successful at first, but, later on, the Turks were forced to
+retire with great loss. We were now up against the main strength of the
+Achi Baba fortress, and on 12th July we made a resolute attempt to
+capture it.</p>
+
+<p>The bombardment began at dawn, and the first attack was made by the
+French and the Scottish Lowland Division on the right and right centre.
+The Scots reached the third line of Turkish trenches, but they lost
+touch with the French on their right and could not hold their gains.
+Another and even fiercer cannonade began at four in the afternoon, and
+the Scots, surging forward against a great Turkish redoubt overlooking a
+ravine, carried it at the point of the bayonet. By dusk some 400 yards
+of ground had been gained. Through the night the Turks came on again and
+again with bombs, and the wearied Scots were obliged to give up two
+lines of trenches. Next day these positions were recaptured, and there
+we stuck. We had reached the limit of our advance from the south. We
+were very near to Krithia, but the heights of Achi Baba were as far off
+as ever.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following officers and men won the Victoria Cross during the May,
+June, and July fighting.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka</span>, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial forces.</p>
+
+<p>A private of Lance-Corporal Jacka's regiment thus describes the deed
+which won his chum the V.C.: "There were four Bendigo boys, all mates,
+in the 14th, and Bert Jacka and I were two of them. The 14th was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span>
+stationed at Courtney's Post, which shared with Quinn's Post<a name="FNanchor_49_49" id="FNanchor_49_49"></a><a href="#Footnote_49_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a> and
+Pope's Hill all the worst of the fighting during the month of May. On
+the night of 18th May and the morning of the next day the Turks tried to
+drive us into the sea, and left eight acres of dead between Quinn's and
+Courtney's. In the middle of the scrap a wounded man crawled to our
+trench, and said the Turks had rushed a communication trench, and there
+was only one man keeping them back. There was a call for volunteers, and
+I was one of them. When we got near we saw Bert guarding the end of the
+trench with his bayonet. He looked like a mad thing. When he saw us
+coming, he let out a roar like a bull and rushed into the trench. I made
+after him, but I received two bullets, one in the side and the other in
+the hand. Well, down I went, and before the others got into the trench
+Bert had done it on his own. Five shot and two killed with the bayonet!
+He came to see me that night in the dug-out, and I said to him, 'Well,
+Bert, you've done a big thing;' all he replied was, 'I think I lost my
+head.'" For this most gallant deed Jacka received not only the coveted
+cross, but a sum of &pound;500 and a gold medal promised by Mr. John Wren of
+Melbourne to the first Australian who should win the great distinction.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant George Dallas Moor</span>, 3rd Battalion Hampshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>This young officer was not nineteen when by his splendid bravery and
+presence of mind he saved a dangerous situation. On 5th June a
+detachment of a battalion on his left which had lost all its officers
+was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack. Second Lieutenant
+Moor grasped the peril in which the rest of the line was thus placed,
+and, racing back for some two hundred yards, he stemmed the rout, led
+back the leaderless, and at their head recaptured the lost trench. In
+September 1914 he was a schoolboy at Cheltenham; nine months later he
+had proved himself a born leader of men, and had won the proudest badge
+of honour that a soldier can wear.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Herbert James</span>, 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span></p>
+<p>Two fine deeds of outstanding valour stand to the credit of Lieutenant
+James. On 28th June he rallied a retiring party belonging to a
+neighbouring unit and led it forward under heavy shell and rifle fire.
+He then returned, gathered together another party, and once more
+advanced, thus putting new life into the attack. On 3rd July he headed a
+party of bomb throwers who pushed up a Turkish communication trench, and
+after nearly all of his comrades had been killed or wounded, remained
+alone at the head of the trench, exposed to a murderous fire, but
+beating back the enemy single-handed till a barrier had been built
+behind him and the trench secured. Lieutenant James was a Birmingham
+man, who enlisted in the 21st Lancers in 1908. He was of a studious
+disposition and had won several prizes for languages. On the outbreak of
+war he was granted a commission and joined the famous Worcestershires.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Gerald O'Sullivan</span>, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>This gallant Irishman threw himself into the breach to the south-west of
+Krithia during a critical moment on the night of the 1st-2nd July. He
+volunteered to lead a party of bomb throwers against a British trench
+which the Turks had captured. Advancing in the open under very heavy
+fire, he climbed on to the parapet and hurled his bombs into the crowd
+of men below. Of course, he was wounded, but not before his example had
+inspired his men to such efforts that they recaptured the lost trench.
+Strange to say, the day after his honour was announced he was reported
+missing.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Sergeant James Somers</span>, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>On the same night that Captain O'Sullivan so distinguished himself,
+Sergeant Somers of the same regiment pushed into an enemy trench and
+bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on he advanced into the open,
+under heavy fire, and held back the enemy by throwing bombs until a
+barricade had been erected. Frequently, he ran back to his own trench
+for a fresh supply of bombs. Thanks to his gallantry and coolness the
+lost portion of a British trench was recovered. On his return to his
+native village the people of North Tipperary gave him a great reception,
+and presented him with an illuminated address and war stock to the value
+of &pound;240.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXXVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>A SPLENDID FAILURE.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n his dispatch of 6th January 1916 Sir Ian Hamilton tells us that early
+in July 1915 he was fully aware that the Kilid Bahr plateau could not be
+reached from the south. Even if he could capture Krithia, which had so
+far defied him, he could make no further headway towards his goal. The
+Turks had made new and very strong works on the slopes of Achi Baba, and
+these works were so planned that, even if the enemy's western flank
+could be turned and he could be driven back from the coast, the central
+and eastern portions of the mountain could still be held as a bastion to
+the plateau. After considering every possible means of forcing a way to
+the Narrows, he decided to make an advance through the Anzac territory
+and the country to the north of it.</p>
+
+<p>For three months Anzac had been an area of little more than a square
+mile of cliff top on the edge of the sea. Its defences consisted of a
+series of outposts, and these could only be reached by means of a deep
+ravine, Shrapnel Valley, or "the Valley of Death," as it was called,
+because it was enfiladed by Turkish fire, and a man took his life in his
+hand every time he attempted to pass through it. You have already heard
+of some of these outposts. Quinn's Post was named after Major Quinn, who
+died in defence of it during a desperate Turkish attack on 28th May.
+Courtney's Post, which was the scene of Corporal Jacka's famous exploit,
+was named after the Colonel who held it against terrible odds for seven
+weeks. Pope's Hill received its name from Colonel Pope of West
+Australia&mdash;Pope with the Pipe, as his men dubbed him, because on one
+occasion, when he was climbing the side of the hill, he just escaped a
+Turkish trap by leaping down thirty feet on to a soft spit of sand,
+where he landed safely, pipe and all. The path to the post of Pope's
+Hill <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span>was so steep that the men had to help themselves up by means of a
+rope.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Ian Hamilton now determined to make a new landing on Suvla Bay,
+which lies to the north of the Anzac region. Look at the diagram on page
+278 and make out the chief features of the neighbourhood. You notice
+that the bay, which is about two miles wide, is like the crescent moon
+in shape, with capes forming the horns. Along the edge of the bay runs a
+narrow causeway of sand, and behind it is a salt lake, dry in summer,
+but overflowing in winter. Lining the coast north-eastwards from Cape
+Suvla is the ridge of Karakol Dagh, over 400 feet high. Between the
+southern end of the lake and the promontory which shuts in the bay on
+the south side is the low hill of Lala Baba, and about one and a half
+miles to the east of it is another elevation, afterwards called by our
+men Chocolate Hill, because it was burnt brown by the shells which burst
+upon it.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p283.jpg" width="284" height="388" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The "Anzac" Front.</h3>
+
+<h4>The water-courses shown on the map are mostly dry in summer.</h4>
+
+<p>Find on the map (page <a href="#Page_275">275</a>) Azmak Dere, a ravine which lies to the south
+of Chocolate Hill. From this ravine northwards stretches a series of
+hills and flats on which there are farms and patches of dwarf oaks, and,
+on the seaward fall of the hills, thick scrub. Everywhere the plain is
+cracked by water-courses, which are simply deep, dry gullies in summer.
+Just north of the upper course of the Azmak Dere is one of the two
+Anafarta villages; the other stands two miles farther north. Between the
+south village and the foothills of the Karakol Dagh lie the Anafarta
+Hills.</p>
+
+<p>At the points marked <span class="smcap">A</span>, <span class="smcap">B</span>, and <span class="smcap">C</span> on the diagram (page <a href="#Page_276">278</a>), Sir Ian
+Hamilton proposed to make new landings; but, as a matter of fact, his
+troops were put ashore only at <span class="smcap">B</span> and <span class="smcap">C</span>. They were to try to carry the
+Anafarta Hills, and their right was to link up with the left of the
+Anzacs, who would advance at the same time. If this were done, the
+central crest of the spine of uplands which runs through the western end
+of the peninsula would be in our hands. We should then be able to
+command the one land route to Maidos on the Narrows; the communications
+of the Turks would be cut, Achi Baba would fall, and in due course we
+should reach the plateau on which all our hopes were centred. Such was
+the plan. It was a bold plan, and it had a very fair chance of
+succeeding.</p>
+
+<p>Of course, if the Turks got wind of what we proposed to do they would
+make preparations to resist us, and the conditions in the south of the
+peninsula would be rep<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span>eated. The landing on Suvla Bay was to be a
+surprise. We knew that the Turks had made no preparations in this
+region, and we hoped to take them unawares. If the landing could be made
+speedily, if the troops could push forward without delay, and if they
+and the Anzacs, working together, could join hands and gain the crest of
+the spine of uplands, all would be well; but if there were delays, if
+any of the various col<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span>umns were not up to time, or failed to do the work
+assigned to them, the whole movement would end in failure.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 777px;">
+<img src="images/p286.jpg" width="777" height="475" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Suvla Bay and the Neighbourhood.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By permission of The
+Sphere.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>The landing took place on August 6-7, 1915. A beach where a landing was
+attempted was later abandoned, and the troops were put ashore at B and
+C. Notice the causeway across the Salt Lake, Lala Baba, Chocolate Hill,
+and Lone Pine Plateau to the south-east of Shrapnel Valley.</h4>
+
+<p>Before the great venture began Sir Ian Hamilton had to throw the enemy
+off the scent. It would never do to let him know where the new landing
+was to be made. At all costs he must be surprised. So on 6th August a
+general attack was made on the Turkish position at Achi Baba. This was
+done to make the enemy believe that we still hoped to carry the ridge
+from the south. In the early afternoon, after the guns had prepared the
+way, the 88th Brigade advanced across open ground against a part of the
+enemy's front, which so far we had been unable to win. The attack was
+boldly made, but our men were held up, and suffered heavy losses. East
+of the Krithia road the Lancashire Territorials fared better, and gained
+200 yards. Next morning the Turks, with heavy reinforcements, began
+their counter-attacks, and fighting raged for two days round a vineyard
+west of the Krithia road, where, as you will learn later, Lieutenant
+Forshaw of the 1/9th Manchesters won the Victoria Cross. All this
+fighting, you must remember, was for the purpose of making the Turks
+believe that we were going to "carry on" in the old way.</p>
+
+<p>Now we must turn to the Anzac territory, which, as we know, was to be
+the scene of a great effort. On the nights of the 4th, 5th, and 6th
+August reinforcements were slipped into Anzac very silently during the
+darkest hours, and were tucked away in prepared hiding-places, quite
+invisible to the aeroplanes or the telescopes of the Turks. Probably
+never before have so many men been landed under the very eyes of the
+enemy, and kept concealed for three days without being discovered.</p>
+
+<p>On the afternoon of the 6th, while the fighting was in progress round
+Krithia, a frontal attack was made on the Lone Pine plateau.<a name="FNanchor_50_50" id="FNanchor_50_50"></a><a href="#Footnote_50_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a> It was
+a feint to cover the advance of a division which was to move up the
+coast and work up three ravines in order to assault Koja Chemen,<a name="FNanchor_51_51" id="FNanchor_51_51"></a><a href="#Footnote_51_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a> the
+commanding summit of the Sari Bair. As soon as the bombardment ceased
+the Australians&mdash;every man with a white band on his sleeve&mdash;leaped
+forward with that magnificent dash which has given them a leading place
+amongst the finest soldiers of the world, and flung themselves on the
+deep and roofed-in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span> trenches at Lone Pine, which you see to the
+south-east of Shrapnel Valley. After a deadly struggle in the dim
+galleries they won the whole position. It was a magnificent feat of
+arms, and Sir Ian Hamilton thus sums it up: "One weak Australian
+brigade, numbering at the outset but 2,000 rifles, and supported only by
+two weak battalions, carried the work under the eyes of a whole enemy
+division, and maintained their grip upon it like a vice during six days
+of counter-attacks. . . . After the first violence of the
+counter-attacks had abated, 1,100 corpses&mdash;our own and Turkish&mdash;were
+dragged out of the trenches." Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the
+victors of Lone Pine.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the columns on the left had occupied the ridge named Bauchop's
+Hill, and had climbed and seized Big Table Top, a mushroom-shaped
+mountain with such steep sides that it was believed no infantry could
+scale them. "But just as faith moves mountains, so valour can carry
+them." The heights were scaled, and the plateau was carried by midnight.
+The attacks were made with bayonet and bomb only; hardly a rifle shot
+was fired. Meanwhile the ridge which you see just south of Azmak Dere
+had also been captured, and the whole left rear of the Anzac position
+had been safeguarded. The grand attack on Koja Chemen could now proceed.</p>
+
+<p>I must break off my story for a moment to tell you that, at dawn on the
+7th, the 3rd Australian Light Horse and the 1st Light Horse Brigade
+pushed forward against the Turkish trenches in their front. These
+magnificent troopers, men of great physical strength and of the highest
+courage, advanced only to be mown down. Line after line of them left
+their parapets, but were met by a storm of fire which no mortal could
+face and live. For a few moments the flag of the Light Horse fluttered
+from a corner of the Turkish position. Soon, however, it disappeared,
+and of the 750 men who attacked that morning only about 100 returned.
+The sacrifice, however, was not in vain. The Turks in this part of the
+line were penned to their trenches while the great attack which I am now
+about to describe went forward.</p>
+
+<p>If you look at the map on page <a href="#Page_274">275</a>, you will see that, in order to get
+from Big Table Top to Koja Chemen, our troops had to cross Rhododendron
+Ridge. All night the left column struggled up the two "deres" which you
+see to the east of Bauchop's Hill, and by a quarter to six in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span>
+morning it was on the lower slopes of Rhododendron Ridge. It then moved
+up the hill, and gained touch by means of the 10th Gurkhas with a column
+on the right, which had worked up the ravines between Rhododendron Ridge
+and Chunuk Bair in the face of very heavy fire and by means of frequent
+bayonet charges. Before nightfall our men were entrenched on the top of
+Rhododendron Ridge, "<i>a quarter of a mile short of Chunuk Bair&mdash;that is,
+of victory</i>!"</p>
+
+<p>Now for the last push. The attack on Koja Chemen was timed to begin at
+4.15 on the morning of the 8th. The right column was to climb up the
+Chunuk Bair ridge, while the left was to make for the ridge directly
+south-east of Koja Chemen. "At the first faint glimmer of dawn observers
+saw figures moving against the sky-line of Chunuk Bair. Were they our
+own men, or were they the Turks? Telescopes were anxiously adjusted; the
+light grew stronger; men were seen climbing up from our side of the
+ridge; they <i>were</i> our own fellows&mdash;the topmost summit was ours!" Yes,
+it was true&mdash;New Zealanders and Maoris had fixed themselves firmly on
+the main knoll of Chunuk Bair, and victory was in sight. The position,
+however, had not been won without great losses. The 7th Gloucesters, for
+example, lost every single officer; yet they fought on from midday to
+sunset, commanded only by corporals and privates.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning, the 9th, the attack was renewed by three columns. The
+whole of Chunuk Bair was to be gained, and while No. 1 column held the
+ground, Nos. 2 and 3 columns were to carry Hill Q. It was a day of
+pitiless heat, and the men suffered torments of thirst. The 6th Gurkhas
+of the second column scaled the summit of the ridge between Chunuk Bair
+and Hill Q, and for half an hour looked down upon the gleaming waters of
+the straits. Not only did they and some of the 6th South Lancashires
+reach the crest, but they began to attack down the far side of it,
+firing as they went at the fast-retreating enemy. But at this supreme
+moment, when the last obstacle had been passed and the Promised Land was
+in sight, the fortune of war deserted us. No. 3 column should by this
+time have been sweeping out towards Hill Q along the whole ridge of the
+mountain, but it was nowhere to be seen. It had lost its way in the
+darkness. There was no support for the men on the summit, who were now
+suddenly <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span>assailed by a salvo of heavy shells. The Gurkhas and South
+Lancashires were forced back from the crest and on to the lower slopes
+from which they had started. When at last No. 3 column appeared, the
+Turks had come up in overwhelming numbers, and all hope of regaining the
+summit had vanished.</p>
+
+<p>That evening our line ran along Rhododendron Ridge up to the crest of
+Chunuk Bair, where some 800 New Zealanders and Maoris were holding about
+two hundred yards of shallow trenches unprotected by wire. During the
+night of the 9th-10th these troops were relieved, after they had been
+fighting without pause for three days and three nights. Two battalions
+of the New Army took the place of these devoted men, who were now half
+dead with fatigue. Early on the morning of the 10th the Turks made a
+furious attack upon them. They came on again and again, calling upon the
+name of God, determined to drive our men into the sea. Desperate
+fighting followed. The men of the New Army were simply overwhelmed by
+sheer weight of numbers, and were driven from the crest. At the foot of
+the hill they were rallied, and plunged into a deadly fray in which
+"generals fought in the ranks, and men caught each other by the throat.
+. . . Our men stood to it, and maintained, by many a deed of daring, the
+old traditions of their race. There was no flinching. <i>They died in the
+ranks where they stood.</i>"</p>
+
+<p>But where were the men from Suvla? Where were they at this supreme
+crisis, when they were so desperately needed? The New Zealanders on the
+crest of Chunuk Bair had seen them landing, but had lost sight of them.
+What had happened? Something must have gone seriously wrong.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The landing at Suvla Bay was made on the night of 6th August, under very
+favourable conditions. The moon did not rise until 2 a.m., and by this
+time our men were ashore. Except for a little rifle fire, they were
+quite unopposed. As you know, the Turks had their hands full elsewhere,
+and had no inkling of what was afoot. The men who landed at the points <span class="smcap">B</span>
+and <span class="smcap">C</span> carried Lala Baba with the bayonet during the night, and also an
+outpost to the north of the Salt Lake. By the time the moon rose two
+divisions were ashore, and were holding a line east of the lake running
+from Karakol Dagh to near Chocolate Hill. So far everything had gone
+well; but then came a fat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span>al delay. It was essential that we should push
+on if we were to surprise the Turks, but no attempt was made to
+proceed. The men, most of whom had never been in action before, were
+very weary, and were tormented by thirst. The transports, containing
+water, stores, mules, and carts, were still sixty miles away, and no
+doubt the general in command of the expedition hesitated to send men
+forward in an arid land without a proper water supply. Further, he had
+but little artillery. Late that night the right carried Chocolate Hill.
+The New Zealanders, as you know, were now struggling to maintain their
+foothold on Chunuk Bair, and every moment was priceless. Unhappily, the
+general at Suvla Bay does not seem to have realized that the whole
+success of the movement depended on pushing his men forward at all
+costs. By this time Sir Ian Hamilton had arrived. He tried to persuade
+the general to advance, but in vain. By the morning of Monday, 9th
+August, our chance of success had almost vanished. Ever-growing numbers
+of the enemy had come up, and no surprise was now possible.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the 9th a gallant endeavour was made to carry the main
+Anafarta ridge; but though the crest was won, the effort was too late.
+The Turks had now arrived in full force. About midday they fired the
+scrub on the hills, and the flames which were swept across our front by
+the wind drove us back. Nothing more of importance was done that day,
+and next morning our chance of succeeding had gone for ever.</p>
+
+<p>During the next ten days we tried to push forward, and the famous 29th
+Division was brought up; but even it could not snatch victory out of
+defeat. On 21st August repeated but unavailing efforts were made to
+carry a hill to the north and another to the south of Chocolate Hill.
+About five o'clock the mounted division, which had been held in reserve
+below Lala Baba, made a splendid advance. For two miles the gallant
+yeomen moved forward as if on parade through country where there was not
+enough cover to conceal a mouse, and amidst a rain of Turkish shrapnel.
+These men, from Bucks, Berks, and Dorset, charged the hill to the south
+of Chocolate Hill and leaped into the Turkish trenches. The Turks,
+however, on a higher hill brought machine guns to bear on them, and by
+daylight they were forced back to their old lines.</p>
+
+<p>The same day the Anzacs, under their famous lea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span>der, General Birdwood,
+brilliantly carried one side of the topmost knoll of Hill 60, which you
+see by the side of the upper course of Azma Dere, the southern fork of
+Azmak Dere.<a name="FNanchor_52_52" id="FNanchor_52_52"></a><a href="#Footnote_52_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a> After desperate hand-to-hand fighting, nine-tenths of
+the summit was won. Some 250 men of the 5th Connaught Rangers
+distinguished themselves that day by a superb charge, and finally the
+whole hill passed into our hands. With this success our efforts to make
+headway on the peninsula practically came to an end.</p>
+
+<p>"Thus was a likely plan turned into a tragedy of missed opportunity." We
+failed for the same reason that we failed in the whole campaign&mdash;we were
+"too late," and we gave time for strong forces of the enemy to take up
+positions of such strength that all the valour of our men could not
+carry them. The whole enterprise was wrecked when our troops were held
+in check for a whole day on the flats of Suvla Bay.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>"Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history," on 11th
+October Sir Ian Hamilton was asked to say what he supposed would be the
+extent of our losses if we tried to get off the peninsula. He cabled
+back that he could not even think of such a thing. On the 16th he was
+recalled, and another general, Sir Charles Monro, who had already
+advised that we should withdraw from Gallipoli, was appointed in his
+place. The task of the new general was to carry out the delicate and
+difficult operation of withdrawal. During the next two months he was
+busily engaged in making his preparations.</p>
+
+<p>Of course, it was all-important that the Turks should be kept in
+ignorance of what we proposed to do. Our losses in getting on to the
+peninsula were very heavy, but they would be as nothing compared with
+those which we might suffer in getting off should the Turks be enabled
+to attack us while men, guns, horses, and stores were being transferred
+to the ships. Some generals gloomily told us that we should lose half,
+or at least one-third, of our troops in the process. We therefore made
+no sign, but carried on as though we had no thought of leaving the
+peninsula at all.</p>
+
+<p>Local fighting still went on; mines were laid and exploded, and a trench
+warfare similar to that in North France and Flanders was in full swing.
+The storms of November broke over our men, and torrents roared down the
+gullies. Sickness was rife, but still "carry on" was the order o<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span>f the
+day. On 21st December Lord Kitchener visited Anzac, and satisfied
+himself that the men could be withdrawn without undue loss. The hour of
+departure was drawing very near.</p>
+
+<p>Everything depended on the weather. The small boats in which the troops
+were to be conveyed to the transports could not work in a rough sea, nor
+could the guns and animals be got off during storms. Happily, when the
+work of withdrawal began on 29th December a spell of light wind and
+smooth seas set in.</p>
+
+<p>Before the men could depart the Turks had to be attacked, so as to keep
+them at a distance. On 29th December a British division advanced against
+the enemy with as much dash as if the campaign was only beginning, and
+next day the Turkish lines were fiercely bombarded. Meanwhile the first
+troops had got away. All sorts of ruses were invented to deceive the
+Turks. It is said, for example, that while 2,000 men were silently
+embarked at night, 500 were landed with great show the next morning, in
+order to make the Turks believe that we were actually being reinforced.
+For weeks guides were trained to bring down companies of men from the
+trenches to the beaches during the night, and so well was everything
+planned that every man, every animal, and every gun, with the exception
+of six, was safely embarked. The landing was a feat; the departure was a
+miracle.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 778px;">
+<img src="images/p292.jpg" width="778" height="474" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Turkish Attack on our Troops at the foot of Chunuk
+Bair.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By permission of The Sphere.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>The Turks "came on again and again, calling upon the name of God,
+determined to drive our men into the sea. . . . Our men stood to it, and
+maintained by many a deed of daring the old traditions of their race.
+There was no flinching. They died in the ranks where they stood." (See
+page <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.)</h4>
+
+<p>A correspondent tells us that the Anzacs came down the hillside with
+steady, slouching gait. Except for the moonlight shimmering on the Salt
+Lake and the smooth waters of the bay, and the fires burning in the
+deserted camps, all was dark. Suddenly, four great fires sprang up,
+leaped into flames, and grew into one mighty bonfire. The deserted
+stores of the Anzacs were blazing furiously. Then, as a finale, a giant
+mine was exploded by electricity under the Turkish trenches. It was the
+Australians' "Good-bye" to the Turks. An Anzac corporal thus described
+the departure:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"On the last night we kept up the usual firing, until finally
+there were only sixty men from each battalion scattered along
+the firing-line, and through a ruse&mdash;due to the inventive
+faculties of Corporal Scurry, of our battalion&mdash;these last men
+were able to get away.</p>
+
+<p>"Scurry invented an apparatus by fixing a kerosene can full of
+water, which was allowed to drip into a large jam tin. This
+latter was tied on to the trigger of a rifle fully cocked and in
+position on the parapet. When a sufficient amount of water was
+in the jam tin off went the gun.</p>
+
+<p>"Hundreds of these were fixed all along the line, timed to go
+off at different intervals, so that the usual firing was kept up
+for two hours after the last man had left the trenches.</p>
+
+<p>"Some ruse&mdash;eh, what?"</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span></p>
+<p>"I hope, sir," said a New Zealander to his officer, as he crept down
+Shrapnel Gully for the last time, "that those fellows who lie buried
+along the 'Dere' will be soundly sleeping and not hear us as we march
+away." Many of his comrades, however, put aside such sad thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>As the last transport steamed away early on the morning of 9th January
+1916, the enemy's guns began to pour shells on our deserted trenches and
+on our burning beaches. A day or two later the Turks announced that they
+had driven the British into the sea. Constantinople blazed with
+illuminations, and Germany broke forth into loud rejoicings. So ended
+the ill-starred adventure. For more than nine months we had fought not
+only the Turks and the Germans in their strongholds, but disease and
+thirst, the droughts of summer, and the blizzards of winter. We had been
+foiled, and the British Empire was the poorer by the loss of tens of
+thousands of bright and gallant lives; yet there was no murmuring. The
+nation set its teeth and turned to the next task. It recognized that
+there must be failures in every great war, and that one set-back does
+not spell defeat.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross during
+the fighting in Gallipoli between 7th August and 22nd December 1915:</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant William Thomas Forshaw</span>, 1/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment,
+Territorial Force.</p>
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_276">276</a> I mentioned the heavy fighting which took place from 17th to
+19th August around a vineyard to the west of the Krithia road.
+Lieutenant Forshaw and his detachment held the north-west angle of the
+vineyard. The Turks advanced upon them time after time by way of three
+trenches which all met at this point, but they could make no headway.
+For forty-one hours Lieutenant Forshaw not only directed and encouraged
+his men, but continued to fling bombs on the enemy. Eye-witnesses say
+that he treated bomb-throwing as though it were snowballing, and that he
+was happy all the time, though every moment he was in the dire<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span>st peril.
+When his detachment was relieved he volunteered to stay on and direct
+operations. Three times during the night of 8th-9th August he was again
+heavily attacked, and once the Turks got over his barricade; but after
+shooting three of them with his revolver, he led his men forward and
+drove the enemy out. When at last he rejoined his battalion he was
+choked and sickened by bomb fumes, badly bruised by fragments of
+shrapnel, and could scarcely lift his arm, which was stiff with
+continuous bomb-throwing. Thanks to his inspiring example and splendid
+tenacity, an important position was held. Before joining the army he was
+a teacher in a Manchester Secondary school.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p295.jpg" width="369" height="496" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>How Lieutenant Forshaw won the V.C.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Philip Dodd. By permission of The Sphere.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Leonard Keysor</span>, <span class="smcap">Private John Hamilton</span>, <span class="smcap">Captain Alfred John
+Stout</span>, 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force; <span class="smcap">Lieutenant W. J.
+Symons</span>, <span class="smcap">Lieutenant F. H. Tubb</span>, <span class="smcap">Corporal Alexander Stewart Burton</span>,
+<span class="smcap">Corporal William Dunstan</span>, 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.</p>
+
+<p>The seven gallant men whose names appear above were the outstanding
+heroes of the Lone Pine plateau. (See pages 276-7.) It is impossible to
+describe the fearless gallantry with which they charged and captured the
+roofed-in trenches of the enemy and beat off countless attacks. Keysor
+did miracles of bombing, and frequently caught live grenades as they
+fell into his trench and flung them back on the enemy. During the fierce
+encounters Corporal Burton was killed and Lieutenant Tubb was wounded.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal C. R. G. Bassett</span>, New Zealand Divisional Signal Company.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember how the New Zealanders, on 7th August, won the Chunuk
+Bair ridge and came within an ace of victory. While they struggled to
+maintain themselves against fierce and constant counter-attacks,
+Corporal Bassett in full daylight and under a heavy fire laid a
+telephone wire from the old position to the new one. More than once
+afterwards he repeated the same exploit.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Percy Howard Hansen</span>, 8/4 Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On the 9th August the Lincolnshires captured the "Green Knoll" on
+Chocolate Hill (see page <a href="#Page_281">281</a>); but when the enemy set the scrub on fire
+they were forced to retire, leaving wounded behind them. Captain Hansen,
+with three or four volunteers, dashed forward several times into the
+burning s<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span>crub under a terrible fire, and rescued six of his wounded
+comrades.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Alfred Potts</span>, 1/1 Berkshire Yeomanry, T.F.</p>
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_281">281</a> I told you how the Bucks, Berks, and Dorset Yeomanry made a
+heroic advance on 21st August. In the course of that attack Private
+Potts was wounded in the thigh, but not entirely disabled. He might have
+returned to his trench in safety; but he preferred to remain with a
+comrade who had been stricken down and was unable to move. For
+forty-eight hours he lay by his friend, and then fixed a shovel to the
+man's equipment, and, using it as a sledge, dragged the poor fellow back
+over 600 yards to his own lines, which he reached about half-past nine
+on the evening of 23rd August.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant H. V. H. Throssell</span>, 10th Light Horse Regiment,
+Australian Imperial Force.</p>
+
+<p>This gallant officer held the end of a trench on Hill 60 (29th and 30th
+August) practically by himself. He killed six or seven Turks with his
+rifle, and was hit several times; but he refused to leave his post, and
+went on fighting until late in the evening, when the doctor ordered him
+out of the trenches. A comrade said, "I can see him now, the very best
+type of the best Australian manhood. . . . The man I want to follow, the
+man to lead me in a big fight&mdash;that is Throssell, V.C."</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant A. V. Smith</span>, 1/5 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment,
+Territorial Force.</p>
+
+<p>On 22nd December, during the trench fighting that preceded our
+withdrawal from Gallipoli, Lieutenant Smith, when in the act of throwing
+a lighted bomb, slipped on the wet ground and fell. The bomb dropped
+into the trench. He immediately shouted a warning to his men and jumped
+clear into safety; but seeing that his comrades were unable to get away,
+and knowing that the explosion of the bomb would kill many of them, he
+ran back, and without a moment's hesitation flung himself upon the
+bursting grenade. It exploded, and he was instantly killed; but he died
+knowing full well that by the sacrifice of himself he had saved the
+lives of many of his friends. Lieutenant Smith might have saved himself;
+he preferred to follow the Divine example and die for the salvation of
+others.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE STORM BURSTS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n the basin of the great American river Mississippi one may go forth on
+a spring morning with the sun brightly shining and a blue sky overhead,
+yet within a single hour all may be terribly changed. The wind suddenly
+begins to roar, and in a few minutes a storm bursts in awful fury. Whole
+forests are laid low; houses, villages, and towns are swept into ruin;
+men, women, and children lie dead beneath the stone and timber that
+sheltered them; the pride and labour of years are destroyed in a moment,
+and terror and desolation stalk the land. The terrible blast sweeps on,
+but gradually abates its ruthless might, and by nightfall all is calm
+again. The stars gleam brightly from the storm-swept sky, and the moon
+shines with a message of cheer to the survivors, who with the morning
+light begin to repair the ravages which they have suffered, and to go
+about their business once more, inspired by that hope which "springs
+eternal in the human breast."</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 750px;">
+<img src="images/p298.jpg" width="750" height="458" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Tornado of Fire which beat down upon the Russian Trenches on May 1, 1915.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>Somewhat thus may we picture the Eastern arena of battle during the year
+1915. A mighty tornado suddenly burst upon the Russian armies, and the
+whole aspect of the war was changed. The smiling sky of early April was
+a fierce rack of roaring thunder clouds by the middle of May. The onward
+sweep of the whirlwind could not be resisted; the Russians reeled
+beneath the shock; hundreds of thousands of their soldiers were swept
+into eternity, and for months hopeless ruin stared the survivors in the
+face. They recoiled before the terrible blast, and fell back into the
+vastnesses of their land, leaving behind them all the gains of nine
+months' hard battling. Whole provinces were yielded; great cities fell
+into the hands of their foes, yet with sublime resolution they still
+plodded eastwards until the fury of the storm began to abate. By this
+time they had knitted up their strength an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span>ew, and were strong enough not
+merely to resist the failing onset, but to make headway against it. And
+so it came about that the dire gloom of early summer brightened into new
+hope by autumn, and Russia's foes, though they had reft from her
+enormous tracts of territory, knew in their hearts that they had failed.
+They had aimed at utterly destroying their enemy, but they had done
+nothing of the kind, and the new territory which they had won was likely
+to become a Pandora's<a name="FNanchor_53_53" id="FNanchor_53_53"></a><a href="#Footnote_53_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a> chest of troubles. By the end of the year they
+were strung out on a line of nine hundred miles, across the marshes and
+plains of Russia.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_124">125</a> of this volume I told you that with the fall of Przemysl on
+22nd March the Allies were full of hope that before the close of the
+summer Cracow would fall, Silesia would be entered, the Russians would
+be sweeping through Hungary, and the end of the war would be in sight.
+But at the very moment when they were cherishing these rosy hopes, there
+was much weakness in the Russian armies. They were holding far too long
+a line for the number of men and guns which they could put into the
+field; their forces were not joined up, but were divided by gaps, and
+they had not sufficient railway lines to enable them to move troops and
+supplies to any point which might be threatened.</p>
+
+<p>Their greatest weakness, however, was their shortage of artillery,
+machine guns, rifles, and ammunition. They had multitudes of men, but
+they could not arm them properly. Large numbers of their recruits were
+without rifles, and had to wait in the trenches, often under heavy fire,
+until they could take up the arms and ammunition of the wounded. This
+grave shortage of munitions was guessed at the time, but the truth was
+only fully known in February 1916, when the Russian Minister of War
+lifted the veil. He told us that prior to the outbreak of hostilities
+the Russians had relied on Germany for most of their war material, and
+for all the chemicals which enabled them to manufacture high-explosive
+shells. The consequence was that when the German supply was cut off, the
+Russians had to build munition factories, and make the necessary
+chemicals for themselves. It is more than likely, too, that there was
+ser<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span>ious wrongdoing in high quarters, for in March 1916 the general who
+was Minister of War in the early months of 1915 was brought to trial.
+For these reasons the Russians could not for a considerable time
+properly munition their armies, and this led to the great misfortune
+which I am about to describe.</p>
+
+<p>Despite their weaknesses, the Russians were too near success for the
+German High Command to feel comfortable. The Russian armies in Galicia
+were only fifty miles from Cracow; they had won fifty miles or more of
+the Carpathian watershed, and in some places they commanded the southern
+ends of the passes. Unless they were checked, and checked speedily, they
+would sweep down upon the great granary of Hungary, and Germany would
+lose her greatest source of wheat supplies. There was no time to be
+lost. A gigantic effort must begin immediately, and the Russians must be
+cleared out of Galicia altogether.</p>
+
+<p>Preparations were at once made with the utmost secrecy and dispatch, and
+before the Russians had more than an inkling of what was on foot,
+Germany was ready to strike. Never before in the history of the world
+have so many guns and men been so silently and swiftly brought up to an
+enemy's front. The secret was wonderfully kept. Train after train
+heavily laden with hundreds of big guns and three-quarters of all the
+shells that had been made in the busy munition factories of Germany
+during the winter was hurried to Galicia, and soon the new depots
+erected near the Donajetz were full to overflowing. Then followed many
+pontoons and much bridging material, for many rivers would have to be
+crossed on the line of the proposed advance. New hospital stations were
+established, a network of telegraph lines was erected, and great herds
+of cattle for feeding the armies were penned behind the German lines.
+Then, with the same speed and secrecy, masses of troops were hurried
+into Galicia, and before long there were two millions of men between
+Bukovina and Cracow. Not until everything was ready did Dmitrieff
+discover his danger.</p>
+
+<p>The plan of campaign was as follows. Von Mackensen was to be provided
+with not less than 1,500 guns and ten army corps, and with these he was
+to batter his way through the Russian lines. He meant to overwhelm the
+Russian trenches by means of a hurricane of artillery fire, and then
+thrust forward his men in close order, wave after wave, and d<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span>rive the
+broken and dazed enemy before him. He was going to do what we had done
+at Neuve Chapelle, but he had far better prospects of success, for the
+Russians had neglected to prepare second and third lines of defence, and
+they were woefully deficient in artillery, rifles, and ammunition. Once
+he could get the Russians on the run he might envelop and utterly
+destroy them. At any rate, he would hurl them back to the river San.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p301.jpg" width="448" height="318" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>The Russian Retreat from the Donajetz to the San.</h4>
+
+<p>This map shows you the Russian line on 28th April. By this time
+Dmitrieff was aware that a mighty force of Germans was in front of him.
+He sent an urgent message to Ivanov, begging for two corps as
+reinforcements; but by some mistake the message never reached
+headquarters, and he was forced to meet the terrible thrust of the enemy
+with only his winter strength.</p>
+
+<p>Von Mackensen began the action by an advance on Gorlice, and Dmitrieff
+was forced to weaken his centre in order to strengthen his left wing.
+Meanwhile the real attack was beginning farther north. Midway between
+Gorlice and Tarnow you will see a break on the Russian front. It was
+against this point that von Mackensen made his g<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span>reat effort. On the
+morning of 1st May hundreds of his big guns began to roar, and soon
+shells were falling fast and thick on the Russian trenches. It is said
+that no less than 700,000 shells were hurled against the Russian
+positions on that day. Nothing could live in the whirlwind of death, and
+speedily the Russian trenches were wiped out, and thousands of Russians
+with them.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile pontoons were pushed across the river, and as soon as the
+bombardment ceased wave after wave of Germans in close order surged
+forward. By the next day they had broken through the Russian line, and
+the whole of the front was turned. There was nothing for it but swift
+retreat. Nor were the Russians able to make a stand until they were
+twenty miles from the position which they had occupied all winter.</p>
+
+<p>On the little river Wisloka they halted, and turned their faces to the
+foe. The line of the river gave them but a poor defence; but it was
+necessary that they should hold back the enemy if Brussilov's army,
+which lay along the foothills of the Carpathians, was to escape. By this
+time the famous Caucasian corps had been hurried up to stem the German
+torrent. These devoted men, though they had no heavy guns, defied the
+terrible artillery fire of the enemy, and at length managed to get to
+grips with him. They fought with supreme valour; they captured one of
+the German batteries, took 7,000 prisoners, and slew many thousands
+more. Not until they had lost 10,000 men did they perceive that no human
+valour could avail against Mackensen's merciless guns. For five
+priceless days they held out, and then were forced to retreat towards
+the little river Wistok.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the retreat became something like a rout, and Brussilov's army was
+in deadly peril. For a moment it looked as if von Mackensen was about to
+roll up the two halves of Dmitrieff's army and achieve another Sedan.
+But the Russians managed to push out strong forces towards Sanok and
+check the advancing enemy. The five days' stand on the Wisloka and this
+new movement enabled Brussilov, after much desperate fighting, to
+withdraw his troops from the foothills, and to retreat eastwards. Many
+of his men who were south of the Dukla and Lupkow Passes were cut off
+and made prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>This check enabled the Russian armies to withdraw towards the San and
+take up the position shown upon the map (page <a href="#Page_293">293</a>). There was now no
+fear of a rout, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span> they reached the new position in perfect order. So
+far all von Mackensen's efforts to roll them up had failed. He had won
+a great victory, it is true; in a fortnight he had pushed back Dmitrieff
+some eighty-five miles, and had taken large numbers of prisoners and
+much war material. He had loosed upon the Russians such a storm of fire
+as had never been known before in the history of the world, and, blasted
+and scorched, they had fallen back hurriedly with overwhelming numbers
+hard on their heels. They had suffered awful losses, but they had not
+been destroyed. Most armies under such terrible punishment would have
+broken into flying fragments, but the Russians showed all the dourness
+and fortitude of their race and managed to hold together. Their
+rearguards freely sacrificed themselves, that the army might make good
+its escape. It was unbroken and undefeated at the Wistok, and the latter
+part of its retreat to the San was slow and orderly. The German victory
+was thus matched by an equally great Russian achievement. On 12th May
+the Russian army, after passing through an agony that seemed to promise
+its total destruction, lay along the San with its face still to the foe.</p>
+
+<p>While the Russians were retreating from the Wistok to the San, the Grand
+Duke Nicholas and his staff looked the facts fairly in the face. They
+knew that they were hopelessly outclassed by the Germans both in guns
+and in number of men, and it was idle to suppose that they could resist
+von Mackensen's terrible thunderstorm of shell until they were equally
+well supplied. If they gave battle to the foe they would be utterly
+wiped out. As a Russian soldier put it, "We have only one weapon, the
+living breast of the soldier." The Grand Duke finally decided to
+retreat, not for leagues, but for hundreds of miles. He would draw the
+Germans on and on until he led them into the very heart of Russia if
+need be. As the Germans followed him eastwards they would leave the
+railways behind them and be forced to move their monster guns and heavy
+loads of shell over country without railways and without good roads.
+Thousands of square miles of territory would have to be given up to the
+invader, but as he pushed eastward his strength would grow less and
+less, and the time would be gained for Russia to supply herself with the
+guns and munitions which she so sorely lacked. Then, at last, her hour
+would strike. She would be able to turn and rend the weakened foe.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 896px;">
+<img src="images/p304305.jpg" width="896" height="529" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>A Night Scene before the City of Warsaw. An Engagement in
+Front of the doomed Capital.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric de Haenen. By permission of The
+Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+"Night fighting," says a correspondent, "is one of the splendid
+spectacles of war. Flashing batteries, wavering lines of musketry and
+machine-gun fire, make a picture painted in silver and gold on a
+background of black. The moon shines behind the gray clouds, shedding a
+soft radiance just strong enough to shape the shadows. On the western
+horizon flash after flash springs out of the darkness; these are the
+distant German guns. Nearer to us the Russian batteries are firing, each
+piece cutting a red flash of flame into the darkness before its muzzle.
+Suddenly a blazing rocket shoots up into the heavens and bursts into a
+shower of silver stars. As they fall slowly, the country beneath is
+lighted in high relief. A long arm of searchlight shoots across the
+heavens. A line of sparks reveals a battalion of the advancing enemy."</h4>
+
+<p>Such was the Grand Duke's plan. He kne<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span>w full well all that it involved.
+Przemysl and Lemberg, at whose capture joy bells had rung throughout
+all Russia, would have to be left behind. The great city of Warsaw,
+which had thrice defied von Hindenburg, must be abandoned. The line of
+the Vistula must be allowed to fall into German hands, and probably the
+German flag would wave above the great Polish fortresses; but if the
+armies could be saved, all might yet be well.</p>
+
+<p>In our first volume (page 64) I told you how Napoleon, the greatest war
+lord that Europe has ever known, marched a great army into Russia in the
+year 1812, and by so doing rang his death knell. The Russians were now
+about to repeat the tactics of 1812, and observers in the West
+prophesied that the Kaiser would be led into the same trap and suffer
+the same fate. But we must remember that the conditions had changed in
+many respects since Napoleon's day. He failed chiefly because he could
+not obtain sufficient supplies. The country through which he advanced
+had been swept clear of everything but wood and water, and all the food
+and munitions that his armies needed had to be sent forward by
+horse-drawn wagons along tracks which frequently ended in morasses. When
+these wagons failed to reach the troops, the men starved. Nowadays every
+army is accompanied by engineers who can build roads and light railways
+very quickly, and so keep the advancing army in touch with its bases.
+For example, during the campaign which I am about to describe, a German
+general boasted that his men, who then lay within a hundred miles of
+Riga, were eating bread baked in Berlin the day before. He also said
+that his engineers could construct fifty miles of asphalted road in two
+days. Motor transport has largely superseded the horse, and long
+distances, given fair roads, can be covered very quickly. Thus you see
+that in our time Napoleon's great difficulty need not be fatal.</p>
+
+<p>There was, however, much danger in pushing far "into the bowels of the
+land." As the German lines of communication grew longer and longer,
+supplies would take more and more time to reach the armies, and there
+would be more and more chances that the line might be impeded or cut.
+Thousands of men would have to be taken from the firing-line to hold the
+railways and roads along which the convoys trav<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span>elled, and thus the
+attack would gradually lose force, and at last be unable to resist a
+vigorous onset by the enemy.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now we must return to the San, where the Russian armies were lying ready
+to retreat when the word was given. From the map on page <a href="#Page_293">293</a> you notice
+that the Russian lines bulged out in front of Przemysl. Ivanov was
+prepared to give up this fortress, but not until he had cleared it of
+everything that might be useful to the enemy. In order to gain time he
+fought a holding battle in the centre and struck hard on the flanks. On
+the morning of 15th May his right began a three days' battle, in which
+the Austrians were well beaten, and after losing 30,000 men had to fall
+back. The enemy was caught in the open and the Russians plied the
+bayonet with deadly effect. On the borders of Bukovina the Russian left
+also had a success, and the enemy was driven back as much as thirty
+miles. But in the centre, where Mackensen was advancing, a very
+different state of things prevailed. The salient round Przemysl was
+fiercely attacked in three places, and its sides were driven in until
+the neck was less than ten miles across. Attacks were also made at two
+places farther north. When the Russian line was pierced at these points,
+the Austro-Germans were able to swing southwards towards the main
+railway, and the days of Przemysl were numbered.</p>
+
+<p>On 31st May the fortress fell, and at 3.30 on the morning of 2nd June
+von Mackensen entered the city. The Russians had held it a little over
+two months. The capture of Przemysl was a great feather in von
+Mackensen's cap, but it was no great prize. He found it little more than
+an empty shell. Guns, rolling stock, and supplies had been moved
+eastwards, and only a little booty fell into his hands.</p>
+
+<p>Why, you ask, did not von Mackensen push on more quickly and keep the
+Russians on the run? You must remember that his great weapon consisted
+of an enormous number of heavy guns which could only be moved slowly. As
+soon as the great machine lumbered up, the Russians were bound to
+retreat, but while it was slowly advancing to a new position, they were
+able to hold back the enemy on the wings and send away eastward all the
+valuable contents of the city. The great danger was always in the
+centre, where von Mackensen was making his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> terrible thrust; on the wings
+the Russians were able to delay the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The fall of Przemysl compelled the Russians to give ground once more,
+and on 14th June their line ran as shown in the map on page <a href="#Page_293">293</a>. While
+the retreat was proceeding, Brussilov scored a victory. When the German
+right wing had pushed through the forests from Stryj, had crossed the
+Dniester, and was travelling by bad country roads, Brussilov caught it
+at a disadvantage. A three days' battle followed, in which the enemy was
+flung back across the Dniester with heavy loss. Some 17 guns, 49 machine
+guns, and more than 15,000 prisoners were captured, including a whole
+company of the Prussian Guard. Successes on the wings, however, could
+avail nothing while von Mackensen was blasting his way through the
+centre.</p>
+
+<p>A glance at the map shows you what a very strong position the Russians
+held from Grodek southward. In front of the city for fifteen miles there
+is a series of shallow, swampy lakes, with but few roads crossing the
+dry ground between them. Farther south lies a great district of marshes.
+The Russian lines behind the lakes and the marshes could not be forced,
+but they would be turned if the Germans could break through to the north
+of Grodek and force the line of the Dniester to the south of the city.</p>
+
+<p>Von Mackensen now moved on a broad front towards Rava Russka, and as
+soon as his great guns began their terrific onslaught on the Russian
+lines, the fate of Lemberg was no longer in doubt. On 19th June he broke
+through, and on the same day the German right wing crossed the Dniester.
+Next day a fierce battle was fought for Rava Russka. Von Mackensen won
+it, and then swung his forces southwards in the direction of Lemberg.
+The Grodek position had been turned, and once more the Russians were
+forced to retreat. The way to Lemberg was open, and on 22nd June the
+Austrians entered the city. After nine months the capital of Galicia
+passed once more into their hands. Vienna, Buda Pest, and scores of
+other places in Austria-Hungary broke into loud rejoicing. Towns and
+villages were bedecked with flags, and joyous peals rang out from every
+belfry.</p>
+
+<p>There was good reason why the Austrians should rejoice at the recovery
+of Lemberg. They had not only regained the capital of Galicia, but they
+were once more masters of a city that afforded them a splendid
+jumping-off place f<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span>or carrying the war into Russia. As you see by the
+map, Lemberg is almost on the Russian frontier, and six lines of
+railway meet in it. So long as the Austrians could hold on to Lemberg,
+Galicia was safe. Its recapture was, therefore, a triumph for von
+Mackensen; but though he had reconquered a province and its capital, he
+had not brought the war any nearer to its end. He had neither shattered
+the Russian armies nor split them in twain.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>It is said that one day in June, just before the fall of Lemberg, the
+Kaiser met von Hindenburg and his Chief of Staff, von Falkenhayn, in the
+castle at Posen. The Kaiser was in high spirits, and he declared that
+the moment had now arrived for the capture of Warsaw. He already saw
+himself riding into the city at the head of his troops as the conqueror
+and deliverer of Poland. The two generals gladly agreed with his
+proposal. They believed that the Western front could be held without
+much effort, and that with the mighty engine of artillery which they now
+possessed they could batter through the Russian lines, and seize the
+great city which had so long defied them.</p>
+
+<p>After the fall of Lemberg, Warsaw formed the apex of a great salient. It
+could only hold out so long as the two great railway lines which meet in
+the city were in the hands of the Russians. The first of these routes
+runs north-east through Grodno, Vilna, and Dvinsk to Petrograd. The
+other line runs south-east through Ivangorod, Lublin, Cholm, and Rovno
+to Kiev.<a name="FNanchor_54_54" id="FNanchor_54_54"></a><a href="#Footnote_54_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a> Von Mackensen was already pushing northwards towards this
+southern line of railway, and the Russians were falling back before him.
+It was now the business of von Hindenburg to advance from East Prussia
+and capture the northern line. Once the railways were cut, Warsaw would
+fall. Von Falkenhayn, however, hoped to do more than merely capture the
+city and a few more thousand square miles of Polish ground. He hoped to
+make an end of the Russian armies in the salient, and this he proposed
+to do by carrying out a great enveloping movement. While von Mackensen
+was pushing on towards the southern railway, he would make a fierce
+thrust at the northern pa<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span>rt of the same salient, in order to cut the
+Petrograd line between Warsaw and Bialystok. But this was not the whole
+of the plan. A German army under von Buelow had already overrun
+Courland,<a name="FNanchor_55_55" id="FNanchor_55_55"></a><a href="#Footnote_55_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a> and was not far from Riga. While the two thrusts were
+being made at the salient, this force was to hack its way south, seize
+Kovno and Vilna, and cut the Petrograd line far to the eastward. The
+Russians in the salient would thus be taken in flank and in rear; they
+would be squeezed between the enemy on the north and the south, and
+probably would be surrounded and forced to surrender. Russia would thus
+be crippled for many a month to come, and then the might of Germany
+could be flung against the Western front.</p>
+
+<p>We will now follow the fortunes of the three great thrusts that were
+about to be made&mdash;the thrust against the southern railway, the thrust
+against the Petrograd railway between Warsaw and Grodno, and the thrust
+against the same railway still farther east. Before the end of June five
+German armies, with von Mackensen in the centre, were moving steadily
+northwards to cut the southern railway line between Lublin and Kovel.
+They had now left the railways of Galicia behind them, and were crossing
+a country of forests, marshy plains, and bad roads. The great guns moved
+slowly, but the armies met with little opposition, and by 2nd July they
+were less than thirty miles from the railway.</p>
+
+<p>Round about Krasnik they came into touch with the Russians, who held a
+strong position, with marshes and streams on their flanks. The army of
+the Archduke Joseph, to the left of von Mackensen, was heavily assailed,
+and during four days of attack and counter-attack was driven back with
+the loss of 15,000 prisoners, a very large number of machine guns, and
+heavy casualties in dead and wounded. For a week the German advance was
+checked. It began again on 16th July, when von Mackensen, who had
+bridged the marshy streams, was able to get his big guns working. Once
+more he blasted his way through, and on the 18th was within ten miles of
+the railway.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span></p>
+<p>Now let us see what was going on in the north. On 14th July von
+Buelow's army in Courland began to push forward, and at the same time
+another army attacked the Niemen front. The great thrust against the
+Warsaw salient was entrusted to von Gallwitz, who now advanced against
+the line of the Narev. He made good progress, and the Russians fell
+back, fighting stubbornly. They retired across the Narev on the 20th,
+and three days later von Gallwitz won several crossings of the river. By
+means of one of these crossings he pushed forward until by 25th July,
+though the river line had not yet been won on a broad front, he lay
+within twenty miles of the Warsaw-Petrograd railway. Meanwhile the
+German heavy guns were battering down the outworks of the river
+fortresses, and the army of the Niemen was within sixty miles of Vilna.</p>
+
+<p>The Warsaw salient was now in great peril. Spears had been planted
+against its breast in three different directions. At the apex a
+spearhead was but fifteen miles away; another was only ten miles from
+the southern railway, and a third was but twenty miles from the northern
+railway. The fortified line of the Narev had been broken through, and
+the salient was doomed. Once more the Grand Duke had to make a decision
+upon which hung the fate of the Russian armies. Should he try by means
+of the great Polish triangle of fortresses&mdash;Novo Georgievsk, Ivangorod,
+Brest Litovski&mdash;to hold the salient, or should he sacrifice Poland and
+fall back to the east? The second course was by far the more difficult.
+To withdraw his armies along the three railways left to him, while the
+spearheads were closing in hour by hour, and any day two of the three
+roads of escape might be lost, was a most perilous task. His wornout
+troops would have to hold the sides of the salient for some weeks while
+the main body retired. If the sides were forced in, it was more than
+likely that his armies would be utterly overwhelmed. It seemed easier to
+hold on to the fortresses, and hope that in some way or other the enemy
+might be checked.</p>
+
+<p>The Grand Duke refused to take any risks; he chose the more difficult
+task. He determined to withdraw his armies from Poland altogether, and
+fall back eastward and ever eastward, until his forces could be properly
+fed with munitions and were ready to make a stand. It was a great
+resolve, and few commanders would have dared to make it. Probably no
+other army could have made such a retirem<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span>ent without losing heart
+altogether, and hopelessly breaking down.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The last days of July saw strange scenes in Warsaw. The whole city was
+stripped of everything that might be useful to the enemy. The great
+factories were dismantled, and their plant sent eastward. Gold from the
+banks, books and papers from the Government offices, relics and sacred
+pictures from the churches, bells from the towers, copper from the
+roofs, wire from the telegraph poles&mdash;all were piled on great wagons
+which followed each other in a long procession across the Vistula
+bridges. Half a million of the city's inhabitants streamed eastwards in
+carts and in hackney carriages. Only the Poles and the poorest of the
+Jews remained.</p>
+
+<p>About 24th July the forces in front of Warsaw began to fall back into
+the suburbs of the city. Meanwhile along the Narev a fierce holding
+battle was being fought to enable the troops in the northern part of the
+salient to get away. Five days later Mackensen cut the southern line
+between Lublin and Cholm, and the sides of the triangle were fast
+closing in. By this time all the stores and guns were safe, and the
+troops in the centre were moving through the city. Every day German
+aeroplanes dropped bombs in the streets, and soon, as the German shells
+burst among the houses, great fires began to flame up in the western
+suburbs. At three o'clock on the morning of Thursday, 5th August, three
+loud explosions shook the city. The Vistula bridges had been blown up.</p>
+
+<p>Three hours later German cavalry galloped in, and that evening Prince
+Leopold of Bavaria with his suite rode through the streets on the way to
+the palace. On the eastern horizon he saw the red glow which Napoleon
+had seen&mdash;the flames rising from crops and villages which the Russians
+had fired as they fell back before the invader.</p>
+
+<p>The Kaiser made no state entry into Warsaw. His exultation, however,
+appeared in the following telegram which he sent to his sister, the
+Queen of Greece: "My destructive sword has crushed the Russians. They
+will need six months to recover. In a short time I will announce new
+victories won by my brave soldiers, who have shown themselves invincible
+in battle against nearly the whole world. The war drama is now coming to
+a close."</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXXIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES OF THE GREAT RETREAT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span> correspondent with the Russian armies tells us that no mind can
+picture the awful effect of the German bombardment which drove the
+Russians out of their positions on the Donajetz. Von Mackensen, as you
+know, had 1,500 guns, and many of them were monster howitzers. It is
+said that a thousand wagon-loads of shell were used in a single
+day&mdash;that is, twice as many as would have sufficed, under ordinary
+conditions, for the six months' siege of a great and well-provisioned
+fortress. Ten shells, each weighing 800 lbs., were hurled on every yard
+of the Russian front. An officer calculated that the part of the line
+which he was holding received no less than 10,000 shells in the course
+of a few hours. The wreckage was awful, and those who survived were
+dazed and stupefied, and unable to resist.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 755px;">
+<img src="images/p314.jpg" width="755" height="496" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Where the Cossacks score: a Cavalry Skirmish in the Rear
+of the Russian Retreat.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Graphic.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p>Another correspondent describes what he saw in Warsaw prior to the entry
+of the Germans. Day and night, he tells us, one heard the muffled roar
+as factory plant, too heavy or too deeply embedded in concrete to be
+moved, was blown up. Every fragment of the metal was carried eastwards.
+The newspapers made their last appearance with a notice that the city
+was to be abandoned, after which the lino-types were uprooted and the
+very floors carted away. Police and soldiers visited every printing
+works and newspaper office, taking away founts of type and dismantling
+presses. Hardly a ton of copper fittings was left in the city. . . .
+Warsaw knew no sleep over that week end. Through the streets passed
+endless columns of carts and lorries heavily laden, and all making for
+the bridges across the Vistula. You could only distinguish a wagon
+loaded with millions of roubles in paper money from those containing
+sacks of potatoes, by the so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span>ldiers who sat swinging their legs over the
+side. Day and night gangs of soldiers were seen stripping league after
+league of copper telegraph wires from their poles. Church doors flung
+open revealed the interiors filled with weeping, praying Poles and
+Russians, amongst whom passed priests in their rich vestments. Aloft in
+the towers the huge bronze bells had been unslung, lest they should
+become food for Krupp's furnaces. Not only the bells, but all records
+and church plate, precious vestments, and ikons,<a name="FNanchor_56_56" id="FNanchor_56_56"></a><a href="#Footnote_56_56" class="fnanchor">[56]</a> were carted away
+into the interior. In the Church of the Holy Cross there was a vault,
+and in it lay the heart of Chopin.<a name="FNanchor_57_57" id="FNanchor_57_57"></a><a href="#Footnote_57_57" class="fnanchor">[57]</a> The vault was opened, and the
+precious relic was removed to Moscow. Wherever possible troops were sent
+out to garner the crops in the surrounding country. Where this was
+impossible the harvest was destroyed, and villages were burnt to the
+ground. Thousands of poor were ferried across the Vistula to begin their
+long tramp eastward.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>It is said that after the fall of Warsaw the Kaiser was very much
+annoyed that the Russian army had been allowed to escape. "We have paid
+too dearly," he said to his generals, "for the privilege of walking
+along the streets of Warsaw. Our success has been gained under such a
+cloud of mourning that at present I cannot think of rewards. You are not
+little children to be dazzled with a toy while the Russian troops are at
+liberty. You have secured the cage, but the bird has flown. While the
+Russian army is free the problem of the war is unsolved."</p>
+
+<p>A Russian journalist tells us that when the Kaiser seized the cage
+without the bird he began, like Jehu, to drive furiously in the hope of
+rounding up the retreating enemy. His soldiers were driven
+remorselessly. The advance guard was ordered not to beat the enemy but
+to detain him until the arrival of the main body. The leading
+detachments were hurried along so rapidly that they often lost touch
+with each other. Along the Vistula, on the bridges and at the fords,
+sentinels remained unchanged and without food for two or three days at a
+stretch. They were forgotten, and some of them died at their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span> posts. All
+this time the Russians made great captures of their pursuers. So many
+Germans were seized that the captors scarcely knew how to deal with
+them. The prisoners when questioned said that they had been marching
+almost without pause for five days and nights. Each morning they were
+driven forward for three or four hours. Then they had twenty minutes'
+rest, and were again sent onward until midnight."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that a British boy fought with
+the Russians, and that he rose from the ranks to be an ensign.<a name="FNanchor_58_58" id="FNanchor_58_58"></a><a href="#Footnote_58_58" class="fnanchor">[58]</a> His
+name was John Wilton, and he was a frail lad of seventeen when the Tsar
+gave him permission to serve in the ranks of the famous Petrograd
+Guards. He became a mounted scout, and took part in every battle in
+which his corps was engaged. He was one of the scouts who managed to get
+within eight miles of Cracow. After six months' service he was promoted
+ensign, and five months later was in command of the mounted scouts of
+his regiment. On one occasion he very cleverly withdrew his scouts from
+a position in which they had been ambushed by German cavalry, and got
+them away with the loss of only one man.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>You have read more than once in these pages of women fighting in the
+Russian ranks. A story from Petrograd tells us that twelve schoolgirls
+from a Moscow college somehow obtained uniforms, boarded a military
+train at a roadside station, and thus reached the Austrian frontier.
+When they left the train for the march towards Lemberg the major
+discovered them, and ordered them back home; but they persuaded him to
+let them go on with the army. "We had to have our hair cropped," said
+one of them, Zoe Smirnoya, a girl of sixteen. "That is what I felt most.
+My hair was long, and I confess I cried. I've carried it ever since in
+my haversack."</p>
+
+<p>The girls fought in many of the Galician battles. They never fell out of
+the ranks, and they shared all the hardships of the campaign. They took
+men's names, and their comrades treated them kindly. When von
+Mackensen's big guns swept away the Russian trenches they fell back with
+the army. An officer asked Zoe, "Were you afraid?" "Of course," she
+replied; "how could one help? When the bi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span>g shells burst all around us we
+could not help crying out. Several of the girls were only fourteen, and
+in their terror they called for their mothers. For that matter, I think
+I blubbered too."</p>
+
+<p>During the retreat one of the girls was killed by a shell. "We buried
+her on the morning after the battle," said Zoe. "We put her in a
+hurriedly-made grave, and set up a little cross marked with her name. On
+the morrow we were far away, and now I hardly remember the place where
+she was buried." Zoe was twice hit, and the second time was left out in
+the open, but was rescued by stretcher-bearers. She spent a month in
+hospital, and returned to the firing line as a corporal, wearing the war
+medal and the Cross of St. George.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Amongst the names that Russians hold in high honour is that of
+Michaelovna Ivanova, who acted as a nurse under her brother, a
+regimental surgeon. She insisted on going out to tend wounded even in
+the midst of a hail of bullets from rifles and machine guns. Her brother
+and the other regimental officers begged her to seek shelter, but in
+vain. When all the officers had fallen, the men lost heart for a moment
+and began to retire. At once the heroic nurse ran in amongst them,
+rallied them round her, and at their head rushed forward and captured a
+trench. Unhappily she was struck by a bullet, and died shortly
+afterwards.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that British seamen, with
+armoured motor cars, were sent out to lend a hand to the Russians. They
+did not take part in the fighting described in the former chapter, for
+they only left England late in the year. On 12th December, when they
+were in the Arctic Ocean on the way to Archangel, they established a
+record by singing "God save the King" farther north than any British
+field force on active service had ever been before. We may be quite sure
+that, under Commander Locker-Lampson, they fully upheld the honour and
+glory of the British Navy. It is also said that Japanese guns and
+gunners fought for Russia during the year 1915.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XL" id="CHAPTER_XL"></a>CHAPTER XL.</h2>
+
+<h3>FROM STORM TO CALM.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>hen the Germans entered Warsaw the German High Command had to decide
+what the next move was to be. Should they entrench on the ground already
+won, and make the line of the Niemen, the Narev, and the Vistula a great
+bulwark of defence which would defy all Russian counter-attacks for many
+a day to come, or should they push their armies forward? There were good
+reasons why a halt should be called on the river line. The troops were
+weary with long months of fighting, and badly needed rest. On the other
+hand, the Russian armies were not crushed, but it seemed likely that
+another big push would destroy them altogether. With Warsaw gone, the
+southern railway cut, and the Narev line crumbling, it appeared almost
+impossible for the Russians to escape. The army in Courland was almost
+within striking distance of the Petrograd railway, and once this was
+captured in the neighbourhood of Dvinsk and Vilna, the whole Russian
+front would be split up into separate armies, each of which might be
+destroyed. Another great effort, and the Tsar would be on his knees
+suing for peace.</p>
+
+<p>The die was now cast; the Germans decided to push forward. The Russians
+were in perilous plight; for on the right the Germans bade fair to
+envelop their armies, and in the centre von Mackensen was thrusting them
+back towards the Marshes of the Pripet, in which they might be caught.
+The Grand Duke's business was to get his armies away eastward, and to
+refuse at all costs to fight pitched battles. In this he succeeded, and
+by doing so wrote his name high on the roll of great generals.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that the bridges across the Vistula at Warsaw had been
+blown up. Prince Leopold now collected a number of the thousand-ton
+barges which ply on the river, and constructed a floating bridge, across
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span>which he carried a railway line. By 10th August he began to advance; but
+he found himself constantly held up by Russian attacks, and he made but
+slow progress. By 16th August von Gallwitz was across the Petrograd
+line, and von Mackensen was within twenty miles of Brest Litovski. The
+Russians had already fallen back, and were lying in front of the railway
+from Ossowietz through Bialystok to Brest. They were, however, still
+holding out in front of the old city and fortress of Kovno.</p>
+
+<p>Glance at the position of Kovno. You see (page <a href="#Page_314">311</a>) that it stands on
+the Niemen, at the point where the course of the river swings to the
+south. Should Kovno fall, the other fortresses on the Niemen would be in
+great peril, and the enemy would have a direct route to Vilna, where
+they would be in the rear of the Russians. On the day that Warsaw fell,
+the Germans were near enough to Kovno to begin the bombardment. For
+twelve days they rained shells upon the forts, while the infantry fought
+for the outworks. By this time the city had been stripped, and its
+valuable contents had been sent eastwards. Nevertheless it had to be
+held while arrangements were made for the Russian line to retire. The
+gunners in Kovno stuck to their posts for twelve desperate days, and all
+the time the big siege howitzers of the enemy played havoc among them.
+Nevertheless, the Russians held on, and, what is more, continued to work
+their guns.</p>
+
+<p>By Sunday, 15th August, the forts were in ruins, and two days later the
+heroic garrison yielded. The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and over
+200 guns. The Russians, however, were fully prepared for this loss. The
+holding of Kovno was a forlorn hope, and the men and guns in it were
+sacrificed to gain time.</p>
+
+<p>The fall of Kovno meant that the Russian right must now retire, and a
+day later it was clear that the centre must retire too. The Germans had
+cut the railway to the north of Brest, and were now attacking the
+western forts of the stronghold. Next day Novo Georgievsk, which had
+been besieged for about three weeks and was now a huddle of ruins, had
+to yield, and 20,000 of the garrison, along with 700 guns, most of which
+had been rendered useless, fell into the hands of the Germans. Shortly
+before the surrender, a daring Russian aviator was entrusted with the
+maps and secret papers of the fortress. He ascended, and though
+furiously a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span>ssailed by the anti-aircraft guns of the enemy, managed to
+fly clear and carry the precious documents into safety.</p>
+
+<p>Two of the three great fortresses forming the Polish triangle had now
+gone; Brest alone remained, and its doom was already sealed. While the
+Russians were preparing for a further retirement, their right, which
+rested on the Baltic Sea, was threatened with a new danger. On Sunday,
+10th August, a German fleet tried to force a way into the Gulf of Riga;
+it was beaten off, but the attempt was renewed on the 15th and on the
+16th. During a thick fog the Germans got into the Gulf on the 16th, and
+two days later tried to land troops at an unfortified port on the road
+to Petrograd. Four very large flat-bottomed barges, filled with troops,
+attempted to get ashore on the 20th; but the Russian light craft swooped
+down upon them, and captured or destroyed the whole of the landing
+force. Meanwhile a naval battle was going on throughout the length of
+the Gulf. The Russians lost an old gunboat, while the Germans had eight
+destroyers and two cruisers either sunk or put out of action, and a
+submarine driven ashore. On the 21st the Germans left the Gulf. Their
+attempt to outflank the Russian right had failed.</p>
+
+<p>During the previous twenty days the Germans in the centre had pushed
+forward no less than one hundred miles; but the Russian armies had
+eluded them, and no crushing battle had taken place. The Germans had not
+yet given up all hope of overwhelming the Russians, but for the time
+being they were anxious to secure a strong line on which they might
+maintain themselves during the coming winter. They had also a new
+campaign in view. Already they were thinking of forcing a way through
+the Balkans to Constantinople, so as to open a road to the east and
+fling such forces into Gallipoli as would drive the British and French
+into the sea.</p>
+
+<p>Now we must return to the doomed fortress of Brest. On the day that the
+German warships left the Gulf of Riga, Prince Leopold was close to the
+western walls of the fortress, while von Mackensen, east of the Bug, was
+threatening to take the forts from the rear. On 25th August Brest
+Litovski fell. It had held out long enough to enable the Russians to get
+away with the guns and supplies, and only a little wheat was left
+behind. Soon after the Germans entere<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span>d the place a mine exploded and
+destroyed a thousand of their troops.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p319.jpg" width="292" height="443" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Map illustrating the various Stages of the Russian Retreat.</h3>
+
+<h4><span class="smcap">A</span>, after the fall of Lemberg; <span class="smcap">B</span>, after the fall of Warsaw; <span class="smcap">C</span>, after the
+fall of Grodno; <span class="smcap">D</span>, after the fall of Vilna.</h4>
+
+<p>You will see from the map on page <a href="#Page_314">311</a> that the Russians, who had been
+holding the front around Brest, could use two railways to help them in
+their retreat. Most of them, however, had to retire on foot through the
+Marshes of the Pripet. Prince Leopold, in following them up, had to
+fight his way through the great forest region which lies to the north of
+Brest. It is said that in the recesses of this forest the European
+bison, elsewhere extinct, is still found. In the woods on the edges of
+the marshes the Russian rearguards fought fierce delaying actions, while
+their comrades trudged, unhasting but unresting, eastwards. Happily, the
+summer had been fairly dry, and it was possible for large numbers of men
+and guns to cross the swamps. By the end of August the Germans were
+thirty miles east of Brest, and were well within the marshy region.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, the chief interest of the struggle lay in the north. On 28th
+August von Buelow began his great attack on the line of the Dvina. In
+all the valley of that river, from Dvinsk to Riga, there is no crossing
+save at the little town of Friedrichstadt, some fifty miles from the
+coast. Below the town great stretches of marshy forest line the left
+bank of the stream, and no road follows its course on that side. On the
+other side the ground is harder, and along the line of the river runs
+the main Riga-Vilna Railway. The Russians held the left bank of the
+river, and von Buelow urged his men to the assault in the following
+words: "After the brilliant campaign on the Russian front, and the
+occupation of many cities and fortresses, you must make one more effort
+to force the Dvina and seize Riga. There you will rest during the autumn
+and winter, in order to march on Petrograd in the spring." On the
+morning of 2nd September the Russians were forced back for ten miles
+from the left bank of the river; but the bridgehead at Friedrichstadt
+still held out.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>With the close of August the worst was over, and the turn of the tide
+had come. The tornado had blown itself out, the skies were clearing, and
+those who had been hurled back by the mighty blast were able to keep
+their feet and hold their own once more. The Russian line was nearly
+straight; the wings were hard pressed, but they could still resist; and
+the centre was too far within the Pripet marshes for easy capture. The
+struggle for dear life was over. Thenceforward the Russians were masters
+of their fate. They could retreat when and where they chose into the
+limitless expanses of their land. If they halted to fight a battle, it
+was because they saw some advantage to be gained, not because they were
+compelled to do so.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p323.jpg" width="371" height="489" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Tsar and Tsarevitch with the Russian Army.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+The Tsarevitch, the eldest son of the Tsar, is the Grand Duke Alexis,
+who was born on August 12, 1904. He was therefore eleven years old when,
+on September 5, 1915, his father took command of the Russian armies.
+Both father and son are seen wearing the uniform of the Caucasian
+Cossacks.</h4>
+
+<p>With <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span>the passing of all immediate danger, confidence surged up in their
+breasts, and at this moment the Tsar placed himself at the head of his
+soldiers. "We shall," he said, "fulfil our sacred duty to defend our
+country to the last." The Grand Duke Nicholas, who had so long borne the
+heat and burden of the day, gladly yielded place to his sovereign. Twice
+before in the history of Russia had a Tsar come forward to lead his
+armies in the day of dire peril. What Peter<a name="FNanchor_59_59" id="FNanchor_59_59"></a><a href="#Footnote_59_59" class="fnanchor">[59]</a> and Alexander I.<a name="FNanchor_60_60" id="FNanchor_60_60"></a><a href="#Footnote_60_60" class="fnanchor">[60]</a> had
+done, Nicholas II. now did. It was a sign to the whole Russian people
+that the war was to be waged to a triumphant end. The Germans were
+prepared to make a separate peace with Russia; they believed her to be
+crushed and broken and war-weary. Now came the reply: the Tsar, the head
+and front of Russia both in Church and in State, followed the example of
+his forefathers in the hour of trial and took chief command.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Look carefully at the large map on page <a href="#Page_314">311</a>, and find Grodno, on the
+Niemen. At the end of August the Russians were holding a salient round
+this fortress. September was but three days old when Grodno fell, and
+the Russians had to retire in order to avoid being surrounded. They had
+two railways to help them in their retreat&mdash;the main line to Petrograd
+and a line connecting with the Riga-Vilna-Rovno Railway. At all costs
+the enemy must be held back from these railways until the guns, troops,
+and stores in and around Grodno could be got away. Rearguards behind
+Grodno and a screen of troops farther north, where the Germans had to
+cross a district of lakes and forests, fought gallantly, and by 12th
+September the salient was clear. The Germans claimed to have captured
+4,000 prisoners; but even if they did so,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span> the price was not too high to
+pay for the safety of the army corps that escaped.</p>
+
+<p>Now we must turn to Vilna, against which von Hindenburg had prepared a
+great thrust. On 2nd September a ten days' struggle began fifteen miles
+to the north-west of the city. By sheer weight of artillery the trenches
+of the Russians were carried, and a gas attack gave the Germans an
+important pass between a group of lakes which formed the main defence of
+the fortress on their left. Other forces were pushing up from the south,
+and retreat was again necessary. By the 13th it was clear that Vilna
+must fall. The Germans had cut the Petrograd railway only twenty miles
+from the city.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 742px;">
+<img src="images/p326.jpg" width="742" height="517" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Coming of the Big Guns that mean Victory.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+Russian artillery being hauled through the snow to the battlefield by
+long teams of horses. By September 1915 the Russians had managed to
+provide themselves with sufficient artillery and ammunition to meet the
+Germans on equal terms.</h4>
+
+<p>The forces in front of Vilna had only one good railway line by which
+they could retire eastward, and only one good road&mdash;a causeway running
+across the marshes towards Minsk. On 15th September it was discovered
+that some 40,000 German cavalry, with 140 guns, were sweeping round so
+as to cut the railway and capture the causeway. Here was a terrible
+danger. If the cavalry could hold the railway and the causeway, the
+Russians in the Vilna salient would be surrounded, and nothing could
+save them. Not an hour must be lost. Vilna was abandoned on 18th
+September, and the troops were hurried eastwards by means of the road
+and railway. Rearguards on the right fought desperate holding battles,
+but on the 20th the gap through which the Russians were retreating had
+shrunk to little more than fifty miles. The Minsk railway was in danger;
+only the causeway, densely packed with guns, wagons, convoys,
+ambulances, and troops, was clear.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly, in this moment of peril, the German thrust weakened. While the
+cavalry were sweeping round to the rear, the artillery and infantry to
+the west of the fortress made no push. Owing to the bad and crowded
+roads they could only proceed very slowly, and thus the Russians were
+afforded what they most needed&mdash;time. No longer were they without arms
+and ammunition. The Russian factories had worked miracles, and now the
+Tsar's armies were able to meet the enemy on equal terms. On the evening
+of 20th September, when the retreating Russians were thirty miles east
+of Vilna, their right wing fell upon the German cavalry and drove them
+back with the bayonet. For some days there was heavy fighting, but by
+the end of the month the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span> Russian line was straight again. Once more the
+Germans had been foiled.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the army of Brest, which had never been in serious danger, had
+been pursued, but the pursuers were now firmly held. On the Dvina von
+Buelow had made but little progress, while in the south Ivanov had held
+his ground, and had even won victories against the German right. He had
+overthrown a force moving against Tarnopol and another which was
+advancing further south, and had won one of the most successful of the
+smaller battles. Of course the Germans had made counter-attacks upon
+him, but they had been unsuccessful, and Ivanov had advanced in some
+places as much as twenty miles. His captures at the end of the month
+amounted to 80,000 men and many guns.</p>
+
+<p>Thus the end of September saw the Germans held in check. They had won
+Vilna and Grodno, but they had failed to cut off the troops in these
+salients, and had not made good the line of the Dvina. Winter was almost
+upon them, yet they had not found a suitable position for winter
+quarters. Meanwhile the Russians were growing in strength every day.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>During the terrible months from May till September the nation had
+suffered greatly, and misfortune had been heaped on misfortune. The
+spectacle of troops falling back day by day, the endless stream of
+wounded arriving at the bases, the highroads thronged with homeless
+peasants, and the seeming hopeless struggle would have broken down the
+spirit of most nations and brought about revolution; but in Russia,
+though there was some unrest, there was no revolution. Even the peasants
+who had lost their all, and had not where to lay their heads, bore their
+sufferings without complaint. A correspondent who talked with some of
+them tells us they felt that they were playing their part in defeating
+the hated enemy, as their fathers had done before them. They hoped for
+an early winter in order that their enemy might perish of cold and
+starvation, and they thought nothing of the sufferings that the winter
+would bring to them and their children. "I have heard them say again and
+again: 'We must win now, regardless of the cost and the time it takes.
+The sacrifices we have suffered are too great for us to hesitate at
+anything short of victory.'"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span></p>
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>When the German cavalry were flung back from the rear of Vilna, the
+retreating Russians once more breathed freely. The end of the summer
+campaign had come, and still the Germans had delivered no smashing blow.
+During the month of October von Hindenburg strove fiercely to carry the
+line of the Dvina, in order to secure Dvinsk and Riga as winter
+quarters. The Russian right lay on the sea, and behind the river
+stretched a wilderness of marsh and lake almost impassable for troops
+and big guns. Riga and the line of the river south of it were defended
+by great stretches of bogland, and the patches of dry ground were cut up
+by many sluggish streams flowing in reedy channels. General Ruzsky, who
+was holding Dvinsk, had learned the lesson of Verdun and pushed out his
+defences far from the city. In the course of a big attack on 26th
+September the Germans came within eight miles of the fortress, but they
+could approach no nearer. An attempt to reach Riga by the coast road was
+foiled by the guns of the Russian fleet.</p>
+
+<p>On 3rd October von Hindenburg began a new series of thrusts against the
+line of the river, but made very little progress, and when the Russian
+counter-attacks began the German losses were very great. Before long
+50,000 of the enemy had fallen, and their goal was as far off as ever.
+Von Hindenburg now saw that he could not succeed against Dvinsk, and
+began a determined effort to capture Riga. He managed to win a marshy
+island in one of the arms of the river; but here he was stayed, and soon
+his troops were blown off the island. He was now fighting an army that
+was as strong as his own and could return shell for shell and shot for
+shot. By the end of October all his efforts against Dvinsk and Riga had
+come to nothing, and he was forced to dig in for the winter in a most
+inhospitable land. The snows were beginning to fall, bitter north winds
+were sweeping over the land, and no great movement was possible until
+the spring.</p>
+
+<p>So the tragic year came to an end. The Russians had passed through their
+fiery ordeal, and had emerged with a new courage and a new hope. On the
+map the Germans looked like victors, but actually they had failed. The
+Russian armies were intact; the Germans could not push on in the
+wilderness, and at the close of the year they lay waiting the uncertain
+future amidst dismal swamps and meres.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLI" id="CHAPTER_XLI"></a>CHAPTER XLI.</h2>
+
+<h3>MIDSUMMER ON THE WESTERN FRONT.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>hree days after the Battle of Festubert<a name="FNanchor_61_61" id="FNanchor_61_61"></a><a href="#Footnote_61_61" class="fnanchor">[61]</a> came to an end, another
+European nation flung itself into the welter of strife. Italy declared
+war on Austria. The story of why she did so, and how she fared during
+the year 1915, will be told in our next volume. We may safely postpone
+an account of the Italian campaign, for, like our great adventure in
+Gallipoli, it was a side-show. Nevertheless it employed no less than
+twelve Austrian army corps, and thus largely reduced the forces which
+the enemy could employ in France and Flanders and the Eastern theatre of
+war.</p>
+
+<p>Italy set herself the very difficult task of conquering the
+Trentino,<a name="FNanchor_62_62" id="FNanchor_62_62"></a><a href="#Footnote_62_62" class="fnanchor">[62]</a> and in order to do so had to force the barrier of the
+Alps. For six months she fought with great firmness and much sacrifice
+amidst lofty snowclad mountains, and battered unceasingly at the great
+Austrian fortresses established amongst them. By the end of the year her
+soldiers had occupied a rich and well-populated portion of what the
+Italians call "Unredeemed Italy," had secured their northern flank, and
+had firmly established themselves along the line of the river
+Isonzo.<a name="FNanchor_63_63" id="FNanchor_63_63"></a><a href="#Footnote_63_63" class="fnanchor">[63]</a> They had also captured 30,000 of the enemy, 5 guns, 65 Maxim
+guns, thousands of rifles, and a great deal of other war material, and
+were in a favourable position for an advance in the spring. Should this
+advance be successful, Austria would lose her two great seaports, and,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span>
+except along the coast of Dalmatia,<a name="FNanchor_64_64" id="FNanchor_64_64"></a><a href="#Footnote_64_64" class="fnanchor">[64]</a> would be cut off from the sea.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>July was but nine days old when good news arrived from South Africa. The
+Union forces under General Botha<a name="FNanchor_65_65" id="FNanchor_65_65"></a><a href="#Footnote_65_65" class="fnanchor">[65]</a> had conquered German South-West
+Africa,<a name="FNanchor_66_66" id="FNanchor_66_66"></a><a href="#Footnote_66_66" class="fnanchor">[66]</a> and the colony had passed into British hands. The story can
+wait until our next volume, in which we shall survey the progress of our
+arms not only in "German South-West," as South Africans call it, but in
+the Cameroons and in German East Africa as well. From the first the
+Germans knew that their overseas possessions were doomed. Powerless on
+the ocean, they were utterly cut off from their colonies. Their overseas
+forces were fighting, as it were, in water-tight compartments, without
+hope of reinforcements or supplies from the Fatherland.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>We will now return to the Western front, and learn something of what
+happened in North France between the close of the Battle of Festubert
+and the great British attack of September. At home people believed that
+a big push would be made in the West during the summer months; but to
+their astonishment the Allies did not attempt an offensive on a large
+scale. The Russians, as you know, were then passing through a fiery
+ordeal; and their newspapers constantly asked why the Allies did not
+attack the enemy, and draw off from Russia some of the fury of the
+German onset. The fact was that the Allies were not in a condition to
+assault the German lines with any great hope of success. Though they now
+outnumbered the Germans on the Western front, they were still deficient
+in machine guns, heavy artillery, and stores of shell. The battles of
+Festubert and of the Artois had taught them that to hurl infantry
+against trenches which had not been previously wrecked by artillery fire
+was simply to send men to their death. They had also learned that
+piercing the enemy's line on a narrow front served no useful purpose.
+Driving tiny wedges into the German position was not only costly, but a
+waste of time. A big rent must be made, in order that cavalr<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span>y might be
+launched through the breach against the lines of communication. For
+such an operation they had not as yet sufficient artillery, so they
+decided&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"'Tis better that the enemy seek us:</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness."<a name="FNanchor_67_67" id="FNanchor_67_67"></a><a href="#Footnote_67_67" class="fnanchor">[67]</a></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p331.jpg" width="236" height="237" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The war on the Western front during the months of June, July, and August
+was little more than the old "nibbling." All along the line there were
+many small attacks followed by small counter-attacks, and in some places
+fierce little struggles for strongholds. Trenches were lost and won
+almost daily, but a week's advance could be measured by yards. In these
+affairs we gained little ground, but we lost many men. I cannot attempt
+to describe all the minor engagements of the summer months, but I must
+say something about the fighting around Givenchy in the middle of June.</p>
+
+<p>In front of the 7th British Division there was an enemy stronghold known
+to our troops as "Stony Mountain," and from it to another fortified
+point, known as "Dorchester," ran two lines of German trenches. The 7th
+Division was ordered to make a frontal attack on "Stony Mountain," and
+the 1st Canadian (Ontario) Battalion at the same time was to carry the
+two lines of trenches.</p>
+
+<p>At three o'clock on the afternoon of 15th June the Ontario regiment was
+brought up to the British trenches opposite to the position to be
+attacked, and the men began to beguile the hours of waiting by singing
+popular songs. The attack was timed to commence at six in the evening,
+and at a quarter to six two 18-pounder guns in the Canadi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span>an trenches
+opened fire on the German position. One of the guns swept away the
+German wire, and knocked out two enemy Maxims; but the other was wrecked
+by a shell. Bullets from the German trenches rained down upon the guns,
+tearing and twisting their shields as though they had been made of
+paper.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p333.jpg" width="417" height="556" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Canadians in a Hot Corner.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Graphic.</i>)<br />
+
+Lieutenant Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his
+companion (Private Vincent) and poured a stream of bullets upon the enemy.</h4>
+
+<p>Just before six, Canadian sappers exploded a mine on their front, and
+several of their own bombers were killed or wounded by the force of the
+explosion. Immediately the leading company dashed forward through the
+smoke and flying dirt, and though met by a withering flank fire from
+"Stony Mountain," rushed the German front trench, and gained possession
+of "Dorchester." Those, however, who attacked on the "Stony Mountain"
+side were stopped by the fire of that fort, and all were killed or
+wounded. Bombing parties and sappers now went forward, but almost all of
+them were shot down. A sapper who reached the trench set out alone to
+bomb his way along it. He did not retire until he had flung his last
+bomb, and then he had no less than ten wounds in his body.</p>
+
+<p>The second company closely followed on the heels of those who had won
+"Dorchester," and the two companies charged towards the German
+second-line trench, which was carried. Many of the Huns who put up a
+fight were bayoneted, and some prisoners were taken. Meanwhile the third
+company, after losing heavily in its advance, was busy putting the
+captured first-line trench into a state of defence. Two machine guns
+were hurried forward, but the entire crew of one of them was killed or
+wounded before the trench was reached. The crew of the other gun, now
+reduced to two men, Lieutenant Campbell and Private Vincent, a
+lumber-jack from Bracebridge, gained the position, and Lieutenant
+Campbell hoisted his gun on to the broad back of his companion, and
+poured a stream of bullets upon the enemy. Later in the day, when the
+Canadians were obliged to retire, Lieutenant Campbell fell wounded, but
+Private Vincent dragged the gun away into safety. Lieutenant Campbell
+crawled into the Canadian trench a dying man. "And no man died that
+night with more glory; yet many died, and there was much glory."</p>
+
+<p>The supply of bombs ran short, and Private Smith of Southampton,
+Ontario, volunteered to go forward with a fresh supply. Festooned with
+bombs, he crawled forward on all fours, and twice handed over his load
+to his friends. So ho<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span>t was the fire that he had to toss the bombs<a name="FNanchor_68_68" id="FNanchor_68_68"></a><a href="#Footnote_68_68" class="fnanchor">[68]</a>
+into the trench. His clothes were shot to rags, but he escaped
+unwounded. But all Private Smith's efforts to supply the bombers were
+unavailing. Soon all the grenades were gone, and meanwhile the machine
+guns and rifles on "Stony Mountain" were rapidly thinning the Canadian
+ranks. "One unknown wounded man was seen standing on the parapet of the
+German front-line trench. He had thrown every bomb he carried, and,
+weeping with rage, continued to hurl bricks and stones at the advancing
+enemy till his end came."</p>
+
+<p>The British division had been held up on the left, and the enemy was now
+gathering in strength. The unsupported Canadians were therefore forced
+to retire, and give up the ground which they had gained. During the
+retirement many men fell, and some fine deeds of bravery were done.
+Private Gledhill of Ben Miller, near Goderich, Ontario, though hurled
+out of the trench by a bomb explosion which broke his rifle but did not
+injure him, found another rifle, and continued to fire while his
+comrades retired and he was almost alone. As he crawled towards his own
+lines he fell over a wounded lieutenant, and offered to carry him back.
+"Thanks, no," said the lieutenant; "I can crawl." "Will you take me?"
+asked a man with a leg missing, who lay hard by. "Sure," replied the
+gallant fellow, and amidst a tempest of fire he dragged the wounded man
+into safety. Out of twenty-three officers who went into battle that day
+only three were alive and untouched at nightfall. The fort on "Stony
+Mountain" could not be captured, and all the valour and perseverance of
+the Canadians went for nothing.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The account which you have just read gives you a very fair idea of the
+midsummer fighting on the Western front. Before I turn to the great
+offensive of September, let me describe briefly the struggle which took
+place at Hooge towards the end of July and the beginning of August. It
+had no real importance; it was only an incident in the constant tug of
+war that went on along the opposing lines. Hooge is a hamlet on the
+Ypres-Menin road, about two miles east of the city. On the 16th of June
+we had attacked the enemy's line, and had captured 1,000 yards of German
+front trenches, a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span>part of the line, and 150 prisoners. During the
+fighting the Liverpool Scottish did specially fine work.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p335.jpg" width="368" height="352" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Plan of the Hooge Area.</h3>
+
+<h4>The black line shows German position on morning of July 30, 1915.</h4>
+
+<p>This map shows you the scene of the struggle which I am about to
+describe. Notice the chateau and the lake to the north: both were in the
+hands of the Germans, who had pushed their front to the west and
+south-west of the lake, and had thus made an ugly sag in our line. Just
+north of the Hooge-Menin road there is a big hollow marked "Crater" on
+the map. About 3 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 30th July, the Germans
+violently attacked our trenches to the east of the Crater. They were
+held by men of the New Army. The Germans had already sapped up close to
+our line, and now they launched a torrent of liquid fire against us. At
+the same time big guns on the high ground to the north-east and
+south-west bombarded our lines, trench mortars joined in, and bombers
+stormed our trenches with grenades. This terribl<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span>e onset of fire, flame,
+and bombs could not be resisted, and the Germans carried the first line
+and the Crater. Our men fell back to the second line, which ran
+north-west from the corner of Zouave Wood. Then the enemy began to shell
+the second line, and Zouave Wood became a death-trap. You will read on a
+later page how Second Lieutenant Sidney Woodroffe won the Victoria Cross
+by holding his trenches in Zouave Wood to the last.</p>
+
+<p>A counter-attack was made in the afternoon, but it failed. Our men were
+mown down as soon as they advanced into the open. The Rifle Brigade had
+been entrusted with the task; it pushed forward to certain death with
+wonderful steadiness, but was almost wiped out. During this unsuccessful
+attack we lost 2,000 men. No further attempt was made for ten days,
+during which time our gunners shelled the enemy's lines, and stopped the
+fire of their artillery. So successful was the bombardment that it put
+new heart into our men, and they were quite ready for the next act of
+the drama, which was timed for Monday, 9th August. Just before dawn on
+that day the 16th and 18th Brigades advanced from the west and from the
+south against the Crater. They had to push uphill in black darkness for
+500 yards. The 2nd York and Lancaster issued from Zouave Wood with the
+2nd Durham Light Infantry on their right. The two battalions made a race
+of it, and the Durhams won. Over the horrible No Man's Land, strewn with
+barbed-wire entanglements and the bodies of the unburied dead, the
+infantry swept on, and in a few minutes were busy with the bayonet and
+bomb amongst the sorely shaken Germans. Many of them were sheltering in
+their dug-outs, which were very large and deep. The two hundred who held
+the Crater were killed to a man.</p>
+
+<p>A correspondent tells us that, on scrambling over the enemy's parapet, a
+sergeant lost his balance and fell on his back to the bottom of the
+trench, close to a mortar in charge of a sentry. Immediately the sentry
+rushed at him with a bomb poised in his hand. With a great effort the
+sergeant slewed round and dealt his opponent a kick in the ribs which
+sent him spinning against the parapet, where he was dealt with by a
+private who had followed hard on the heels of his sergeant.</p>
+
+<p>When the trenches were cleared the infantry s<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span>wept on to the chateau, and
+captured the ruins of the stables, where they dug in. The attack had
+been very successful, and our losses were very few, because of the
+searching bombardment which had preceded the attack. Correspondents
+describe the high spirits of our men on that day. It is said that many
+of the less seriously wounded failed to report themselves, because they
+did not wish to miss the rest of the fighting.</p>
+
+<p>At half-past nine that night German shells began to fall fast and thick
+on our new positions, and our men dropped fast. We lost some of our
+trenches north of Sanctuary Wood, and had to retire to a little way in
+front of the Crater. The enemy had made a curtain of fire behind our
+lines, and reliefs could only be brought up at great loss. The battalion
+which had dug in near the stables was ordered to withdraw; but four
+officers and 200 men did not receive the order, and hung on until
+relieved late the next morning. A small party of Durham Light Infantry,
+under Corporal Smith, held out even longer, and only retired when fresh
+troops took over their position.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually the fighting died away. We had recovered our former position,
+and what is more, we had proved that, given proper artillery
+"preparation," the strongest German lines could be pierced. The New Army
+won its spurs at Hooge, but at a very heavy cost.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 748px;">
+<img src="images/p338.jpg" width="748" height="445" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Liverpool Scottish and other Regiments charging at Hooge.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture shows the British charge at Hooge (June 16, 1915) which won
+the whole of the enemy's first-line trenches on a front of a thousand
+yards and parts of his second line. By noon on the day of this charge
+over a hundred and fifty prisoners had been passed to our rear. (See
+page <a href="#Page_327">327</a>.)</h4>
+
+<p>The following officers and men were awarded the Victoria Cross for deeds
+of remarkable courage during the period between the Battle of Festubert
+and the end of the first week in August:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private William Mariner</span>, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.</p>
+
+<p>During a violent thunderstorm on the night of May 22, 1915, Private
+Mariner left his trench at a place just south of Cuinchy, for the
+purpose of destroying an enemy machine gun that was annoying our men. He
+took with him a supply of bombs, and just before starting out on his
+perilous mission, asked his sergeant to open fire on the enemy's
+trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. This meant that he was
+prepared to sacrifice himself, for he was bound to be in the line of
+fire from his own trench, and could only escape death or wounding by a
+miracle. He crept out into "No Man's Land," wormed his way through the
+German wire entanglements, an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[331]</a></span>d reached the emplacement of the gun.
+Climbing on to the top of the parapet, he hurled a bomb on to the roof
+of the emplacement. When the roar of the explosion subsided, he heard
+the noise of men running away. About a quarter of an hour later he heard
+the enemy returning. At once he climbed up on the other side of the
+emplacement, and with his left hand threw another bomb. Then he lay
+flat, while the Germans fired round after round on the wire entanglement
+behind him. For more than an hour he lay unseen and unheard. If the
+sergeant had opened fire as Mariner had wished, nothing could have saved
+him. Fortunately his own people did not pull a trigger, and he was able
+to crawl back to his trench unharmed. He had been out all alone for an
+hour and a half.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal Leonard James Keyworth</span>, 24th Battalion, London Regiment
+(T.F.).</p>
+
+<p>At Givenchy, on the night of May 25-26, 1915, the 24th Battalion made a
+successful assault on the German trenches, and strove to follow up their
+success by a bomb attack, during which fifty-five men out of the
+seventy-five who took part in it were either killed or wounded. During
+this very fierce encounter Lance-Corporal Keyworth, a Lincoln man, stood
+fully exposed for two hours on the top of an enemy's parapet, and threw
+about one hundred and fifty bombs amongst the Germans, who were only a
+few yards away. In a letter to his sister Lance-Corporal Keyworth thus
+describes the incident: "I was with the bombing party, and was the only
+one to come through without a scratch. I went along a ridge on my
+stomach, and threw bombs into the German trench, my distance being about
+fifteen yards. Men were shot down by my side. Still I continued, and
+came out safe. I was at once recommended for a decoration. It is
+supposed to be for bravery, but I cannot understand where it came in. I
+only did my duty; but how I came out God only knows." Unhappily this
+gallant lad, who was only twenty-two when he won the Victoria Cross,
+died of wounds six months later.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Corporal William Angus</span>, 8th (Lanark) Battalion, Highland Light
+Infantry (T.F.).</p>
+
+<p>On the night of 11th June Lieutenant Martin of the Highland Light
+Infantry went out with a bombing party to wreck a German sap. Suddenly a
+mine was exploded by the enemy, and the lieutenant fell stunned and
+bleeding a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span>t the foot of the enemy's parapet, only a few feet away from
+the foe. He was half buried, but after a night of horror managed to
+extricate himself from the heap of earth that covered him. As he
+struggled to get free, his own men saw him through their periscopes and
+made signs to him. He called aloud to them for water, and the Germans
+hearing him, flung a bomb at him. Happily it was unlighted. Our men now
+determined that their fallen officer should not be murdered. The best
+shots lined the parapet, and neither side dared lift a head. At last a
+German sniper shot the wounded officer in the side, and he feigned death
+so well that his men began to prepare a cross for his grave. About three
+o'clock, however, he was seen to move, and a Canadian officer proposed
+that, under a hot covering fire, a man should rush out with a lasso and
+haul him in.</p>
+
+<p>Lieutenant Martin belonged to Carluke, a village in the Clyde valley;
+and there was another Carluke man watching him&mdash;Corporal Angus, who had
+just returned to the front fresh from an hospital bed in Rouen, where
+his leg, badly smashed at Festubert, had healed. He now went up to his
+officer and said, "Let me go, sir." He was assured that he would be
+going to certain death; but he replied, "Well, sir, <i>sooner or later,
+what does it matter</i>?" So saying, he crawled out, and wormed his way
+along the torn and heaped ground, amidst fragments of burst shells,
+broken wire, and the stark, still bodies of the slain, and in half an
+hour reached the officer, and put a flask of brandy to his lips. The two
+men lay side by side for a space, gathering strength for the return
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the Germans lobbed a bomb over the parapet, and a cloud of
+smoke and dust arose, under cover of which Angus, half carrying, half
+dragging the wounded man, was seen staggering forward. When the smoke
+drifted away the German rifles cracked viciously, and more than a dozen
+bombs were hurled at him. Angus was literally riddled with wounds. "I
+could see the bombs coming," he said later. "I actually watched the one
+that cost me my left eye. I thought both were blown out in that awful,
+burning flash, so fearful was the pain in my face." The sight of the two
+wounded men being mercilessly pelted by the enemy aroused the fiercest
+indignation in the British trench, and only with the greatest difficulty
+were the men restrained from dashing out against the cowardly foe. A
+hurricane fire broke out on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span>both sides, and in the midst of it the two
+men rolled into the Scottish trench.</p>
+
+<p>When the heroic collier lad was sufficiently recovered to present
+himself at Buckingham Palace, and the King pinned the coveted cross on
+his breast, his Majesty murmured, "Forty wounds!" "Yes, your Majesty,"
+responded Angus; "but <i>only fifteen of them serious</i>!" The gallant
+fellow's father was called into the presence of the King, who said,
+"Your son has won his decoration nobly. It is almost a miracle he is
+spared to you, and I sincerely hope he may fully recover and live long
+to enjoy it. May you, too, be long spared to feel pride in him and his
+achievement."</p>
+
+<p>On a Saturday afternoon, a few days later, the village of Carluke,
+crowded with dwellers from all parts of the Clyde valley, made holiday,
+and prepared to welcome the hero who had dared death a hundred times to
+save the life of a friend. Flags waved, bands played, troops presented
+arms, and amidst loud cheering Angus limped through the streets with the
+man whom he had saved supporting him on the one side, and Lord Newlands
+on the other. Thus did he receive the deep gratitude and the handsome
+gifts of his neighbours and friends, and return home to his moorland
+cottage to nurse his "honourable" wounds. He was the first Scottish
+Territorial to win the Victoria Cross.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 747px;">
+<img src="images/p342.jpg" width="747" height="460" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Rushing a British Gun through the deserted streets of
+Ypres to a hard-pressed position on the Salient.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid dash with which the Horse
+Artillery bring up their guns to points of danger. It also shows the
+ruined condition of the beautiful old city of Ypres.</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell</span>, 1st Canadian Battalion.</p>
+
+<p>I have already mentioned the heroism of Lieutenant Campbell and Private
+Vincent during the Canadian attack on the German trenches near Stony
+Mountain. When war broke out, Lieutenant Campbell was farming at Mount
+Forest, Ontario; but he was so eager to "do his bit" that he sold one of
+his farms, his horses, and his stock, and forthwith joined the army. He
+very soon made his mark as a gallant soldier, and became very popular
+with his men. At the Battle of Ypres he went fearlessly to and fro,
+smiling and urging on his comrades, with death nudging his elbow. "How
+is it, Mr. Campbell, this morning?" asked one of his men; and his cheery
+reply was, "Oh, fine&mdash;we are going to have a scrap to-day." You will
+remember that at Givenchy, on 15th June, he took two machine guns over
+the parapet, and arrive<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[335]</a></span>d at the German first line with one gun, which he
+hoisted on the back of Private Vincent, and continued to fire in spite
+of the hail of bullets and bombs which fell around him. When the supply
+of bombs ran out, Lieutenant Campbell advanced still further with his
+gun, and in an exposed position fired about one thousand rounds and held
+back the enemy's counter-attack. Later on he was wounded, and died in
+hospital at Boulogne. The Victoria Cross, which was awarded after his
+death, became the proud and cherished possession of his bereaved wife
+and three young children.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Sydney Clayton Woodroffe</span>, 8th Battalion, Rifle
+Brigade.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that during the fighting at Hooge, when our men were
+fiercely attacked by big guns, liquid fire, and bombs, Second Lieutenant
+Woodroffe held a trench in the Zouave Wood. He was one of three
+brothers, all of them Marlborough boys, and head prefects of the famous
+school in their day. Sydney was still in his teens when he was called
+upon to resist torrents of shell, sprays of blazing petrol, and showers
+of bursting bombs. Despite the awful storm of fire and flame, he gave
+the enemy bomb for bomb; and when his supply was exhausted, withdrew his
+men, rallied them anew, and at their head pushed forward once more. The
+gallant lad was killed in the act of cutting his way through the
+barbed-wire jungle of the enemy. One of his brothers had already made
+the supreme sacrifice at Neuve Chapelle.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Arthur Boyd Rochfort</span>, Special Reserve, 1st Battalion,
+Scots Guards.</p>
+
+<p>On August 3, 1915, Lieutenant Rochfort was standing with a small working
+party in a communication trench just south of Cuinchy, when an enemy
+mortar threw a bomb which landed on the inside of his parapet. He might
+easily have stepped back round a traverse and avoided the danger; but,
+shouting to his men to look out, he sprang upon the bomb, picked it up,
+and hurled it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. There is no
+doubt that his splendid presence of mind saved the lives of many of his
+men.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 791px;">
+<img src="images/p344.jpg" width="791" height="437" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The September Battle in Champagne.</h3>
+
+<h4>A. Showing the German front which the French attacked on the first day,
+September 25, 1915. B. Showing the position of the French front on
+September 29, 1915.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLII" id="CHAPTER_XLII"></a>CHAPTER XLII.</h2>
+
+<h3>IN CHAMPAGNE.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>e are now to read the story of the great offensive which the Allies
+undertook in the West during the month of September 1915. I have already
+told you that the German lines were by this time so studded with
+skilfully placed forts, full of machine guns, that no living infantry
+could carry them until a road had been blasted through by artillery
+fire. You remember the maze of trenches and forts known to the French as
+the Labyrinth. The same sort of fortification extended along the whole
+German line. It was folly to break through the enemy's line on a narrow
+front, for the troops which entered the gap were at once enfiladed and
+exposed to a murderous fire on their flanks. This is precisely what
+happened in the unsuccessful attack at Stony Mountain. If the German
+front was to be really broken, a rent of at least fifteen miles must be
+made in it. In order to do this, long preparation was necessary.
+Thousands of guns and mountains of ammunition were required, and, above
+all, the part of the line to be broken must be carefully selected.</p>
+
+<p>Look at the map on page <a href="#Page_335">336</a>, and note the position of that portion of
+the German line which extends between the Argonne on the east and
+Auberive on the west. The cross railway line, by means of which the
+Germans supplied their front in Champagne, was in some places only four
+or five miles from the French trenches, and the main line was not more
+than ten or twelve miles away. If the French could break through in this
+region on a wide front, they could send their cavalry forward to cut the
+German lines of communication; in which case the enemy would be obliged
+to fall back, and his retreat might easily become a rout. The French,
+therefore, decided to make their big push in Champagne. An advance on
+this part of the line not only promised success, but Champagne itself
+wa<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[338]</a></span>s very suitable for a great combined attack of infantry and
+artillery. Unlike Artois and Flanders, the country consists of rolling
+chalk downs, with open, bare, and shallow valleys. Guns could thus be
+used to the best advantage, and infantry could push forward without
+being impeded by villages, mounds of refuse, railway embankments, and
+small enclosed fields. On the dull levels of Champagne the freedom of
+France had thrice<a name="FNanchor_69_69" id="FNanchor_69_69"></a><a href="#Footnote_69_69" class="fnanchor">[69]</a> been won. Was history to repeat itself, and was a
+fourth deliverance to result from the great movement now about to be
+made?</p>
+
+<p>A writer<a name="FNanchor_70_70" id="FNanchor_70_70"></a><a href="#Footnote_70_70" class="fnanchor">[70]</a> thus describes the district:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"There is scarcely a region in all France where a battle could
+have been fought with less injury to property. Imagine, if you
+please, an immense undulating plain, its surface broken by
+occasional low hills and ridges, none of them much over six
+hundred feet in height, and wandering in and out between these
+ridges the narrow stream which is the Marne. The country
+hereabouts is very sparsely settled; the few villages that dot
+the plain are wretchedly poor; the trees on the slopes of the
+ridges are stunted and scraggly; the soil is a chalky marl,
+which you have only to scratch to leave a staring scar, and the
+grass which tries to grow upon it seems to wither and die of a
+broken heart. This was the great manoeuvre ground of Ch&acirc;lons,
+and it was good for little else, yet only a few miles to the
+westward begin the vineyards which are France's chief source of
+wealth, and an hour's journey to the eastward is the beautiful
+Forest of the Argonne."</p></div>
+
+<p>The French devoted most of the summer to preparations for the great
+attack. The British took over thirty additional miles of the line, and
+thus released a large number of troops for the venture. New units were
+formed, and the factories worked night and day to produce the immense
+quantity of ammunition which would be needed. Artillery of every size
+and pattern, from light mountain guns to monster howitzers, were
+gradually brought together, until nearly 3,000 guns faced the Germans.
+Had these guns been placed side by side they would have extended for
+more than fifteen miles. Every battery knew exactly the portion of front
+which it was to attack. About twenty captive balloons, fitted with
+telephones and wires, were provided for directing the fire of the guns.
+A network of light railways was built in order to bring up the vast
+supp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[339]</a></span>lies of ammunition, and from the railhead a highroad nine miles
+long and forty feet wide was constructed across the plain.</p>
+
+<p>Dug-outs for men, stores for ammunition, and underground first-aid
+stations were constructed; and, so that the infantry could reach their
+positions without being destroyed by German shell fire, no less than
+forty miles of reserve and communication trenches were made. In some
+places saps and tunnels had been run out towards the German lines, so
+that the men making the first assault could spring suddenly from the
+earth. The hospitals were emptied ready for the stream of wounded that
+would soon flow into them. Officers and men were diligently instructed;
+everything was foreseen and provided for; nothing was left to chance.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us look closely at the portion of the German line which was to
+be assaulted. From the village of Auberive (page <a href="#Page_335">336</a>) the trenches ran
+eastward. Beyond Souain a series of hills lay in front of the French
+line, and on each of them a redoubt had been erected. The Germans had
+held this position since the Battle of the Marne, and for more than a
+year they had striven to make it impregnable. In many cases the trenches
+had walls of concrete, and the wire entanglements were as much as sixty
+yards deep. In front of the entanglements the ground had been
+honeycombed with mines, and strewn with sharpened stakes and obstacles
+of all kinds. Every German fired from behind a shield of armour plate,
+and at every fifteen yards along the trenches there was a machine gun.
+Here and there were revolving steel turrets, each containing a
+quick-firing gun. In some places there were five lines of trenches, one
+behind the other, all linked together so as to form a labyrinth very
+similar to that which the French had captured in Artois. Remember that
+these trenches only formed the first line of German defence. Behind them
+was a second line, and between the two were the artillery. Light
+railways came right down to the front, so that troops and ammunition and
+supplies could be moved very readily and speedily. The Germans boasted
+that they had created an inland Gibraltar, and they smiled superior when
+their aviators told them what preparations were going on behind the
+French lines. They were quite certain that nothing could shift them.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p348.jpg" width="652" height="462" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Great French Advance in Champagne.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>By permission of
+The Graphic.</i></h3>
+
+<h4>While the British advanced between La Bass&eacute;e and Lens, the French
+assaulted the German lines on a seventeen-mile front in Champagne. They
+carried all before them, and captured 21,000 prisoners and over 120
+guns. A British surgeon who witnessed the onslaught tells us how the
+French dashed forward like an avalanche. "They are superb, these
+Frenchmen."</h4>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[341]</a></span></p>
+<p>Of course it would never do for the French to attack in Champagne while
+the rest of the Allied troops lay quiet in their trenches. The enemy
+must be engaged at various points all along the line, so that he could
+not mass reinforcements against the great attack. Further, he must not
+be allowed to know exactly where the main thrust was to take place. The
+Allies intended, as we shall learn later, to make a big offensive
+between La Bass&eacute;e and Lens, and to fight holding battles elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the month of September, during perfect autumn weather, a
+general bombardment began along the whole front. The airmen were very
+busy, and in the third week of the month there were no fewer than
+twenty-seven fights over the British front alone. On 23rd September the
+bombardment began to grow very violent. The guns had begun the overture
+to the great drama on which the curtain was now about to rise.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>All was now ready. The French trenches were packed with men, waiting for
+the guns to cease fire and the order to advance. Meanwhile the greatest
+bombardment that the world had ever known was in progress. General
+Joffre had instructed his artillery commanders to smash up the enemy's
+trenches, and to destroy their dug-outs in such a fashion "that may make
+it possible for my men to march to the assault with their rifles at the
+shoulder." It is impossible to describe in words the awful din of the
+guns. The sky overhead was a canopy of flying shells, and a rain of
+death fell upon the German trenches. Wire entanglements were blown into
+a myriad fragments; concreted trenches were swept into shapeless ruin,
+and the troops holding them were buried alive in their dug-outs.
+Hundreds of men went mad through sheer terror. The big shells raised
+huge geysers of earth and smoke wherever they fell, and the French
+gunners, stripped to the waist, never ceased or slackened their fire for
+three days and two nights. Upon and behind the German trenches a cascade
+of fire continued to fall; the enemy could neither advance nor retreat.</p>
+
+<p>At 5.30 on the morning of 25th September the <i>r&eacute;veill&eacute;</i> rang out along
+the French lines. It was a gray, dismal morning, but the men were in
+good heart. They drank their morning coffee, looked to their equipment,
+and waited for the word that would launch them against the foe. Every
+man wore a patch of white calico on his back, so that the French gunners
+might know their own men, and not fire upon them. At 9.5 the regimental
+flags were unrolled; for the first <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[342]</a></span>time in this war the troops were to
+go into action with colours flying.</p>
+
+<p>At 9.15 the guns suddenly ceased to fire, whistles shrilled all along
+the line, and bugles pealed the charge. "<i>En avant! Vaincre ou
+mourir!</i>"<a name="FNanchor_71_71" id="FNanchor_71_71"></a><a href="#Footnote_71_71" class="fnanchor">[71]</a> shouted the officers, and a human wave of blue-gray,
+fifteen miles in length and topped with steel, surged from the trenches.
+Onward, with hoarse cheering and snatches of song, they went, under a
+hail of fire from the German batteries and from machine guns hurriedly
+withdrawn from deep dug-outs which the French guns had not wrecked.
+Despite the terrible gunfire, stretches of unbroken wire still remained,
+and amidst these death-traps many men fell. Numerous others were shot
+down in front of steel obstacles which had to be blown up before the
+advance could proceed. Nevertheless the French infantry swept on, and
+plunged into the ruin of the German first line. Leaving detachments to
+ferret out prisoners from the deeper dug-outs, the French made for the
+second line. So fierce did the German fire become, that they frequently
+had to lie flat on the ground and crawl forward. But in a lull they rose
+again to their feet and advanced once more. Soon they were on the edge
+of the woods, where the German field guns, unable to get away, were
+firing at point-blank range. They flung themselves upon the guns, and in
+a few seconds had captured whole batteries. Prisoners were taken by the
+hundred&mdash;broken, stricken men, dazed and stupefied by the terrible
+bombardment.</p>
+
+<p>In some places the assault was pushed into the second German line; in
+other places men still battled furiously in the first line. Battalions
+became mixed up, but in a short time order was restored, and the troops
+surged on again. Wounded men cried out to their comrades to leave them
+and proceed. "Go on," they cried, "don't mind us. It's only you who are
+whole who matter now." Then the guns came up with a thunderous rumble,
+and unlimbering like magic, prepared the way for a further advance of
+the infantry. African troops were ordered up to finish the business with
+cold steel, and behind them came the cavalry&mdash;dragoons, chasseurs, and
+Spahis&mdash;making a charge and fighting from the saddle for the first time
+since the trench war began. They sabred the fleeing Germans and swept up
+hundreds of prisoners, while the "trench cleaners," as the Algerians and
+Sene<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[343]</a></span>galese are called, scoured the ruined earthworks for the lurking
+foe.</p>
+
+<p>The most desperate fighting was on the left, where the cavalry charged
+the line of wooded hills between Auberive and Souain. The French
+infantry on the extreme left were held up before they had advanced
+little more than half a mile, but, later on, they took trench after
+trench, and by midday were two miles in front of their starting-point.
+It was in this part of the line that the Colonial troops, led by General
+Marchand,<a name="FNanchor_72_72" id="FNanchor_72_72"></a><a href="#Footnote_72_72" class="fnanchor">[72]</a> made a splendid advance, in the course of which their
+brave leader fell. He was standing on the parapet of a German trench,
+smoking his pipe and urging his men forward, when he was struck down.</p>
+
+<p>All through the wet afternoon the battle continued, and only when
+twilight fell was it possible to reckon up the gains of the day. On a
+front of fifteen miles, the French had pushed forward, on the average,
+two and a half miles. Our allies had drawn near to the village of
+Tahure, but they had not captured it, neither had they seized the
+Butte<a name="FNanchor_73_73" id="FNanchor_73_73"></a><a href="#Footnote_73_73" class="fnanchor">[73]</a> of Tahure which overlooks the railway, nor the Butte of Mesnil
+which you see to the south-east of Tahure. Eastward of the latter hill
+there is high ground from which spurs stretch out southwards like the
+open fingers of a hand. On each of the fingers of this Hand of
+Massiges,<a name="FNanchor_74_74" id="FNanchor_74_74"></a><a href="#Footnote_74_74" class="fnanchor">[74]</a> as the French called it, the Germans had constructed a
+great stronghold of criss-crossed trenches with forts at intervals. It
+was as though five labyrinths lay side by side. So strong was the
+position that the Germans said it could be held against a whole army by
+two washerwomen with machine guns. The French, however, had already
+carried part of it, and also the farmhouse which you see on the westward
+edge of the high ground. The whole German first line had gone, and large
+parts of the s<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[344]</a></span>econd line west of Navarin Farm and east of Tahure had
+been captured.</p>
+
+<p>For every yard of front which the French had won they had taken an
+unwounded prisoner, and for every mile, nine guns. During the fighting
+some 21,000 prisoners were captured. The Germans surrendered by hundreds
+at a time. Most of them had been without food for several days and were
+suffering from thirst, and all of them had been completely cowed by the
+terrible bombardment.</p>
+
+<p>Though the French had made such good progress, the battle was far from
+over. German counter-attacks were already preparing and might be
+expected any moment. At all costs the enemy must be prevented from
+bringing up his reserves and strengthening his remaining line of
+defence. So while the French infantry worked like inspired giants all
+through the night, digging themselves in, building parapets, and
+installing their machine guns, heavy batteries lumbered and swayed
+forward over the scarred and pitted ground, and began a new bombardment
+from advanced positions. On the next day, Sunday, all the summits of the
+downs were cleared from Auberive to the Butte of Souain. A hill facing
+the Butte of Tahure was captured by the evening, and the northern slopes
+of the Hand of Massiges were won.</p>
+
+<p>By means of artillery and bomb attacks the line slowly advanced and was
+knitted up all along its length. The fighting during Sunday was far more
+trying than that of Saturday. "If you only knew what these days and
+nights are like," wrote an officer; "condemned to remain crouching in
+the mud under an avalanche of shells, under an almost unceasing rain,
+with but few supplies brought up, in the midst of bodies more or less
+mangled by shot and shell, and in our ears always the groans of the
+dying and the moans of the wounded."</p>
+
+<p>The Germans rushed up all the men that they could spare from other parts
+of the line, and on Monday the Crown Prince tried to break through the
+French trenches in the Argonne. His troops advanced after a gas attack,
+but they were too weak to do more than carry a few yards. It was not
+necessary to draw off a single man from the Champagne armies to repulse
+him.</p>
+
+<p>The second great French effort began on Wednesday, 29th September, when
+an attack was launched against the German position to the west of
+Navarin Farm. Already the French had pierced the second line on a front
+of about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[345]</a></span> five-eighths of a mile. They strove hard to widen the gap so
+that the cavalry might push through, but again and again they were
+repulsed, and all that they could do was to dig shelter trenches and
+cling to the breach in the face of a murderous fire that assailed them
+in front and in flank. With this check the great battle of Champagne may
+be said to have ended.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The French had probably about 110,000 casualties in the five days'
+fighting. It was estimated that the Germans lost 140,000 men, including
+21,000 prisoners, and 121 guns. Despite their great sacrifice of life,
+the distance gained by the French was too small to be shown on an
+ordinary map. But we shall make a great mistake if we measure the effect
+of the French effort by the amount of ground gained. The aim and object
+of generalship is not to occupy territory, but to foil the enemy's plans
+and destroy his forces. The victory at the Marne stopped any further
+invasion of France and ruined the German plan, while the resistance in
+Flanders and Artois prevented the enemy from reaching the Channel ports.
+The Champagne battles threw the enemy upon the defensive; it wore down
+his numbers and disheartened him, and proved that his most strongly
+fortified lines could be pierced, if the Allies were willing to pay the
+cost.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Though there was no great offensive on the Western front during the rest
+of the year, fighting continued in Champagne during October. The Germans
+sent reserves to this region, and on 6th October the French made an
+effort to carry the village and Butte of Tahure, in order that they
+might command the cross-railway which supplied the German front. After a
+long and strong bombardment by massed guns the French carried the crest
+of the Butte, and their guns now cut off the Germans in the village from
+support and reinforcements. Then they swept from the west and south into
+a wood in which the enemy had constructed seven lines of parallel
+trenches, and, after carrying them, entered the village, where over a
+thousand prisoners were taken. The summit of the Butte was now in the
+hands of the French, and this was the farthest point they reached during
+the year 1915.</p>
+
+<p>This success and the capture of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[346]</a></span>very strong trenches to the north of the
+Navarin Farm drove the Germans to desperate efforts. They knew that
+another vigorous thrust would push them back from their railway and
+force them to retreat. On the night of 8th October they made a great
+counter-attack on the Butte, but achieved nothing. Meanwhile their hold
+on the Butte of Mesnil, which formed an awkward sag in the French lines,
+had been greatly shaken. On 24th October the French carried a very
+powerful fortress in this position, and afterwards beat off numerous
+attacks. They had thus removed a danger from their flank and were
+enabled to straighten out their line.</p>
+
+<p>On the 30th of the same month the Germans attacked the Butte of Tahure
+and retook the summit, capturing 21 officers and 1,215 men. They forced
+the French back to the southern side of the hill, but they could do no
+more. Nevertheless, they had eased their position. They could still use
+the cross-railway for supplying their lines during the winter's lull
+which was soon to set in.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>A correspondent who visited the battlefields of Champagne during the
+month of September tells us that the ground over which the struggle had
+raged looked and smelled like a garbage heap. "Over an area as long as
+from Charing Cross to Hampstead Heath, and as wide as from the Bank to
+the Marble Arch, the earth is pitted with the craters caused by bursting
+shells, as is pitted the face of a man who has had the small-pox. Any of
+these shell-holes was large enough to hold a barrel; many of them would
+have held a horse; I saw one, caused by the explosion of a mine, which
+we estimated to be seventy feet deep and twice that in diameter. In the
+terrific blast that caused it five hundred German soldiers perished."</p>
+
+<p>The battlefield was thickly covered with unexploded shells,
+hand-grenades, and bombs. In a captured trench the correspondent saw one
+of the steel revolving turrets, some six feet high and eight or nine in
+diameter, in which the Germans had installed a quick-firing gun. The
+door of the turret was fastened by a chain and padlock, and when burst
+open the bodies of three Germans were discovered. They had been locked
+in by their officers, and left to fight and die with no chance of
+escape.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[347]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLIII" id="CHAPTER_XLIII"></a>CHAPTER XLIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF LOOS.&mdash;I.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>ou will remember that, in order to prevent the Germans from massing
+their forces to resist the great French offensive in Champagne, the
+Allies had prepared attacks on other parts of the enemy's line. While
+the French were pushing forward across the miry downs of Champagne, six
+separate assaults were launched on the German front between Lens and
+Ypres&mdash;four to the north of the La Bass&eacute;e Canal and two to the south of
+it. The four attacks which were made to the north of the canal were
+merely for the purpose of distracting the enemy's attention; the two
+attacks which were made to the south of the canal were part of the main
+movement against the enemy's lines of communication. While the French in
+Champagne strove to capture the railway by which the Germans maintained
+themselves in this region, the French and British tried to seize the
+railway junction of Lens and open a road into the plain of the Scheldt.
+Had these thrusts from the south and the west fully succeeded, the enemy
+would have been forced to retire, probably into Belgium.</p>
+
+<p>I shall not trouble you with an account of the "holding" attacks which
+were made to the north of the La Bass&eacute;e Canal. Three of them served
+their purpose and resulted in some gains, but the fourth, which was made
+against the Aubers Ridge, came to grief. The two attacks which I shall
+describe at length are those which were made by the French and the
+British south of the canal.</p>
+
+<p>Turn back to the map on page <a href="#Page_222">223</a> and find the village of Souchez. South
+and east of this village you observe that there is high ground, which is
+nowhere more than 400 feet above sea-level. This high ground is known as
+the Vimy Heights, from the name of the village which you see by the side
+of the railway line running from Ar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[348]</a></span>ras to Lens. On 26th September the
+French began to attack these heights, and by the morning of the 29th
+had fought their way up them foot by foot, and were in a position to
+command the railway from Lens to Arras. I wish I had space to describe
+this fine achievement fully. As, however, this book is specially meant
+for British boys and girls, I must pass over the splendid work done by
+the French in capturing the Vimy Heights, and turn to the exploits of
+our own men. By winning the Vimy Heights the French had cut off Lens
+from Arras; the British were now to try to cut off Lens from La Bass&eacute;e.</p>
+
+<p>Look carefully at the map on page <a href="#Page_349">349</a> and follow the German first line
+of trenches from north to south. Less than a mile and a half south of
+the canal, and about half a mile inside the German line, you see a
+position marked Fosse 8, and south of it the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Fosse
+8 was a great slag heap which commanded the country to the south and had
+been strongly fortified. The Hohenzollern Redoubt was a pear-shaped
+stronghold situated on a gentle rise about 500 yards in front of the
+line. Its broad end pointed northwards and it had a clear field of fire
+before it, every inch of which could be swept by the machine guns
+inside. The whole position was criss-crossed by trenches and resembled
+the famous Labyrinth. It was connected with the main line by two
+trenches. That which ran to the rear from the south end was called "Big
+Willie," and the corresponding trench at the north end was known as
+"Little Willie."</p>
+
+<p>South of the Hohenzollern Redoubt the line ran along the western slope
+of the downs which you see marked on the map. Then the line curved
+westwards, passing the Loos Redoubt, and after crossing the B&eacute;thune-Lens
+road, curved back eastwards in front of what was known as Double
+Crassier,<a name="FNanchor_75_75" id="FNanchor_75_75"></a><a href="#Footnote_75_75" class="fnanchor">[75]</a> another slag heap which had been strongly fortified.</p>
+
+<p>Now look at the German reserve line, which was roughly parallel with the
+front line, and from less than a mile to two miles behind it. Notice the
+Quarries, which had been turned into a stronghold, and the mining
+village of Loos, which lies in a shallow hollow. Behind the village
+rises Hill 70, on which there was a strong redoubt.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[349]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p357.jpg" width="279" height="372" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Battle of Loos.&mdash;The Front from La Bass&eacute;e to Lens.</h4>
+
+<p>Now follow the third line. Behind it you will see a string of mining
+villages&mdash;Haisnes,<a name="FNanchor_76_76" id="FNanchor_76_76"></a><a href="#Footnote_76_76" class="fnanchor">[76]</a> Cit&eacute; St. Elie, and Hulluch. The line crossed the
+Lens-La Bass&eacute;e road at Hulluch and then ran a little east and south
+behind a chalk pit and Pit No. 14. The villages and the pits which I
+have mentioned were fortresses, and there were numerous other mounds and
+hillocks that had been turned into strongholds.</p>
+
+<p>From the British front the country seemed a dead-flat plain studded with
+the head-gear of pits and groups of small houses, and seamed with roads.
+There was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[350]</a></span> scarcely a tree in sight, and except for the collieries and
+slag heaps, the plain looked something like the South African veldt.
+But behind the downs which shut in the view of our men facing the
+northern half of the line, there were innumerable places where batteries
+of machine guns lay concealed.</p>
+
+<p>The map shows you that two corps of the First Army, under Sir Douglas
+Haig, were arrayed for the assault. The 1st Corps, under General
+Gough,<a name="FNanchor_77_77" id="FNanchor_77_77"></a><a href="#Footnote_77_77" class="fnanchor">[77]</a> consisted of the 2nd, 9th, and 7th Divisions: the 2nd
+Division lay north of the canal, the 9th Division opposite to Fosse 8,
+and the 7th Division facing the Quarries. The 9th Division consisted of
+Scottish regiments&mdash;Highland and Lowland, "kilties" and men wearing the
+trews. South of the road from Vermelles to Hulluch lay the 4th Army
+Corps, under General Sir Henry Rawlinson. The 1st Division of his
+command was posted just south of the road; opposite to the Loos Redoubt
+was the 15th Division, also a wholly Scottish division, composed of men
+of the new army. This division had been for three months or more in the
+trenches facing Loos, and it was well acquainted with the ground over
+which it was soon to charge. On the extreme right was the 47th Division
+of Londoners.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>When the guns began to roar in Champagne, the British artillery along
+the whole five-mile front from Givenchy to Grenay joined in the tumult.
+Across the plain a tornado of shells swept upon the German positions,
+and in many places the trenches were pounded into utter ruin. At 6.30 on
+the morning of 25th September the guns lifted their muzzles, and the
+high explosive shells rained a deluge of fire behind the first line of
+German defence. Then the whistles blew, and five miles of British troops
+with fixed bayonets clambered over their trenches. The great advance had
+begun.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p359.jpg" width="352" height="469" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Storming of Loos Road Redoubt.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)<br />
+
+This redoubt (see map, page <a href="#Page_349">349</a>) was a fortified tongue of land jutting
+out of the German first-line trench. It was semicircular in form, and
+was protected by a perfect jungle of barbed wire entanglements. The
+British guns smashed the redoubt to ruin, and on September 25, 1915, it
+was carried. (See page <a href="#Page_357">357</a>.)</h4>
+
+<p>We will first follow the fortunes of the 9th Division, now making for
+Fosse 8 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Enfilading fire from the village
+of Auchy streamed down upon the Lowlanders on the left, and took a heavy
+toll of them as they advanced. Nevertheless they pushed on, crossed the
+railway, and in a few minutes were thrusting and bombing in the German
+trenches. So fierce, however, was the fire that they could not cling to
+them, and slowly during the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[352]</a></span> day they were driven back. Meanwhile the
+26th Highland Brigade on the right had rushed the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
+The bombardment had wrecked it, and saps had been run up to within a
+short distance of "Little Willie." Our losses were heavy, but the
+stronghold was won.</p>
+
+<p>Camerons, Seaforths, and Black Watch now advanced over a bare,
+shell-swept piece of ground towards Fosse 8, from which a hail of
+machine-gun fire beat down upon them like a thunderstorm in autumn. As
+the Lowlanders on their left had been held up, and their flank was in
+the air, the 27th Brigade was hurried up in support, and was soon busy
+with bomb and bayonet in the maze of trenches and cottages to the east
+of the Fosse. By midday we had pushed forward a broad salient on this
+part of the line, and had captured the chief works of the enemy, though
+the Germans were not entirely cleared out of them. The rear was so
+studded with little forts, each pouring out a murderous fire, that
+little further progress could be made. Our men fell fast, and as we had
+but few reserves, it was clear that we could not long hold on to our
+gains in this part of the line.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us see how the 7th Division was faring. There were no great
+strongholds in their front, so they swept forward right across the
+German first line, and reached the western end of the Quarries, where
+for a time the Reserve Line held them up. Nevertheless the van pushed
+on, entered the village of Cit&eacute; St. Elie, gained the highroad, turned
+northwards, and by ten o'clock was in the village of Haisnes. Judging
+from the map, you would say that the Germans still clinging to the
+eastern edges of Fosse 8 and Hohenzollern Redoubt were now taken between
+two fires, and that nothing could save them. But the vanguard, which had
+pushed northwards along the highroad to Haisnes, was not strong enough
+to hold on to the village, and by midday it had fallen back, and the
+front of the 7th Division lay from the western side of the Quarries
+eastwards to Cit&eacute; St. Elie. In the Quarries was a German howitzer
+battery which we could not destroy and the enemy could not use.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[353]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLIV" id="CHAPTER_XLIV"></a>CHAPTER XLIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BATTLE OF LOOS.&mdash;II.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he 1st Division, lying to the south of the 7th Division, made excellent
+progress. Its 1st Brigade swept forward for a mile and three-quarters,
+and by noon was across the highroad, on the outskirts of Hulluch, and up
+against the last German line. On the right, however, the 2nd Brigade was
+checked by wire and trenches which our artillery had not destroyed; and
+it lay pinned to the ground till afternoon, when reserves were sent up
+through the wide rent which, we shall learn later, had been torn in the
+German lines by the 15th Division. These reserves cut off and captured a
+German detachment 700 strong, and enabled the 2nd Brigade to go forward
+and join the 1st Brigade in front of Hulluch.</p>
+
+<p>Now we come to the most brilliant advance of the day, that which was
+made by the 15th and 47th Divisions against Loos. This advance resulted,
+as you will learn, in the capture of the village, and shook the whole
+German front. For a brief time the Germans thought that all was lost,
+and they began to move their big guns out of Lens. The 47th Division of
+Londoners meant to "make good" that day. For weeks they had been busy
+with preparations, and when the hour arrived everything went like
+clockwork. They had constructed a big model of the countryside, and had
+studied it so well that every man knew the lie of the ground, and
+exactly where he had to go. One battalion&mdash;the 19th London&mdash;lost all its
+officers; yet the men went on without them, and carried out the arranged
+plan without a mistake. The 18th (London Irish), the 19th (St. Pancras),
+and the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) were on the left of the attack,
+and the 6th, 7th, and 8th (Post Office Rifles) on the right. Cannot you
+imagine the amazement of the French gunners who watched the start when
+they saw one of the London Irish kick off a football from the parapet
+and dribble it towards the German lines?</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 841px;">
+<img src="images/p362.jpg" width="841" height="502" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>British Troops swarming over the German First Line
+Trenches and dashing onwards towards Loos, the "Tower Bridge," and Hill 70.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News.</i>)<br />
+
+Notice the Tower Bridge, as it was called by our soldiers. It was the
+head-gear of a pit, and consisted of twin towers connected by a bridge.
+It had been seen by our men, foreshortened over the downs, for many
+months past. They believed that the Germans had constructed it before
+the war as an observation station.</h4>
+
+<p>In half an hour the s<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[355]</a></span>tronghold of the Double Crassier had been carried,
+and the men of the 47th Division were pushing on to the village of Loos
+through clouds of bursting shrapnel. Before long they had seized the
+cemetery, and their left was on the outskirts of the village. A few
+minutes later and they were surging into the shattered streets of Loos,
+where they joined hands with the Highlanders of the 15th Division
+beneath the "Tower Bridge." Then began a fierce and deadly struggle.
+Every ruined house was packed with Germans from cellar to garret; the
+muzzles of rifles and machine guns peeped out of every window and
+through every grating. Through the wet, slippery streets went our men,
+bursting through barricades, battering down doors, fighting upstairs and
+downstairs, bombing the enemy out of cellars, slag heaps, and
+pit-workings, and gradually clearing the place. In a deep cellar a
+German officer was discovered directing by telephone the fire of the
+batteries, which were smashing the ruined village to atoms. So the
+fierce, red work went on, and by nine in the morning Loos was won.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The inhabitants of Loos were overjoyed when the British entered the
+village and set them free from German bondage. Though the place had been
+heavily shelled for many months, some of the people had lived in their
+cellars all the time. When our men appeared they came out of their
+hiding-places, and while doing so some of them were killed. The
+remainder, however, were sent to a place of safety, and were given food.
+Some of the women greeted the Highlanders with hearty kisses. A pretty
+girl of eighteen, named Emilienne Moreau, was one of the first to assist
+our wounded. She helped to carry in the stricken men and to bandage
+them. As the poor, helpless fellows lay on their stretchers two German
+snipers in a neighbouring house opened fire on them. This was more than
+the brave girl could bear. Suddenly, without a word, she bent down
+beside a wounded officer and took his revolver out of his holster. Armed
+with this weapon, she disappeared down a side street and made her way to
+the house in which the snipers were hidden. She managed to get inside by
+means of a side entrance, and, taking steady aim, shot them both. Such
+is the story of the girl who will go down to history as "the heroine of
+Loos." On November 27, 1915, she was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[356]</a></span> decorated with the French Military
+Cross. When General de Sailly pinned the decoration on her breast, he
+said, "I congratulate and admire you, young lady. You do honour to the
+women of France. You are a fine and inspiring example." And so say all
+of us.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The most remarkable success of the day was obtained by the 15th
+Division. Let me remind you that this division consisted of Scottish
+soldiers, and that they lay in front of the Loos Redoubt. The 44th
+Brigade of this division was to make its thrust direct at the village;
+the 46th Brigade, on the left, was to sweep round and enter it on the
+north side; while the 45th Brigade was held in reserve. We will now
+follow the fortunes of the 9th Black Watch and the 8th Seaforths of the
+44th Brigade. They were now about to assault the village; the 7th
+Camerons were in support, and the 10th Gordons were to follow on.</p>
+
+<p>Do you remember the great gas attack of the Germans at the Second Battle
+of Ypres? You will remember what a shock of horror went through the
+civilized world when the Germans resorted to this foul weapon. We had
+never dreamed of sending clouds of poisoned gas against our enemies, but
+now we were forced to pay them back in their own coin. Many people at
+home thought that we ought to refrain from using gas, but our generals
+thought otherwise, and in times of warfare their word is law. But the
+gas which we were now about to use was not poisoned. It was far less
+hurtful than that of the Germans. Men who breathed it were rendered
+insensible for a time; they were neither killed nor subjected to
+horrible tortures. We also used, for the first time in this battle,
+clouds of smoke to screen our advance.</p>
+
+<p>At ten minutes to six on the morning of 25th September the nozzles of
+the gas cylinders in front of our trenches were opened, and the men
+watched anxiously as the whitish cloud moved slowly upwards towards the
+German lines near the crown of the slope. A very light wind blew from
+the south-west, and in the hollow where Loos stands formed an eddy which
+blew back the gas on to the 46th Brigade. Our men were wearing their gas
+helmets, but for a moment the choking cloud caused them to hesitate,
+whereupon Piper Daniel Laidlaw climbed the parapet and played a march
+that put new he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[357]</a></span>art into his comrades. You will learn on a later page
+that he received the Victoria Cross for this fine deed.</p>
+
+<p>The Highlanders saw before them the line of green-gray sandbags which
+they had watched through their periscopes day by day for months past.
+The parapets of the enemy, which had so long barred their way, were soon
+to be the starting-point for their advance. Now the great guns got to
+work, and in less than half an hour the barrier was crushed and pounded
+into ruin. The wire was blown into a million fragments, and the parapets
+were utterly destroyed. The strong redoubt of Loos was raked fore and
+aft, and the German trenches were full of dead.</p>
+
+<p>At 6.30 the whistles blew; the Highlanders scrambled over the parapets,
+and with a rush dashed into the wrecked trenches. At five minutes past
+seven the whole of the German first line position, several trenches
+deep, was in their hands. Even in the first rush many men were mown down
+by the machine guns which desperate Germans had hidden in deep dug-outs
+and had brought into play when the bombardment ceased. But nothing could
+stay the Scots. On they went, cheering and singing, through the reeking
+cloud of gas and smoke, and in a few minutes were rushing down the slope
+towards Loos. The entanglements of the reserve line had been broken in
+many places, but here and there patches of uncut wire remained, and the
+Black Watch had to cut them under heavy fire. The ground was carpeted
+with their dead, but they did not waver; they swarmed over the reserve
+line, and at twenty minutes to eight, an hour and ten minutes after they
+had left their trenches, they were shooting and stabbing and hurling
+bombs in the four rambling streets and in the gardens and enclosures of
+Loos, along with their comrades of the 47th Division, who had entered
+from the south. One Cameron sergeant was seen with a machine gun on his
+shoulder, pouring a stream of bullets into window after window. The 46th
+Brigade was rapidly closing in from the north. Two and a half hours
+after the advance began, Loos was clear of the enemy.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p367.jpg" width="363" height="431" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>A Scottish Highlander rescuing a French Girl in the Village of Loos.</h3>
+
+<h4>Many moving incidents took place when the British entered Loos. Many of
+the inhabitants, who had been living in the cellars, came out to heap
+blessings on the head of their deliverers. A Highlander is here seen
+carrying a fainting French girl into a place of safety.</h4>
+
+<p>The Highlanders, however, were not content. It was their business not
+only to take Loos, but to capture the broad down marked on the map as
+Hill 70, and some of them believed that when it was won supports would
+follow them, and they were to push on as far as they could. The remnan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[358]</a></span>ts
+of the Highland Brigade, with Camerons and Gordons leading, now rushed
+up the western slope of Hill 70, and were at once met by a fierce fire.
+The Germans came out of their trenches as if to attack, and at the sight
+the Highlanders streamed up the hill like hares, the green tartans of
+the Gordons mingling with those of the Camerons. They were fired at from
+front and flank, but on they swept, carrying all before them, and by
+nine in the morning they were on the summit of the hill.</p>
+
+<p>They stormed the redoubt at the top, and many of the garrison
+surrendered. Without pausing to secure the place, they sped down the
+eastern slope and reached the outskirts of the village of Cit&eacute; St.
+Auguste. They were now right through the last line of German trenches,
+and were in a district where every fold in the ground sheltered a
+machine gun. By this time they were reduced to a few hundreds; they had
+no supports south or north, and no reserves were following them up. The
+redoubt on Hill 70 opened fire again, while from several strongholds in
+the neighbourhood streams of lead played upon them. In the course of
+three hours they had advanced nearly four miles, and the last line of
+the German defence was in their rear. Had reserves been available, and
+had their flanks been secure, Lens must have fallen and the Germans must
+have retreated.</p>
+
+<p>The Highlanders had gone too far, and they were now hidden in the fog
+and smoke of the eastern slope from the eyes of their comrades who were
+battling against the redoubt on the hill. They must be recalled, and two
+officers volunteered to go forward with the order to retire. Both fell
+on the way, but the order reached the stragglers, who turned and began
+to fight their way back through the encircling fire. Few of them
+returned to the British lines on the hill. "All down the slope towards
+Lens lay the tartans, Gordon and Black Watch, Seaforth and Cameron, like
+the drift left on the shore when the tide has ebbed."</p>
+
+<p>You will probably ask, Where were the reserves at this time? Why were
+they not brought up promptly, so that the gains of the Highlanders might
+be made good? There was a whole army corps in reserve. Where was it at
+this critical time? Sir John French tells us that he kept it under his
+own command, so that he might throw it into that part of the line where
+the need was greatest. On the night before <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[359]</a></span>the battle two divisions of
+this corps were about five miles from our old firing-line; another
+division&mdash;the Guards&mdash;lay nearly twenty miles from Loos, while other
+divisions were still more remote. All the reserves which Sir Douglas
+Haig possessed at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[360]</a></span> the beginning of the battle consisted of the 3rd
+Cavalry Division. After the fall of Loos, when the Highlanders were in
+front of Cit&eacute; St. Auguste, Sir John French sent him the 21st and 24th
+Divisions. At that time they were about eight miles from our front, and
+they could not possibly arrive before the German counter-attacks began.
+Long before they appeared the enemy was hurrying up fresh troops and
+flinging them against our worn and weary men. All through the drizzling
+rain of the afternoon until the sun set in a stormy sky our men were
+heavily assailed. They were clinging to their gains; but their hold on
+Fosse 8, on Pit 14, and on Hill 70 was weakening.</p>
+
+<p>Through the wet, dark night two divisions of the Eleventh Army marched
+towards the firing-line, in order to relieve two brigades of the 15th
+Division. They were quite new to the work of war, and some of them had
+only landed in France a few days before. Sir John French had reviewed
+them, and had been struck by their fine martial appearance, and he now
+proposed to send them into the thick of the fighting. On the morning of
+Sunday one of these divisions began to advance towards the trenches
+across open ground under a terrible fire. It was an ordeal too great for
+any unseasoned troops, and they gave way.</p>
+
+<p>The German counter-attacks continued all night. The 7th Division were
+driven out of their trenches at the Quarries, but in the afternoon of
+Sunday they regained the lost ground. By this time the 21st and 24th
+Divisions had arrived. One brigade of the 24th Division pushed forward
+most gallantly between Hulluch and the Chalk Pit; but the advance was
+carried too far, and in the afternoon it was forced to retrace its steps
+with heavy losses. Meanwhile the 21st Division had to bear the brunt of
+a very heavy German attack. The men had been without food and water for
+many hours, and were worn out with much fighting. Three times their
+officers rallied them, but they were forced back, and our advanced
+positions towards Hulluch were lost. Some of the trenches on Hill 70 had
+also been recaptured, and it was feared that we could not hold on to the
+rising ground much longer. Many a British soldier, half dead with
+fatigue, his eyes bloodshot and bleared with powder smoke, looked
+anxiously to the rear and muttered beneath his breath, "Will the
+reserves never come?"</p>
+
+<p>The Guards were coming up, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[361]</a></span> they were then eight miles away; and were
+not being hurried, for they were intended to carry on the next stage of
+the advance. The fate of the two new divisions had upset all the plans,
+and troops that had been withdrawn from the trenches had to be sent back
+again. The 45th Brigade of the 15th Division was ordered to retake the
+lost ground on Hill 70. It advanced, but was met by a terrible shell
+fire, and could not proceed. Four times Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas
+Hamilton led forward the Camerons; he fell at the head of the fifty men
+who alone survived. The position of affairs was now desperate, and it
+continued to be so all that day and all through the following night. So
+weak were our lines during the hours of darkness that the Germans could
+easily have driven us out of Loos had they made an attack in force. Not
+until Monday at noon did the Guards arrive and take over the front from
+the heroic 15th Division. In the two days' fighting it had lost more
+than 6,000 men. The fiery spirit of the Gael and the dogged endurance of
+the Lowlander had added new glory to the fighting fame of Scotland.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing was more surprising in the Battle of Loos than the high spirits
+of our men, even in the darkest hour of trial. Even the badly wounded
+came out of action singing and waving blood-stained bayonets. Those who
+were sent back to billets woke from their much-needed sleep ready and
+even eager to plunge again into the fray. During the wet and misty
+Monday Sir Douglas Haig was reinforced by the 28th Division; but before
+it could arrive we had lost Fosse 8, and the Germans were bombing our
+men out of the Hohenzollern Redoubt.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon the news spread like wildfire that "the Guards were
+going in." They were now to take the field for the first time in this
+war as a division, and great things were expected of them. They were to
+win back the three-quarters of a mile of ground which we had lost
+between Hulluch and the Loos-La Bass&eacute;e road, and right nobly did they do
+it. The 1st Brigade carried all before it, and reached the road; the
+Irish Guards and the Coldstreams of the 2nd Brigade also crossed the
+road, and, facing a terrific fire, which lost them their colonel and
+eleven officers, carried the Chalk Pit; while the Welsh Guards and the
+Grenadiers of the 3rd Brigade, advancing as though on parade, swept
+through Loos, and advanced through a storm of gas shells towards Hill
+70. As they pushed on, the wearied Londoners and the o<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[362]</a></span>ther troops
+holding our line cheered themselves hoarse. The Guards gained the crest
+of the hill, but being too much exposed to fire from the Redoubt, dug in
+about a hundred yards to the west of it.</p>
+
+<p>Next day a very determined effort was made to carry Pit 14; but it
+failed, and the much-debated ground became a No Man's Land which neither
+side dared cross. The battle was now drawing to a close. While the enemy
+continued to shell our trenches we laboured to strengthen our lines. On
+a front of 6,500 yards we had everywhere carried the enemy's first line,
+and broken up his reserve line, while in one case we had pushed through
+his last position. We had captured over 3,000 of the enemy and more than
+fifty of his officers. Twenty-six field guns and forty machine guns, as
+well as much war material, had fallen into our hands. Some of these guns
+were afterwards exhibited in London and in other parts of the kingdom as
+trophies of war.</p>
+
+<p>The Battle of Loos was a real success. It had resulted in useful gains,
+and it had proved that our infantry were second to none in the world.
+But even in the midst of our rejoicings we could not help feeling
+disappointment. Much had been done, but more might have been done. We
+had struck a weak place in the enemy's line, but we were not ready to
+take full advantage of our good luck. Our first push had given us much
+ground; but we could not proceed because our reserves were not ready to
+follow up the advance. For twenty-four hours&mdash;from Saturday at midday
+until noon on Monday&mdash;broken and weary brigades clung heroically to the
+positions which they had won, waiting for supports to arrive. There was
+mismanagement somewhere&mdash;the same sort of mismanagement which we had
+suffered at Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. Our generals had not yet fully
+learnt the lessons of the new warfare. They were learning them in the
+best possible of all schools, but at a great cost of human life and
+effort. Between the 25th of September and the 1st of October we lost
+about 45,000 men, many of whom, however, were only slightly wounded. The
+French Staff calculated that the Germans had lost in the September
+battles not less than 200,000.</p>
+
+<p>For the first time for hundreds of years there was widespread mourning
+throughout Great Britain. The men of the new armies came from every
+class in the nation, and many households which had never before ha<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[363]</a></span>d a
+soldier son were plunged in grief. Three commanders of divisions fell,
+three Members of Parliament, and many who had distinguished themselves
+in civilian life as scholars or as captains of industry. But we know
+that all who fell, whether distinguished or undistinguished, generals or
+privates, played their parts like men for the land of their love and
+pride. Somewhere in Flanders there is a grave above which a wooden cross
+bears these words:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Tell England, ye that pass this monument,</span>
+<span class="i0">&nbsp;That we who rest here died content."</span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>Equally content were those gallant men who fell in Artois during the
+closing days of September.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The results of the fighting in the West from 1st October to the end of
+the year may be summed up very briefly. Both in Champagne and on the
+British front between the La Bass&eacute;e Canal and Lens, the Germans made
+fierce counter-attacks; but nowhere did they win more than momentary
+successes. On the 8th of October they assembled behind the Chalk Pit,
+and came on in four great waves, marching shoulder to shoulder, only to
+be shattered to fragments by our fire. Five days later we launched an
+attack against the German line between the Hohenzollern Redoubt and
+Hulluch; but though we won a thousand yards of trenches we could not
+remain in them. By this time nearly all the Redoubt and Fosse 8 had been
+recovered by the Germans, and on 13th October we began a three days'
+attack upon these positions. The North Midland Division covered itself
+with glory during two crowded days of incessant battle. The most
+desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place, and many notable deeds of
+gallantry were done. We won the main trench of the Redoubt, but no more.
+At the end of October our line was a little farther forward than it had
+been at the beginning of the month; but when we came to reckon up the
+losses of friend and foe, it was hard to say on which side the balance
+lay. Thereafter, to the end of the winter, both sides settled down to
+the long weariness of trench warfare.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[364]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLV" id="CHAPTER_XLV"></a>CHAPTER XLV.</h2>
+
+<h3>BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.&mdash;I.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>he fighting on the Western front from the beginning of the September
+offensive to the close of the year abounded in heroic incidents, and
+many Victoria Crosses were won. In this and the next chapter I shall
+give you brief accounts of those who received the highest award of
+valour.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Anketell Montray Read</span>, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>Near Hulluch, on the morning of 25th September, Captain Read, though
+suffering from gas, went out several times to rally men who had lost
+their units and were retiring. Utterly regardless of danger, he formed
+them up and led them back to the firing-line. While carrying out this
+gallant work he was mortally wounded. On several former occasions he had
+shown outstanding bravery.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant George Allan Maling, M.B., R.A.M.C.</span></p>
+
+<p>During the great offensive of September, Lieutenant Maling slaved
+unceasingly for twenty-six continuous hours in attending the wounded out
+in the open and under heavy fire. He ministered to no less than 300 men,
+but was at last flung down by the bursting of a high-explosive shell
+that killed several of his patients, wounded his assistant, and stunned
+him. When he had recovered, a second shell covered him with a torrent of
+earth; nevertheless "his high courage and zeal never failed him, and he
+continued his gallant work single-handed."</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Frederick Henry Johnson</span>, 73rd Field Company, R.E.</p>
+
+<p>During the attack on Hill 70, Second Lieutenant Johnson, though wounded
+in the leg, stuck to his duty and led several charges against the
+redoubt. At a very critical time he rallied the men near him, and by his
+splendid examp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[365]</a></span>le and cool courage saved the situation. He remained at
+his post until relieved in the evening.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Sergeant H. Wells</span>, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 25th September, when his platoon officer had been killed, Sergeant
+Wells took command and led his men forward to within fifteen yards of
+the German wire. By this time he had lost nearly half his platoon, and
+the remainder were much shaken. Nevertheless, with the utmost coolness
+and bravery he rallied them and led them forward. Again, when but few of
+them were left, he stood up and urged them on once more, but while doing
+so was killed. Rarely has a soldier shown a more splendid example of
+courage and devotion to duty.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Piper Daniel Laidlaw</span>, 7th Battalion, K.O.S.B.</p>
+
+<p>When Piper Laidlaw bade farewell to his wife, she said, "Mind you bring
+back the V.C." He thought it a fine joke&mdash;the V.C. was for heroes, not
+for pipers; but his opportunity came, and he nobly seized it. When on
+the morning of 25th September an eddy blew back the gas fumes upon the
+Borderers, some of the gasping, choking men were not ready to advance.
+"Laidlaw," shouted Lieutenant Young, "pipe 'em together." Without a
+moment's hesitation Laidlaw mounted the parapet and, marching up and
+down, played his company out of the trench. "I began," he said, "with
+the regimental march, 'Blue Bonnets over the Border.' My, but there's
+fire in the old tune, and the lads set up a cheer, sick as they were
+from the gas and the terrific pounding. I ran with 'em, and soon the
+whole line was advancing. I changed to 'The Braes o' Mar'&mdash;and then my
+shell burst." Lieutenant Young fell dead, and a fragment of barbed wire
+tore the piper's feet and brought him down. But even this did not put an
+end to his piping. He still played on, and many a lad felt his courage
+mount high as the old familiar tune rang in his ears. "Laidlaw," said
+the Colonel, when all was over, "you've done well this morning!" The
+gallant piper thought nothing of his exploit, but mourned for the young
+officer who had been stricken down by his side. In due course he
+returned home, proud to show his wife that he had obeyed her parting
+behest.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 839px;">
+<img src="images/p374.jpg" width="839" height="499" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Piper Daniel Laidlaw outside the British Trench playing
+"Blue Bonnets over the Border" to hearten his comrades to the Attack.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London
+News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private George Peachment</span>, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[367]</a></span>
+<p>Near Hulluch, on 25th September, Private Peachment saw his company
+commander lying wounded, and crawled out to assist him. He knelt in the
+open by the side of his officer, and while bandaging him was struck
+first by a fragment of a bomb, then by a bullet which found its billet.
+Private Peachment was one of the youngest men in his battalion.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Arthur Vickers</span>, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>During the advance on the first line of German trenches the
+Warwickshires found themselves held up by wire. Without waiting for
+orders, Private Vickers ran forward through very heavy shell, rifle, and
+machine-gun fire and cut the wire. It was broad daylight, and as he
+stood up to do the work, he was in full view of the enemy. Thanks to his
+fine pluck, a way was opened for the battalion to advance again.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Falconer Douglas-Hamilton</span>, 6th Battalion,
+Cameron Highlanders.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that on Sunday, 26th September, the Germans flung
+their reserves upon our worn-out men, and the situation was desperate.
+On Hill 70, when the battalions to the right and left had retired,
+Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas-Hamilton rallied his men again and again and
+led them forward three times. There were now only about fifty of his
+brave lads left; nevertheless he cried, "Come on, men. We will show them
+how to charge." As they pressed forward he fell&mdash;"the bravest man the
+Camerons have lost."</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Rifleman Kulbir Thapa</span>, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha
+Rifles.</p>
+
+<p>This gallant Gurkha, though badly hit, found a wounded man of the 2nd
+Leicestershire Regiment behind the first-line German trench, and strove
+to help him in. The British soldier urged him to save himself; but the
+Indian refused to leave his white comrade, and remained with him all day
+and night. In the early morning of 26th September, when a mist hung over
+the battlefield, he managed to get the Leicestershire man into a
+sheltered place. He then went out again and brought in two wounded
+Gurkhas. Finally he returned to the British soldier, and in full view of
+the enemy staggered with his burden across the zone of fire into safety.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Robert Dunsire</span>, 13th Battalion, Royal Scots.</p>
+
+<p>Private Dunsire, who was a collier before the war and had only been
+married six months when he enlisted, was one of that noble band who
+freely risked limb and life to save<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[368]</a></span> others. He was sitting on the
+parapet of a trench on Hill 70 when he saw a wounded comrade crawling
+painfully along. At once he made a dive out of the trench, got the
+wounded man on his back, and brought him in. A quarter of an hour later,
+he spied and rescued another poor fellow in distress. "This time," he
+said, "it was worse than the first, as the shells were bursting all
+around, and the snipers kept up a continuous fire." Early in February
+1916 the sad news arrived that he had been killed.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal James Dalgleish Pollock</span>, 5th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders.</p>
+
+<p>About noon on 27th September, when the enemy's bombers in superior
+numbers were working up the "Little Willie" towards the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt, Corporal Pollock got out of his trench, and walking along the
+top edge reached a position from which he was able to bomb the bombers
+from above. He was under heavy machine-gun fire the whole time, but was
+not wounded for a whole hour, during which time he prevented the Germans
+from advancing.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal Alfred Alexander Burt</span>, 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
+(T.F.).</p>
+
+<p>At Cuinchy on 27th September Corporal Burt's company had lined the front
+trench, ready for an attack, when a bomb from a trench mortar fell
+amongst them. In a moment Corporal Burt rushed forward, put his foot on
+the fuse, wrenched it out of the bomb, and threw it over the parapet,
+thus rendering the terrible missile harmless. His presence of mind and
+great pluck saved the lives of his men in the traverse.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Alexander Buller Turnbull</span>, 3rd Battalion (attached 1st
+Battalion), Royal Berkshire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 28th September, when his regimental bombers could not make headway at
+Fosse 8, Lieutenant Turnbull went along a communication trench
+practically alone, and threw bombs so quickly and accurately that he
+drove back the Germans about 150 yards. By his gallantry he enabled the
+reserves to advance and to cover his regiment in its retirement.
+Unhappily this hero died shortly afterwards of wounds.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[369]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVI" id="CHAPTER_XLVI"></a>CHAPTER XLVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.&mdash;II.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">S</span><span class="smcap">econd Lieutenant Arthur James Terence Fleming-Sandes</span>, 2nd Battalion,
+East Surrey Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>Lieutenant Fleming-Sandes saved the situation at Hohenzollern Redoubt on
+29th September, when his own men and the troops on his right were
+beginning to retire owing to the heavy fire and their lack of bombs.
+Collecting a few grenades, he leaped on to the parapet and flung them at
+the Germans, then only twenty yards away. An enemy bomb wounded him, but
+he struggled to his feet and went forward, still hurling his missiles at
+the enemy. Again he was hit, and this time was put out of action; but
+his gallant example had put new heart into his men, and they beat off
+the attack.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Samuel Harvey</span>, 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>Private Harvey was in the "Big Willie" trench on 29th September, when
+the enemy were heavily attacking and our supply of bombs ran short. He
+volunteered to fetch more, and went to and fro across the open, under
+fearful fire, carrying boxes of grenades. He managed to bring up no less
+than thirty boxes before he was wounded in the head. By his cool bravery
+he enabled his comrades to drive back the enemy.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks</span>, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.</p>
+
+<p>Near Loos on 8th October, when a strong party of the enemy had captured
+200 yards of our trenches, Lance-Sergeant Brooks, without waiting for
+orders, led forward a party of bombers with such fine dash and
+determination that the ground was regained. On 28th October the King,
+who was visiting his troops at the front, was thrown from his horse, and
+was badly bruised and shaken. His Majesty bore his sufferings with great
+fortitude, and while lying in a h<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[371]</a></span>ospital train on the way home, desired
+that Lance-Sergeant Brooks should be brought to him to receive the
+Victoria Cross. The soldier knelt on the floor of the saloon and bent
+over the prostrate King; but his Majesty was so weak that he could not
+pin the decoration on the hero's breast. The incident was most
+touching&mdash;the King, helpless and suffering, yet determined to do honour
+to a gallant soldier who had served his country nobly. King and soldier,
+each in his sphere, thus set the nation an inspiring example of devotion
+to duty.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 749px;">
+<img src="images/p378.jpg" width="749" height="458" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>His Majesty the King and Lance-Sergeant Oliver Brooks.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the drawing by S. Begg. By permission of The Illustrated London News.</i>)</h4>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant Rupert Price Hallowes</span>, 4th Battalion, Middlesex
+Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>At Hooge, between 25th September and 1st October, Lieutenant Hallowes
+over and over again inspired his men by his bravery and untiring energy.
+On one occasion he climbed on to the parapet and risked immediate death
+to encourage his comrades. Frequently he went forward into German
+positions during the night to spy out the land. During one of the
+attacks he went back under a heavy fire and brought up a fresh supply of
+bombs. Even when mortally wounded he continued to cheer his men and urge
+them to hold on.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Sergeant-Major John Crawshaw Raynes</span>, "A" Battery, 71st Brigade, R.F.A.</p>
+
+<p>When taking leave of his comrades before setting out for France,
+Sergeant-Major Raynes said to a chum, "I'll bet you a shilling I win the
+V.C." The wager was taken, and on 11th October, near B&eacute;thune, the
+sergeant won his bet. His battery had been very heavily bombarded, and
+when "Cease fire" was ordered he went out under a burst of heavy shells
+and bandaged Sergeant Ayres, who lay wounded forty yards in front. He
+then returned and worked his guns once more. During a pause in the
+firing he again went out to his friend and carried him into a dug-out. A
+gas shell burst at the mouth of the dug-out, and the wounded man was in
+peril of being suffocated. Seeing this, Sergeant-Major Raynes ran back
+across the open to fetch his gas helmet, which Sergeant Ayres donned and
+thus saved his life. Then the gallant Sergeant-Major, now badly gassed,
+staggered back to serve his guns once more. On 12th October he was
+buried in the ruins of a house, but was the first man to be rescued. He
+had been wounded in the head and the leg; nevertheless he worked might
+and main to save his comrades.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[372]</a></span> As soon as his wounds were dressed he
+returned again to his battery.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant C. G. Vickers</span>, 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battery, Sherwood
+Foresters.</p>
+
+<p>You will remember that on 13th October a division, consisting of
+Territorials from Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Grimsby, and
+other North Midland towns, was ordered to assault the Hohenzollern
+Redoubt. "It is a story of men attacking machine guns, of rushes across
+the open with no spot of cover, of fierce work with bomb and bayonet in
+a narrow trench. What flesh and blood could do they did." The Sherwood
+Foresters were sent in on the afternoon of the 13th, and bombing
+encounters went on all night. When reliefs were arrived at one o'clock
+on the morning of the 14th, Lieutenant Vickers was discovered holding a
+barrier against fierce German attacks from front and flank. All his men
+but two had been killed or wounded, and single-handed he was beating
+back the foe while his men built a barrier behind him. At last he was
+badly wounded, but not before he had secured the safety of his trench.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal James Lennox Dawson</span>, 187th Company, R.E.</p>
+
+<p>Prior to the war Corporal Dawson was a science master in Hill's Trust
+School, Govan. On 13th October, at Hohenzollern Redoubt, we prepared a
+gas attack against the enemy. Corporal Dawson, who had already proved
+himself a gallant and resourceful leader, discovered that three of our
+gas cylinders were leaking, and that many of our own men would soon be
+rendered insensible by the fumes. Under a heavy fire he rolled the
+cylinders one by one out of the trench, and then returning, lay down and
+fired at them with a rifle. The cylinders were broken open, and the gas
+escaped towards the enemy. There is no doubt that by his cool gallantry
+he saved many men from being gassed. You may be sure that when the hero
+visited his old school he was received by his former pupils with
+rapturous applause.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Thomas Kenny</span>, 13th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.</p>
+
+<p>On the thick foggy night of 4th November Lieutenant Brown and Private
+Kenny went out towards the German lines on patrol. They were sighted by
+the enemy, and Lieutenant Brown was shot in both thighs. He begged his
+companion to leave him, but Kenny would not do so. He took the w<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[373]</a></span>ounded
+officer on his back, and for more than an hour crawled about under
+heavy fire, trying to find his way back. At last, when quite exhausted,
+he reached a ditch which he recognized, and, placing the lieutenant in
+it, went on alone to look for help. At last he came across a listening
+patrol, and with help brought in the wounded man. During the last part
+of the journey the Germans fired on him with rifles and machine guns,
+and threw bombs at him from a distance of thirty yards.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private John Caffrey</span>, 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 16th November Private Caffrey and Corporal Stirk, R.A.M.C., started
+out to rescue a comrade lying about three or four hundred yards in front
+of the enemy's trenches. They were beaten back by shrapnel fire, but
+nothing daunted they pushed out again, and in spite of the bullets of
+snipers and machine guns reached the wounded man. A bullet struck
+Corporal Stirk in the head just as he was lifting the man on to
+Caffrey's back. At once the gallant private put down his burden,
+bandaged Stirk, and helped him into safety. He then returned and brought
+in the other wounded man. Three times he had crossed the zone of fire on
+his errands of mercy.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal Samuel Meekosha</span>, 1/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
+(T.F.).</p>
+
+<p>On 19th November, near the Yser, a platoon was holding a trench close to
+the German lines when the enemy's shells burst upon it, killing and
+wounding thirteen men and burying the rest. At this terrible moment
+Corporal Meekosha took command, sent a runner for assistance, and in
+full view of the enemy dug out his comrades and saved at least four
+lives.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Corporal Alfred Drake</span>, 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.</p>
+
+<p>Corporal Drake was out on patrol with an officer and two men on the
+night of 23rd November. When close to the German lines the party was
+discovered. One man who was shot down was carried off by his comrades,
+and when the officer fell Corporal Drake remained with him. When last
+seen, he was kneeling beside the officer bandaging his wounds, quite
+regardless of the heavy fire. A rescue party crawled out later on, and
+found the officer unconscious but alive, and Corporal Drake beside him,
+dead and riddled with bullets.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[374]</a></span></p>
+<p><span class="smcap">Shoeing-Smith Charles Hull</span>, 21st Lancers.</p>
+
+<p>Somewhere in Flanders, when the Lancers were under heavy fire, Captain
+Learoyd's horse was shot under him, and he fell to the ground.
+Shoeing-smith Charles Hull, seeing his officer's peril, galloped into
+the storm of fire, and taking up the captain behind him, dashed back
+into safety. It was a striking deed, and the shoeing-smith fully
+deserved the highest award of valour for his prompt and gallant rescue.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private Harry Christian</span>, 2nd Battalion, Royal Lancaster Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>The Germans had opened fire with trench mortars on five or six of our
+men who were holding a crater. When the order was given to withdraw it
+was discovered that three men were missing. At once Private Christian
+returned to rescue them. While bombs were continually bursting on the
+edge of the crater, he dug out the men from under a heap of earth, and
+carried them, one by one, into safety. Later on, he placed himself where
+he could see the bombs coming, and directed his comrades when and where
+to seek cover.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Private William Young</span>, 8th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.</p>
+
+<p>On 22nd December, seeing that his sergeant had been wounded, Private
+Young went out under a very heavy fire to rescue him, and almost
+immediately received terrible injuries, both his jaws being shattered.
+Nevertheless, with the help of a comrade, he brought in the sergeant. At
+the dressing-station, to which he went unaided, it was discovered that
+this most gallant man had also received a bullet in his chest. Happily,
+he survived.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Nurse Cavell&mdash;Heroine and Martyr.</span></p>
+
+<p>The heroic woman whose tragic story I am now about to relate finds a
+fitting place in this roll of heroes. Miss Cavell was the daughter of
+the Rev. Frederick Cavell, for forty years Vicar of Swardeston, Norfolk.
+She was trained as a nurse at the London Hospital, and in 1900 became
+head of a nursing institution in Brussels. Every one who knew her
+admired her noble character; she followed in the footsteps of the
+greatest of all nurses&mdash;Florence Nightingale.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p383.jpg" width="378" height="530" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>The Martyrdom of Edith Cavell.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by A. Forestier. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News.</i>)<br />
+
+When the news of Nurse Cavell's murder was received, the following
+message was sent to her mother: "By command of the King and Queen I
+write to assure you that the hearts of their Majesties go out to you in
+your bitter sorrow, and to express their horror at the appalling deed
+which has robbed you of your child. Men and women throughout the
+civilized world, while sympathizing with you, are moved to admiration
+and awe at her faith and courage in death."</h4>
+
+<p>When the Germans occupied Brussels Nu<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[376]</a></span>rse Cavell was allowed to remain at
+the head of her hospital. She and her assistants nursed German and
+Belgian wounded with equal devotion. During the retreat of the Allies
+from Namur and Mons a large number of British and French soldiers were
+cut off or lost their units. Many of them were discovered and shot;
+others hid themselves in trenches, woods, or deserted houses, and some
+of them were sheltered by friendly farmers, who gave them civilian
+clothing and helped them to escape into Holland. Many Belgian soldiers
+also lay in hiding, waiting for a chance to get out of the country. Some
+of the fugitives, hearing of Nurse Cavell, managed to get into touch
+with her, and asked her to help them to escape. This she did. She
+believed that she was only doing her duty to her country in coming to
+their assistance.</p>
+
+<p>Spies informed the Germans of what she was doing, and on August 5, 1915,
+she was arrested and put in prison. Mr. Brand Whitlock, the American
+Minister in Brussels, pleaded for her, but in vain. Her trial began on
+7th October, and she was found guilty of acting as a spy. The Germans
+kept the sentence as secret as possible, and on the evening of Monday,
+11th October, Miss Cavell was informed that she would be shot at two
+o'clock the next morning.</p>
+
+<p>The British chaplain who visited Miss Cavell on the eve of her execution
+found her very calm and resigned. "She was brave and bright to the last.
+She professed her Christian faith, and said that she was glad to die for
+her country."</p>
+
+<p>It is said that the final scene was horrible. Miss Cavell, so it was
+reported, fainted on the way to execution, and was shot by the officer
+in command of the firing party as she lay unconscious. When the news
+leaked out a wave of horror and loathing swept over all the
+world&mdash;except Germany. At home Nurse Cavell was mourned alike in palace
+and in cottage. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's, and many
+plans were proposed for keeping her beautiful memory green. On the
+battlefield our men charged with the cry, "For Miss Cavell!" and the
+French hailed her as a new Joan of Arc. In the long, black list of
+German atrocities there is no more inhuman deed than the murder of Nurse
+Cavell.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[377]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVII" id="CHAPTER_XLVII"></a>CHAPTER XLVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE WAR IN THE AIR.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>ver and over in these pages you have read of "airy navies grappling in
+the central blue." Every soldier, fighting his battles over again by the
+home fireside, loves to describe the aeroplanes that hovered above his
+trench while white, fleecy clouds of shrapnel burst around them. No
+returning soldier but can thrill his hearers with stories of deadly
+combats in the high heavens. The exploits of aircraft in this war open a
+new chapter of military history.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing is more remarkable than the rapid progress which has been made
+in the conquest of the air. In October 1897 a daring man succeeded in
+flying about three hundred yards; in October 1915 men frequently made
+flights of hundreds of miles. Twenty years ago the aeroplane was
+unknown; to-day it is a recognized arm of warfare. No army or navy dare
+enter upon war without its air service.</p>
+
+<p>Our French allies were the pioneers of these new powers of the air, and
+when war broke out they were well equipped with aircraft. It is said
+that at the close of the year 1915 they possessed more than three
+thousand aeroplanes, and that the number was being constantly increased.</p>
+
+<p>French aircraft are divided into three classes, according as they are to
+be used for scouting, for fire control, or for bombardment. The scouting
+machines are of various kinds, and include a new type of small machine
+known as the "Baby" Nieuport. This machine, which only carries a pilot,
+is no more than 25 feet wide, but it has a motor of 80 horse-power, and
+can attain the amazing speed of 120 miles an hour. The "Baby" Nieuports
+can rise higher and quicker than an eagle.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 841px;">
+<img src="images/p386.jpg" width="841" height="518" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>A German Machine brought down and fired by a British Battle-plane.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the drawing by John de G. Bryan. By permission of The Illustrated
+London News.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture illustrates the splendid feat by which Second Lieutenant
+Insall won the Victoria Cross. (See page <a href="#Page_384">384</a>.)</h4>
+
+<p>The machines used for directing a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[379]</a></span>rtillery fire are bigger, and carry one
+or more observers as well as the pilot. They usually have two motors,
+so that they can still fly if one of them is put out of action. For
+making raids still bigger machines are used. In 1915 the French pinned
+their faith to a giant triplane, which well deserved to be called "the
+Dreadnought of the Air." It was 63 feet from wing to wing; it was driven
+by four powerful motors, carried two quick-firing cannon and four
+machine guns, as well as 1,200 pounds of explosives, and on a raid was
+manned by a crew of four men.</p>
+
+<p>You have frequently read in these pages of the scouting work done by
+aeroplanes. When they fly over the enemy's lines they have huge cameras
+fitted to the bodies of the machines. Exposures are made, and the
+machine speeds back to its own lines, usually amid a storm of bursting
+shrapnel. Every aerodrome has a dark room in which the plates are
+developed. An enlargement is made, and the staff is thus provided with a
+picture of the German trenches as seen from above. If a good photograph
+is taken, the positions appear as clear as daylight; even the barbed
+wire and the situation and number of the machine guns can be seen. Poor
+photographs, however, do not show the details, and cannot distinguish a
+trench from a watercourse. Sometimes large kites are used for
+photographic purposes.</p>
+
+<p>You can easily understand what a great change the aeroplane has produced
+in warfare when I tell you that during the Russo-Japanese War the
+Japanese fought for weeks, and sacrificed thousands of men, in order to
+capture the top of a hill from which their observers could overlook Port
+Arthur. Nowadays an aeroplane can supply all the information needed in a
+single hour, and howitzers can be directed from the air so that their
+shells will drop on the required position, though the gunners cannot
+possibly see their targets.</p>
+
+<p>A modern general would be almost lost without his air service. From dawn
+to dark aircraft hover over the enemy's position, photographing his
+trenches, "spotting" his batteries, noticing the movement of troops and
+trains, and bringing back priceless information. More than once French
+aeroplanes have landed spies behind the German lines, and have returned
+to pick them up again days later.</p>
+
+<p>We British were the last of the great European nations to apply
+themselves to the air, but by the outbreak of war we were well equipped.
+The British Royal Flying Corps consisted of a military and a naval wing.
+Each wing was divided into squadrons, consisting of twenty-four
+aeroplanes a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[380]</a></span>nd twenty-four pilots, under a major or commander. The
+squadron was in turn divided into six flights, each flight comprising
+four machines. Every squadron had its own motor wagons and armoured
+motor cars. Our airmen, if they were not so skilful as the French, were
+competent and very daring, and had been trained to act with other arms.
+The Germans at first gave most of their attention to airships, but they
+were also provided with a strong force of aeroplanes. The Austrian
+service, though it contained some skilful pilots, was much inferior to
+that of Germany; while the Russians were short of machines, though they
+possessed giant biplanes which could carry over a ton weight of
+explosives.</p>
+
+<p>As far back as Christmas Day, 1914, our airmen made raids upon fortified
+places in Germany. Seven seaplanes, escorted by cruisers and submarines,
+flew over Cuxhaven, where German warships were lying, and dropped bombs
+which, it is said, destroyed one or more Zeppelin sheds. Three of the
+aviators returned to the escorting ships safely; three others, who were
+rescued by submarines, had to destroy their machines in order to prevent
+them from falling into the hands of the enemy; and the seventh was
+picked up by a Dutch trawler. On January 22, 1915, another raid was made
+by two of our aviators on the new German naval base of Zeebrugge. A
+submarine lying in the harbour was destroyed, and probably other damage
+was done. Commander Davies, one of the two British aviators, had a most
+adventurous home journey. At one time he was surrounded by seven of the
+enemy's craft. He managed to elude them, however, and returned safely,
+but slightly wounded.</p>
+
+<p>Raids such as these increased in number as the year advanced. On 11th
+February thirty-four of our seaplanes and aeroplanes made another attack
+on Zeebrugge, under the leadership of Commander Samson, whose daring has
+already been mentioned in these pages.<a name="FNanchor_78_78" id="FNanchor_78_78"></a><a href="#Footnote_78_78" class="fnanchor">[78]</a> Great damage was done, and
+five days later the visit was repeated. Forty machines, including eight
+belonging to the French, dropped bombs on various batteries and gun
+positions, on an aerodrome, and on mine-sweepers off the shore. During
+the Battle of Neuve Chapelle the railways in the rear of the German
+lines were bombarded, and the junction at Courtrai, seventeen miles east
+of Ypres, was destroyed. On a later page I shall tell yo<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[381]</a></span>u how Second
+Lieutenant W. B. Rhodes-Moorhouse won the Victoria Cross and lost his
+life during this raid. On 7th June two of our airmen destroyed an
+airshed and a Zeppelin north of Brussels.</p>
+
+<p>It is impossible in these pages to describe all the air raids of the
+year. Each was much like the other, except for the number of the
+machines engaged and the extent of the damage done. As an illustration,
+I will give you a brief account of the great French raid on the German
+city of Karlsruhe on 3rd June. It was made in retaliation for Zeppelin
+raids on open French and British towns, and was the biggest enterprise
+of the kind so far undertaken. Twenty-three aeroplanes set out at the
+first flush of dawn. Mr. E. A. Powell in <i>Vive la France</i> thus describes
+the progress of the raid:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"So rapid was the pace at which the aeroplanes were travelling
+that it was not yet six o'clock when the commander of the
+squadron, peering through his glasses, saw, far below him, the
+yellow gridiron which he knew to be the streets, the splotches
+of green which he knew to be the parks, and the squares of red
+and gray which he knew to be the buildings of Karlsruhe. The
+first warning that the townsfolk had was when a dynamite shell
+came plunging out of nowhere and exploded with a crash that
+rocked the city to its foundations. The people of Karlsruhe were
+being given a dose of the same medicine which the Zeppelins had
+given to Antwerp, to Paris, and to London. . . . For nearly an
+hour it rained bombs. Holes as large as cellars suddenly
+appeared in the stone-paved streets and squares; buildings of
+brick and stone and concrete crashed to the ground as though
+flattened by the hand of God; fires broke out in various
+quarters of the city and raged unchecked; the terrified
+inhabitants cowered in their cellars or ran in blind panic for
+the open country; the noise was terrific, for bombs were falling
+at the rate of a dozen to the minute; beneath that rain of death
+Karlsruhe rocked and reeled."</p></div>
+
+<p>Of the four squadrons which set out for Karlsruhe only two machines
+failed to return. The Germans were furious, and the Kaiser telegraphed
+his "deep indignation at the wicked attack on beloved Karlsruhe." He had
+conveniently forgotten the murderous raids of his own Zeppelins.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[382]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVIII" id="CHAPTER_XLVIII"></a>CHAPTER XLVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>HEROES OF THE AIR.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">B</span>efore I describe very briefly the Zeppelin raids upon England, let me
+set down the names and exploits of the five gallant airmen who were
+awarded the Victoria Cross during the year 1915.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second Lieutenant William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse</span>, Royal Flying Corps.</p>
+
+<p>The first Victoria Cross ever conferred on an airman was won by
+Lieutenant Rhodes-Moorhouse, for extraordinary daring and endurance
+during the raid on Courtrai, which I mentioned on page <a href="#Page_381">381</a>. While
+dropping his bombs he descended to 300 feet, and was furiously assailed
+by anti-aircraft guns, which seriously wounded him in the thigh. He
+determined to save his machine at all costs, and made for home, flying
+at a height of only 100 feet. Though again wounded, he did not lose
+control of his machine, but flew thirty-five miles to his base, where he
+landed and made his report as if nothing had happened. Shortly
+afterwards he died in hospital of his wounds.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Flight Sub-Lieutenant R. A. J. Warneford, R.N.</span></p>
+
+<p>On the morning of June 7, 1915, Lieutenant Warneford, who was flying in
+a very light monoplane, sighted a Zeppelin between Ghent and Brussels,
+and made straight for it. While approaching it he was too low, and was
+fired at by the Zeppelin's guns. Keeping to the rear of the airship, he
+climbed upwards by a series of jerks, until he was well above it. Then
+he swooped down until he was only fifty feet above the great gas bag,
+and dropped six bombs, the last of which burst the Zeppelin's envelope.
+A loud explosion followed, and the airship fell to the ground in the
+midst of smoke and flame. The force of the explosion turned his machine
+upside down, but he succeeded in righting it. Shortly afterwards his
+pressure pump<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[383]</a></span> failed to work, and he was obliged to come down in the
+German lines. He got out of the machine, repaired the pump, scrambled
+in again, and soared off. For two and a half hours he continued flying,
+and then he came down, happily behind his own lines. He was so weary
+that he fell fast asleep by the side of the machine, and was finally
+discovered by French soldiers only twenty yards from the cliffs of
+Gris-nez.<a name="FNanchor_79_79" id="FNanchor_79_79"></a><a href="#Footnote_79_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a> The story of his brilliant feat was flashed over the
+world, and his name at once became a household word in two continents.
+He had, by superb courage and skill, destroyed the first of the
+Zeppelins in flight. The Allies vied with each other in doing him
+honour; but, alas! his career, which promised so much, was soon brought
+to a close. Ten days later, while trying a new machine at Versailles, he
+was thrown out and killed.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain Lance George Hawker, D.S.O.</span>, Royal Engineers and Royal Flying
+Corps.</p>
+
+<p>On 19th April Captain Hawker dropped bombs on a German airshed from a
+height of only 200 feet. He was under heavy fire all the time, and ran
+terrible risks. To avoid the shells hurled at him, he took refuge behind
+a German captive balloon, and was enabled to make good his escape. For
+this feat he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. On 25th July,
+when flying alone, he fell in with three German aeroplanes, and attacked
+them one after the other. The first escaped, but he damaged the second
+and third so badly that they were forced to descend. For this splendid
+feat he received the V.C.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Captain John Aidan Liddell</span>, 3rd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and
+Royal Flying Corps.</p>
+
+<p>During a scouting flight from Ostend to Ghent an enemy shot broke
+Captain Liddell's thigh, smashed the control wheel, and otherwise
+damaged his machine. For a brief time he was unconscious, and his
+machine dropped nearly 3,000 feet. With a great effort he pulled himself
+together, and, though continually fired at, managed to bring his
+aeroplane into our own lines half an hour after he had been wounded.
+Only an airman can appreciate the extraordinary skill and determination
+which the wounded officer displayed.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Second <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[384]</a></span>Lieutenant Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall</span>, No. 11 Squadron, Royal
+Flying Corps.</p>
+
+<p>On 7th November Lieutenant Insall was out patrolling with a mechanic as
+gunner, when he was sighted and attacked by a German machine. With great
+skill he got to close range with his opponent, and his gunner fired a
+drum of cartridges which brought the German aeroplane to the ground.
+When the Germans scrambled out of their machine Lieutenant Insall dived
+towards them, and his gunner opened fire on them and they fled. An enemy
+party now fired at him; but, undeterred, he dropped a bomb on the fallen
+machine and set it on fire. He then flew over the German positions, and
+descended so low that his gunner was able to fire on the German trenches
+as they passed over them. His petrol tank was damaged, and he was forced
+to land in a wood inside our lines. At once the enemy's artillery opened
+fire on him, and some 150 shells fell around the machine as it lay on
+the ground. That night, behind screened lights, he repaired his machine,
+and at dawn flew home safely with his gunner.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Squadron Commander Richard Bell Davies, D.S.O., R.N.</span></p>
+
+<p>Commander Davies was the hero of one of the most striking incidents
+known to aerial warfare. On 19th November lieutenant Smylie made a raid
+upon the Turkish railway station of Ferijik, on the Turkish river
+Maritza. He planed down over the station, and dropped all his bombs but
+one. While doing so his machine was badly hit, and he had to come to
+earth in a neighbouring marsh. In order to prevent the enemy from
+capturing his machine he set it on fire. He had hardly done so when he
+saw Commander Davies coming to his rescue. Fearing that the commander
+would descend near the burning machine, and thus run the risk of being
+blown up by the remaining bomb, Lieutenant Smylie took out a pistol,
+fired at the missile and exploded it. Then Commander Davies swooped
+down, picked up the lieutenant, and hurried off with all speed into
+safety. Seldom, if ever, has such a feat of pluck and gallantry been
+performed.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[385]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLIX" id="CHAPTER_XLIX"></a>CHAPTER XLIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE COMING OF THE ZEPPELINS.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>n page 144 of our first volume I gave you a brief account of the great
+airship invented by Count Zeppelin and called after his name. It is said
+that the newest type of Zeppelin is about 700 feet long, and has
+eighteen compartments, which hold about a million cubic feet of
+hydrogen. Each compartment is a separate balloon, and in theory the
+airship can remain afloat if two of the balloons are damaged. The
+framework is of wood and aluminium. The engines, guns, stores, and crew
+are contained in two cars or gondolas, which are built into the
+framework of the airship, almost flush with its keel. The engines are
+four in number, and drive the propellers, a pair being coupled to each
+car, two forward and two astern. When they are working they make a
+terrible din, and a Zeppelin thus advertises his approach.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the latest vessels have a speed of from forty to sixty miles an
+hour. Two sets of rudders are provided&mdash;one set for steering the ship
+horizontally, and one set to guide it when ascending or descending. It
+can ascend with remarkable speed&mdash;it is said that a modern Zeppelin can
+soar upwards at a speed of 4,500 feet per minute, and can reach the
+safety zone of about 12,000 feet almost before artillery on the ground
+has secured the range. A large Zeppelin can carry about seventeen tons,
+of which about two tons consist of explosives. All Zeppelins are fitted
+with powerful searchlights, and a car which can be let down from the
+gondola by steel ropes so as to enable the men in it to make
+observations from a lower level. The weakest part of a Zeppelin is its
+upper envelope. Attacking aeroplanes always endeavour to rise above the
+airship in order to drop bombs upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[386]</a></span> it. You will remember that Warneford
+destroyed his Zeppelin in this way.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p395.jpg" width="444" height="587" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>Sub-Lieutenant Warneford bombing a Zeppelin in Mid-air.</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>By permission of The Graphic.</i>)<br />
+
+A description of this exploit, which won Sub-Lieutenant Warneford the
+Victoria Cross, is given on page <a href="#Page_382">382</a>.</h4>
+
+<p>Before the war a Zeppelin had travelled 1,800 miles on a single journey,
+and had remained in the air for thirty-five hours at a stretch. I have
+already told you that the Germans had built great airship sheds on the
+island of Heligoland. From this base to Yarmouth, on the east coast of
+England, is a distance of only 280 miles. It was, therefore, clear that,
+given suitable weather, a Zeppelin could not only cross the North Sea
+and return, but could sail over large areas of Great Britain as well.
+The Germans had long dreamed of making Zeppelin raids on London and
+destroying it by means of big bombs; but most people in this country
+laughed at the notion. We pinned our faith to the aeroplane, and
+believed the Zeppelin to be little more than an expensive failure. No
+real efforts were, therefore, made to cope with the threatened danger. A
+few anti-aircraft guns were stationed round the capital, searchlights
+were installed, street lamps were obscured, and windows were darkened,
+but that was all.</p>
+
+<p>On the evening of January 19, 1915, the people of Yarmouth were startled
+by the sound of loud explosions in their streets. The Zeppelins had at
+last arrived. Bombs were dropped, two persons were killed, houses were
+wrecked, and holes were blown in the streets. The raiders then flew to
+Sandringham and King's Lynn, at both of which places bombs were dropped.
+Happily the King and Queen had left their Norfolk home for London on the
+previous morning. At King's Lynn four houses were destroyed, several
+others were damaged, and the widow of a soldier and a boy of fourteen
+were killed. People stood aghast at this new form of German
+"frightfulness." It was directed not against fortresses or places of
+military importance, but against peaceful civilians in open, unprotected
+towns. It was sheer murder, and was intended to terrorize the British
+people and bring them to their knees. The Germans have never been able
+to understand our national temper. They had still to learn that such
+blows only weld us the more firmly together, and steel us to greater
+resistance. Every Zeppelin raid brought flocks of fresh recruits to our
+banners.</p>
+
+<p>A month later a German aeroplane appeared over the Essex coast and
+dropped bombs on and near Colchester, but no lives were lost. The summer
+air campaign began in earnest on 14th April, when airships appeared on
+Tyneside and attempted to destroy the great shipbuilding yards. Bombs
+were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[388]</a></span> dropped, but almost at random, and very little damage was done,
+probably because the pilot was out of his reckoning. There were three
+other raids on the East Coast in the same month; but though houses were
+wrecked, no lives were lost. On 10th May Southend was attacked. At the
+first alarm people left their beds and rushed into the streets half
+dressed. They could see the body of the Zeppelin outlined against the
+sky, and the bombs falling like balls of fire. Many houses were
+destroyed, and others blazed furiously, but only one person was
+killed&mdash;the wife of a labourer. During the first nine months of the war
+the results of the air raids must have been very disappointing to the
+Germans. Half a dozen people had been killed, a few had been injured,
+and damage to the extent of some hundred thousand pounds had been done.
+The Germans were soon to improve on this record. "London has not felt it
+yet," they said.</p>
+
+<p>A week later a Zeppelin passed over Ramsgate, on which it dropped two
+dozen bombs, happily without causing any loss of life, and then over
+Broadstairs and Dover. News of this raid had been sent to the station of
+the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk, and eight seaplanes at once set
+out to intercept the Zeppelin. Flight-Commander Bigsworth dropped four
+bombs on the airship, but it managed to get home, though seriously
+damaged. On 26th May there was another raid on Southend just as the
+people were leaving places of entertainment. A lady visitor and a little
+girl, seven years old, were killed, and others were gravely injured.</p>
+
+<p>The first attack on London was made on the last day of May. The
+Zeppelins passed over Colchester at ten o'clock in the evening, and
+twenty-three minutes later were dropping bomb after bomb on the most
+crowded part of the East End of London. Six people were killed, amongst
+them a little girl of three, who was burnt in her bed. Many houses burst
+into flames, and a great deal of damage was done. Earlier in the month
+German tradesmen, who had been allowed to remain and carry on business
+in London, had been mobbed; now the people, angered by the murderous
+raid, attacked their shops, and in many cases wrecked them. In June the
+raiders once more visited the East and North-East Coast. On 6th June
+they reached a town on the East Coast during the night and dropped many
+bombs on it. A large drapery house was destroyed, but a beautiful Norman
+church h<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[389]</a></span>ard by escaped almost uninjured. Twenty-four persons were killed
+and about sixty others seriously wounded during the attack. The outrage
+was speedily avenged by Lieutenant Warneford, who, you will remember,
+destroyed a Zeppelin in Belgium the next day.</p>
+
+<p>On 15th June there was another raid on the North-East Coast. A number of
+workmen ran out of their shops to see the Zeppelins, and were caught by
+the bomb explosions. Some sixteen of them were killed, while thirteen
+others were injured. Only one raid, and that an unsuccessful one, took
+place in July; but in August there were three, all of them on a large
+scale, and all on the eastern counties. On 9th August Zeppelins swept
+over a large area and killed one man, nine women, and four children,
+besides wounding at least fourteen others. One of the Zeppelins was
+damaged, and on the homeward voyage was attacked and destroyed by our
+aircraft.</p>
+
+<p>On the 12th the visit was repeated, and three men, eleven women, and
+nine children fell victims to the bombs, while many others were badly
+injured, and numerous houses were wrecked. One bomb fell into the middle
+of a little crowd of old men, women, and young children standing at a
+street corner in a little country town, and worked frightful havoc.
+Though the Zeppelins were attacked by anti-aircraft guns, they succeeded
+in escaping. The third raid was on 17th August, when ten persons were
+killed and thirty-six persons were injured, including three children. In
+this case, too, the Zeppelins came under the fire of our guns, and
+perhaps, as in the former case, one of them was hit.</p>
+
+<p>By this time it was evident that we were without proper means of defence
+against the enemy airships. They could come and go almost at will, and
+scatter death and destruction amongst us almost unchecked. After every
+raid the German newspapers published glowing accounts of the destruction
+which had been wrought. One of them said, "We cannot rain bombs enough
+on England." Our Government had given us only the briefest accounts of
+the raids, and people began to ask why they could not be told the whole
+truth. Mr. Balfour said that it was necessary to keep the Germans in
+ignorance of what they had done, and it would be folly to give them
+information which would help them on future voyages. Up to the end of
+August, he told us, no soldier or sailor had been killed, and only seven
+had been w<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[390]</a></span>ounded. Only on one occasion had damage of military importance
+been done.</p>
+
+<p>Raids were made on London on the evenings of 7th and 8th September. On
+the first night outlying districts were attacked, and on the following
+night bombs were dropped in the very heart of the city. The Zeppelins
+arrived between ten and eleven o'clock, when the places of amusement
+were open, and the streets were full of people. Suddenly the sound of
+explosion after explosion was heard. An American writer thus described
+the scene:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Traffic is at a standstill. A million quiet cries make a
+subdued roar. Seven million people of the biggest city in the
+world stand gazing into the sky from the darkened streets. . . .
+Among the autumn stars floats a long, gaunt Zeppelin. It is dull
+yellow&mdash;the colour of the harvest moon. The long fingers of
+searchlights, reaching up from the roofs of the city, are
+touching all sides of the death messenger with their white tips.
+Great booming sounds shake the city. They are Zeppelin
+bombs&mdash;falling, killing, burning. Lesser noises&mdash;of
+shooting&mdash;are nearer at hand, the noise of aerial guns sending
+shrapnel into the sky. . . . If the men up there think they are
+terrifying London, they are wrong. They are only making England
+white-hot mad."</p></div>
+
+<p>Many people were killed, great fires arose, but no important public
+building was damaged. The Germans reported that they had practically
+wrecked London; but though they had done mischief enough, the result
+fell very, very far short of their boastful claims. Shortly afterwards
+Admiral Sir Percy Scott was placed in charge of the air defences of the
+capital.</p>
+
+<p>There were four raids on the East Coast in September, and on 13th
+October London and parts of the eastern counties were again attacked. In
+London alone thirty-two persons were killed and ninety-five injured, and
+the total casualties of that night were fifty-six killed and one hundred
+and thirteen wounded. A cry now arose that our aircraft should treat
+German towns to a dose of their own medicine; but there were many who
+believed that we ought not to repay evil for evil, and that reprisals
+would not bring the war any nearer to its close.</p>
+
+<p>The October raid was the last which took place during the year 1915. On
+twenty several occasions during that year the Zeppelins had paid visits
+to various parts of the East Coast of England. They had murdered no
+fewer than 199 people, and had inflicted injuries upon 421 others.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[391]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_L" id="CHAPTER_L"></a>CHAPTER L.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE OVERRUNNING OF SERBIA.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>ecember 1914 saw Serbia gloriously victorious; December 1915 saw her
+plunged in hopeless defeat, the remnants of her army on alien soil, her
+people in bondage, her aged king a fugitive. Since that August day when
+the Austrians "let slip the dogs of war" her peasant soldiers had fought
+like heroes. Thrice had Serbia been invaded, and thrice had she flung
+back the invader; but every success had drained her of lifeblood, and
+had brought the hour of her downfall nearer. She must have lost 150,000
+men in action, and disease and pestilence had robbed her of another
+50,000. The Serbian army was now only 200,000 strong, and there was no
+possible hope of increasing it. The Allies could not spare her
+reinforcements, nor did she ask for them. She felt that she could still
+hold her own, and perhaps she might have done so had not a neighbouring
+nation treacherously joined the enemy and flung a large and
+well-equipped army upon her flank.</p>
+
+<p>Serbia's eastern neighbour is Bulgaria. I have already told you that
+Bulgaria owes her very existence to Russia. In 1878, when the Russians
+were nearing Constantinople, they agreed to a treaty by which the
+province of Bulgaria was to be formed into a new state. In the next year
+the Bulgarians elected a German prince as their sovereign; but his
+attempts to increase his territory brought about a quarrel with Russia,
+and in 1886 he was forced to give up the throne and leave the country. A
+new prince was elected&mdash;another German, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
+In 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria an independent kingdom, and became
+its first king.</p>
+
+<p>On page <a href="#Page_313">313</a> I told you that just before the fall of Brest the Germans
+prepared to force a road from Austria to the Bosphorus. What was the
+object of this new move? The Germans were in much the same position as
+the British and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[392]</a></span> French: they were cut off from their Allies by hostile
+country. As you know, we undertook the ill-starred expedition to
+Gallipoli in order to open up communication between the Western Allies
+and Russia. The Central Powers were now about to invade Serbia in order
+to open up communication between Austria and Bulgaria and Turkey. If
+they could get into touch with these Balkan Powers, they could provide
+Turkey with munitions and supplies; they could send reinforcements into
+Gallipoli, and generally direct the operations of the Bulgarians and the
+Turks. Further, they could secure a right of way into Asia Minor, which
+would enable them to attack Egypt and perhaps advance to the Persian
+Gulf and threaten India. It was also hoped that new supplies of food,
+cotton, metals, and men would be tapped.</p>
+
+<p>Look carefully at the map on page <a href="#Page_392">393</a>. Follow the main railway line,
+which runs from the Austrian town of Semlin on the Danube through
+Belgrade, Nish, and Sophia, the capital of Bulgaria, to Constantinople.
+If the Central Powers could capture this railway, they would secure a
+through route from Germany to the shores of the Bosphorus. The whole aim
+and object of the invasion which I am about to describe was to get
+possession of this railway.</p>
+
+<p>What was the plan of campaign? Von Gallwitz, with the great artillery
+engine which had driven the Russians back from Galicia into the marshes
+of the Pripet, was to cross the Danube between Orsova on the Rumanian
+border and Belgrade, and blast his way through the triangle of country
+between the railway and the Bulgarian frontier. At the same time the
+Austrians were to strike south to the west of Belgrade, and while these
+two movements were in progress Bulgaria was to fall upon Serbia from the
+east. The little Serbian army was to be taken in front and in flank at
+<i>nine</i> different points by forces which outnumbered it by at least three
+to one. The invaders were furnished with huge guns and vast supplies of
+ammunition, against which the Serbians could not hope to stand. The
+moment that the blow was launched the fate of Serbia was sealed.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80%;">
+<img src="images/p401.jpg" width="278" height="352" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h4>Map to illustrate the Campaign in Serbia.</h4>
+
+<p>In 1897 Bulgaria proposed to form a league uniting Greece and the Balkan
+States against Turkey, and in 1912 the league was formed. Shortly
+afterwards the First Ba<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[393]</a></span>lkan War began. Turkey was badly beaten, and much
+territory was taken from her; but when the time came for dividing up
+the booty the victors fell out and fought amongst themselves. Greece and
+Serbia took the field against Bulgaria, and overcame her. Ever since
+that time Bulgaria bitterly hated Serbia. Her king, Ferdinand, was a
+vain and cunning man, without a spark of personal courage, but with a
+keen eye for the main chance, and with no scruples to prevent him from
+seizing it. During the present war he watched and waited, and bided his
+time. When he saw the Russians retreating day after day, and the British
+and French making no progress in Gallip<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[394]</a></span>oli or in the West, he felt sure
+that Germany would win. He was a German himself, and he was now
+prepared to range himself with the Central Powers&mdash;at a price. On 17th
+July he signed a treaty by which, as a reward for joining the two
+Kaisers, he was to receive Serbian Macedonia, Salonika,<a name="FNanchor_80_80" id="FNanchor_80_80"></a><a href="#Footnote_80_80" class="fnanchor">[80]</a> and some
+Greek territory. All August and September he was busy making his
+preparations, and by the beginning of October he was ready to obey his
+masters' orders, and fall upon Serbia.</p>
+
+<p>Why did not the Allies hasten to the defence of threatened Serbia?
+"Thereby hangs a tale." On 11th September the Greek Premier, who
+believed that his country ought to stand by its treaty with Serbia and
+enter the fray, asked France and Britain for 150,000 troops. About a
+fortnight later the Allies agreed to furnish these troops, and the Greek
+army began to mobilize. Ferdinand had already called up his armies, but
+he told the world that he had only done so for the purpose of
+self-defence, and that he had no intention of making war on his
+neighbours. Serbia, however, knew better, and towards the end of
+September she informed the British that she was not going to wait until
+the Bulgarians were fully prepared, but was about to attack them at
+once. The British Government persuaded her not to do so, because it
+still had hopes that Bulgaria might be persuaded to stay her hand. You
+will soon learn that Serbia, by taking the advice of the British
+Government, suffered terribly.</p>
+
+<p>By agreement with the Greek Premier, the Allies began to land troops at
+the Greek port of Salonika in the first week of October. The Greeks
+objected, but did not hinder us; indeed, they helped our army to occupy
+the place. Then came a remarkable change of front on the part of the
+Greek king. He had married the Kaiser's sister, and he went in fear of
+his brother-in-law. Probably he believed that Germany was going to win;
+he knew that Bulgaria was strong and Serbia weak, and that the 150,000
+troops of the Allies could not turn the balance in his favour. So he informed his
+Prime Minister that he had never consented to fight on behalf of Serbia;
+whereupon the Prime Minister resigned, and a new Government was formed.
+It declared that Greece meant to remain neutral, though it was very
+friendly to the Allies.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[395]</a></span></p>
+<p>While our transports were crowding the harbour at Salonika and the
+Allies were busy putting the place into a state of defence, Ferdinand
+threw off the mask. A week later, on 12th October, when his advance
+guards were over the border, he declared war on Serbia. Four days later
+Britain declared war upon Bulgaria. Von Mackensen had already crossed
+the Danube, and was pressing against the Serbian front with 200,000 men;
+a quarter of a million Bulgarians were moving eastwards against the
+exposed right flank of Serbia; and in Salonika there were 13,000 French
+and British troops preparing to march inland against the Bulgarian left.
+Such was the position of affairs on 15th October.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Now let us return to the Danube and briefly follow the stages of
+Serbia's agony. By means of the great river, which is linked with the
+canals of the Elbe and the Rhine, barges full of big guns and supplies
+had been conveyed to the scene of action. On 19th September, before the
+big guns arrived, Austrian batteries opened fire on Belgrade; but the
+Serbians and the British sailors who were fighting with them prevented a
+crossing. On 3rd October the enemy's big guns were placed in position,
+and the Serbian trenches were pounded to dust. It was the Donajetz
+bombardment all over again. Belgrade could no longer be held, and by the
+8th of October the Austrians and Germans had crossed the Danube and the
+Save at six places between Shabatz and Belgrade. There was a desperate
+struggle in the streets of the capital, but on the morning of the 9th
+the place was in the enemy's hands. The lesson of Warsaw had been
+learned, and all that was valuable in the city had been carried off.</p>
+
+<p>By 11th October the Austro-Germans held a hundred miles of front on the
+south banks of the Save and the Danube. The Serbians had fought
+desperately, but they could not stand before the mass of artillery
+brought against them. The Serbian left had been forced back towards the
+hills on which it had made its first stand against the third Austrian
+invasion, the centre had fallen back to a ridge seven miles south of the
+capital, and the right was being harried across the river plain and up
+the valleys of the Morava and the Mlava. On the Serbian right Mackensen
+moved his big guns slowly. He was waiting for the Bulgarians to take the
+Serbians in flank and in rear. On the 12th the Bulgarians attacked the
+Serbians at five different points, and it w<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[396]</a></span>as clear that, if the
+Serbians were to avoid being completely surrounded, they must retreat,
+as the Russians had done. But, unlike the Russians, they had no vast
+land into which they could retire. Their only line of withdrawal lay to
+the west and south-west, into the bare, rugged highlands of Montenegro
+and the wilderness of Albania.</p>
+
+<p>The French and British in the south were by this time struggling
+northwards in the attempt to reach Uskub, the great meeting-place of all
+routes in Southern Serbia. They were, however, too late: the Bulgarians
+entered Uskub on 22nd October, and the Allies were thus cut off from all
+communication with the interior.</p>
+
+<p>The Serbians were now in a desperate plight. Along every road and track
+left open to the south-west thousands of old men, women, and children
+trudged wearily onward, bearing with them the few household goods which
+they could carry off. Food was scarce, carts could not be obtained for
+love or money, and on the desolate hills thousands of wretched peasants
+perished of cold and hunger. By 26th October the whole north-east corner
+of Serbia was in the hands of the enemy. The Serbian army which lay
+between the Drina and Nish was cut off from that which lay in the shape
+of a half-moon in front of the southern Bulgarian army. There was no
+more fighting for the northern army; it was slowly but surely being
+enclosed, and was now in full retreat along the valley of the river Ibar
+on the road to Montenegro. Meanwhile the southern army made a last
+despairing effort to stem the Bulgarian advance in the passes between
+Prisrend and Monastir, and, having failed, retreated into Albania.</p>
+
+<p>Look at the railway line running from Uskub to Mitrovitza and find the
+pass of Katchanik. If the northern army was to get away safely into
+Montenegro, the Bulgarians must be prevented from pushing to their rear
+and swinging to the north to cut off the retreat. It was therefore
+necessary to hold the enemy at Katchanik Pass. Five thousand men, all
+that was left of the garrison at Uskub, along with three regiments from
+the north, now prepared to make a stand. Their guns were on the heights,
+and they had sufficient ammunition for a battle of several days. The
+Bulgarians advanced on a fifteen-mile front, but the Serbian guns drove
+them back. On the third day the Serbians attacked with bombs and the
+bayonet. All night the despera<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[397]</a></span>te struggle continued, and after twelve
+hours' fighting the Bulgarian line was pierced. But the enemy in
+overwhelming strength formed up behind the gap and began to enclose the
+little Serbian force. It fell back fighting and joined the retreating
+northern army. But it had done its work&mdash;the danger of disaster was
+over.</p>
+
+<p>Another stand was made at the Babuna Pass, which you will see on the
+map, about fifty miles south of Katchanik Pass. You will notice from the
+map that if the Bulgarians could get to Prilep no supplies could reach
+the Serbians from the south. If, too, the Allies could retake the town
+of Veles,<a name="FNanchor_81_81" id="FNanchor_81_81"></a><a href="#Footnote_81_81" class="fnanchor">[81]</a> Uskub would be threatened, and the Bulgarians would not be
+able to follow up the northern army. In the first days of November some
+5,000 Serbians actually held the crest of the Babuna Pass for more than
+a week. The Allies, however, could make no headway from the south, and
+the gallant rearguard, finding six divisions of the enemy before it, was
+forced to fall back into Albania.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>What of the Allies in Salonika? On 12th October General Sarrail arrived
+to take command of the French 2nd Division, which had been brought from
+Cape Helles. Before our 10th Division from Suvla was ready to move, the
+French moved up country in the hope of joining hands with the Serbians
+in the neighbourhood of Uskub. You will see on the map a railway running
+up the Vardar to Veles. Along this railway Sarrail moved his troops. It
+was a single, grass-grown track, quite inadequate for the advance of an
+army. Ninety miles north of Salonika, at a point marked <b>X</b> on the map, it
+begins to run through a narrow gorge with steep rocky walls, called the
+Iron Gate. If the Bulgarians once gained this ravine, the Allies would
+be held up and unable to advance. Early in the month of October
+Bulgarian raiders cut the railway at <b>X</b>, but on the 19th the French
+advance guards reached the place and drove them out. Four days later the
+rest of the division arrived, and detachments which were ferried across
+the Vardar seized positions on the left bank of the river, which was
+then swollen by the autumn rains. Meanwhile the British 10th Division
+extended the French right to Lake Doiran. It was now proposed to capture
+a steep wall of mountain which commanded the valley. In order to reach
+it the French left had to cross the swollen river once more. It had n<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[399]</a></span>o
+pontoons, but by means of an old ferry-boat a detachment got across. The
+French scaled the summit, drove off the Bulgarians who held it, and dug
+themselves in. On 4th and 5th November the Bulgarians made a strong
+attack on the summit, but were repulsed after fierce fighting at close
+quarters.</p>
+
+<p>Now that the French commanded the valley southward, they began to push
+on towards the Babuna Pass in order to join hands with the Serbians who
+were holding the crest. By the time they were within ten miles of the
+Serbian position the Bulgarians were flinging 125,000 men against the
+heroic rearguard. The French dared not proceed further. Supplies could
+only reach them along a hundred miles of single-line railway, which
+might be cut any day; their only means of crossing the Vardar was by a
+crazy wooden bridge, and there were twenty miles of bad road in their
+rear. The Serbians had already retreated from the Babuna Pass, and an
+advance could be of no service to them. Further, the Bulgarians were
+trying to cut them off from the bridge. They were, therefore, obliged to
+retreat; no other course was open to them. The Allied endeavour had come
+to nothing. The French and British fell back on Salonika, and there
+remained throughout the winter.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 743px;">
+<img src="images/p406.jpg" width="743" height="505" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+<h3>"Remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow."</h3>
+
+<h4>(<i>From the picture by F. Matania. By permission of the Sphere.</i>)<br />
+
+This picture shows old King Peter and his court retreating on foot
+through the snows of winter into the wilds of Albania.</h4>
+
+<p>In those November days heartrending scenes were witnessed on the Serbian
+hills, now white with the first snows of winter. Fugitives in ox wagons,
+in country carts, and on foot, men, women, and little children, thronged
+the roads&mdash;a long procession of woe. The army which, a year ago, had
+flung the Austrians out of the country, was now a mere remnant of
+150,000 famished and weary men. With it marched our British Naval
+Brigade and its guns. The devoted doctors and nurses, who had for nine
+months been ministering to the wounded and diseased, were scattered far
+and wide. By roundabout roads some of them reached the Allies at
+Salonika; others gained the Adriatic coast; and some, such as Lady
+Paget, remained and trusted to the tender mercies of the Bulgarians.
+Retreating with the army were the officials of the Court and the
+Government. Perhaps the most pathetic figure of all was the Serbian
+King, racked by rheumatism and sore of heart because his age and
+infirmities prevented him from fighting in the ranks with his heroic
+peo<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[400]</a></span>ple. But behind all his sorrows there was a ray of hope. His army,
+though but a remnant, was still an army, and not a broken and dispirited
+mob. It would live to fight again.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>So, for the Allies, the year 1915 closed in gloom. A visitor from Mars,
+presented with a map of the German conquests, might have been pardoned
+had he proclaimed the two Kaisers victorious. From the Yser to the
+Dvina, from the Baltic to the Bosphorus, and thence to the Tigris, they
+and their fellow-conspirators were masters of 177,000,000 people. They
+had driven the Russians before them; they had made another Belgium of
+Serbia; the French and British had failed in their Eastern enterprises,
+and could not break through in the West. The Germans loudly boasted of
+their triumph; but, to their amazement, there was no sign of
+war-weariness or faint-heartedness amongst the Allies. Conscious that
+the enemy had passed the first flush of his mighty strength, the Allies
+endured the heaviness of the night, and, while waiting for the morning,</p>
+
+<div class="poem2"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i2">"Never doubted clouds would break,</span>
+<span class="i0">Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph;</span>
+<span class="i0">Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,</span>
+<span class="i4">Sleep to wake."</span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<h3>END OF VOLUME IV.</h3>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<h4>PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN.</h4>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<div class="footnotes">
+<h4>FOOTNOTES:</h4>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Wild and mountainous country of the Balkans to the west of
+Serbia, with its coast on the Adriatic Sea.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Sphagnum or bog moss occurs in large patches of a pale
+green or reddish colour on moors, and sometimes fills up small lakes or
+pools. The growth of bog moss has played a large part in the formation
+of peat. There are many varieties of bog moss, and some of them have now
+been put to practical use in our field hospitals.
+</p><p>
+The story of the discovery of the properties of the moss is interesting.
+One day in a peat moss litter works some distance from Kiel a worker met
+with a serious injury. There were no appliances to deal with the case at
+the works, but the men did the best they could. They took a quantity of
+the article which they manufactured, peat moss litter, and laying it on
+the wounds tied bandages over it. The injured man was then conveyed to
+Kiel, and taken to a hospital. When the doctors undid the bandages, and
+found the dirty-looking moss litter in the wound, they were horrified,
+and declared that the injured limb would have to be cut off. Very soon,
+however, their horror gave way to surprise, and they said, "Ah, here is
+something which we do not know about!" They found that, far from the
+poisoning which they had expected, the injury had been beautifully
+cleaned by the rude dressing, and had actually begun to heal. With
+German thoroughness, they made further experiments, and so "discovered"
+sphagnum moss from the surgeon's point of view.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> To change from one tack to the other without going about;
+to shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side to the other when the wind is
+aft or on the quarter.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> A nautical measure = 6 ft.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Plural of <i>fellah</i>, an Egyptian or Syrian peasant.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> See page <a href="#Page_46">46</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> See Vol. II., p. 237.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> Ku&acute;fee.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Croo&acute;ee.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Unnamed hills are numbered on the map by their height
+above sea-level. Thus Hill 132 means a hill which is 132 metres, or 440
+ft., in elevation.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> <i>Sant meh-nou&acute;.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> <i>Soo-ahn.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> <i>Pert.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> <i>Boh say-joor.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> See Vol. II., chap. ix.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> <i>Lays-ay parge.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> <i>Tee-&#333;-koor.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> The narrowest part of the Dardanelles, 14 miles from the
+Mediterranean. The width of the strait at the Narrows is about
+three-quarters of a mile.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> For an account of the Narrows, see Chapter XX.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> <i>Blackwood's Magazine</i>, October 1915.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> <i>Pshas&acute;nish.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> <i>Boo-ko-v&#275;&acute;na.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> <i>Stan&acute;is-low</i>, 75 m. S.S.E. of Lemberg. It has extensive
+railroad shops.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> Vol. III., p. 247.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> <i>Moo&acute;ziks</i>, Russian peasants.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> <i>The Russian Campaign, April to August</i>, 1915, by Stanley
+Washburn.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_27_27" id="Footnote_27_27"></a><a href="#FNanchor_27_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> <i>Pee-aitr.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_28_28" id="Footnote_28_28"></a><a href="#FNanchor_28_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> The Thunderer; the blacksmith god of the ancient Norse. He
+is represented as wielding a hammer.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_29_29" id="Footnote_29_29"></a><a href="#FNanchor_29_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> The French word for a keepsake.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_30_30" id="Footnote_30_30"></a><a href="#FNanchor_30_30"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> Some of the earliest hand grenades used by our men were
+made of jam pots which came from the factory of Messrs. Tickler; hence
+the nickname.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_31_31" id="Footnote_31_31"></a><a href="#FNanchor_31_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> During 1915 Russia was busy developing the ice-free port
+of Alexandrovsk, at the mouth of the river Kola, but it was not
+available at the close of the year.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_32_32" id="Footnote_32_32"></a><a href="#FNanchor_32_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> King of ancient Persia from 485 to 465 <span class="smcap">B.C.</span> He crossed the
+"Narrows" with a vast army in 481 <span class="smcap">B.C.</span></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_33_33" id="Footnote_33_33"></a><a href="#FNanchor_33_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> King of Macedonia from 336 to 323 <span class="smcap">B.C.</span> He conquered all
+Western Asia, and even the north of India. As a soldier few of the great
+generals of history can compare with him.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_34_34" id="Footnote_34_34"></a><a href="#FNanchor_34_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> Aviation ground with hangars or sheds in which aeroplanes
+are stored.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_35_35" id="Footnote_35_35"></a><a href="#FNanchor_35_35"><span class="label">[35]</span></a> German for "God punish England"&mdash;the common curse of the
+Germans at that time.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_36_36" id="Footnote_36_36"></a><a href="#FNanchor_36_36"><span class="label">[36]</span></a> Military cyclists are known at the front as Gaspipe
+Cavalry.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_37_37" id="Footnote_37_37"></a><a href="#FNanchor_37_37"><span class="label">[37]</span></a> Native captain in the Indian army.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_38_38" id="Footnote_38_38"></a><a href="#FNanchor_38_38"><span class="label">[38]</span></a> <i>Loce</i>, about a mile to the north-west of Lens.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_39_39" id="Footnote_39_39"></a><a href="#FNanchor_39_39"><span class="label">[39]</span></a> According to the old classical story, there was in Crete a
+building constructed for King Minos, in which dwelt the terrible beast
+known as the Minotaur. This building, which was known as the Labyrinth,
+contained many winding passages, arranged in such a fashion that a way
+out was most difficult to find.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_40_40" id="Footnote_40_40"></a><a href="#FNanchor_40_40"><span class="label">[40]</span></a> See Vol. III., p. 61.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_41_41" id="Footnote_41_41"></a><a href="#FNanchor_41_41"><span class="label">[41]</span></a> See Chap. XXX.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_42_42" id="Footnote_42_42"></a><a href="#FNanchor_42_42"><span class="label">[42]</span></a> City and district of the Punjab ("land of five rivers"),
+North-West India.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_43_43" id="Footnote_43_43"></a><a href="#FNanchor_43_43"><span class="label">[43]</span></a> Born 1853. He had for forty years served with distinction
+in every British war, and had been present with the Japanese in
+Manchuria. He was an excellent writer and something of a poet. Since
+1910 he had been Inspector of Oversea Forces.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_44_44" id="Footnote_44_44"></a><a href="#FNanchor_44_44"><span class="label">[44]</span></a> In the Turkish island of Lemnos, one of the largest
+islands in the &AElig;gean Sea. It is about sixty miles as the aeroplane flies
+from Gaba Tepe.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_45_45" id="Footnote_45_45"></a><a href="#FNanchor_45_45"><span class="label">[45]</span></a> Made up of the initial letters of the words&mdash;Australian
+New Zealand Army Corps.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_46_46" id="Footnote_46_46"></a><a href="#FNanchor_46_46"><span class="label">[46]</span></a> On the night of September 12-13, 1759, General Wolfe's
+army of 4,000 men climbed a wooded precipice on hands and knees, and
+next day defeated a French army on the plateau (Heights of Abraham) to
+the south-west of Quebec. This victory gave us Canada.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_47_47" id="Footnote_47_47"></a><a href="#FNanchor_47_47"><span class="label">[47]</span></a> <i>Blackwood's Magazine</i>, February 1916.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_48_48" id="Footnote_48_48"></a><a href="#FNanchor_48_48"><span class="label">[48]</span></a> Refer to map on p. <a href="#Page_165">168</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_49_49" id="Footnote_49_49"></a><a href="#FNanchor_49_49"><span class="label">[49]</span></a> Quinn's Post lay at the head of Shrapnel Valley, the
+Valley of Death referred to on page <a href="#Page_273">273</a>. Pope's Hill lay to the left
+front of Quinn's Post, and Courtney's Post was on the right of Quinn's
+Post.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_50_50" id="Footnote_50_50"></a><a href="#FNanchor_50_50"><span class="label">[50]</span></a> See diagram, p. <a href="#Page_276">278</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_51_51" id="Footnote_51_51"></a><a href="#FNanchor_51_51"><span class="label">[51]</span></a> See map, p. <a href="#Page_274">275</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_52_52" id="Footnote_52_52"></a><a href="#FNanchor_52_52"><span class="label">[52]</span></a> See map, p. <a href="#Page_274">275</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_53_53" id="Footnote_53_53"></a><a href="#FNanchor_53_53"><span class="label">[53]</span></a> <i>Pan-d&#333;&acute;ra.</i> In ancient Greek story, a goddess who
+possessed a box containing every kind of ill; this was opened, and the
+ills escaped and spread all over the earth, Hope alone being left at the
+bottom of the box.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_54_54" id="Footnote_54_54"></a><a href="#FNanchor_54_54"><span class="label">[54]</span></a> For these railway lines, and other places mentioned in
+this chapter, see map, p. <a href="#Page_314">311</a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_55_55" id="Footnote_55_55"></a><a href="#FNanchor_55_55"><span class="label">[55]</span></a> Or Kurland, Baltic province of Russia between the Gulf of
+Riga on the north and the province of Kovno on the south. It has many
+small, scattered lakes, and almost one-third of the surface is covered
+with forest.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_56_56" id="Footnote_56_56"></a><a href="#FNanchor_56_56"><span class="label">[56]</span></a> Sacred pictures found in all Russian churches and houses.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_57_57" id="Footnote_57_57"></a><a href="#FNanchor_57_57"><span class="label">[57]</span></a> <i>Sh&#333;-pan&acute;.</i> Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Fran&ccedil;ois Chopin (1809-49), great
+Polish musical composer and the finest pianist of his time. No man has
+ever excelled him in writing music for the piano.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_58_58" id="Footnote_58_58"></a><a href="#FNanchor_58_58"><span class="label">[58]</span></a> Equivalent to our second lieutenant.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_59_59" id="Footnote_59_59"></a><a href="#FNanchor_59_59"><span class="label">[59]</span></a> In 1707, when Charles XII. of Sweden invaded Russia and
+bade fair to overrun the country, Peter the Great put himself at the
+head of his army, and on July 5, 1709, inflicted a great defeat on the
+Swedes and drove them out of the country.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_60_60" id="Footnote_60_60"></a><a href="#FNanchor_60_60"><span class="label">[60]</span></a> In 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia and marched to
+Moscow (see Vol. I., p. 64), Alexander I. placed himself at the head of
+the army, and by wasting the country forced Napoleon to retreat.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_61_61" id="Footnote_61_61"></a><a href="#FNanchor_61_61"><span class="label">[61]</span></a> See chap. xxxi.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_62_62" id="Footnote_62_62"></a><a href="#FNanchor_62_62"><span class="label">[62]</span></a> South Tirol, on the north-east frontier land of Italy;
+part of Austria, but inhabited chiefly by Italian-speaking people, and
+therefore claimed by Italy, which also claims the coast-lands round the
+head of the Adriatic Sea.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_63_63" id="Footnote_63_63"></a><a href="#FNanchor_63_63"><span class="label">[63]</span></a> River rising at the junction of the Julian and Carnic Alps
+and flowing southwards in a winding course to the Gulf of Trieste. Its
+length is about seventy-five miles, of which but little is navigable.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_64_64" id="Footnote_64_64"></a><a href="#FNanchor_64_64"><span class="label">[64]</span></a> Austrian territory along the eastern side of the Adriatic
+Sea.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_65_65" id="Footnote_65_65"></a><a href="#FNanchor_65_65"><span class="label">[65]</span></a> Louis Botha, born 1863, commanded Boer forces during the
+South African War; became first prime minister of the Union of South
+Africa (1910); and in 1914 was appointed commander-in-chief of the Union
+defence forces.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_66_66" id="Footnote_66_66"></a><a href="#FNanchor_66_66"><span class="label">[66]</span></a> For an account of German South-West Africa, see Vol. III.,
+p. 177.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_67_67" id="Footnote_67_67"></a><a href="#FNanchor_67_67"><span class="label">[67]</span></a> Shakespeare's <i>Julius C&aelig;sar</i>, Act IV., Sc. iii.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_68_68" id="Footnote_68_68"></a><a href="#FNanchor_68_68"><span class="label">[68]</span></a> As the safety pins were not withdrawn, they did not
+explode.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_69_69" id="Footnote_69_69"></a><a href="#FNanchor_69_69"><span class="label">[69]</span></a> In 451, when Attila, the King of the Huns, was overthrown;
+in 1430, when the English hold on France was shaken by the victorious
+progress of Joan of Arc from Orleans to Rheims; and in 1792, at Valmy,
+where the Prussians were beaten and the young republic of France was
+saved.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_70_70" id="Footnote_70_70"></a><a href="#FNanchor_70_70"><span class="label">[70]</span></a> Mr. E. A. Powell in <i>Vive la France</i>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_71_71" id="Footnote_71_71"></a><a href="#FNanchor_71_71"><span class="label">[71]</span></a> "Forward! Conquer or die!"</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_72_72" id="Footnote_72_72"></a><a href="#FNanchor_72_72"><span class="label">[72]</span></a> French officer who crossed Africa from the Atlantic coast
+to the White Nile in 1898 and claimed Fashoda for the French. He was met
+by Lord (then Sir Herbert) Kitchener, who said to him, "I congratulate
+you on all you have accomplished." "No," replied Major Marchand,
+pointing to his troops, "it is not I but these soldiers who have done
+it." Kitchener surrounded Marchand's forces and ordered him to withdraw
+his troops or to haul down his flag. For a moment there was a chance of
+war between Britain and France, but the French Government decided to
+withdraw the troops, and the incident ended with an acknowledgment of
+our right to the Nile valley.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_73_73" id="Footnote_73_73"></a><a href="#FNanchor_73_73"><span class="label">[73]</span></a> French word for rising ground, knoll.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_74_74" id="Footnote_74_74"></a><a href="#FNanchor_74_74"><span class="label">[74]</span></a> <i>Mass-seige.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_75_75" id="Footnote_75_75"></a><a href="#FNanchor_75_75"><span class="label">[75]</span></a> <i>Krass-e-a.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_76_76" id="Footnote_76_76"></a><a href="#FNanchor_76_76"><span class="label">[76]</span></a> <i>Haine.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_77_77" id="Footnote_77_77"></a><a href="#FNanchor_77_77"><span class="label">[77]</span></a> Killed by a chance bullet on October 24, 1915.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_78_78" id="Footnote_78_78"></a><a href="#FNanchor_78_78"><span class="label">[78]</span></a> See Vol. III., page 74.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_79_79" id="Footnote_79_79"></a><a href="#FNanchor_79_79"><span class="label">[79]</span></a> <i>Gree-nay&acute;</i>, French cape fronting the Strait of Dover.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_80_80" id="Footnote_80_80"></a><a href="#FNanchor_80_80"><span class="label">[80]</span></a> <i>Sa-lo-n&#275;ka</i>, port of Greece on the gulf of the same name,
+12 miles to the east of the mouth of the river Vardar. After
+Constantinople it is the chief port of what was formerly European
+Turkey. The harbour is safe and roomy, and before the war the town had a
+population of over 160,000. Salonika is the Thessalonica of the New
+Testament.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_81_81" id="Footnote_81_81"></a><a href="#FNanchor_81_81"><span class="label">[81]</span></a> <i>Ve-leze.</i></p></div>
+
+</div>
+<br />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childrens' Story of the War,
+Volume 4 (of 10), by James Edward Parrott
+
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+</pre>
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+  </body>
+</html>
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diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
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+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #35386 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35386)