Previous successful operations by the British at Richebourg and
Festubert north of Givenchy, and at Vermelles, south of Cuinchy,
evidently prompted the Germans to attempt a counterattack. Besides
it was desirable for the Germans to test the strength of the Allies
at this point, and to do this with some measure of success the
Germans massed a considerable force for this purpose.
Beginning about January 14, 1915, the British met with varying
and minor successes and defeats in this region, but no noteworthy
action had taken place for upward of ten days, until January 25,
under the eye of the German Kaiser, the principal attack, which
had been carefully planned, took place.
On the morning of January 25, 1915, a demonstration along the front
from Festubert to Vermelles and as far north as Ypres and Pervyse
was inaugurated.
The Germans began to shell Bethune, which was within the allied
lines about eight or nine miles west of La Bassee. An hour later,
in the neighborhood of nine o'clock, following up heavy artillery
fire, the Fifty-sixth Prussian Infantry and the Seventh Pioneers
advanced south of the canal, which runs eastward from Bethune,
where the British line formed a salient from the canal forward
to the railway near Cuinchy, and thence back to the Bethune and
La Bassee road where the British joined the French forces.
This salient was occupied by the Scots and the Coldstream Guards.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260