Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed.

Words printed in italics are marked with underlines: _italics_. Words printed in bold are marked with tildes: ~bold~.

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THE BATTLES IN FLANDERS

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~HOW THE WAR BEGAN~ By W. L. COURTNEY, LL.D., and J. M. KENNEDY

~THE FLEETS AT WAR~ By ARCHIBALD HURD

~THE CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN~ By GEORGE HOOPER

~THE CAMPAIGN ROUND LIEGE~ By J. M. KENNEDY

~IN THE FIRING LINE~ By A. ST. JOHN ADCOCK

~GREAT BATTLES OF THE WORLD~ By STEPHEN CRANE

~BRITISH REGIMENTS AT THE FRONT~

~THE RED CROSS IN WAR~ By Miss MARY FRANCES BILLINGTON

~FORTY YEARS AFTER~ The Story of the Franco-German War By H. C. BAILEY With an Introduction by W. L. COURTNEY, LL.D.

~A SCRAP OF PAPER~ By E. J. DILLON

~HOW THE NATIONS WAGED WAR~ By J. M. KENNEDY

~AIR-CRAFT IN WAR~ By S. ERIC BRUCE

~FAMOUS FIGHTS OF INDIAN NATIVE REGIMENTS~ By REGINALD HODDER

~THE FIGHTING RETREAT TO PARIS~ By ROGER INGPEN

~THE FIRST CAMPAIGN IN RUSSIAN POLAND~ By P. C. STANDEN

~THE BATTLES OF THE RIVERS~ By EDMUND DANE

~FROM HELIGOLAND TO KEELING ISLAND~ By ARCHIBALD HURD

~THE SLAV NATIONS~ By SRGJAN PL. TUCIC

~SUBMARINES, MINES AND TORPEDOES~ By A. S. DOMVILLE-FIFE

~WITH THE R.A.M.C. AT THE FRONT~ By E. C. VIVIAN

~MOTOR TRANSPORTS IN WAR~ By HORACE WYATT

~HACKING THROUGH BELGIUM~ By EDMUND DANE

~WITH THE FRENCH EASTERN ARMY~

~THE GERMAN NAVY~ By ARCHIBALD HURD

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THE BATTLES IN FLANDERS

FROM YPRES TO NEUVE CHAPELLE

BY

EDMUND DANE

HODDER AND STOUGHTON LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MCMXV

PREFATORY NOTE

Ever since the middle of November last there has been on the West front in the present war what many have called and considered a "deadlock." In the account which follows of that part of the campaign represented by the battles in Flanders the true character of the great and brilliant military scheme by means of which, and against apparently impossible odds, the Allied commanders succeeded in reducing the main fighting forces of Germany to impotence, and in defeating the purposes of the invasion, will, I hope, become clear. The success or failure of that scheme depended upon the issue of the Battle of Ypres. Not only was that great battle the most prolonged, furious, and destructive clash of arms yet known, but upon it also, for reasons which in fact disclose the real history of this struggle, hung the issue of the War as a whole. No accident merely of a despot's desires caused the fury and the terror of Ypres. It was the big bid of Prussian Militarism for supremacy. Equally in the terrible and ghastly defeat it there sustained Prussian Militarism faced its doom.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE CRISIS OF OCTOBER 9

II. HOW THE CRISIS WAS MET 20

III. THE EVE OF YPRES 34

IV. THE BATTLE OF YPRES--FIRST PHASE 44

V. THE BATTLE OF YPRES--SECOND PHASE 58

VI. THE BATTLE OF YPRES--THE CRISIS 81

VII. THE BATTLE OF YPRES--FINAL PHASE 104

VIII. THE BATTLE ON THE YSER 120

IX. THE WINTER CAMPAIGN 144

X. NEUVE CHAPELLE 169