The Yser and the Belgian Coast: An Illustrated History and Guide

Chapter I: Front Matter (1)

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MICHELIN ILLUSTRATED GUIDES
TO THE BATTLEFIELDS (1914-1918)

THE
YSER
AND
THE BELGIAN COAST

MICHELIN & Cie, CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE.
MICHELIN TYRE Co., Ltd., 81, Fulham Road, LONDON, S. W. 3.
MICHELIN TIRE Co., MILLTOWN, N. J., U. S. A.

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to the "Repopulation française" (Alliance Nationale) 10, Rue
Vivienne.--PARIS.

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THE
YSER
AND THE
BELGIAN COAST

_Ce n'est qu'un bout de sol dans l'infini du monde...
Ce n'est qu'un bout de sol étroit,
Mais qui renferme encore et sa reine et son roi,
Et l'amour condensé d'un peuple qui les aime...
Dixmude et ses remparts. Nieuport et ses canaux,
Et Furnes, avec sa tour pareille à un flambeau.
Vivent encore ou sont défunts sous la mitraille._

+Émile Verhaeren.+

Compiled and published by:
MICHELIN +ET+ Cⁱᵉ
+Clermont-Ferrand+ (France)

_All rights of translation, adaptation or reproduction (in part
or whole) reserved in all countries._

THE BATTLE OF THE YSER.

+The Race to the Sea.+

In September 1914, after the Battle of the Marne and the German retreat, the centre and right of the French Armies quickly became fixed in front of the lines which the enemy had prepared in the rear, and were then fortifying. While the Allies' right, abutting on the Swiss frontier, was protected against any turning movement on the part of the enemy, their left (the 6th Army) was exposed.

The French 6th Army (General Maunoury) held the right bank of the Oise, north of Compiègne _(See map p. 3)_. The Germans attacked it in force and attempted their favourite turning movement.

General Joffre parried the manœuvre, and while strengthening the 6th Army, formed a mobile corps on his left wing, strong enough to withstand the enemy's outflanking movement.

The 2nd Army, consisting of corps brought up from the east, was formed and placed under the command of General de Castelnau. Preceded and protected by divisions of cavalry, it gradually extended its front to the south of Arras.

The Germans carried out a similar movement, and the opposing armies, in their attempt to outflank each other, gradually prolonged their front northwards and approached the sea.

Against the German right wing, which steadily extended itself northwards, General de Maud'huy's Army deployed from the Somme to La Bassée, and gave battle in front of Arras.

The Germans attacked furiously and attempted both to crush the Allied front and continue their turning movement. Six Army Corps and two Cavalry Corps were thrown against General de Maud'huy's Army but the latter, reinforced, held its ground.

The command of the Northern Army Group was entrusted to General Foch.

The new chief promptly co-ordinated the dispositions, in view of a general action.

The northward movement of the armies became more pronounced. The cavalry divisions of the Corps commanded by Generals de Mitry and Conneau advanced towards the Plains of Flanders.

Simultaneously, the British Army was relieved on the Aisne, and drew nearer to their threatened coast bases, in the region of Saint-Omer. By October 19, they were completely installed in their new positions from La Bassée to Ypres, thus prolonging northwards the Army of General de Maud'huy. Between the British left and the North Sea Coast, there still remained a gap, crossed from west to east by the roads leading to the Channel Ports. It was this gap which the Belgian Army, after its escape from Antwerp, was destined to stop.

The fall of Antwerp and the Belgian retreat.

To capture Antwerp, the Germans adopted their usual tactics. Concentrating their powerful siege artillery--which had previously destroyed the forts of Liége, Namur and Maubeuge--in the sector south of the Nethe, they effected a breach in the outer line of forts, and having crossed the Nethe, with a loss of nearly 50,000 men, they attacked the inner line of forts, so as to be able to bombard and reduce the town.

After consultation with the French General Staff, it was decided to abandon the town, in order to save the Belgian Army.

Leaving a small number of troops in the forts, with orders to mask the evacuation of the town, the Belgian Army, after destroying everything likely to be of use to the enemy, crossed the Escaut by night, together with the British forces, which, as early as September, had been despatched to help in defending the city. These troops withdrew westward, via St. Nicolas and Ecloo. On October 9, Antwerp capitulated.

To protect the flank of the columns retreating towards Bruges, the French Marine Brigade, a detachment of Belgian Cavalry and volunteers, and the British 7th Division took up positions in front of the eastern outskirts of Ghent.

On October 4, Admiral Ronarc'h who had meanwhile concentrated his brigade in the entrenched camp of Paris, received orders to transfer his quarters to Dunkirk. Leaving St. Denis on the 7th, accompanied by his staff, and closely followed by the Brigade, he reached Dunkirk in the evening, proceeding thence to Antwerp. On the evening of the 8th, they were met at the railway station of Ghent by General Pau with orders to defend that town.

The Marines took up positions east of Ghent, and to the north and south of Melle. Belgian volunteers occupied the bend in the Escaut. These troops were supported by a group of Belgian artillery belonging to the 4th Mixed Brigade.

The Germans violently attacked in greatly superior numbers along the Alost-Ghent road, but for forty-eight hours the Marines carried out their mission of flank-guard. On receiving orders to retreat, the Franco-Belgian detachment, covered by units of the British 7th Division, re-crossed the Escaut and fell back towards the Yser, via Thourout, where the Belgian Army was arriving, closely followed by detachments of German cavalry.

_(Note the barbed-wire entanglements.)_]

The Battlefield.

The last strip of unconquered Belgian territory, on which the German thrust was destined to be broken, forms part of Maritime Flanders _(See map, p. 6)_.

This vast plain was formerly a sea-gulf, and as late as the 11th century, was often raided by the "drakkers" of the Scandinavian pirates. In the Middle-Ages, the gulf gradually filled up with sand. This vast _polder_ is almost entirely below sea-level at high tide, and is each day invaded by the waves.

_Water is everywhere: in the air, on the ground, under the
ground._

_It is the land of dampness, the kingdom of water. It rains
three days out of four. The north-west winds, breaking off the
tops of the stunted trees, making them bend as if with age,
carry heavy clouds of cold rain formed in the open sea. As
soon as the rain ceases to fall, thick white mists rise from
the ground, giving a ghost-like appearance to men and things
alike._ (+Le Goffic's+, "Dixmude").

Water, which oozes up out of the soil, giving a blister-like appearance to the soft clay covering, is found at a depth of less than three feet.

This water was carefully drained off, under the control of the Belgian State, by associations of farmers and land-owners ("gardes wateringues"). Countless ditches and canals ("watergands") skirting the willow hedges and intersecting the entire plain, carried away this surplus water.

All the canals and ditches communicate with numerous water-courses, e.g. the Yperlée, Kemmelbeck, Berteartaart, Vliet and many other nameless ones, which run between embankments into the Yser.

_(See page 127.)_]

The Yser, a small coastal river, having its source in French Flanders empties itself into the sea between two jetties. Its shallow bed, dredged along the greater part of its course, describes a wide semi-circle. At its mouth, at Nieuport, the Yser and the canals which likewise end there, are closed by a series of locks, which shut out the sea at high tide and prevent it from invading the plain through the streams and canals.

The few roads and the Nieuport-Dixmude railway run along embankments seven to ten feet high.

Formerly, flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, tended by grey-coated shepherds, grazed in this plain. Immense fields of beet and turnips alternated with the meadows. Hedges, willows, clusters of bending poplars, and the roofs of the low farmsteads built on little hillocks, broke the monotony of the landscape. Here, where peace and prosperity reigned, the inundations and war have left a vast expanse of reeds, in which the roads, ruined farmhouses and a few broken trees stand out dismally.

The plain is bounded on the west by a line of wind-formed sand dunes planted with _oyats_. These dunes extend along the straight unbroken coast. To the east of Dixmude rises a series of heights, which, marking the beginning of the solid ground, are continued further east by the long unbroken crest of Clerken.

South of this crest stretches the Forest of Houthulst, now entirely devastated by shellfire.

The spongy nature of the soil makes it impossible to excavate to any depth, nor was there any high ground to mask the defence-works and batteries of artillery.

Two great embankments: that of the Yser, arc-shaped, and that of the Nieuport-Dixmude railway, connecting up to the two ends of the former, were the framework of the defence lines. However, the dominating element: water, provided the defenders with a supreme and irresistible arm.

The Opposing Forces.

The right wing of the German IVth Army, under the command of the Prince of Württemberg, marched via Bruges towards Dunkirk. This newly formed army was partly composed of young men belonging to the German aristocracy, volunteers and former students, worked up to frenzied patriotism by the German victories.

These admirably equipped troops were supported by at least 500 guns of all calibres, to which was soon added the heavy siege artillery that had just crushed the forts of Antwerp.

This mass of 160,000 men, drunk with the _furor teutonicus_, pursued its victorious march on the Channel ports, certain of crushing the small Belgian Army which had again escaped them at Antwerp, but which this time was to be annihilated.

Without losing a single gun during their stirring retreat, the Belgian Army reached the Yser line. In its death-grapple with the invader, it had been seriously reduced by more than two months of hard fighting.

Minus the greater part of its officers, and reduced to 43,000 rifles, 300 75's and 23 6in. howitzers, its reserves of munitions were barely sufficient to deliver another battle. There was no hope of new supplies, as the army was deprived of its arsenals.

The men, with their torn and muddy uniforms, seemed to have reached the limits of physical endurance, and to be incapable of further prolonged effort.

It was then that King Albert issued his stirring Order of the Day:

_Soldiers_,

_For two months and more you have been fighting for the most
just of causes: your homes and national independence._

_You have held the enemy's armies, sustained three sieges,
executed several sorties, and successfully carried out a long
retreat through a narrow defile._

_So far, you have been alone in this tremendous struggle. Now
you are at the side of the valiant French and British Armies._

_It is your duty to uphold the reputation of our arms with that
spirit of tenacity and bravery of which you have given so many
proofs. Our national honour is at stake._

_Soldiers_,

_Look on the future with confidence, and fight with courage._

_In whatever positions I place you, look ahead, and consider as
a traitor to the Motherland whoever speaks of retreat, without
the formal order having been given._

_The time has come for us, with the aid of our powerful allies,
to drive the enemy from our dear country, which they invaded
in contempt of their word and of the sacred rights of a free
people._

_(Signed)_ +Albert+.

The supreme battle was about to begin. To hold the enemy's thrust against Dunkirk and Calais, the Belgian Army, supported by the Allies, once again resolutely placed itself across his path and barred the way.

From the sea to Zuydschoote (8 km. North of Ypres), the Belgian Army was at first obliged, with the help of only 6,000 French Marines, to hold a twenty-two mile front.

To defend this wide front, the whole Army was deployed. From the coast to Dixmude, the 2nd, 1st and 4th Divisions were echeloned, with units beyond the Yser holding the advance-posts of Lombartzyde, Mannekensvere, Schoore, Keyem, Beerst and the two bridgeheads of Nieuport and Schoorbakke.

The bridgehead of Dixmude was held by the brigade of French Marines and a brigade of the Belgian 3rd Division. South of Dixmude, the 5th Division, in positions along the canalised portion of the Yperlée, occupied the region of Boesinghe in liaison, on the right, with divisions of Brittany Territorials.

The 1st Division of Belgian cavalry operated near the woods of Houthulst and Roulers, with French Cavalry divisions of General de Mitry's 2nd Corps, thus protecting the Belgian right.

There remained in reserve only two Brigades of the 3rd Division and 2nd Cavalry Division to the south-west of Nieuport.

THE BATTLE OF THE YSER.

The fighting in the advance-positions.

The Franco-Belgian troops had hardly taken up their defensive positions when, on October 15, the guns began to roar in the direction of Dixmude.

On October 16 and 17, strong German reconnoitering parties, supported by field artillery, came into contact with the Allies' positions.

On the 18th, the enemy hurriedly attempted to crush the defenders, before reinforcements arrived. After a violent bombardment, a powerful attack was launched against the Mannekensvere-Schoore-Keyem-Beerst line, held by units of the Belgian 2nd, 1st and 4th Divisions.

Assault after assault was beaten off, but finally, after very heavy losses, fresh enemy masses carried Mannekensvere and Keyem, where they were held by the volley fire of the Belgian 75's. The defenders of Mannekensvere withdrew behind the Yser, while those of Keyem (units of the 1st Division) held their ground on the right bank of the river. The same night a spirited counter-attack gave them back their lost positions.

On the 19th, the attacks doubled in fury, the enemy's main effort being made against the two wings.

Nieuport and the advanced lines of Lombartzyde were violently bombarded. The Belgian 2nd Division stood firm, and beat off three German assaults.

On the right wing, the Germans, driven out of Keyem on the previous day, attacked this village again and also Beerst, further south. Under a terrific artillery fire, the defenders gave way.

However, the Belgian 5th Division and the French Marines debouching from Dixmude, captured Vladsloo and Beerst, in spite of considerable losses. With their left threatened, the enemy's efforts before Keyem weakened.

This brilliant counter-offensive was held by a new menace. Strong enemy columns were signalled to the south-east, debouching from Roulers and marching on Dixmude.

The 5th Division and the Marines fell back upon their original positions before Dixmude, their retreat bringing about the fall of Beerst and Keyem, whose defenders withdrew beyond the Yser.

On the 20th the Germans threw themselves against the advanced positions of Lombartzyde. The defenders were supported by the artillery of the British monitors, whose guns swept the coastline. To the south-east of Lombartzyde, Groote-Bamburg Farm was first lost, then reoccupied after a spirited counter-attack.

The Germans redoubled their costly efforts, and succeeded in getting a footing in Lombartzyde in the evening, but were unable to debouch.

Only after five days of sanguinary fighting, were the enemy able to reach the Allies' main line of defences, formed by the Yser and the two bridgeheads of Nieuport and Dixmude.

The Battle on the Main Line of Defence.

The situation was none the less critical, and the battle waxed more and more furious. The Yser front was continuously deluged with shells. The Belgian batteries of 75's were unable to engage the German heavy guns. None of the villages could be held; Nieuport and Dixmude were in flames.

Supported by the Brigade of French Marines, the remains of the six Belgian Divisions still defended, single-handed, the twelve-mile front between St. Jacques-Cappelle and the sea. They were reinforced by the 6th Division near Lampernisse and Pervyse, thus strengthening the centre.

Against these depleted, exhausted and ill-revictualled troops, crushed beneath a continuous bombardment, the Germans brought up heavy reinforcements from Roulers.

The Attack on Dixmude and Nieuport.

Nieuport and Dixmude formed the bastions of the Allied defences, and their capture meant the falling of the Yser and the railway lines into the enemy's hands.

The brunt of the German attack was directed against Dixmude.

The French Marine Brigade and the mixed brigade of the Belgian 3rd I. D. under the command of Admiral Ronarc'h, were deployed in a semi-circle, about 500 yards from the outskirts of Dixmude, resting on the Yser. A second line was established along the canalised river.

On October 20, after an artillery preparation which lasted all the morning, the enemy made an unsuccessful attack on Dixmude. A fresh attack the same night was likewise repulsed. Meanwhile the town continued to burn.

On the 21st, at dawn, the bombardment redoubled in violence. The Germans attacked again, only to be mown down and repulsed.

In the afternoon, new enemy reinforcements delivered converging attacks of great violence, combining them with a furious thrust against the Schoorbakke Pass, situated half-way between Dixmude and Nieuport. At both points the German rush was broken.

In exasperation, the enemy threw fresh battalions into the battle. This time the blow was aimed directly at the town itself and the canal to the south, but the defence remained unshaken. Simultaneously, the Germans were threatening the entire front, and in particular, the bridgehead of Nieuport. This town suffered the same fate as Dixmude.

Still the Yser remained impassable. Both Dixmude and Nieuport held out, and the end of the day registered a fresh enemy check.

The Breach in the Centre of the Line.

After their failure before Nieuport and Dixmude, the enemy made a surprise attack against the centre, on the night of the 21st.

Between Nieuport and Dixmude, the easterly loop in the Yser at Tervaete facilitated flank, enfilade and rear firing, and was consequently a weak point in the defences.

Under cover of darkness, the enemy threw a bridge over the river, near Tervaete, and effected a crossing. The situation was critical, as if the front were pierced, the two centres of resistance, Nieuport and Dixmude, which until then had proved impregnable, would be taken in the rear.

In a supreme effort, units of the Belgian 1st Division counter-attacked furiously, and in spite of terrible losses, held the enemy. Reinforcements of Grenadiers and Carabiniers succeeded, in a further attack, in driving back the Germans across the river, and in reoccupying their positions. However, on the night of the 22nd, the enemy recaptured Tervaete, but the Belgians remained masters of the line between the two ends of the loop.

On the 23rd, the situation was still very critical. To fill the gaps in the fighting line and to "hold out to the last, in spite of all", in accordance with the orders of the Belgian General Headquarters, the last reserves were thrown into the battle.

Fortunately, the first French reinforcements,--the famous "Grossetti" (42nd) Division which General Foch, at Fère-Champenoise, in the centre of the battle-line at the Marne, had thrown against the flank of the German columns, thereby turning the scales at the psychological moment _(See the Michelin Guide: The Marshes of St. Gond--part 2 of The First Battle of the Marne)_,--arrived at this juncture.

The first units to arrive relieved the exhausted Belgians before Nieuport. Meanwhile, the bombardment of the town and bridgehead had reached an incredible degree of violence.

In the centre, the situation was still more serious, the exhausted remnants of the Belgian 1st and 4th Divisions having reached the limit of endurance.

The enemy threw ten battalions with machine-guns and artillery into the loop at Tervaete. The bridgehead of Schoorbakke, attacked from the rear was captured.

On the 24th, the 83rd Brigade of Grossetti's Division was moved to the centre, to oppose the German thrust, at the time when the enemy had just carried the Union Bridge.

Encouraged by the advantage which they had just secured, the Germans renewed their efforts against Dixmude, where their left wing was being held in check.

They had already gained a footing on the left bank of the Yser, north of the town, and were threatening to outflank it from the west.

A supreme effort was made against the bridgehead, no less than fifteen assaults being delivered on the 24th.

The fierceness and horror of the struggle were indescribable, the men grappling with one another in pitch darkness.

However, the German _furor_ spent itself against the heroism of the Belgian Infantry and French Marines who, for more than a week, remained in the breach day and night.

Dixmude remained inviolate.

The Inundations.

October 25 brought a pause in the German thrust, the enemy being visibly exhausted.

But the Belgian Army also was exhausted; many of their 75's were out of action through intensive firing; scarcely a hundred shells per gun remained. Would they be able to hold out against another desperate assault?

_The General Staff were considering a retreat on Dunkirk--which would have spelt disaster--when, informed of this by telephone, Foch hurried to the G. H. Q. where he arrived during a sitting of the War Council. In despair, the last dispositions for the retreat were being discussed, when in his simple unaffected way, Foch indicated a line of resistance and suggested inundating the country. "Inundation formerly saved Holland, and may well save Belgium. The men will hold out as best they can until the country is under water"._ (Commandant +Grasset's+, "Foch").

To Staff-Captain Nuyten, assisted by Charles Louis Kogge, a "wateringue" guard of long experience and thoroughly acquainted with the working of the system of canals and locks, was entrusted the task of carrying out the plan.

The plain between Dixmude and Nieuport, being level with the sea, is protected at Nieuport against high water by a system of locks (sketch opposite). The canals and the Yser are dammed by embankments. The railway itself runs along a wide straight dike three to six feet in height.

Under bombardment, Belgian Engineers transformed this railway embankment into a water-tight dike, by stopping up all the openings through which the roads passed and then made wide breaches in the embankments of the drainage-canals, so as to allow the water to spread. The whole plain, between Nieuport and Dixmude was thus transformed into a vast basin closed on the Belgian side by the railway embankment, the latter being at the same time organized as a line of resistance.

Certain locks were secretly opened at high-tide, through which the sea gradually and imperceptibly invaded the basin.

While the sea was thus preparing to play its all important rôle, a fresh enemy attack forced the Franco-Belgian troops, on the 26th, to withdraw behind the railway. Orders were given to hold the latter at all cost.

Nieuport and Dixmude were still holding out. At Dixmude, two battalions of Senegalese relieved the most exhausted units of the defenders.

Behind the railway, units of the 42nd Division and a few battalions of Territorials supported the desperate efforts of the Belgians.

On the 26th and 27th, while the bombardment continued, the water began, little by little, to invade the trenches of the enemy, who, however, did not yet realise the position.

On the 28th, the water began to rise and, on the 29th, spread southwards.

An extremely violent bombardment on the 29th preceded the German attacks of the 30th, against the railway. Thanks to their _minenwerfer_, the Germans gained a footing on the railway, and advanced as far as the villages of Ramscappelle and Pervyse. It was a critical moment, the main line of resistance being pierced.

The defenders pulled themselves together for a last effort, and after a violent concentration of artillery fire, counter-attacked.

On the 31st, at nightfall, the 42nd Division and Belgian units--remnants of battalions belonging to the 6th, 7th and 14th line regiments--charged furiously with the bayonet, to the sound of the bugles. The enemy was thrown into disorder, Ramscappelle recaptured, and the line re-established.

Imperceptibly but relentlessly the floods invaded the enemy's entrenchments, turning their retreat into a rout; their dead, wounded, heavy guns, arms and munitions were swallowed up in the huge swamp. The Battle of the Yser was over.

_The Belgian Army, whose original mission was to hold out for forty-eight hours, had, with the help of 6,000 French Marines, fought first single-handed, and then with the support of a single French Division, continued the struggle until October 31, thus fighting for fifteen days without interruption._

_Throughout these 360 hours of deadly strife, the entire Belgian forces had been in the thick of the battle, without respite. Crouching in their shallow half-formed trenches, or in the muddy ditches, with no shelters, ill-fed, and fully exposed to the inclement weather, the men nevertheless stood firm. In their tattered muddy uniforms, they scarcely looked human. The number of wounded during the last thirteen days was more than 9,000, that of the killed and missing over 11,000. The numbers of sick and exhausted ran into hundreds. The units were reduced to skeletons. The losses in officers were particularly heavy; in one regiment only six were left._

_Thanks to the sacrifices stoically borne, the Belgian Army barred the way to Dunkirk and Calais; the Allies' left wing was not turned, and the enemy failed to reach the coast, from which they expected to threaten England in her very vitals._

_For the Germans, the battle ended in total and bloody defeat. For Belgium the name "Yser", which their gallant king caused to be embroidered on the flags of his heroic regiments, is that of glorious victory._ (Comm. Willy +Breton+).

The fall of Dixmude.

The useless sacrifices on the Yser did not turn the Germans from their plans for taking Calais.

They now attempted to pierce the Allied front in the neighbouring sector, between Dixmude and Ypres, where the 87th Territorials, 42nd Division, (withdrawn from the Yser front), and the 9th Corps strengthened the defences.

On November 9, the bombardment grew more violent. On the 10th, from Dixmude to Bixschoote, along the whole of the canalised Yser and the Yser-Ypres canal, huge masses of enemy troops attacked in deep column formation.

After prolonged sanguinary street fighting, in which the French Marine Brigade again distinguished itself, Dixmude succumbed. The Germans were, however, unable to cross the Yser, and the respective front lines became fixed on the canal embankments. The battle spread eastwards, around the salient of Ypres _(See the Michelin Guide: "Ypres and the Battles of Ypres".)_

_See the Michelin Guide: "Ypres, and the Battles of Ypres"._]

THE PERIOD OF STATIONARY WARFARE.

_Photos, pp. 19-21._

The front-line became fixed in the partially inundated maritime plain of Flanders, in the oozy soil of which it was impossible to make any trenches. The defence-works, _boyaux_, and battery emplacements consequently took the form of superstructures, strengthened with piled-up sacks of earth _(photos, pp. 19-21)_.

Being above the ground, these defences were easily marked down by the German gunners and levelled with each bombardment. Thus the fruit of weeks of hard work was wiped out again and again.

The ground, soaked with the frequent rains and churned up by the shells, quickly became a vast quagmire which swallowed up everything.

During the first winter, all the heavy materials used in the construction of the shelters, etc., as well as the food and munitions had to be carried by the men,--combatants, stretcher-bearers and fatigue parties alike wading knee-deep in the slime.

Little by little, the situation improved. Narrow-gauge railways were laid down to bring up supplies and munitions to the front lines. Stronger and more comfortable shelters were built, together with casemates and concrete observation-posts right up to the front lines.

Nieuport-Ville was connected to Nieuport-Bains by two tunnels through the dunes, propped, brick-paved and lighted by electricity. Along the coast were deep lines of barbed wire. Concrete cupolas sheltered naval guns. Further south, in the dunes, stretched lines of carefully camouflaged huts, parks, stores and rest camps. In places, along the Yser, the inundations did not give absolute protection. Isolated farms built on elevated points and the roads along the dikes rose out of the water, like so many islets. These fiercely disputed points formed a line of small posts and advance guards in front of the main line of resistance, being connected with that along the railway embankment by long foot-bridges built on piles. The line of resistance followed the railway, then curved inwards to the left bank of the Yser, finally passing in front of the town.

This line was strengthened by two other lines which took in Ramscappelle, Pervyse, Lampernisse and St. Jacques-Cappelle. A second system of defence-works ran in front of and behind Loo Canal.

The sector of the inundated plain was held throughout by the Belgian Army. That of the dunes and Nieuport was held in 1914-1915 by the French Tirailleurs, Zouaves, and dismounted cavalry, grouped under the command of General de Mitry, and the brigade of Marines; in 1916, by a division of the 36th Corps (General Hély d'Oissel); in 1917, by regiments of the British 4th Army (General Rawlinson) which attacked along the coast in co-operation with British warships.

Finally, the Belgian Army, completely reformed and newly equipped, took over the entire sector of the Yser, and extended its lines as far as the outskirts of Ypres.

_Chief of the General Staff of the Belgian Army._]

The enemy front was held by the German Marine Corps and Landwehr units.

For four years, the whole sector in front of the Yser Plain remained relatively quiet, with occasional daring raids or short bombardments.

Before Dixmude and Nieuport, the operations were more active. The "Boyau de la Mort", in front of Dixmude, cost the Belgians some losses, the trench, which ran alongside the Yser, being enfiladed. The enemy's rifle fire came mostly from the Flour Mill _(photo, p. 124)_, a large concrete building on the banks of the Yser, which it was difficult to destroy with the heavy artillery, on account of its proximity to the Belgian lines (about thirty yards away).

The liveliest part of the sector was that in front of Nieuport.

In 1914-1915, the troops under General de Mitry, and later the French Marines, succeeded in clearing the town, by capturing the great dune north of St. Georges and various redoubts on the east.

In 1917, the Germans attacked units of the British 4th Army, which was then taking up its positions, and recaptured the dunes as far as the Yser Channel.

_In the middle:_ +Building road on piles.--Making a log road.+

_At bottom of page:_ +Isolated Post surrounded by water, and raft used for revictualling same.--Front-line Post before the inundated plain.+]

THE VICTORY OFFENSIVE.

In 1918, after the fiasco of the enemy's Spring offensives, the initiative passed into the hands of the Allies. The latter, victorious on the Marne, Vesle, Aisne and before Compiègne, continued to press the enemy without respite. The battle spread northwards. On September 28, the "Liberty" Offensive in Flanders began. The group of armies operating in Flanders under the command of King Albert with General Degoutte as Major-General, comprised the valiant Belgian Army, the British 2nd Army, and the French 6th Army.

On the 28th the first two enemy positions, north and east of the Ypres Salient, were captured. On the 29th, the Belgian 4th Division following up this success and pivoting east of Dixmude, captured Eessen to the north and occupied the banks of the Handzaeme Canal _(See p. 120)_. Dixmude, outflanked on the north, fell.

All the heights of Flanders were now in the Allies' hands. In danger of being cut off, the Germans began to prepare their withdrawal from the Belgian Coast on September 28.

After an interruption of several days, owing to bad weather, the offensive was continued on October 14.

On October 15, Belgian divisions holding the inundated front, from Dixmude to Nieuport, crossed the Yser in pursuit of the enemy, who hurriedly retreated to the north-east.

On October 17, the Belgian infantry reached Ostend, while their cavalry, before the gates of Bruges, heard the belfry chimes joyfully announce the precipitate departure of the last of the enemy troops. The Allies' advance had been so rapid that the Germans had not time to set fire to the city. On the coast, the port of Zeebrugge, together with huge quantities of stores, fell into the hands of the Belgians.

The whole of the maritime Plain of Flanders was thus liberated. The exhausted, demoralised enemy were in full retreat.

On November 11, beyond Ghent, the Armistice saved them from the utter rout into which their defeat was fast degenerating.

A Visit to the Battlefield of the YSER

AND

THE BELGIAN COAST.

_First day:_
=Dunkirk, Nieuport, Ostend= _(pp. 24-66.)_
_Second day:_
=Ostend, Zeebrugge, Bruges= _(pp. 67-85.)_
_Third day:_
=Bruges= _(pp. 86-111.)_
_Fourth day:_
=Bruges, Dixmude, Poperinghe= _(pp. 112-127.)_

_Poperinghe is the nearest touring centre to Ypres. For the
itineraries between Ypres and Lille, see the Michelin Guide:
="Ypres, and the Battles of Ypres"=._

A. +Church of St-Éloi.+
B. +Belfry.+
D. +Church of John-the-Baptist.+
E. +Chapel of Notre-Dame des Dunes.+
F. +Church of St-Martin.+
H. +Hôtel-de-Ville.+
T. +Theatre.+]

DUNKIRK.

Origin and Chief Historical Events.

The first mention in history of Dunkirk goes back to the 10th century. As early as the 12th century, it proved to be an "Apple of Discord" between the kings of France and the counts of Flanders. Few towns have had such a stirring history. Ten times besieged, it was taken by Condé in 1646. Recaptured at a later period by the Spaniards, it was given back to the French by Turenne, after the battle of the Dunes (1658). Louis XIV ceded it to his ally Cromwell, but redeemed it from Charles II of England in 1662.

The Dunkirkian corsairs--most famous among whom was Jean-Bart (1651-1702)--inflicted such losses on the English, that the Treaties of Utrecht and Paris (1713 and 1763) provided for the destruction of the port. In 1793, the town was besieged for the last time. By holding out for three weeks against 40,000 men under the Duke of York, it enabled General Houchard to reach Hondschoote, where the English were decisively defeated. This feat of arms was commemorated by the device: "_Dunkirk deserved well of the country_, 1793", which was inscribed on the city's coat-of-arms.

During the Great War of 1914-1918, Dunkirk was an extremely important revictualling centre for the Allied troops. It also played a great part in helping to keep the mastery of the North Sea, and as such, was constantly bombarded by the enemy. It was to reach Dunkirk and Calais, that the Germans made their furious thrusts at Ypres and on the Yser. Of all the towns not directly in the front-line, Dunkirk was probably the one which suffered most. It was bombarded once by Zeppelins, seventy-seven times by aeroplanes and four times by warships. Lastly, a 15in. naval gun posted twenty-three miles away, shelled the town at regular intervals from April 1915 onwards. In all, more than eight thousand shells fell in the town, killing five hundred people and wounding over one thousand others. In spite of all, the town maintained considerable activity throughout the war.

The damaged and destroyed buildings were rapidly cleared away or repaired. Under bombardment, the shipbuilding-yards turned out three vessels of 19,000 tons. Munitions of war were also manufactured in very large quantities. The following _citation_ in the Army Order of October 17, 1917, which is to be incorporated in the city's coat-of-arms, was well deserved:

_Subjected for three years to violent and frequent bombardments, Dunkirk was able, thanks to the admirable coolness and courage of her inhabitants, to maintain and develop its economic life in the interests of National Defence, thereby rendering invaluable service to the Army and Country. This heroic city is an example to the whole nation._

The Croix de la Légion d'Honneur was conferred on Dunkirk by President Poincaré on August 11, 1919.

A Visit to Dunkirk.

_Follow the arrows along the streets indicated by thick lines in the plan below._

_Starting-point: =Place Jean-Bart= in the middle of which is_ a statue of Jean-Bart (1844) _(photo below)_.

_Take Rue de l'Eglise (Rue Clemenceau) in which, immediately to the right, stands_ the =Church of St. Éloi= with the =Belfry= opposite.

Built in the 16th century, +St. Éloi Church+ contains a nave flanked by four side-aisles. The first bays, nearest the façade, having being pulled down, the belfry--an old watch-tower, which formerly abutted on the church--is now separated from it by the width of the street. The façade was rebuilt in 1890. In the interior are a fine +XVIII+th century pulpit, some old paintings, and the tomb of Jean-Bart _(left aisle)_ _(photo, p. 29)_. The right aisle was torn open by the shells _(photo below)_.

_Exterior._ _Interior._]

The =Belfry=, a large square tower of brick, 190 feet high, was built in 1440. It contains a peal of bells. From the top, there is a very fine view.

The entrance is on the rear side of the tower.

_Take Rue des Bassins, opposite the church, and turn to the right along Rue de La Panne, in which stands_ the +Church of John-the-Baptist+.

This 18th century church contains some fine paintings. On the altar: The _Consecration of Dunkirk to the Virgin_ (Elias); in the chancel, _The Death of Mary the Egyptian_ (G. de Crayer); _The Holy Family_ (Erasme Quellin); _The Holy Family_ (Le Guide); _Jesus crowned with thorns_ (Van Dyck). In the nave: _Paintings by Elias and de Janssens_. On the northern side of the church are the cloister and modern chapel of St. Philomène (shrine).

_Keep along Rue de la Panne; follow Quai des Hollandais, and turn to the right into Place d'Armes, in which stands_ the =Hôtel-de-Ville=.

The Hôtel-de-Ville was rebuilt in 1896-1901 of brick and stone (architect, L. Cordonnier). On the first floor are statues of illustrious Dunkirkians. Just below the roof there is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. The tower is 250 feet high.

_Take Rue du Quai, on the left, to the large square in front of the port, in which is the =Fish-Market (Mynk)=. (See sketch-map, p. 27.)_

The port of Dunkirk.

One of the busiest fishing and coast-trading ports in France, Dunkirk is especially important by reason of its import trade. The raw materials required for the industries of Northern France are discharged there, whilst iron ore, oil and metals are exported. Since the beginning of the 19th century Dunkirk has steadily grown and the fortifications have twice had to be extended (1861-1906). The ruined industries of the North and the competition of the Rhine may retard this growth, but the port's natural situation will always ensure a fine future for it. In 1920, the docks covered an area of about 100 acres, whilst the total length of the wharves was about six miles.

The port consists of a series of parallel docks, i.e., the extended rear port, the naval dock, the commerce dock, and wet-docks 1, 2, 3, 4, connected by the Freycinet dock. All these docks lie at right-angles to the great water-line formed by the grounding port and outer harbour, into which the channel debouches. Dunkirk also possesses extensive naval stocks provided with five large dry docks and a launching dock fifteen acres in extent _(See plan, p. 24.)_

_To visit the port, cross the bridges over Citadelle Lock and Western Lock; turn to the right along the quay, passing behind the wet-docks and skirting the graving-docks._ On the right, on the other side of the grounding port, the naval dock-yards come into view. _Cross the bridge of Trystram Lock, which connects up Freycinet Dock with the channel, then turn immediately to the right and cross the small bridge opposite the lighthouse, leaving the latter on the left. Skirt the channel (about 230 yards long and 27 yards wide), as far as the two booms which terminate it._ There are several observation-posts and armoured concrete machine-gun shelters near the lighthouse.

_Return to the square in front of the port and follow the quay, on the left, as far as Rue Carnot on the right, which leads to the Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Dunes. (See itinerary, p. 27)._

This chapel is a favourite pilgrimage. The fisherwomen of Dunkirk made it the headquarters of their Sisterhood.

_A little further on stands_ the =Statue of Victory= commemorating the siege of 1793. This monument is the work of Ed. Lormier (1893) and was erected on the site of the old ramparts.

_Follow the tram-lines to =Malo-les-Bains=_, Dunkirk's beach.

_Return to Rue Carnot and take Rue des Vieux-Remparts on the left to Place du Theatre, where turn to the left into Rue Benjamin-Morel, in which stands =The Museum= (photo below.)_

_Take Rue Jean-Bart on the right, behind the theatre, then Rue Thévenet on the left, leading back to Place Jean-Bart. Cross the latter diagonally to Rue Alexandre III (see Itinerary, p. 27) which leads to Place de la République._ Here stands the monument erected to the memory of the Dunkirkians who fell fighting for their country. _(L. Morice, 1906.)_

_Cross Place de la République, then Place du Palais-de-Justice, turn to the right along Quai du Port au Bois then cross the bridge on the left (see Itinerary, p. 27). Take Rue de Paris on the left, in which stands =St. Martin's Church=._ This modern church, primitive Gothic in style, is flanked by two towers with spires.

_The tourist leaves Dunkirk by Rue de Paris and Rue des 4-Ecluses, which prolongs it, to follow the itinerary of the first day._

_First Day:_

DUNKIRK, NIEUPORT AND OSTEND.

_Lunch at +Nieuport+._]

_Leave =Dunkirk= by Rue de Paris, continued by Rue des 4-Ecluses, cross the Canal de la Cunette (see lower half of itinerary, p. 27, and text, p. 32), and take the Furnes road (D. 15) which follows the right bank of the Dunkirk-Furnes Canal._

_At =Rosendael= (2½ kms. on the other side of the canal) stood_ the Civilian Hospital of Dunkirk, which was shelled several times during the war.

_On the left, 3 kms. further on, is =Dunes Fort=._

_The baby in the medallion had one of its hands cut off by a splinter._]

_At the first cross-roads (9 kms. from Dunkirk), the tourist may take the left-hand road to +Zuydcoote+, to see the great +Sanatorium for children+, on the coast, founded by M. Van Covenberghe._ Converted into a military hospital, it rendered invaluable service during the War _(photo above)_.

_To visit, go through =Zuydcoote=, turn to the left, beyond the level-crossing, then to the right 200 yards further on._

_Return to D. 15, and follow same on the left. At the first cross-roads (2 kms.) take G. C. 4 on the right to +Hondschoote+ (12 kms.)_

_Pass through +Ghyvelde+, then at +Les Moeres+ turn to the right, and on leaving, to the left._

_Beyond the level-crossing, =Hondschoote= is reached. Take Rue de la Prévôlé on the left, which leads to the Grand' Place._

Hondschoote is a small town of ancient origin, whose population has greatly decreased since the 16th century. It was there that, on September 8, 1793 the French, under Houchard, defeated and drove back the English who were besieging Dunkirk _(engraving below)_.

_On the right of the Square (photos, p. 35) is_ the 17th century Renaissance Hôtel-de-Ville, _while in the centre stands_ the early 16th century church, in which are a fine pulpit and organ loft (1755). _Near by is_ a monument (Darcq) commemorating the victory of 1793.

+Hondschoote Church.+

_In front:_ +9in. Mortars+.

_In the medallion:_ +The Pulpit.+]

_Return to D. 15 and follow same to the right; cross the railway (l.c.); 2 kms. further on is the French Custom-House. The Belgian Custom-House is 3 kms. further on, near +Adinkerque+._

_Cross the canal and enter =Adinkerke=._

_Take the street on the left which skirts the churchyard._ Behind the church is a large Franco-Belgian cemetery, containing the grave of the Belgian poet Verhaeren. After the Armistice, his remains were transferred to his native town.

_Keep straight on along the La Panne road; 600 yards beyond the Dunkirk-Furnes railway, a small foot-path on the right leads to_ a military cemetery. _=La Panne= is next reached (3 kms.)_. This small seaside resort was one of the least modern places on the coast. _Follow Avenue de la Mer as far as the dike, to the left of which are_ three villas which were occupied during the war by King Albert and his staff.

_Return along Avenue de la Mer to the first street on the left, in which is_ the Hôpital de l'Océan. _0 km. 800 further on, on the left, take the street which runs alongside the local railway. At the first fork, take the left-hand road to =Coxyde= (5 kms. from La Panne.)_ Wire entanglements and shelters in the Dunes may be seen all along the road. There is a military cemetery on the left, _O km. 500 before reaching Coxyde_.

+Coxyde+, like most of the towns on the coast, is divided into the town proper, situated behind the Dunes, and the Baths on the coast.

_Turn to the left on entering the village._ The road crosses the Dunes, which are highest at Hoogen-Blekker (105 feet). Vestiges of trenches, wire entanglements, shelters and gun emplacements are to be seen on every hand.

_In the Dunes, on the right, is_ an emplacement for naval guns _(Photo opposite)_. Between this position and the sea is the camp known as that of Adjutant Lefèvre _(Photo below)_.

_The tourist may go as far as =Coxyde-Bains= (2 kms.) Return to and cross through Coxyde, keeping straight on to =Furnes= (3½ kms.)_

☙ ☙ ☙

_100 yards east of Coxyde-Bains_.]

Hôtel-de-Ville, Palais-de-Justice, Belfry, Church of St-Walburge.

+The Grand'Place, Furnes.+]

FURNES

Furnes (Veurne) is a small town of about 6,000 inhabitants. Of ancient origin, it was the chief town of the "Veurne Ambacht" castellany, in the Middle-Ages. By the Treaty of 1715, the Dutch were empowered to place a garrison there, as a barrier against France.

During the War, Furnes became, after Antwerp and Ostend, the General Head-Quarters of the Belgian Army for a few months (1914-1915), the same being subsequently transferred to La Panne. More fortunate than Dixmude and Nieuport, practically all its public buildings and monuments escaped uninjured, although parts of the town were seriously damaged by the bombardments.

On January 28, 1920, President Poincaré, in the presence of King Albert, fastened the French _Croix de Guerre_ to the town's arms, with the following citation:

_"During four trying years, in spite of incessant bombardments by aeroplanes and long-range guns, always set a fine example of unshakeable faith in the final Victory"._

_Tourists arrive by Rue du Nord which opens out into the Grand' Place_, the ancient ornamental paving of which is very fine. Around the square are grouped the principal buildings.

The _=Hôtel-de-Ville= is on the right_.

Renaissance in style, it was erected in 1596-1612, from the plans of Lieven Lukas. The façade has two gables, one of which was preceded by a graceful _loggia_ which was removed during the war _(Photo, p. 40)_. The high belfry dates from 1628. _On the ground-floor see:_ the Council Chamber, with Spanish leather hangings: the College Chamber, with Utrecht velvet hangings; the Marriage Hall, with a still-life painting attributed to Snyders _(on the mantelpiece)_. The Great Hall on the first floor, with Spanish leather hangings, contains several royal portraits.

+The Grand'Place, Furnes.+]

_Near by is_ the =Palais-de-Justice=, formerly the ancient castellany, built in 1612-1628 from the plans of Sylvain Boulin. Behind the Palais-de-Justice is the =Belfry=. The interior, restored in 1894, comprises several finely decorated rooms: the Waiting-Hall, the Justice Chamber (17th century), and the old Inquisition Chamber _(on the first floor)_. The Chapel contains some fine vaulting and a carved wooden gallery. A number of bronze tablets recording judgments are kept there.

_A narrow street between the Palais-de-Justice and a block of old houses with ruined gables, of which only mutilated fragments of the façades remain, leads to the =Church of St. Walburge=._

Of very ancient origin, its reconstruction was begun in the 14th century. The choir was completed in the 15th century. The nave is 14th century. The church contains magnificent stalls (early 17th century), wood-work, doors, and pulpit, also a _Descent from the Cross_ attributed to Pourbus. In the sacristy there is a 15th century shrine. The stalls, organ and altars were removed to a place of safety during the war. Much of the stained-glass was destroyed.

+The Grand'Place, Furnes.+]

_At the corner of the Grand' Place and the Rue de l'Est stands_ the +Pavilion of the Spanish Officers+, built by the Spaniards in the 16th century as a barracks. Restored at a later date, it now serves as the Town Library and Archives _(Photos, pp. 39 and 41)_.

_(Sept. 4, 1917.)_]

_Opposite is_ the old =Meat Market=, now a theatre, with its fine early 17th century façade.

_On the left, the Hôtel-de-Ville whose "loggia" (photo above) was taken down (1918)._]

_At the end of the square, facing the Rue du Nord, is_ the =Old Spanish Guard House=, an arcaded building of early 17th century construction. The lateral façade overlooks the Place du Marché-aux-Pommes, in which stands +St. Nicolas' Church+. Begun in the 14th century, building was continued in the 15th, and completed in the 16th centuries. The church, which has a high, unfinished tower suffered little during the war, although some of the stained-glass was broken.

_In the background:_ _+The Palais-de-Justice+ and +Hôtel-de-Ville+ (photos, p. 40.)_

_In the foreground:_ _+Rue de l'Est+, by which tourists leave Furnes._]

Furnes possesses a number of curious old houses, the most noteworthy of which are the _+Noble Rose Hostelry+, 11, Rue du Nord, near the Grand'Place, and the +Pomme d'Or Hostelry+ in the Grand'Place_.

Victor Hugo lived in one of them in August 1837. The "Pomme d'Or" was used as a residence by the Spanish Officers (16th-17th centuries). Rebuilt in the 16th century, the "Noble Rose" was restored shortly before the War; it is now partly destroyed.

Every year, since the 12th century, a famous penitential procession took place at Furnes on the last Sunday in July, when the "Sodalité Brotherhood" performed the "Passion Play" in Flemish.

From Furnes to Nieuport.

_Leave Furnes by the Rue de l'Est, and immediately after crossing the canal, take the Nieuport road, on the left. At =Wulpen= (5 kms.), cross the canal to go to +Oost-Dunkirk+ (2 kms.)_ Numerous shelters, trenches, and wire entanglements are to be seen along the road.

_After crossing the railway (l.c.) turn to the left into =Oost-Dunkirk=._ Like Coxyde, Oost-Dunkirk comprises the town proper--situated behind the dunes, on a road which, via Coxyde, linked up Furnes with Nieuport--and the baths, 2 kms. further north, on the coast. Both places served as billeting quarters for the French Marines in 1915. The immense camps of wooden huts were occupied later by the Zouaves.

The town was practically destroyed by the bombardments; most of the houses are in ruins, but the church is still standing.

_To visit the Baths (2 kms.) take the road on the right, beyond the church,_ noticing the numerous shelters in the dunes. _Coming back from the dike, take the first road on the left to =Nieuport-Bains= (4 kms.)_ The road crosses a region covered with defence-works, trenches and wire entanglements, alternating with shelters and battery positions. The battle zone began there. All vestiges of life and vegetation have disappeared.

_Before reaching Nieuport-Bains_, a Franco-British cemetery _(photo below) is seen on the left, and a little further on_, the ruins of the church, with a cemetery in front.

=Nieuport-Bains=, a small watering-place situated 3 kms. from Nieuport and 17 kms. from Ostend, was perhaps the prettiest of the Belgian seaside places. There the dunes rise in places to a height of 100 feet.

As witness the trenches and _boyaux_ which run through the ruins of its pretty villas and fine hotels, Nieuport-Bains stood in the front line.

_At the end of the dike the road turns to the right in the direction of =Nieuport-Ville=. From here the tourist crosses the dunes parallelly to the sea._ Traversing the zone which formed the first line during the stabilisation period, the mouth of the Yser, protected by two wooden piers about three-quarters of a mile long and covered with sacks of earth, is reached. The Grande Dune, which General de Mitry attacked in January 1915, is on the right bank of the estuary, opposite Nieuport-Bains. The polders of Lombartzyde are somewhat to the south-west _(See p. 53)_.

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The Yser and the Belgian Coast: An Illustrated History and GuideChapter I: Front Matter (1)

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