The powder-mill of the old work, thanks to the superimposed vaults, which were forming its ceiling, managed to resist to all kind of German shells, which made it deserve the nickname of Rubber house. It was occupied during the operations both as battle headquarters and as advanced dressing station.
In March 1918, the Belgian front had to be stretched out, in order to relieve allied divisions. To avoid the weakening of our resistance, our front having been thus considerably lengthened and the occupation having become very thin, the G. H. Q. decided to stretch a further inundation which allowed to gain up several outposts.
At Nieuport, the Redan became the front line. It was hooked North by the “huitrière” (oyster-pond), fronting the West bank of the channel, and South at “Dupuis and de Luc” trench.
Those three points d’appui formed an important point of resistance: they were covering the locks. They were garrisoned by a battalion; its duty was to hold at all costs and it did it.
At last, the Belgian offensive was launched from up the southern part of our front on the 28th of September 1918. North of Dixmude our troops remained momentarily waiting and the position of Nieuport had still to suffer severe bombardments. But the last occupants of the Redan stood them up lightly, only anxiously waiting their turn to rush victoriously over the parapet. The kick off was given on the 17th of October and the very same day they were able to admire with a legitimate pride the magnificent enemy artillery, which had made them suffer so much and that the Germans had left them, the guns still loaded.
7.—Karnak battery at Oost-Dunkerke.
English battery composed of two 9.2 inches, guns. That battery was situated at about 1 kilometer East of Oost-Dunkerke and at 200 meters South of Oost-Dunkerke bath and Nieuport bath road.
Its interest lies in the reason of its having been constructed underneath the great dunes, from that emplacement the battery drew the three fold advantages in regard to camouflage, protection and mainly in creating great difficulties to the German counter-battery; indeed the latter was deprived of any aiming point whatever, and the shell craters were rapidly leveled up by the sand.
Karnak battery, which was manned by British gunners had been placed under the Orders of the O. C. of the Nieuport sector, who utilized it for momentous counter-battery and destruction fires.