May.
The shortening of the Ypres Salient—More Hun gas—Strange equipment for fighting the gas—The eve of Rawlinson's attack along the Fromelles road—Great hopes of winning through to Lille—The 1st Cavalry Division sent to Ypres—The French attack at Arras—The British horseshoe around Ypres—Through the ruined town of Potijze—Scenes of devastation—Under the shells—Awful smells—Streams of wounded—Shell-splinters—The G.H.Q. line—The St. Jean dug-outs—The hell of constant enemy howitzer fire—Preponderance of numbers of German heavy guns over British—The Auber ridge attack fails—Splendid examples of heroism among the wounded—The French attack fails to break through—Holding on at Ypres—Discovery of a dug-out at Potijze—The solitary old woman in wrecked Ypres—Wonderful pyrotechnic displays at night in the trenches—Blocked by shell and conflagration in Ypres—Unable to get through—An abandoned attempt at photography under bursting shells—A scared collie—The last inhabitants to escape from the ruins of Ypres—The "Princess Pat's"—A "Mother" gun and aeroplane artillery observations—General De Lisle given command of the eastern portion of the Salient—The remnants of the Northumberland Brigade—To bed by the light of the fires in Ypres—The composition of the Salient line on the night of May 12th
CHAPTER VI.
May (continued).
The great German attack on May 13th—Twelve hours of Hun howitzer fire—Terrible and awe-inspiring spectacle—The niagara of shell-sound—Around impassable Ypres to Potijze—Close work by a coal-box—Through a black shell-cloud—The York and Durham "Terriers"—Bombarded in a Potijze dug-out—The shell-swept line—Colonel Budworth's wisdom and the German General's lost opportunity—The super-human work of the Queen's Bays saves the line—The Life Guards shelled from their trenches—Bits of position lost wholesale—Good work by an armoured car—Accurate and invaluable gunning by British Artillery—German attacks dispersed—Heavy casualties among the 18th Hussars—The splendid charge of the Blues, 10th Hussars and Essex Yeomanry—David Campbell's 6th Brigade holds a line of obliterated trenches—Reports of heavy losses—The remnants form a new line—A talk with two of the Blues on the battle-field—A plucky Essex Yeoman—Over 1,600 casualties in the two cavalry divisions engaged—A lost despatch case—In the "huts" near Vlamertinghe—An unnecessary run up the Menin Road at night—The flotsam and jetsam of a divisional relief in the dark—A cellar headquarters on the Menin Road—The position at Hooge—Cheery K.R.R. cyclists—A gunner's curious story—The composition of the Salient line on the morning of May 24th—In the thick of a Hun gas attack—The 28th Division lose their line—The 18th Hussars outflanked—A "Gas Diary"—The 9th Lancers hold the trench-line—Fine work by the York and Durham Territorials—The 15th Hussars win laurels—Gas everywhere—A shell demolishes an ammunition limber—A brave Cheshire sergeant—A wounded Tommy and his yarn—Huns refuse to take prisoners—A counter-attack by the Royal Fusiliers—D.S.O.'s and Military Crosses—18th Hussars casualties—Captain Grenfell and Captain Court of the 9th Lancers buried at Vlamertinghe—General De Lisle given command of the 29th Division and leaves France for the Dardanelles