At about 6 a.m. the infantry assault began in a dense fog north and south of Kemmel Hill.
North of the Hills the "Sieger" divisions, marching west to east, had orders to capture Kemmel Village, and then, via the Valley of the Kemmelbeek, join up at Locre with the Eberhardt Divisions, which were attacking from north to south in the direction of Dranoutre.
On the left of the attacking front, the village of Kemmel was taken by the Germans, in spite of a heroic defence. Step by step the British 9th Division was driven back into Kemmelbeek valley and on Dickebusch Pond.
In the centre the enemy storm-troop waves, after several repulses, finally reached the summit of Kemmel Hill, where a fierce hand-to-hand encounter took place. In spite of their great heroism, the 30th Infantry Regiment, outnumbered and almost surrounded, was forced to abandon the position, but only after a dashing counter-attack by a battalion of the 99th Infantry had failed to extricate them. On the right, the German Alpine Corps, by a daring manœuvre, made possible by the fog and the broken nature of the ground, succeeded in reaching the artillery positions, which were at once attacked by machine-gun fire. The French and British batteries, under a storm of bullets, were obliged to retreat, saving what material they could and blowing up the rest.
The Germans thus reached the village of Locre, which changed hands several times during the day.
Finally, after a counter-attack, the 154th Infantry Division remained masters of the village, although the Germans succeeded in holding the "hospice" at the southern end.
The situation was now critical and the enemy advance had to be checked at all costs. On the night of the 25th the Allies were reinforced by the 39th Infantry Division (Massenet) at the very moment a fresh German offensive was being launched. The timely arrival of these troops effectually stayed the German thrust.
On the evening of the 26th, after much sanguinary fighting, the enemy paused, exhausted. The French took advantage of the respite to consolidate new positions.
The 27th was marked only by a violent attack on the extreme left at Voormezele, where the Germans succeeded in obtaining a footing, only to be driven out by a vigorous British counter-attack.
As a result of these various battles the new line was as follows: from Locre Château it ran south of Locre Village, followed Kemmelbeek Valley, passed in front of La Clytte Village, then south of Dickebusch Pond and Voormezele Village, joining up with Zillebeke on the south-east.