Military Operations, France and Belgium 1914, vol. 2

PREFACE

This volume completes the narrative, begun in Volume I., of the operations of the British Army in the Western theatre of war in the year 1914 down to the close of the Battles of Ypres. Beginning with an introductory chapter on the preparations initiated in the Homeland and the Empire for the continuation of the war, and a brief notice of the operations against the German Colonies, it describes the loss of Antwerp and the great battles in Flanders : — La Bassee, Armentieres, Messines and Ypres, which raged without a break from the 10th October to the 22nd November 1914. During this period there was little change in the character of the fighting between the two equally matched antagonists : German superiority in numbers and metal was balanced by the high military qualities of the Allies. An account of such combats is bound to be more or less monotonous, but those who read the story should endeavour to picture to themselves what those weeks of uninterrupted struggle meant to the com- manders in the field and the thin line of troops which stood between the enemy and the Channel ports.

PREFACE

Allies ; but the account has been made as short as possible. The British records contain a very large collection of French "" directives ”, operation orders, situation maps and other papers for the period. There are also a very excellent narrative of the IX. Corps, which fought on the British left, drawn up by its commander. General Dubois ; a paper by General d’Urbal, commanding the Eighth Army, which comprised nearly all the French forces co-operating with the British ; a volume on the operations of General de Mitry’s cavalry corps ; and a general narrative of the Battles of Ypres by General Palat. It has therefore been unnecessary, although the French oflBcial history has not yet been published, to ask the Historical Section in Paris to clear up more than a few points : such as the orders of battle ; the detailed operations of units and formations most closely concerned with the British ; and the exact front on certain days of some of the higher formations. This information has in every case been most kindly provided.

CHAPTER XIII

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 1st November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Armv Group {continued) ;

CHAPTER XIV

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 2nb November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Army Group {continued)* Loss of Wytschaete :

CHAPTER IV

12th October : The Advance of the III. Corps and Cavalry Corps to the Lys. The Battles of Messines and Armentieres . . . . . .94

CHAPTER V

Cavalry Corps : Battle of Messines, A Day on the Defensive ......

CHAPTER VIII

Operations of the Cavalry Corps. Battle of Messines

MESSINES

Cavalry Corps : The Battle of Messines.

PREFACE

This volume completes the narrative, begun in Volume I., of the operations of the British Army in the Western theatre of war in the year 1914 down to the close of the Battles of Ypres. Beginning with an introductory chapter on the preparations initiated in the Homeland and the Empire for the continuation of the war, and a brief notice of the operations against the German Colonies, it describes the loss of Antwerp and the great battles in Flanders : — La Bassee, Armentieres, Messines and Ypres, which raged without a break from the 10th October to the 22nd November 1914. During this period there was little change in the character of the fighting between the two equally matched antagonists : German superiority in numbers and metal was balanced by the high military qualities of the Allies. An account of such combats is bound to be more or less monotonous, but those who read the story should endeavour to picture to themselves what those weeks of uninterrupted struggle meant to the com- manders in the field and the thin line of troops which stood between the enemy and the Channel ports.

PREFACE

Allies ; but the account has been made as short as possible. The British records contain a very large collection of French "" directives ”, operation orders, situation maps and other papers for the period. There are also a very excellent narrative of the IX. Corps, which fought on the British left, drawn up by its commander. General Dubois ; a paper by General d’Urbal, commanding the Eighth Army, which comprised nearly all the French forces co-operating with the British ; a volume on the operations of General de Mitry’s cavalry corps ; and a general narrative of the Battles of Ypres by General Palat. It has therefore been unnecessary, although the French oflBcial history has not yet been published, to ask the Historical Section in Paris to clear up more than a few points : such as the orders of battle ; the detailed operations of units and formations most closely concerned with the British ; and the exact front on certain days of some of the higher formations. This information has in every case been most kindly provided.

CHAPTER XIII

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 1st November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Armv Group {continued) ;

CHAPTER XIV

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 2nb November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Army Group {continued)* Loss of Wytschaete :

PREFACE

This volume completes the narrative, begun in Volume I., of the operations of the British Army in the Western theatre of war in the year 1914 down to the close of the Battles of Ypres. Beginning with an introductory chapter on the preparations initiated in the Homeland and the Empire for the continuation of the war, and a brief notice of the operations against the German Colonies, it describes the loss of Antwerp and the great battles in Flanders : — La Bassee, Armentieres, Messines and Ypres, which raged without a break from the 10th October to the 22nd November 1914. During this period there was little change in the character of the fighting between the two equally matched antagonists : German superiority in numbers and metal was balanced by the high military qualities of the Allies. An account of such combats is bound to be more or less monotonous, but those who read the story should endeavour to picture to themselves what those weeks of uninterrupted struggle meant to the com- manders in the field and the thin line of troops which stood between the enemy and the Channel ports.

PREFACE

Allies ; but the account has been made as short as possible. The British records contain a very large collection of French "" directives ”, operation orders, situation maps and other papers for the period. There are also a very excellent narrative of the IX. Corps, which fought on the British left, drawn up by its commander. General Dubois ; a paper by General d’Urbal, commanding the Eighth Army, which comprised nearly all the French forces co-operating with the British ; a volume on the operations of General de Mitry’s cavalry corps ; and a general narrative of the Battles of Ypres by General Palat. It has therefore been unnecessary, although the French oflBcial history has not yet been published, to ask the Historical Section in Paris to clear up more than a few points : such as the orders of battle ; the detailed operations of units and formations most closely concerned with the British ; and the exact front on certain days of some of the higher formations. This information has in every case been most kindly provided.

CHAPTER XIII

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 1st November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Armv Group {continued) ;

CHAPTER XIV

The Battles of Ypres. Battle of Ghelxjvelt. 2nb November 1914. The Attack of Fabeck’s Army Group {continued)* Loss of Wytschaete :