“South of the Lys the German line extended to three miles east of Bethune to Vermelles.  The Allies encountered resistance all along the line on the 12th and 13th, when the enemy’s right fell back hastily.  Bailleul, seventeen miles northwest by west of Lille, which had been occupied by the foe for eight days, was abandoned without a shot being fired.

[Illustration:  GEN.  VON BUeLOW Commanding One of the German Armies in the West (Copyright, Photographische Gesellschaft, by permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., N.Y.)]

[Illustration:  CROWN PRINCE RUPPRECHT OF BAVARIA (Copyright, Photographische Gesellschaft, by permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., N.Y.)]

“On the 14th our left wing advanced, driving the enemy back, and on the night of the 15th we were in possession of all the country on the left bank of the Lys to a point five miles below Armentieres.  The enemy retired from that town on the 16th, and the river line, to within a short distance of Frelinghien, fell into our hands.

“The state of the crossings over the Lys indicated that no organized scheme of defense had been executed, some of the bridges being in a state of repair, others merely barricaded, while one was not even defended or broken.

“The resistance offered to our advance on the 15th was of a most determined character.  The fighting consisted of fiercely contested encounters, infantry attacks on the villages being unavailing until our howitzers reduced the houses to ruins.  Other villages were taken and retaken three times before they were finally secured.

“The French cavalry here gave welcome support, and on the evening of the 16th the resistance was overcome, the enemy retiring five miles to the eastward.”

Describing an incident of the fighting on this night, the narrative says that the important crossing of the Lys at Warneton was strongly held by the Germans with a barricade loopholed at the bottom to enable the men to fire while lying down.

“Our cavalry, with the artillery, blew the barricade to pieces and scattered the defenders,” the narrative continues.  “Advancing three-quarters of a mile our troops reached the square, when one of the buildings appeared to leap skyward.  A sheet of flame and a shower of star shells at the same time made the place as light as day and enabled the enemy, ensconced in surrounding houses, to pour a devastating fire from rifles and machine guns.  Our cavalry extricated themselves with the loss of one officer wounded and nine men killed and wounded, but a party of volunteers went back and carried off their wounded comrades from the inferno.

“During the 17th, 18th, and 19th of October our right encountered strong opposition from the enemy about La Bassee, where they had established themselves behind embankments.  On the centre and the left we made better progress, although the Germans were everywhere intrenched, and, in spite of the bombardment, held some villages on the Lys.  At the close of each day a night counter stroke was delivered against one or another part of our line, but they were all repulsed.