the
action had ceased, the Allies had an opportunity to realign their
positions and somewhat strengthen the same by the First Guard Brigade
which now came up, showing the terrible suffering to which they
had been subjected. Finally, however, it was found advisable to
withdraw the Guard altogether and replace them by the First Infantry
Brigade.

Now the German tactical idea became clear. It was to force the
British to concentrate on the exposed line between Festubert and
Givenchy, north of the canal, and then to turn the British right
by the German forces in their new position just south of the canal,
thus calling for simultaneous action on both sides of the canal.

The Germans delivered an equally severe attack upon the allied
position in the village of Givenchy, about a mile north of the
canal, which bounded the scene of the attack just described. As
in the other attack, the Germans opened action by severe artillery
fire, using high-explosive shells, and after due preparation, at
about 8.15 in the morning, the infantry advanced, as is customary
with the Germans, in close formation. The British met this advance
by somewhat weak artillery fire, which, it was afterward explained
was due to continued interruption of the telephonic communications
between the observers and the batteries in the fight. However, as
it was, this fire, added to the machine gun and rifle fire from
the trenches, served to turn the German advance from their original
direction, with the result that they crowded together in the northeast
corner of Givenchy after passing over the first-line trenches of
the Allies' front. Their momentum carried the Germans far into the
center of the village, with remarkably few casualties considering
the murderous fire to which they had been subjected throughout
their impetuous advances.

In the village of Givenchy, however, the Second Welsh Regiment and
the First South Wales Borderers, which had been stationed there
and held in reserve, gave the Germans a warm reception, and when
the First Royal Highlanders came up they delivered a fierce
counterattack. In this they were supported by the fire of the French
artillery, which assistance, however, proved costly to the Allies,
as the French fire and bursting shells killed friend and foe alike.
Street fighting became savage, amid the explosions of shells sent
to enliven the occasion by the French. This concluded the action
for the day and when the smoke cleared away bot