er 20, 1914, the Germans commenced a
heavy artillery fire along the entire front. This was followed by an
infantry charge along the entire line between Givenchy and La Quinque
Rue to the north. The defense of Givenchy was in the hands of the India
Sirhind Brigade, under General Brunker. At ten o'clock the Sirhinds
became confused and fled, enabling the Germans to capture Givenchy. The
Fifty-seventh Rifles and the Ninth Bhopals were stationed north of La
Bassee Canal and east of Givenchy, and the Connaught Rangers were
waiting at the south of the canal. The Forty-seventh Sikhs were sent to
support the Sirhind Brigade, with the First Manchesters, the Fourth
Suffolks, and two battalions of French Provincials, the entire force
being under command of General Carnegy. All these mixed forces now
essayed a combined counterattack in order to recover the ground lost by
the Sirhind Brigade, but this failed.

The Allies called up reserves and re-formed the ranks broken by that
day's reverses. With the Seventh Dragoon Guards under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel Lempriere, they began another attack. This, too,
failed. When the Sirhind Brigade fell back, the Seaforth Highlanders
were left entirely exposed. The Fifty-eighth Rifles went to the support
of their left. Throughout the entire afternoon the Seaforths had made
strenuous efforts to capture the German trenches to the right and left
of their position. Upon the arrival of the Fifty-eighth the fighting
redoubled in ferocity, but no advance was made. Finally word was given
to retreat. The Allies lost heavily in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

The First Brigade was detached, and by midnight it had reached Bethune,
about five miles west of Givenchy. Sir Douglas Haig was ordered to move
also, the entire First Division in support of the exhausted Indian
troops.

Action was begun on December 20, 1914, early in the afternoon by a
simultaneous attack, and was continued until nightfall without
important results. The next morning General Haig in person took the
command, but little ground was gained.

While this contest was in progress around Givenchy, the Germans took
possession of the city of Arras, ten miles to the south.

Between December 23 and 30, 1914, the Belgian army, strongly reenforced
by French troops, began a series of violent attacks upon the German
lines; but the Germans replied by a ceaseless bombardment of Nieuport,
which is about a mile inland. No results of importa