s. The First Brigade of the First Corps was rushed forward by
Sir Douglas Haig; but it was dark before these troops arrived. Another
fortified bridge, farther to the left, checked the Twenty-fifth
Brigade; and machine-gun fire stopped the Twenty-fourth Brigade, this
fire being from the German troops at the crossroads northwest of
Pietre village. The Seventh Division was held by the line of the Des
Layes, and the defense of the Pietre mill.

By evening the British had gone forward as far as their artillery fire
had been effective; and it was found necessary for them to stop to
strengthen the new line which they had established. They had won Neuve
Chapelle. They had advanced a mile. They had straightened their line,
but they could go no farther.

On the following day, March 11, 1915, the British artillery was
directed against the Bois du Biez and the trenches in the neighborhood
of Pietre. The Germans, however, had recovered from the surprise of
the great bombardment, and they made several counterattacks. Little
progress was made on that day by either side. On that night, March 11,
the Bavarian and Saxon reserves arrived from Tourcoing, and on the
morning of March 12 the counterattack extended along the British
front. Because of the heavy mist, and the lack of proper
communications, it was impossible for the British artillery to do much
damage. The defense of the bridges across the Des Layes kept the
British forces from the ridges and the capture of Aubers. The best
that the British seemed to be able to do was to prevent the German
counterattack from being successful.

An attempt to use the British cavalry was unsuccessful on March 12.
The Second Cavalry Division, in command of General Hubert Gough, with
a brigade of the North Midland Division, was ordered to support the
infantry offensive, it being believed that the cavalry might penetrate
the German lines. When the Fifth Cavalry Brigade, under command of Sir
Philip Chetwode, arrived in the Rue Bacquerot at 4 p. m., Sir Henry
Rawlinson reported the German positions intact, and the cavalry
retired to Estaires.

[Illustration: The Battle at Neuve Chapelle.]

The attack of the Seventh Division against the Pietre Fort continued
all the day of March 12, as did the attempt to take the Des Layes
bridges from the Germans, who were valiantly defending their second
line of trenches in the Bois du Biez. Probably the fiercest fighting
of that day fell to the lot of the Twentie