regard to an offensive which they
were to start on the 10th. These instructions were supplemental to
a communication which had been sent on February 19 by the British
commander in chief to Sir Douglas Haig, the commander of the First
Army. Neuve Chapelle was to be the immediate objective of the
prospective engagement. This place is about four miles north of
La Bassee at the junction of main roads, one leading southward
to La Bassee, and another from Bethune on the west to Armentieres
on the northeast. It is about eleven miles west of Lille. These
roads formed an irregular diamond-shaped figure with the village
at the apex of the eastern sides, along which the German troops
were stationed. The British held the western sides of this figure.

The land in this part of France is marshy and crossed by dykes;
but, to the eastward, the ground rises slowly to a ridge, on the
western border of which are two spurs. Aubers is at the apex of
one; and Illies at the apex of the other. Both of these villages
were held by the Germans. The ridge extends northeast, beyond the
junction of the spurs, from Fournes to within two miles southwest of
Lille. Along the ridge is the road to Lille, Roubaix, and Tourcoing,
all of which are among the chief manufacturing towns of France.
The occupation of the ridge was a necessary step to the taking
of Lille; and Neuve Chapelle was at the gateway to the ridge. If
the Allies could take Lille they would then be in a position to
move against their enemy between that point and the sea.

The River Des Layes runs behind Neuve Chapelle to the southeast;
and, behind the river, a half mile from the straggling village,
is a wood known as the Bois du Biez. Almost at right angles to
the river, on the west, the main road from Estaires to La Bassee
skirts Neuve Chapelle. There is a triangle of roads north of the
village where there were a few large houses with walls, gardens,
and orchards. At this point the Germans had fortified themselves
to flank the approaches to the village from that section. These
trenches were only about a hundred yards from those of the British.
The Germans had machine guns at a bridge over the river; and they
had another post established a little farther up at the Pietre
mill. Farther down the stream, where the road into the village
joins the main road to La Bassee, the Germans had fortified a group
of ruined buildings which was known as Port Arthur. From there was
a great network of tren