of the Battle of Ypres is marked by one important
and far-reaching crisis.

In the beginning of the battle came the arrest of the German advance
on the Channel ports, and the brilliant repulse of the enemy back to
the Lys by the cavalry under Allenby and the 3rd Corps under Pulteney.
The second phase is distinguished by the crisis of October 31st, while
in the third phase occurs the memorable stand of the cavalry and other
troops under Allenby on the Wytschaete--Messines ridge.

The great feature of the fourth and last phase was the desperate
assaults made against the Ypres salient on the 11th and 12th November,
in which the flower of the Prussian Guard participated, having
received the Emperor's personal command to make certain of finally
breaking our line.

It was in the same conference room at Cassel in which I had been with
Foch on the 8th, and where, as I have said, we mutually indulged in
day-dreams of imminent victory, that, on the evening of November 10th,
I received the reports which warned me that another great crisis was
at hand.

Foch informed me that an attack on a great scale had just
begun against his line between Ypres and the sea. He had received
reliable reports that the enemy had brought up five fresh corps from
the south. He said that the Germans had already gained possession of
the village of Dixmude, but had not yet crossed the Yser, which French
Marines and Belgians were holding against them. He added that he was
being heavily pressed and was losing ground near Langemarck, and
declared that he must move Conneau's Cavalry Division (holding the
line opposite Messines) north to support him, and he asked me to put
Allenby in to relieve Conneau. I agreed to this, and gave orders
accordingly.

Early on the morning of the 11th, Haig reported that his position was
being heavily shelled, and that he was threatened with a powerful
attack. Two fresh German Army Corps had come up in his front, namely,
the Guard and the XVth.

In short, the Germans were about to deliver their final desperate
blow, which they hoped and believed would at last open up to them the
road to the sea.

The situation was met by Haig with the same grim determination,
steadfast courage and skilful forethought which had characterised his
handling of the operations throughout. A volume might easily be
written of this day's fighting of November 11th, but it is only
possible in these pages to glance at the particular points in the