n carried on by the General Officer
Commanding First Corps; and he directed the 7th Division to remain in
Army Reserve.

During the night of May 19-20 a small post of the enemy in front of La
Quinque Rue was captured.

During the night of May 20-21 the Canadian Division brilliantly
carried on the excellent progress made by the 7th Division by seizing
several of the enemy's trenches and pushing forward their whole line
several hundred yards. A number of prisoners and some machine guns
were captured.

On May 22 the 51st (Highland) Division was attached to the Indian
Corps, and the General Officer Commanding the Indian Corps took charge
of the operations at La Quinque Rue, Lieutenant-General Alderson with
the Canadians conducting the operations to the north of that place.

On this day the Canadian Division extended their line slightly to the
right and repulsed three very severe hostile counter-attacks.

On May 24 and 25 the 47th Division (2d London Territorial) succeeded
in taking some more of the enemy's trenches and making good the
ground gained to the east and north.

I had now reason to consider that the battle, which was commenced by
the First Army on May 9 and renewed on May 16, having attained for the
moment the immediate object I had in view, should not be further
actively proceeded with; and I gave orders to Sir Douglas Haig to
curtail his artillery attack and to strengthen and consolidate the
ground he had won.

In the battle of Festubert above described the enemy was driven from a
position which was strongly entrenched and fortified, and ground was
won on a front of four miles to an average depth of 600 yards.

The enemy is known to have suffered very heavy losses, and in the
course of the battle 785 prisoners and ten machine guns were captured.
A number of machine guns were also destroyed by our fire.

During the period under report the Army under my command has taken
over trenches occupied by some other French divisions.

I am much indebted to General D'Urbal, commanding the 10th French
Army, for the valuable and efficient support received throughout the
battle of Festubert from three groups of French 75 centimetre guns.

In spite of very unfavorable weather conditions, rendering observation
most difficult, our own artillery did excellent work throughout the
battle.

As an instance of the successful attempts to deceive the enemy in this
respect it may be mentioned that on the afternoon of May 24