et been drawn upon, and that part of it would in
all probability be sent to the western theatre, either to cover the
troops laying siege to Antwerp, in case that place should hold out, or,
in the event of the capture of the fortress, to act in conjunction with
the besieging force in a violent offensive movement toward the coast.

After the fall of Antwerp and the release of the besieging troops there
was a gradual increase in the strength of the opposition met with by us.

The resistance of the detachments--which beyond the right extreme of the
German fortified line near Bethune a fortnight ago consisted almost
entirely of cavalry--grew more and more determined as more infantry and
guns came into the front line, until Tuesday, Oct. 20, when the arrival
opposite us of a large portion of the new formations and a considerable
number of heavy guns enabled the enemy to assume the offensive
practically against the whole of our line at the same time that they
attacked the Belgians between us and the coast.

The operations then really assumed a fresh complexion.

Since that date, up to the 25th, apart from the operations on either
side of us, there has been plenty of action to chronicle on our
immediate front, where some of the heaviest fighting in which we have
yet been engaged has taken place, resulting in immense loss to the
Germans.

On Wednesday, the 21st, the new German formations again pressed forward
in force vigorously all along our line. On our right, south of the Lys,
an attack on Violaines was repulsed with loss to the assailants.

On the other hand, we were driven from some ground close by, to the
north, but regained it by a counter attack.

Still further north the Germans gained and retained some points.

Their total casualties to the southeast of Armentieres are estimated at
over 6,000.

On the north of the Lys, in our centre, a fiercely contested action took
place near La Gheir, which village was captured in the morning by the
enemy and then retaken by us. In this direction the German casualties
were also extremely heavy. They came on with the greatest bravery, in
swarms, only to be swept away by our fire. One battalion of their 104th
Regiment was practically wiped out, some 400 dead being picked up by us
in our lines alone.

Incidentally, by our counter attack, we took 130 prisoners and released
some forty of our own men who had been surrounded and captured,
including a subaltern of artillery who had