ans attacked from the La Bassee region
and gained several small villages. Both Allies and Germans suffered
immense lasses. Much of the slaughter was due to the point-blank
magazine fire and the intermittent shrapnel explosions from bath
sides.

The mast savage fighting was kept up all along the line, but no
advantage accrued ta either side until Friday, October 28, 1914,
when the Germans succeeded in crossing the Yser at St. George and
forcing their way two miles to Ramscapelle; retaken on the 30th by
General Grossetti. This was accomplished by General von Beseler's
troops, opposing the mixed troops of the Belgian and French. On
that night fourteen separate attacks were made by the Germans on
Dixmude and they were repulsed each time.

On October 24, 1914, about 5,000 German troops crossed the canal
at Schoorbakke and next day there were more to come, so for the
moment it looked as though the allied line on the Yser had been
broken. The struggle at this point continued until October 28,
during which time the Allies contested every inch of ground. The
kaiser was with the Duke of Wuerttemberg on this day, expecting
every moment that his great design to break through the lines and
drive his forces to Dunkirk and Calais would be accomplished.

At the crisis the Belgians broke dawn the dykes and flooded the
country for miles around. Heavy rains during the last weeks had
swelled the Yser. The Belgians had dammed the lower reaches of
the canal; the Yser lipped over its brim and spread lagoons over
the flat meadows. Soon the German forces on the west bank were
floundering in a foot of water, while their guns were waterlogged
and deep in mud. The Germans did not abandon their efforts. The
kaiser called for volunteers to carry Ramscapelle--two Wuerttemberg
brigades responded--and gained the place, but at terrible loss.

On the 30th of October, 1914, again the Wuerttembergers advanced to
the attack. They waded through sloppy fields from the bridgeheads
at St. George and Schoorbakke, and by means of table taps, boards,
planks and other devices crossed the deeper dykes. So furious was
the attack pressed home that they won the railway line and held
their ground. They were to do some severe fighting, however, for
next day French-Belgian and African mixed troops fought fiercely
to drive the Germans back but failed.

Seeing their success in partially flooding the battle field, the
Belgians made more breaches in the dams, and, open