lines. The
bombardment was resumed until 10 p.m., when the garrison had a total
loss of 23 killed and 123 wounded. During the night the besiegers sent
a flag of truce to Moreau, and on March 3 that general capitulated with
all the honours of war "in order to preserve 1,000 fighting men for the
Emperor." His action cost Napoleon his throne, for had Moreau held out
the Emperor would have crushed his most implacable foe, Bluecher (who
escaped from the toils in which he was enmeshed, _via_ the bridge at
Soissons), and the campaign would have been at an end. If Moreau had
exhausted all the means of defence, as the regulations of war ordain,
he could certainly have held out for another 48 hours, and as heavy
firing was audible in the vicinity it should have been clear to him
that help was at hand. At the _First Battle of Ypres_ (October
20-November 20, 1914) the Regular Army of the United Kingdom, at the
outset, was filling so extensive a gap in the defensive line, that in
many parts there was but one rifle for 17 yards of front, and there
were neither local nor general reserves. The {42} assaulting German
forces greatly outnumbered the defenders and brought up machine guns
and artillery in overpowering strength. The British artillery was not
only overweighted but was so short of ammunition that Marshal French
was compelled to limit their daily number of rounds. But the line was
held, and a counter-attack, headed by the 2nd Battalion of the
Worcestershire Regiment, on October 31, with the bayonet, restored the
line at _Gheluvelt_, at the most critical moment of the battle, and the
Germans did not get through the defences. This stubborn resistance
threw the Germans behind their entrenchments, and the "Advance to
Calais" was stemmed by French's "Contemptible Little Army." At the
_Second Battle of Ypres_ (April 22-May 18, 1915) surprise in the time
and nature of the attack, by the secret concentration of forces and the
introduction of poison gas, gained an initial advantage for the Germans
and left the British flank uncovered. A Canadian division
counter-attacked on the German flank, and by May 18 the Allies had
regained many of the captured positions. During the First Battle of
the Somme troops of the Royal West Kent and the Queen's Regiments
effected a lodgment in _Trones Wood_ (July 14, 1916). They maintained
their position all night in the northern corner of the wood, although
completely surrounded by the enemy,