turn. And they forced
a German aviator to the ground at Roulers.

The Lahore Division with the French on their left attacked the Germans
on April 27, 1915, but they met with little success because of the gas
which the Teutons sent into the ranks of the attacking party. But the
German troops had lost so heavily that they did not seem to be
inclined to follow up their apparent advantage. Incidentally the
Allies needed a rest as well. Hence there was little fighting the next
two days. On April 30, 1915, however, General Putz attacked the
Germans with so much force that they were hurled back an appreciable
distance near Pilkem. Seven machine guns and 200 prisoners were taken,
and the 214th, 215th, and 216th German regiments lost more than 1,000
men. On the same day the London Rifle Brigade, further east, drove
back a German forward movement from St. Julien.

West of the Yperlee Canal, however, it soon became known to the
commanders of the allied forces that the Germans were in such a strong
position that it would be impossible to dislodge their enemy until
much greater preparations had been made. In the meantime the
communications of the Allies were in danger. Hence Sir John French on
May 1, 1915, ordered Sir Herbert Plumer to retreat. The wisdom of this
order, the execution of which contracted the southern portion of the
salient, was seen when the Germans again attempted to force their way
through the allied front by the use of gas. The attempt this time was
made between Zonnebeke, on the Ypres-Roulers railroad, and Boesinghe
on the Yperlee Canal on Sunday, May 2, 1915. Though the British had
been supplied with respirators of a sort, these means of defense were
not as effective as they should have been nor as adequate as what was
provided later. The Germans, however, suffered large losses in this
attack because, as soon as the wall of gas began to approach the
British trenches, the men there fired into it, well knowing from past
experience that the Germans were following the gas. In this manner
many of the Teutons were slain. The Allies adopted other tactics which
were quite as effective. On seeing the gas approaching, the soldiers
in some parts of the line proceeded to execute a flank movement,
thereby getting away from the gas and subjecting the Germans to a
deadly fire from a direction least expected.

Between Fortuin and Zonnebeke and south of St. Julien the allied line
broke, but the supports with two cavalry regim