of
Westminster's armored motor cars. The British regained the lost
ground, but they found it impossible to retain it, for the Teuton's
heavy artillery had the range of the position so accurately that no
man could live there. The result of the day's fighting was a farther
pushing back of the line of the British so that it bent backward from
Verlorenhoek and Bellewaarde Lake. In addition to being forced back,
the British suffered a large loss of men, especially officers.

The infantry on the left had been fiercely attacked on this same day;
but it managed to keep from being driven from its position. One of the
defenders of this part of the line was a territorial battalion, the
London Rifle Brigade. There were only 278 men in the battalion at the
beginning of the day, it having suffered severe losses previously. By
night ninety-one more had been lost. Four survivors, under command of
Sergeant Douglas Belcher, and two hussars whom the sergeant had added
to his squad, held that part of the line in the face of repeated
attacks. These plucky men not only made the Germans think the front
was strongly defended there by using quick-firing methods, but they
undoubtedly saved the right of the Fourth Division. Another especially
gallant piece of work on the part of the British was done by the
Second Essex, the reserve battalion of the Twelfth Brigade. With a
bayonet charge they drove the Germans from Shelltrap Farm, which was
between the Langemarck and Poelcappelle highways, and, though it was
held by first one side and then the other, the British had it at the
close of the day in spite of the bombardment it received.

[Illustration: Gas Battle of Ypres.]

The French met with better success on the British left. Under the
command of General Putz they made an attack on Het Sase and
Steenstraate. The sharpshooters of the Zouaves and Algerians took a
trench in front of the latter place and entered the village. They
fought on to the canal by the end of that day, which was May 15, 1915.
More than six hundred Teuton dead were counted after that engagement.
At the same time the Zouaves captured Het Sase with great ease,
because the artillery had rendered its defenders useless for more
fighting. The Germans, however, were not inclined to give up the town
so easily. They bombarded Het Sase that night, using asphyxiating
shells. Nothing daunted, the Zouaves put on their respirators and
drove off with hand grenades and rifle fire the Germans