dered on the
afternoon of May 12, 1915. The Germans captured there made a total of
more than 5,000 prisoners taken by the French. Notre Dame de Lorette
with its chapel and fort was also taken this same day, as was Ablain
which was in flames when it was surrendered. Thus all of the highland
to the west of Souchez was held by the French except a few fortins on
eastern ridges.

[Illustration: The Battles in Artois.]

A north wind and a heavy rain added to the discomforts of the soldiers
on May 13, 1915. But physical discomforts were not all that made for
more or less unhappiness. The Germans had little reason to be happy;
but the French had the edge taken from their elation, because of their
victory, by the fact that it seemed as if it must be won again before
it would be of use to them. According to the rules of the war game the
German line had been broken and the French had made for themselves a
right of way; but there were many instances in this war where the
rules were not followed; and this was one of the exceptions. It is
true the German line had been smashed, but it had not fallen back.
Instead the remnants of the line had collected themselves in the
series of independent redoubts which had seemingly been prepared for
just such an emergency. They were so situated that it was well-nigh
impossible to destroy them at long range; but it was impossible to
make any forward movement which would not be enfiladed by them. Hence
it became necessary for the French, if they were to be really
victorious, to reduce each separate redoubt. The most prominent of
these were the sugar factory at Souchez, the cemetery at Ablain, the
White Road on a spur of the Lorette, the eastern portion of Neuville
St. Vaast, and the Labyrinth. The last named was so called because it
was an elaborate system of trenches and redoubts in an angle between
two roads. The White Road surrendered on May 21, 1915. Ablain was
taken on May 29, 1915. The Souchez sugar factory fell on May 31,
1915. Neuville St. Vaast was captured on June 8, 1915. The Labyrinth,
however, remained under German control. Part of it was fifty feet
below the surface of the earth, much of the fighting there being
carried on in underground galleries and by means of mines. It finally
was entirely in the hands of the French on June 19, 1915, after being
taken to a considerable extent foot by foot. The last of the fighting
there was in what was known as the Eulenburg Passage, where the en