s taken and held.

But the Belgian army was unable to take any decisive action against
the left wing of the German army during the spring and summer of 1915,
both on account of the wetness of the land and the activity of the
German artillery. Yet it harassed the Germans by so much activity that
the Teutons continued to add to their heavy howitzers and large
caliber naval guns. Nevertheless the Belgian strategy gained for its
little army many advantages of tactical importance. It seemed to be a
part of the plan of the Belgian generals to give their new troops,
which were filling up the previously thinned ranks, a training under
heavy bombardments without risking the lives or liberty of many of
their men. They held the old cobbled roads which remained about the
waters, using an almost innumerable number of trenches for that
purpose.

The Germans sought to obviate this check to their activities by
approaching on rafts on which were machine guns, from which attempts
were made to pour an enfilading fire on the trenches. Thereupon the
Belgian sharpshooters became especially active and exterminated the
machine-gun crews before the Germans could take advantage of the
position they had gained by using the rafts.

Finally the waters subsided and the mud which remained dried. As soon
as the ground became firm enough to support troops the Belgians became
so active that the Germans desired more men, but their soldiers were
also needed in many other sections of the western front, and for the
time being none could be sent against the Belgians. Hence King
Albert's troops continued to make progress.

The Germans made an attack between Nieuport and the sea on May 9,
1915, but were repulsed. To the north of Dixmude the Belgians were
violently attacked during the night of May 10, 1915, by three German
battalions. They were repulsed and suffered large losses.

On the night of May 16, 1915, the Germans threatened with complete
envelopment by the successful attacks of preceding days, evacuated the
positions which they had occupied to the west of the Yser Canal, and
they gained nothing on the eastern bank. The Germans left about two
thousand dead and many rifles when they were forced from the western
bank. On the following night, May 17, 1915, the positions on the
eastern bank were consolidated, and a German counterattack, which was
preceded by a bombardment, was repulsed. The Germans gained a footing
in the trenches to the east of the Y