ser Canal in an attack made on the
night of May 20, 1915, but they were driven out and lost some of the
ground they had held before making the attack.

The Germans made a violent attack on the edge of the Belgian front at
Nieuport in order to prevent the Belgians from aiding in the defense
of Ypres, but the Belgians defended Nieuport with one army corps and
made an advance on Dixmude with another corps, with the result that
they assisted the Zouaves in taking the German bridgeheads on the
western bank of the canal above Ypres. These bridgeheads were
protected by forts manned by machine guns, and the approaches were
commanded by heavy artillery fire, but defense was destroyed in the
middle of May, 1915.

The Germans concentrated their efforts against the Belgians at one
point between Ypres and Dixmude. They bombarded the trenches, using
bombs filled with poisonous gas. When they believed the Belgians had
been overcome by the gas the German infantry charged. The Belgians,
however, had kept their faces close to the ground, thus escaping most
of the fumes from the shells. When the Germans arrived within easy
range they were greeted with machine-gun fire to such an extent that
the companies leading the charge were slain.

A battalion of Belgian troops on June 14, 1915, gained the east bank
of the Yser south of the Dixmude railroad bridge, and established
themselves there. The Belgians also destroyed a German blockhouse in
the vicinity of the Chateau of Dixmude. The Belgian troops, south of
St. Georges, captured a German trench, all the defenders of which were
killed or made prisoners on June 22, 1915.

After the canal line was won, and the Belgians were in position to
hold it, they could make little headway eastward. Their advance was
checked by a series of batteries which were concealed in the Forest of
Houthulst. These batteries, containing many guns of large caliber,
continued to shell the Belgian trenches to such an extent that it was
necessary for their inhabitants to keep close to the bomb-proof
chambers with which the trenches were liberally supplied. But the
Belgians kept so many of the German troops occupied that, in this way,
they gave great aid to their allies, and enabled the French and
British to regain much of the territory which was lost in the first
attack which the Germans made with poisonous gas. The remainder of the
summer was occupied with intermittent artillery duels and minor
engagements between th