red that they had won a place for their artillery
early in November, 1914, which gave them an opportunity to bombard
Ypres through the winter. On February 1, 1915, a portion of the
French troops which had held the salient were withdrawn and their
places taken by General Bulfin's Twenty-eighth Division. Thus, by
April 20, 1915, that part of the Allies' front was held as follows:
From the canal to east of Langemarck was the Forty-fifth Division
of the French army, consisting of colonial infantry. On the French
right, to the northeast of Zonnebeke, was the Canadian division,
under the command of General Alderson, consisting of the Third
Brigade, under General Turner, on the left, and the Second Brigade,
under General Currie, on the right. The Twenty-eighth Division
extended from the Canadian right to the southeast corner of the
Polygon Wood. This division comprised the Eighty-third, Eighty-fourth,
and Eighty-fifth Brigades in order from right to left. The next
section of the salient was held by Princess Patricia's Regiment
of the Twenty-seventh Division, which division, under the command
of General Snow, guarded the front to the east of Veldhoek along
the ridge to within a short distance of Hill 60, where the Fifth
Division, under the command of General Morland, held the line.
The greater part of the German troops opposite the salient were
from Wuerttemberg and Saxony.

* * * * *

CHAPTER IV

BEGINNING OF SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES

What is called the second battle of Ypres began with a bombardment
of the little city on April 20, 1915. The rain of shells continued
on through April 22, 1915, on the evening of which the British
artillery observers reported a strange green vapor moving over the
French trenches. The wind was blowing steadily from the northeast.
Soon the French troops were staggering back from the front, blinded
and choking from the deadly German gas. Many of their comrades had
been unable to leave the spot where they were overtaken by the
fumes. Those who fled in terror rushed madly across the canal,
choking the road to Vlamertinghe. A part of the Zouaves and Turcos
ran south toward the Langemarck road, finally reaching the reserve
battalions of the Canadians. Ere long the Canadians caught the
deadly odor also.

But the work of the gas did a much more valuable thing for the
German troops than causing the agonizing death of many hundreds
and sending thousands in headlong fli