antime
the communications of the Allies were in danger. Hence Sir John
French on May 1, 1915, ordered Sir Herbert Plumer to retreat. The
wisdom of this order, the execution of which contracted the southern
portion of the salient, was seen when the Germans again attempted
to force their way through the allied front by the use of gas. The
attempt this time was made between Zonnebeke, on the Ypres-Roulers
railroad, and Boesinghe on the Yperlee Canal on Sunday, May 2,
1915. Though the British had been supplied with respirators of a
sort, these means of defense were not as effective as they should
have been nor as adequate as what was provided later. The Germans,
however, suffered large losses in this attack because, as soon
as the wall of gas began to approach the British trenches, the
men there fired into it, well knowing from past experience that
the Germans were following the gas. In this manner many of the
Teutons were slain. The Allies adopted other tactics which were
quite as effective. On seeing the gas approaching, the soldiers
in some parts of the line proceeded to execute a flank movement,
thereby getting away from the gas and subjecting the Germans to
a deadly fire from a direction least expected.

Between Fortuin and Zonnebeke and south of St. Julien the allied
line broke, but the supports with two cavalry regiments were rushed
from Potijze, a mile and a half from Ypres on the Zonnebeke Road,
and regained the lost ground. By night the Germans decided to
discontinue their attempt to advance and left their dead and wounded
on the field.

* * * * *

CHAPTER V

THE STRUGGLE RENEWED

The Germans had only stopped the struggle for a breathing spell.
On the following morning, Monday, May 3, they made an attempt to
force the allied position back again. This attempt was made on the
British left, west of the Bois des Cuisenirs, between Pilkem and
St. Julien. The Germans cut their wire entanglements and, leaving
their trenches and lying down in front of those protecting places,
they were ready to advance; but, before they could start forward,
the artillery of their enemy did such effective work that the Teutons
returned to their trenches, and gave up an attack at that point.
But they made an assault against the northern side of the salient
which had by this time become very narrow. A German bomb wrecked a
section of the British trenches, and the defenders of that part of
the line ha