ng; so they were withdrawn
temporarily; but the troops to the left and right kept the Germans
from following up this advantage and the trenches were saved to the
British. When the gas had passed away the men returned to their
former position. North of the Menin road, however, the Germans
were successful in driving the Fourth Rifle Brigade and the Third
King's Royal Rifles to a new position, the trenches which the British
occupied having been battered by shell fire to such an extent that
some of the occupants were buried alive. Hence the British here
retreated to a new line of trenches west of the Bellewaarde Wood
where the trees had been shelled until they were part of a hopeless
entanglement rather than a forest.

The next day, May 11, 1915, was started by the Germans hurling
hundreds of incendiary shells into the already ruined town of Ypres.
They also fired almost countless high-explosive shells into the
British trenches. The British big guns replied with considerable
effect. One of the German cannon was rendered useless by the fire of
the Thirty-first Heavy Battery, and several howitzers were damaged by
the North Midland Heavy Battery. The German cannonade was especially
effective near the Ypres-St. Julien road. The Teutons, however,
did not confine their work to the artillery, for they made three
assaults on the British trenches south of the Menin road. This
part of the line was held by Scottish regiments, who, though they
were forced out of their trenches, regained them with the aid of
other Scots who were supporting them.

By now it was apparent to the British commanding officers that
they must still further lessen the projection of their salient.
So on May 12, 1915, the Twenty-eighth Division was sent to the
reserve. It had experienced continuous fighting since April 22,
1915, and had suffered severe losses. It had only one lieutenant
colonel. Captains were in command of most of its battalions. The
First and Third Cavalry Divisions took its place. They were under
the command of General De Lisle. From left to right the new line
was held as follows: The men of the Twelfth Brigade, the Eleventh
Brigade, and a battalion of the Tenth Brigade of the Fourth Division
guarded the new front to a point northeast of Verlorenhoek. Next
came the First Cavalry which held the line to the Roulers railroad.
From the railroad to Bellewaarde Lake the Third Division held the
line. From the lake to Hill 60 the Twenty-seventh Divis