ed to
Souchez in confusion and were unable to rally for any counterattack.
A summary of the day's fighting includes the taking of all of the
German trenches across the Bethune-Loos road; the attack on the
fortified chapel of Notre Dame de Lorette, and the gaining of the
trenches to the south of it, these connecting with Ablain and Souchez;
the capture of the cemetery of Neuville St. Vaast; and the defeat
of the German reserves who were rushed in motor cars from Lens and
Douai. The trenches and approaches being too narrow and deep to
allow freedom of action in using rifle and bayonet, the rifle is
generally slung on the man's back in bandolier, and the fighting
within the trenches is done with short weapons, especially with
hand grenades, hence the new military expressions "bombing" and
"bombing parties," as the squads are called that are especially
detailed for bomb work during the charges.

The fighting continued fiercely throughout May 11, 1915. Late in
the day the French took the lower part of the Arabs' Spur. An
unsuccessful counterattack was made that night from the Spur of
the White Way. But the French were harried by the artillery in
Angres and the machine guns in Ablain, and their discomforts were
added to by the work of the bursting shells which opened the graves
of soldiers who had been slain in previous months.

Carency, surrounded on the east, south and west, and wrecked by
the 20,000 shells which had been fired upon it, surrendered on
the afternoon of May 12, 1915. The Germans captured there made
a total of more than 5,000 prisoners taken by the French. Notre
Dame de Lorette with its chapel and fort was also taken this same
day, as was Ablain which was in flames when it was surrendered.
Thus all of the highland to the west of Souchez was held by the
French except a few fortins on eastern ridges.

A north wind and a heavy rain added to the discomforts of the soldiers
on May 13, 1915. But physical discomforts were not all that made
for more or less unhappiness. The Germans had little reason to
be happy; but the French had the edge taken from their elation,
because of their victory, by the fact that it seemed as if it must
be won again before it would be of use to them. According to the
rules of the war game the German line had been broken and the French
had made for themselves a right of way; but there were many instances
in this war where the rules were not followed; and this was one
of the exceptions.