The Allies called up reserves and re-formed the ranks broken by that day’s reverses.  With the Seventh Dragoon Guards under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lempriere, they began another attack.  This, too, failed.  When the Sirhind Brigade fell back, the Seaforth Highlanders were left entirely exposed.  The Fifty-eighth Rifles went to the support of their left.  Throughout the entire afternoon the Seaforths had made strenuous efforts to capture the German trenches to the right and left of their position.  Upon the arrival of the Fifty-eighth the fighting redoubled in ferocity, but no advance was made.  Finally word was given to retreat.  The Allies lost heavily in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

The First Brigade was detached, and by midnight it had reached Bethune, about five miles west of Givenchy.  Sir Douglas Haig was ordered to move also, the entire First Division in support of the exhausted Indian troops.

Action was begun on December 20, 1914, early in the afternoon by a simultaneous attack, and was continued until nightfall without important results.  The next morning General Haig in person took the command, but little ground was gained.

While this contest was in progress around Givenchy, the Germans took possession of the city of Arras, ten miles to the south.

Between December 23 and 30, 1914, the Belgian army, strongly reenforced by French troops, began a series of violent attacks upon the German lines; but the Germans replied by a ceaseless bombardment of Nieuport, which is about a mile inland.  No results of importance were obtained on either side.

The last week of December, 1914, bore a relieving holiday aspect, for it seemed as though by general consent the carnival of mood was to be considered not consonant with the solemnity of the season.  But for all that the French succeeded in blowing up some German trenches with a new howitzer they were anxious to tryout, and the Belgian-French forces retook St. Georges in northern Flanders.

St. Georges had been held by the Germans for some time; the village stands on the right hand of the Yser, and it was the only position they retained on that side of the river.  It seems from the very ease with which the village was taken that the Germans felt their position there untenable, and withdrew to their own side of the river in order to enjoy a quiet Christmas with their comrades, whose singing of Christmas songs was forever being wafted over that river of blood.  Although the general action continued on both sides, no serious battles are to be recorded in Flanders for the balance of the year 1914.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXX

OPERATIONS AROUND LA BASSEE AND GIVENCHY

On the whole, the results obtained during the first days of 1915 on the Belgian battle front favored the Germans.  Of this front the Belgians held but three miles more or less, and the British were defending a line of about twenty miles, while the French covered the balance of about twelve miles, all of which included about the entire front in Flanders from the dunes at Nieuport on the Channel to Armentieres in the south, a line—­by no means straight—­about thirty-five miles in length.