New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 2, No. 2, May, 1915 | Page 3

utmost gallantry and devotion, and it
is most creditable to the skill and energy of their leaders that I am able
to report how well they have surmounted all their difficulties and that
the ground first taken over by them is still intact and held with little

greater loss than is incurred by the troops in all other parts of the line.
_Describing an attack on the German trenches near St. Eloi on Feb. 28
by Princess Patricia's Regiment, of the Canadian contingent, under
command of Lieut. C.E. Crabbe, the Commander in Chief says:_
The services performed by this distinguished corps have continued to
be very valuable since I had occasion to refer to them in my last
dispatch. They have been most ably organized and trained and were
commanded by Lieut. Colonel F.D. Farquhar, D.S.O., who I deeply
regret to say was killed while superintending some trench work on
March 20. His loss will be deeply felt.
_Emphasizing the co-operation of the British and French forces and the
new rôle in warfare assumed by the cavalry, the Commander in Chief
writes:_
During the month of February I arranged with General Foch to render
the Ninth French Corps, holding the trenches to my left, some
much-needed rest by sending the three divisions of the British Cavalry
Corps to hold a portion of the French trenches, each division for a
period of ten days alternately.
[Illustration: Map showing the field of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
and its position in the Allied line.]
It was very gratifying to me to note once again in this campaign the
eager readiness which the cavalry displayed to undertake a rôle which
does not properly belong to them in order to support and assist their
French comrades. In carrying out this work the leader, officers, and
men displayed the same skill and energy which I have had reason to
comment upon in former dispatches.
_Referring to Neuve Chapelle and the considerations leading up to this,
the Field Marshal says:_
About the end of February many vital considerations induced me to
believe that a vigorous offensive movement by the troops under my
command should be planned and carried out at the earliest possible
moment. Among the more important reasons which convinced me of
this necessity were the general aspect of the allied situation throughout
Europe, and particularly the marked success of the Russian Army in
repelling the violent onslaughts of Marshal von Hindenburg; the
apparent weakening of the enemy on my front, and the necessity for
assisting our Russian allies to the utmost by holding as many hostile

troops as possible in the western theatre; the efforts to this end which
were being made by the French forces at Arras and in Champagne,
and--perhaps the most weighty consideration of all--the need of
fostering the offensive spirit in the troops under my command after the
trying and possibly enervating experiences which they had gone
through of a severe Winter in the trenches.
In a former dispatch I commented upon the difficulties and drawbacks
which the Winter weather in this climate imposes upon a vigorous
offensive. Early in March these difficulties became greatly lessened by
the drying up of the country and by spells of brighter weather.
I do not propose in this dispatch to enter at length into the
considerations which actuated me in deciding upon the plan, time, and
place of my attack. As mentioned above, the main attack was carried
out by units of the First Army, supported by troops of the Second Army
and the general reserve. The object of the main attack was to be the
capture of the village of Neuve Chapelle and the enemy's position at
that point, and the establishment of our line as far forward as possible
to the east of that place.
The object, nature, and scope of the attack and the instructions for the
conduct of the operations were communicated by me to Sir Douglas
Haig in a secret memorandum, dated Feb. 19.
_After describing the main topographical features of the battlefield and
showing how the Germans had established a strong post with numerous
machine guns among the big houses, behind walls and in orchards
which flanked the approaches to the village, Sir John proceeds:_
The battle opened at 7:30 o'clock the morning of the 10th of March by
a powerful bombardment of the enemy's position in Neuve Chapelle.
The artillery bombardment had been well prepared and was most
effective, except on the extreme northern portion of the front of attack.
At 8:05 o'clock the Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Brigades of the
Eighth Division assaulted the German trenches on the northwest of the
village. At the same hour the Garhwal Brigade of the Meerut (British
India) Division, which occupied a position to the south of Neuve
Chapelle, assaulted the German