assumed considerable importance. While the artillery fire was brought to
bear, as far as circumstances would permit, on this point, General Sir
Douglas Haig directed the First Corps to dispatch one or more battalions
of the First Brigade in support of the troops attacking the bridge.
Three battalions were thus sent to Richebourg St. Vaast.

Darkness coming on and the enemy having brought up reinforcements, no
further progress could be made, and the Indian Corps and the Fourth
Corps proceeded to consolidate the position they had gained.

While the operations, which I have thus briefly reported, were going on,
the First Corps, in accordance with orders, delivered an attack in the
morning from Givenchy simultaneously with that against Neuve Chapelle,
but as the enemy's wire was insufficiently cut very little progress
could be made, and the troops at this point did little more than hold
fast to the Germans in front of them.

On the following day, March 11, the attack was renewed by the Fourth and
Indian Corps, but it was soon seen that further advance would be
impossible until the artillery had dealt effectively with the various
houses and defended localities which had held the troops up along the
entire front.

Efforts were made to direct the artillery fire accordingly, but, owing
to the weather conditions, which did not permit of aerial observations,
and the fact that nearly all the telephone communications between the
artillery observers and their batteries had been cut, it was impossible
to do so with sufficient accuracy. When our troops, who were pressing
forward, occupied a house there, it was not possible to stop our
artillery fire, and the infantry had to be withdrawn.