. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . ssibility of a direct attackagainst the still more formidable barriers of the Yser floods andthe Ypres bastion was not even considered. But in April excep-tionally favorable weather had dried the muds and marshes of theLys valley to some extent, and it seemed feasible to launch anoffensive across that part of the Ludendorff fully realized that the operation could not achieveany real success unless the two strong natural bastions defendingthe plain on the north and south were captured. He had
. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . ssibility of a direct attackagainst the still more formidable barriers of the Yser floods andthe Ypres bastion was not even considered. But in April excep-tionally favorable weather had dried the muds and marshes of theLys valley to some extent, and it seemed feasible to launch anoffensive across that part of the Ludendorff fully realized that the operation could not achieveany real success unless the two strong natural bastions defendingthe plain on the north and south were captured. He had justassaulted the Arras bastion in vain (p. 188), but would try againby a flank attack from the north as soon as he had pushed west-ward across the plain some distance. To have the high groundin our possession, he writes, was bound to be decisive in anyfighting in the plain of the Lys. He would likewise assault theYpres bastion from the south as progress was made in the plain. 18 Ludendorff, Vol. 2, pp. 220, 238. BATTLEFIELD OF FLANDERS . i - r I j 1 —»4«» ?» . a - r ? . .^y. OJ J^ 0{£ 6S S | O Co •- BATTLE OF THE LYS 77 ft is possible, indeed, that the bastion, being the key to the wholesituation in Flanders, was the main objective of the operations,and that the Battle of the Lys was as a whole merely anotherBattle of Ypres. Early on the morning of April 9, under cover of a dense mist orfog, the Germans struck on a ten-mile front from the strongpoint on slightly higher and drier land in the La Bassee-Givenchyregion to a point just southwest of Armentieres. Portuguesetroops holding several miles of this front were routed, the attack-ers poured through the gap, and the defenders fell back at onceon the natural barriers of the Lys River and its tributary, theLawe. Bridges over the streams were unfortunately not every-where completely destroyed, and the pursuers were able to crossat several points. Nevertheless the battle continued furiouslyalong the rivers, and parti
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