Through the narrows

Where are the mines?

German losses at Neuve Chapelle

Big Russian successes

Testimony is absolutely clear on one point. The men who took part in the Neuve Chapelle fight revelled in their work and it is no abuse of terms to say they enjoyed themselves.

First as Argus readers will remember there was the Paris story of there being dancing and lusty singing and then came the eye witnesses tributes and the letters from men and officers all tell the same tale.

Whatever larger strategy may be involved in the present stream of operations it has certainly had one or two immediate effects.

It has shown the fine stuff the new men are made of and it has demonstrated once again the superiority of British infantry in attack, it has revealed to the foe much that must add to his discouragement and it has blooded some thousands of fresh fighters to whom the experience will be of immediate advantage in the stirring days to come.

Moreover ground has been gained at points that it was wanted and it will have been noticed by those studying the essential map that the British line bulges outward at at least two places in a manner at once encouraging.

The subsidiary move to L’Epinette presumably having a definite relationship with the advance on Liile suggest a daring that either went a little beyond instructions or a designed effort which is to be followed up and strengthened by a straightening of the line from above Armentieres and further south in the Aubers region.

Unless this is done one almost expects to hear of a falling back from L’Epinette with the main effort concentrated on La Bassee. Of course a more ambitious end may be in view with the way prepared by the attacking of railway junctions for a general advance.

We are not however permitted to know whether we are yet strong enough for this, nor does the German appear to know.

At present the foe seems determined to keep us busy at more than one point at once as witnesses confirm simultaneous attacks in the Neuve Chapelle area and as far North if our line as St Elot.

In these facts much encouragement is to be found and the Germans will either have to bring up all his available new men or submit to an abandonment of territory on a much larger scale than he anticipated just one short week back.

There was a suggestion that the British advance and the extreme activity of the French in Champagne and elsewhere was designed to help our other great ally but it would seem that the Russian is still well able to look after himself.

Last nights communique from Headquarters reports favourable progress in the northern and southern theatres. In northern Poland the Russians have captured further villages and are developing their offensive on both sides of the River Orzec.