30th October - 24th November 1914. First Battle of Ypres.

Have a little read: ... 30th October - 24th November 1914. First Battle of Ypres. As the 'Race to the Sea' drew to a close, the British made one last attempt to turn the Germans' northern flank. An advance between La Bassée and Armentières on 12 October made good progress initially but was soon opposed by eight newly formed infantry divisions (the Fourth Army, under Duke Albrecht of Württemberg). The British fell back to prepared positions and their accurate firepower brought the enemy action to an end. By the time the Battle of Ypres began a few days later the formation of a line running from Switzerland to the Channel had been completed. The subsequent autumn fighting in Flanders extended from the sea at Nieuport to the La Bassée canal, almost 45 miles away in a direct line. The first phase of the fighting began on 20 October with an attack by the German Sixth Army (Crown Prince Rupprecht) and the Fourth Army along the whole front. The Fourth Army was to break through on the Yser between Ypres and Nieuport, and envelop the Allies' northern flank. Held by the Belgian army, which had not yet recovered from the retreat from Antwerp, this part of the front witnessed the most intensive fighting of the first phase of the battle. The Belgians put up much stronger resistance than had been expected but could not hold their position. They fell back to the Dixmunde-Nieuport railway line as the Germans crossed the Yser on 24 October. Further progress was brought to a halt when, five days later, the Belgians opened the sluices at Nieuport and let in the sea in front of them. Elsewhere on the line to La Bassée the British and French maintained their positions. The German action was renewed on 30 October on a smaller scale on the front from Gheluvelt, five miles to the east of Ypres, to the Messines Ridge. To the north of this line, where I Corps (Haig) was positioned, the situation was very uncertain for a time and at Gheluvelt itself the Germans broke through, although they were soon driven out again. The regular waves of enemy attacks proved very costly to both sides, the Germans themselves referring to 'the murder of the children of Ypres'. To the south the British Cavalry Corps (Allenby) was driven from Messines Ridge. Allied reinforcements were moved to the front around Ypres to stabilise the Allied position