In the course of Monday night and Tuesday the pressure
of greatly superior numbers enabled the forces of the German Crown Prince to sweep beyond the Chemin des Dames, and carry the northern heights of the Mane east of Soissons, on a front of fully twenty miles. Having crossed the Aisne, in the Berry-au-Bac region, and on an equally extensive front, they seized the passages of the Veale at Ba.zoches and Fismes, twelve miles beyond their Original line. When the line of the Aisne had been lost by French troops on the British left, our divisions had to retire in conformity with the new line. The German report of Tuesday claimed fifteen thousand prisoners ; and presumably we lost a number of guns. Up to Tuesday night the French held the Vregny Plateau, north-east
Posses ABROAD ID. of Soissons, and we hit the enemy hard in his unsuccessful attempt to carry the St. Thierry Hill, five miles north-west of Reims. Thus our resistance on the flanks of the German thrust was well main- tained. In the action south of Ypres, trenches east of Dickebusch Lake, lost on Monday, were recaptured on Tuesday.
