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It may be that the enemy's effort south of the

Somme was designed as a diversion. He may, on. the other hand, wish to deliver his sledge-hammer strokes alternately in the two salients. At any rate, on Thursday week he developed a new attack in still greater force on the Allied line south of Ypres. Employing nine divisions on a front of ten miles from the north of Bailleul to the canal east of • Hollebeke, the enemy succeeded after desperate fighting in pushing us back. He occupied the villages of Dranoutre and Kemmel, as well as Kemmel Hill, which rises between them to a height of four hundred and fifty feet and gives a view over the plain west of Ypres. The French battalions holding the hill were surrounded, but fought to the end rather than yield.

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