WAR- CHRONICLE

40
observance is only possible from elevated points such as church
towers, wind-mills, etc., and even from these elevations the view i&
but limited, owing to the thickly wooded character of the ground
and thick hazy atmosphere, which lies like a veil across the horizon-
To these local difficulties may be attributed the enemy's tenacity
in keeping his tactically unfavourable positions, from which he has
now been forced, and his obstinate and bitter resistance to the German
offensive begun in April.
For a long time, the German Army Administration had plannedtaking
advantage of the enemy's unfavourable position, for an attack
to the East of Ypres. If the enemy were forced back from hisprojecting
positions towards or even across the Canal, the front
would be shortened and that portion of Belgium, which was still
in the hands of the enemy, diminished. Besides this, the moral
effect of such an attack would be of considerable importance after
the long period of inactivity in the trenches.
The troops commanded by His Koyal Highness, Duke Albrecht
von Wiirttembeig, that were situated on the Yser, could however
only proceed to cany out these operations when they disposed of
the necessary forces. The enemy thus pressed from North, East,
and South could not possibly resist an attack carried out in sufficient
strength; the German troops situated to the North and South
of Ypres, were nearer the Canal crossings than the most advanced
enenry positions. Operations were therefore based on this situation.
The main attack had to be directed against the basis of the enemy
position formed by the Yser Canal, so as to ensure the cutting
off of the sector to the East of Ypres, occupied by the enemy,
thereby endangering their rear-connections. To the South of Ypres,
the German positions had been advanced to within 4 kilometres
of the town, while in the North, they were situated at more than