The Censorship has left me untrammelled in the matter of units, for which I am sufficiently grateful. The ruling, however, upon the question of names must be explained, lest it should seem that their appearance or suppression is due to lack of knowledge or to individual favour or caprice. I would explain, then, that I am permitted to use the names of Army and Corps Commanders, but only of such divisional Generals as are mentioned in the Headquarters narrative. All other ranks below divisional Generals are still suppressed, save only casualties, in connection with the action where they received the injury, and those who won honours, with the same limitation. This regulation has little effect upon the accuracy of the narrative, but it appears in many cases to involve some personal injustice. To record the heroic deeds of a division and yet be compelled to leave out the name of the man who made it so efficient, is painful to the feelings of the writer, for if any one fact is clearer than another in this war it is that the good leader makes the good unit. The tremendous epic of 1918 will call for two volumes in its treatment. One of these, bringing the story up to June 30, 1918, is already completed, and should appear by the summer. The other may be ready at the end of the year. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. CROWBOROUGH, _January_ 20, 1919. {vii} CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE GERMAN RETREAT UPON THE ARRAS-SOISSONS FRONT Hindenburg's retreat--The advance of the Fifth and Fourth Armies--Capture of Bapaume and Peronne--Atrocious devastation by the Germans--Capture of guns at Selency--Definition of the Hindenburg Line--General survey CHAPTER II THE BATTLE OF ARRAS April 9 to April 23, 1917. Vast preparations--Attack of Snow's Seventh Corps--The Ibex Trench--Attack of Haldane's Sixth Corps--Attack of Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps--A Scottish Front--The splendid Canadians--Capture of Mouchy--Essex and Newfoundland--A glorious episode--The Chemical Works--Extension of the battle to the north--Desperate fight of the Australians at Bullecourt CHAPTER III OPERATIONS IN THE ARRAS SECTOR FROM APRIL 23 ONWARDS Advance of April 23--Middlesex and Argyll--Grand fighting of the Fifteenth Division--H.A.C. at Gavrelle--Operations of May 3--The Gavrelle Windmill--Loss of Fresnoy--Capture of Rœux--The long fight at Bullecourt CHAPTER IV THE BATTLE OF MESSINES Plumer's long vigil--The great mines--Advance of Australians--Of New Zealanders--Of the Twenty-fifth Division--Of the Irish {viii} Divisions--Death of Major Redmond--Advance of Nineteenth Division--Of the Forty-first Division--Of the Forty-seventh Division--Of the Twenty-fourth Division--General results CHAPTER V OPERATIONS FROM JUNE 10 TO JULY 31 Fighting round Lens--Good work of Canadians and Forty-sixth Division--Action on the Yser canal--Great fight and eventual annihilation of 2nd K.R.R. and 1st Northampton--An awful ordeal--Exit Russia CHAPTER VI THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES