By the evening of the 21st the 46th Reserve Division had completely driven the enemy out of HOUTHULST Forest,[29] whilst its sister-division had advanced north of the STEENEBECK, and with its northern wing supporting the Corps fighting immediately north of it, had pushed forward to beyond WOUMEN. On the morning of the 22nd the heavy artillery opened fire against the French positions on the YSER canal to prepare the break-through. Unfortunately however only the northern Division was able to reach the sector allotted to the Corps, and an Army Order directed the 46th Reserve Division to the south-west against the line BIXSCHOOTE-LANGEMARCK, in order to help carry forward the attack of the XXVI Reserve Corps, which was completely held up in front of the latter place. As a result of this the advance of von Kleist's Corps also came to a standstill, although it had achieved considerable fame during the day. In spite of a desperate resistance the 210th Reserve Regiment stormed the strongly entrenched village of MERCKEM and the village of LUYGHEM lying north of it; a daring attack by the 209th and 212th Reserve Regiments broke through the enemy's positions on the MURTJE VAART, whilst the 46th Reserve Division attempted to overrun the KORTEBECK sector, supported by the concentrated fire of its artillery in position along the south-western edge of HOUTHULST Forest. The 216th Reserve Regiment took MANGELAERE by storm, in doing which its gallant commander, Colonel von Grothe, was killed at the head of his troops. The 1st British Division held a strong position along the KORTEBECK, in touch with the French, and artillery of every calibre near NOORDSCHOOTE enfiladed the German attack.[30] The British themselves speak of our attack as a magnificent feat of arms carried out with infinite courage and brilliant discipline. The men sang songs as they charged through a hail of bullets in closed ranks up to the enemy's defences. The 212th Reserve Regiment under Colonel Basedow, reinforced and carried forward by fresh detachments of the 209th Reserve Regiment, pushed its way into the strongly fortified village of BIXSCHOOTE. The enemy on our side of the canal, on the line BIXSCHOOTE-LANGEMARCK-ZONNEBEKE, was threatened with annihilation. BIXSCHOOTE commanded the main road and the canal-crossing to POPERINGHE, where the enemy was detraining his reinforcements.[31] The British therefore fought with the courage of desperation: for not only was the fate of the high ground east and north-east of YPRES now in the balance, but also the chance of being able to carry out the great Anglo-French offensive which had been planned. YPRES and the high ground east of the canal were on no account to be lost, and furious counter-attacks were therefore delivered against the intermingled German units. Nevertheless our gallant volunteers pressed on, using their bayonets and the butts of their rifles, until the furious hand-to-hand fighting was finally decided in our favour.