North-west of DIXMUDE, by the evening of the 29th, the troops of General von Beseler and the 44th Reserve Division had worked their way forward some 300 yards towards the railway embankment. Only one brigade of the 4th _Ersatz_ Division was still north-east of NIEUPORT: all the rest were taking part in the struggle further south, and west of the YSER. NIEUPORT was shut in on the south: the left wing of the 44th Reserve Division lay west of BEERST, as protection against the strong hostile forces near the river about DIXMUDE: the Belgians and recently-arrived French forces held the railway embankment between NIEUPORT and DIXMUDE. Broad stretches of wire entanglements lay in front of this strong position, and the efforts of our troops had been almost superhuman in their advance over this ground: it was intersected with patches of marsh, dykes often fifteen yards broad, and thick, wired hedges. So strong, however, was the pressure against the enemy that the French were compelled to reduce their forces about NIEUPORT and north of it to weak detachments, and send constant reinforcements to the area PERVYSE-RAMSCAPPELLE. A German airman, who was killed on the morning of the 30th, had shortly before his death reported that the enemy were beginning to withdraw. Our assault began at 6.30 A.M., though the ground in the area of the 5th and 6th Reserve Divisions had become extraordinarily swampy. It seemed impossible that the recent rains could have raised the level of the ground-water to such an extent. Nevertheless the attack made considerable progress. The 11th Brigade of the 6th Reserve Division succeeded in forcing its way into the eastern part of the strongly-fortified village of PERVYSE, whilst of the 5th Reserve Division, the 48th and 52nd Reserve Regiments reached the railway embankment, and the 48th pushed on beyond it towards RAMSCAPPELLE. Although every house had to be attacked, it succeeded in reaching the western end of the village. The 12th Reserve Regiment also made considerable advance.