From the enemy's point of view, however, the situation was anything but rosy on the evening of the 30th October. The entry of General von Deimling's troops into ZANDVOORDE endangered the southern side of the YPRES salient, and the capture of HOLLEBEKE brought the Germans within three miles of YPRES itself. YPRES was indeed in danger. Field-Marshal French had put Indian troops into the fighting line on the 30th, and he now brought all the available British and French reserves towards the line ZANDVOORDE-HOLLEBEKE in order to support the 7th British Division, which had been fought to a standstill.[66] During the night, therefore, the fighting never ceased: attacks and counter-attacks continued along the whole front, and under cover of darkness the indefatigable Würtemburg troops again tried to storm MESSINES. On the 31st October the Germans had at first but few fresh troops to meet the enemy's reinforcements;[67] so the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division was brought up in readiness north of the LYS behind the II Bavarian Corps. General von Fabeck had from the outset realised that the WYTSCHAETE-MESSINES ridge was of decisive importance, and that every effort must be made to take it; on the 31st, therefore, the main pressure was to be exerted along the southern sector of attack of the II Bavarian Corps. According to the enemy's accounts the 31st October 1914 was one of the most critical days at his headquarters. For us it was a day of great glory, and the British state unreservedly in their reports of the fighting, that the bravery of our men was beyond all praise. It is true that this last October day of the first war-year did not give us YPRES, but our semicircle around the town became so reduced that it was brought within range of our artillery from three sides, and there could be no more threats of a big hostile offensive based on the YPRES district. The fact that neither the enemy's commanders nor their troops gave way under the strong pressure we put on them, but continued to fight the battle round YPRES, though their situation was most perilous, gives us an opportunity to acknowledge that there were men of real worth opposed to us who did their duty thoroughly. At dawn on Sunday the 31st October, in fine weather, a heavy artillery bombardment of the new hostile positions was begun on a front of ten and a half miles. The enemy's batteries were not long in replying; being so difficult to locate they had not suffered much in the previous fighting. Terrific artillery fire lasted throughout the morning, the British and French shells fell long distances behind our lines, blocking streets and bridges, and devastating the villages as far back as the LYS, so that any regular transport of supplies became impossible. At GHELUVELT, however, the important northern corner of the Army Group Fabeck, the enemy's hail of shells had but little result, because our capture of the high ground at ZANDVOORDE had made the work of observation very difficult.