He spoke as a prophet. Hate of the British who were so jealous of us, who brought on the war for the sake of their money-bags and spread the conflagration all over the world, who at first hoped that it would be but necessary to pour out their silver bullets to annihilate Germany: all this steeled the hearts of our warriors in Flanders, whose creed was the justice of the German cause. And the British efforts to wrest Flanders away from us again were stifled in mud and in blood. The fighting in 1917 was perhaps more severe than that of those stormy autumn days of 1914, but the objective for us was ever the same: to keep the enemy far, far from our homes. In this we succeeded in 1917 as in 1914. Flanders! The word is heard by every one in the German Fatherland with a silent shudder, but also with just and intense pride. It was there that the British were made to realise that German heroism was not to be vanquished, not even by the use of the war material which the whole world had been manufacturing for years. When we read that up to the 14th November 1914, 40 divisions had been put into the battle round YPRES by the Western Allies, whilst only 25 German divisions were opposed to them,[118] and that in the course of the Flanders battle of 1917, 99 British and French divisions struggled in vain against a greatly inferior German force, it says much for our troops. But far from all. For the enemy's superiority in material, in guns, trench-mortars, machine-guns, aeroplanes, etc., was two, three, and even fourfold. Who can doubt but that a nation whose sons know how to fight like this, must win? Let us only hold the hope that the seeds of blood sown in Flanders will bring forth rich and splendid fruit for the German Fatherland. This indeed would be the highest reward that could be bestowed on those of us who fought there. APPENDIX ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE FOURTH ARMY from 10th Oct. 1914 to 16th Nov. 1914. _Commander_ General Duke Albert of Würtemburg. _Chief of Staff_ Major-General Ilse. III Reserve Corps (General of Infantry von Beseler). 5th Reserve Division. 6th Reserve Division. 4th _Ersatz_ Division. XXII Reserve Corps (General of Cavalry von Falkenhayn). 43rd Reserve Division. 44th Reserve Division. XXIII Reserve Corps (General of Cavalry von Kleist). 45th Reserve Division. 46th Reserve Division. XXVI Reserve Corps (General of Infantry von Hügel). 51st Reserve Division. 52nd Reserve Division. XXVII Reserve Corps. (Lieut.-General von Carlowitz, relieved on 27th Oct. by General of Artillery von Schubert). 53rd (Saxon) Reserve Division. 54th (Würtemburg) Reserve Division. The following units were also attached at various times:--