This army, more than a third of which took part in the battle
of Flanders, comprised the Nineteenth Army Corps, portions of the
Thirteenth Corps and the Eighteenth Reserve Corps, the Seventh and
Fourteenth Corps, the First Bavarian Reserve Corps, the Guards, and the
Fourth Army Corps.
(4) Four highly mobile cavalry corps prepared and supported the action
of the troops enumerated above. Everything possible had been done to
fortify the "morale" of the troops. At the beginning of October the
Crown Prince of Bavaria in a proclamation had exhorted his soldiers "to
make the decisive effort against the French left wing," and "to settle
thus the fate of the great battle which has lasted for weeks."
[Illustration: Map showing the swaying battle line from Belfort to the
North Sea and the intrenched line on April 15, 1915.]
On Oct. 28, Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria declared in an army order that
his troops "had just been fighting under very difficult conditions,"
and he added: "It is our business now not to let the struggle with our
most detested enemy drag on longer.... The decisive blow is still to be
struck." On Oct. 30, General von Deimling, commanding the Fifteenth Army
Corps (belonging to General von Fabeck's command,) issued an order
declaring that "the thrust against Ypres will be of decisive
importance.
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