south of HOOGE where my headquarters were last November. Some of our trenches were vacated as the men were asphyxiated they may have been taken by surprise by the early attack, & had no time to fix on their respirators, but I hear that the latter were not much good - fighting has been going on all day, & by 5pm all the trenches north of the railway (Roulers) had been retaken, & some on the South. It is now 10pm & the fighting has not ceased. The Cavalry Corps 5th Division & 28th Division & 27th Division have borne the brunt of the fighting, but so far no details have been received. We were informed this morning that Italy had declared war