▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁Y pres ▁ ▁By ▁ 8 ▁November , ▁Fal ken h ay n ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁attempt ▁to ▁advance ▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁had ▁failed ▁and ▁that ▁taking ▁Y pres ▁was ▁impossible . ▁The ▁French ▁and ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁assemble ▁forces ▁near ▁the ▁northern ▁fl ank ▁fast ▁enough ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁decis ive ▁advantage . ▁Where ▁the ▁oppos ing ▁forces ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁advance , ▁they ▁had ▁quickly ▁been ▁stopped ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁improv ise ▁field ▁def ences , ▁against ▁which ▁attacks ▁were ▁cost ly ▁fail ures . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁Y pres ▁both ▁sides ▁were ▁exha usted , ▁short ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁suffering ▁from ▁col laps es ▁in ▁mor ale ▁and ▁ref us als ▁of ▁orders ▁by ▁some ▁inf antry ▁units . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁French ▁and ▁British ▁art illery ▁command ers ▁met ▁to ▁discuss ▁means ▁for ▁supporting ▁inf antry ▁attacks , ▁the ▁British ▁practice ▁being ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁art illery ▁silent ▁until ▁targets ▁were ▁identified ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁firing ▁a ▁ ▁( pre lim inary ▁bomb ard ment ) ▁which ▁ceased ▁as ▁the ▁inf antry ▁began ▁the ▁assault . ▁A ▁moving ▁bar rage ▁of ▁fire ▁was ▁proposed ▁as ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁both ▁methods ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁standard ▁practice ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁as ▁guns ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁were ▁accum ulated ▁in ▁sufficient ▁quantity . ▁Fal ken h ay n ▁issued ▁memor anda ▁on ▁ 7 ▁and ▁ 2 5 ▁January