aring our respirators, when at 5.20 the usual sudden crackle and
rumble all along the front announced the opening of the barrage. Judged
by the quickness with which he put down a retaliatory barrage, the
enemy was prepared for our attack. Nothing could now hold "Ernest." He
dashed tirelessly north, south, east, west, towards whichever point of
the compass he heard a gun firing or a shell exploding. "I'm sure that
dog's mad," commented the colonel when we breakfasted at 7 A.M. "I
watched him from my dug-out for three-quarters of an hour after the
barrage started. He passed the opening eighty times, then I got tired
of counting. He seems to take a marvellous interest in shells.... It's
a pity the staff captain can't use him for ammunition returns."

While we were conducting a settled defence of the line, or registering
our guns for a battle, no one visited the "O.P.'s," or the front line,
more than the colonel. Many and many a morning, with a couple of
sandwiches and a slab of chocolate in his pocket, he tramped to the
O.P. and stayed there until dark, criticising the shooting of the
batteries and finding fresh targets for their fire. But during a set
battle he did all his work on the telephone, in touch with Divisional
artillery one way, and with the batteries, the F.O.O.'s, and the
infantry the other. There is never much news during the first hour, or
even until the full artillery programme has been completed. By that
time the Brigade expects definite reports as to whether the infantry
have reached their objectives, and upon what new points they require
artillery assistance for consolidating positions, or for repelling
counter-attacks.

But on this occasion the first message reached Brigade at 5.50 A.M. C
Battery reported that immediately the barrage opened the Boche
retaliated upon them with 5.9's. They had had six killed and ten
wounded. The killed included the sergeant who so splendidly commanded
C's forward sniping-gun on that bewildering, nerve-testing March 21st.

I spoke to the other batteries. D Battery, and B, who had horses handy
to move forward when the first objective was taken, had been little
troubled, but A had had their mess smashed in, and three of the
servants wounded. I rang up "Buller," who was doing liaison with the
--th Infantry Brigade, and he said it was understood that two companies
of the ---- had lost their way, but generally the attack proceeded
well.

The uncertainty lasted until 11 A.M.