on and on the right from
two points of the wood. Behind them the German barrage fire, beating
time methodically, entirely hid from view the attacking columns.

By noon the British infantry, having carried Bailiff Wood by storm,
captured the greater part of Contalmaison. There they found a small
body of British soldiers belonging to the Northumberland Fusiliers who
had been made prisoners by the Germans a few days before and were
penned up in a shelter in the village. The British were opposed by the
Third Prussian Guard Division--the famous "Cockchafers"--who lost 700
men as prisoners during the attack. In the afternoon of the same day,
July 7, 1916, the Germans delivered a strong counterattack, and the
British, unable to secure reenforcements, and not strong enough to
maintain the position, were forced out of the village, though able to
keep hold of the southern corner.

On the following day, July 8, 1916, the British struggled for the
possession of Ovillers, now a conglomeration of shattered trenches,
shell holes and ruined walls. Every yard of ground was fought over
with varying fortunes by the combatants. While this stubborn fight was
under way the British were driving out the Germans from their
fortified positions among the groves and copses around Contalmaison,
and consolidating their gains.

In the night of July 10, 1916, the British, advancing from Bailiff
Wood on the west side of Contalmaison, pressed forward in four
successive waves, their guns pouring a flood of shells before them,
and breaking into the northwest corner, and after a desperate
hand-to-hand conflict, during which prodigies of valor were performed
on both sides, drove out the Germans and occupied the entire village.
The victory had not been won without considerable cost in casualties.
The British captured 189 prisoners, including a commander of a
battalion.

Ovillers, where the most violent fighting had raged for some days,
continued to hold out, though surrounded and cut off from all relief
from the outside. Knowing this the German garrison still fought on,
and it was not until July 16, 1916, that the brave remnant consisting
of two officers and 124 guardsmen surrendered.

We now turn to the British operations in the southern sector where
they were trying to clear out the fortified woods that intervened
between them and the German second line.

On July 3, 1916, the ground east of Fricourt Wood was clear of Germans
and the way opened to M