elephone. While the British artillery was attempting to destroy
these fortresses it was also hurling lyddite shells into the trenches.

The German artillery fire greatly exceeded the British in volume.
Nevertheless the British forces were in the more comfortable position.
They had comparatively little to do except wait until they were needed,
which would be when their artillery had completed the preparation
for the inevitable charge. On the other hand the German soldier
had a nerve-racking part to play. He knew from the preparation
that an attack in force was about to be made; but he did not know
when it would occur nor where. Hence it was necessary for him to
be constantly on the alert. Many of the Germans were under arms
at all hours of the day and night. In fact few of them on that
part of their line got any real rest during the week in which the
bombardment continued. The section between the two lines of trenches
was illuminated at night, and the cannonade kept up so that there
was no opportunity for the Germans to repair the havoc made by
the British shells.

The suspense was terminated on the evening of June 15, 1915, by
an additional flight of projectiles from the British guns. Every
piece of British ordnance on that part of the line was worked at
top speed. The Germans, knowing that this immediately preceded an
infantry charge, used their artillery to stop it. But the British
charge formed in their trenches, with the Canadians on their right.
In addition to the shrapnel the Germans made breaks in the lines of
their foes by the use of machine guns, but the breaks were quickly
filled. On some parts of the front the British and Canadians were
successful and reached the trenches. In all the captured trenches
extended from Rue du Bois to Rue d'Ouvert.

In the meantime those Canadians who had been directed against Stony
Mountain and Dorchester were doing heroic work. The First Company
of the Ontario Regiment charged through the debris of the mine
explosion, only to run into the deadly hail sent at them by the
machine guns. But the Canadians were determined to complete their
task, and they took Dorchester and the connecting trench. The fire
was too heavy for them to reach Stony Mountain. A group of bombers
made a dash forward, but were shot down before they could get near
enough to use their weapons.

The second and third companies rushed forward, suffering severely
from the deluge of lead, but some of their men g