ot into the German
second line and then began to bomb their way to right and left. The
captured first trench was utilized by the attacking force. From
that vantage the advance was led by a machine gun which was followed
by a group of bomb throwers. In working forward the machine-gun
base became lost when the man who had it was slain. Thereupon a
Canadian "lumberjack" named Vincent became the base, the machine
gun being fired from his back. But the German bomb throwers drove
the attacking force out of the trench. The Germans kept a rain
of lead between the Canadians and the British line of trenches
with the result that it was almost suicide for a man to attempt
to return for bombs. Nevertheless many braved the ordeal. Only
one was successful. He, Private Smith of Southampton, Ontario,
seemed to bear a charmed life, for he made the trip five times.
The Third Canadian Battalion was sent forward to reenforce the
Ontario Regiment which had lost most of its officers, but such a
pressure of German forces were brought to bear on the Canadians
that the reenforcements were unavailing, and the Canadians were
forced to relinquish all they had gained, and return to their own
trenches that night.

The retreat was a desperate undertaking; the Germans then had the
Canadians in the open and added heavily to the Canadian's death
roll. On the other side of Stony Mountain the British had met with
no better success than the Canadians. Having started their enemies
back, the Germans massed for a counterattack and drove them back
a mile, but not without a terrific struggle. The battle field was
lighted by the peculiar fireworks used for such purposes and bursting
of shells. Jets of flame shot forth from machine guns and rifles.
In many places the intermittent light disclosed deadly hand-to-hand
conflicts. Suddenly the Germans concentrated their fire on a portion
of their lost first line of trenches, and the trenches of their
enemies who held them were no more. Having the British and Canadians
defeated, as they believed, the Germans proceeded to add to their
victory by storming the British and Canadian trenches. They met
with resistance, however, that drove them back.

At daybreak on June 16, 1915, the artillery on both sides resumed
firing on a large scale. Suddenly, in the afternoon, the British
fire increased preparatory to another charge. This time the British
commander had selected a smaller section for his attack. This was
at Rue d'Ou