veral hours a tape was placed along the line
of shell craters to serve as a jumping off mark along which the men were
duly aligned.

The _role_ of the Battalion was to capture Hill 35 and Gallipoli, which
was a strongly fortified centre of resistance in such a position, situated
on rising ground, that it commanded a large area to the north. After its
capture other units in the Brigade were to pass through the Battalion and
continue the attack. The distance of the attack by the Battalion was from
four to five hundred yards, and it was to be made in four waves, a company
to each wave. It was anticipated that though the position might be fairly
easily captured the enemy would make a desperate effort to dislodge the
attackers.

The attack was evidently anticipated, as the enemy shell fire for a few
minutes before zero was particularly heavy. Meanwhile the British
artillery maintained a silence in which the gunners were able to prepare
for the impending barrage. Zero was at 5-40 a.m., and at that time
suddenly there opened an enormous crescendo of fire from the British guns,
together with a machine gun barrage, which latter some attributed
erroneously to the enemy. At this time it was fairly light, and one could
see from a hundred and fifty to two hundred yards, quite light enough to
enable the German machine gunners to inflict many casualties.

Owing to the fact that the men had to jump off from shell craters, and
many were anxious to advance quickly so as to evade the enemy shell fire,
and that there was some mixing of units, the waves were somewhat confused.
The German artillery was ready and intensified its fire. The enemy machine
gunners opened fire at once and the attackers began to fall almost as soon
as the attack was commenced.

On the right of Hill 35 the Germans had manned a derelict tank and could
not be dislodged. Even though surrounded they did not surrender for some
time. The men, however, pressed gallantly forward and eventually got as
far as Gallipoli Farm. The Germans here were very stout hearted and
refused to surrender. One had a machine gun on top of a concrete dugout
and, for some reason or other, perhaps excitement, the men could not bring
him down. Following the brilliant example of one of the company
commanders, the men eventually closed in and after a fierce hand to hand
encounter, in which bomb and bayonet were freely used, the place fell.

On Hill 35 a 90 m.m. field gun of an old pattern manuf