idently
entered the minds of those in authority. It was known that the enemy
was transferring large numbers of troops, which had been released by
the collapse of Russia, to the Western front. Consequently every unit
got busy at once, the Infantry dug new trench systems in rear of their
existing ones, constructed strong points, and mile upon mile of barbed
wire was laid down.

The gunners prepared new battle and reinforcing positions, in case a
retiral should be necessary, and filled them with ammunition against
all eventualities.

In a little more than a month everything was completed, and during the
third week of March, the troops were warned of an impending great
enemy offensive, and became fully on the alert.

CHAPTER X. (p. 073)

March the 21st.

The morning of the 20th broke calm and the enemy did nothing to
indicate that anything out of the ordinary was about to take place,
but this did not deceive us, as it was known to our Command that the
blow was going to fall on the following morning. Silence reigned
supreme, except for the ordinary harassing artillery fire, up till
midnight, but shortly afterwards the German guns opened out their
annihilating fire, and drenched our forward system and battery
positions with a severe gas bombardment.

In this area the majority of batteries had, at the last moment, taken
the precaution to change their positions, as these were known to the
enemy, and thus avoided being entirely demolished by the heavy
concentration which poured all manner of shell into those they had
lately vacated.

At dawn, which, unfortunately for us, broke in a thick mist, after a
sustained bombardment of some four to five hours' duration, the enemy
launched his gigantic attack over an area of fifty miles, from
Guenappe, immediately below Monchy in the North, to the neighbourhood
of La Fere in the south. Under cover of the mist, he congregated large
numbers of field guns, which were able to accompany and closely
support the attacking waves, while at some places he employed his new
Tanks. These, however, though rendering some assistance to him, by no
means came up to expectations, and were ponderous and clumsy, in spite
of the fact that he had previously captured several of ours from which
to copy, but they proved to be far behind ours, both in construction
and usefulness.

A "Chinese barrage" was put down by the enemy on our sector, b