ng the factory. The
enemy had a line of intrenchments north and east of the factory in
considerable strength, and every effort to advance against this line was
driven back by heavy shell and machine-gun fire. The morning was wet and
a heavy mist hung over the hills, so that the Twenty-fifth Artillery
Brigade and the divisional artillery were unable to render effective
support to the advanced troops until about 9 o'clock.

By 10 o'clock the Third Infantry Brigade had reached a point one mile
south of Vendresse, and from there it was ordered to continue the line
of the First Brigade and to connect with and help the right of the
Second Division. A strong hostile column was found to be advancing, and
by a vigorous counterstroke with two of his battalions the Brigadier
checked the advance of this column and relieved the pressure on the
Second Division. From this period until late in the afternoon the
fighting consisted of a series of attacks and counter-attacks. The
counter-strokers by the enemy were delivered at first with great vigor,
but later on they decreased in strength, and all were driven off with
heavy loss.

On the left the Sixth Infantry Brigade had been ordered to cross the
river and to pass through the line held during the preceding night by
the Fifth Infantry Brigade and occupy the Courtecon Ridge, while a
detached force, consisting of the Fourth Guards Brigade and the
Thirty-sixth Brigade Royal Field Artillery, under Brig. Gen. Perceval,
were ordered to proceed to a point east of the village of Ostel.

The Sixth Infantry Brigade crossed the river at Pont-Arcy, moved up the
valley toward Braye, and at 9 A.M. had reached the line
Tilleul-La-Buvelle. On the line they came under heavy artillery and
rifle fire, and were unable to advance until supported by the
Thirty-fourth Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, and the Forty-fourth
Howitzer Brigade and the Heavy Artillery.

The Fourth Guards Brigade crossed the river at 10 A.M. and met with very
heavy opposition. It had to pass through dense woods; field artillery
support was difficult to obtain; but one section of a field battery
pushed up to and within the firing line. At 1 P.M. the left of the
brigade was south of the Ostel Ridge.

At this period of the action the enemy obtained a footing between the
First and Second Corps, and threatened to cut the communications of the
latter.

Sir Douglas Haig was very hardly pressed and had no reserve in hand. I
placed the