Page:Breaking the Hindenburg Line.djvu/50

40 one of R.H.A., all of them being placed under the command of Brigadier-General Sir Hill Child, C.M.G., D.S.O., C.R.A., 46th Division. In addition several Brigades of the Corps Heavy Artillery were firing on the front of the Division.

Artillery preparation for the attack was commenced on the night of the 26th/27th September, when a concentrated bombardment of the Bellenglise salient was carried out with a mixture of high explosive and gas shells. At the same time the normal “harassing” fire on the whole of the IX Corps front was considerably increased in order to mask the guns engaged in pumping gas into selected areas behind the front to be attacked. This gas bombardment was carried out on a scale which had not previously been attempted by any of the Allies, but results were not commensurate with the expenditure of ammunition. Prisoners stated that the only effect of the bombardment, so far as gas was concerned, was to cause them to retreat to the deep dug-outs and tunnels with which this particular enemy area was so plentifully provided, and thus very few gas casualties were caused.

Far otherwise, however, was the result of the destructive bombardment with high-explosive shells from guns of all calibres which commenced on the following day. All evidence, whether that of air photographs taken during the bombardment itself, the close examination of the shelled area when the battle was over, or the reports of the dazed and demoralized prisoners taken during the action, goes to show that the effect of the whirlwind of shells from our guns was absolutely devastating both to the German positions and to their moral. For the two days preceding the assault no rations or reinforcements reached the unfortunate occupants of the defences on either bank of the Canal.