Page:Breaking the Hindenburg Line.djvu/67

Rh the two companies was filled by a section of the 137th Trench Mortar Battery. Here again, little trouble was experienced in overrunning the enemy trench system west of the Canal, from which 160 prisoners were taken and despatched to the rear under escort.

The Canal itself contained at this point deep water and, no bridges being found intact, the men who, in common with all the assaulting troops, were equipped with life-belts in addition to their normal equipment, crossed by swimming or were hauled over by means of heaving lines and planks. It was in such a situation as this that the fog proved so invaluable. The farther bank of the Canal was strongly defended by the enemy with rifle fire and light machine guns fired from concrete emplacements, but at this period of the day it was impossible to see more than a few yards, and the enemy could not tell with any certainty where our troops were until they were right upon them, when the latter lost no time in charging, and quickly silenced the enemy machine guns by the destruction of the guns' crews. So quickly indeed was progress made, that comparatively few casualties were suffered in this very difficult operation. This was again in great measure due to the splendid leading of both officers and N.C.O.s. Any hesitation at this juncture would have been fatal and might have resulted in the total failure of the attack. It was absolutely essential for success that the troops should keep up with the barrage and make the utmost use of the fog. The courage and determination of all ranks was beyond praise, but, even at this high level, certain individual leaders did so extraordinarily well and showed such resource and initiative that their efforts had a marked effect in the storming of the Canal.

Such an instance is that of Corporal A. E Ferguson,