The Battalion crossed over in the _Empress Queen_, accompanied by a destroyer, and on arrival at Havre proceeded by train to St. Omer, where it detrained and marched to Blendecques. There it remained until the Guards Division was formed in September. On August 21 it was inspected by Brigadier-General Heyworth, who expressed himself pleased with its smart appearance. On September 17, during the inspection of the 3rd Guards Brigade, Major-General the Earl of Cavan complimented Major Hamilton on the way his Battalion had turned out. CHAPTER XV BATTLE OF LOOS, 1915 [Sidenote: Sept. 1915.] In September General Joffre and Sir John French agreed that a determined attempt should be made to break the strong German line. Thousands of guns were to be massed, and after an action by which, it was hoped, the German trenches would be destroyed, twelve infantry divisions were to be launched upon the enemy. Then Sir Douglas Haig, with the First British Army, would attack between La Bassée Canal and Lens, while the French were to force their way through the lines south of Lens. Sir John French in his despatch thus described the character of the front to be attacked by the British Army: Opposite the front of the main line of attack the distance between the enemy's trenches and our own varied from about 100 to 500 yards. The country over which the advance took place is open and overgrown with long grass and self-sown crops. From the canal southward our trenches and those of the enemy ran, roughly, parallel up an almost imperceptible rise to the south-west. From the Vermelles--Hulluch road southward the advantage of height is on the enemy's side as far as the Bethune--Lens road. There the two lines of trenches cross a spur in which the rise culminates, and thence the command lies on the side of the British trenches. Due east of the intersection of spur and trenches, and a short mile away, stands Loos. Less than a mile farther south-east is Hill 70, which is the summit of the gentle rise in the ground. Other notable tactical points in our front were: "_Fosse 8_" (a thousand yards south of Auchy), which is a coal-mine with a high and strongly defended slag heap. "_The Hohenzollern Redoubt._"--A strong work thrust out nearly 500 yards in front of the German lines and close to our own. It is connected with their front line by three communication trenches abutting into the defences of Fosse 8. _Cité St. Elie._--A strongly defended mining village lying 1500 yards south of Haisnes. "_The Quarries._"--Lying half-way to the German trenches west of Cité St. Elie. _Hulluch._--A village strung out along a small stream, lying less than half a mile south-east of Cité St. Elie and 3000 yards north-east of Loos.