While the rest of the Division was out of the line the artillery remained in action, covering in succession the 6th, 8th, 17th and Guards Divisions, and supporting a number of attacks on the trenches which crowned the ridge facing Le Transloy. The first of these was made on the 12th of October by the 4th, 6th and 12th Divisions. The enemy put up a barrage thirty seconds after the advance had begun and brought very heavy machine-gun fire on to the assaulting troops, who were able to make little progress. The 20th Divisional Artillery supported also a minor operation carried out by the 6th Division on the 15th, and a further attack by the 4th, 6th and 12th Divisions launched at 3.40 P.M. on the 18th. In spite of the hopeless state of the ground and the difficulty of moving over it in the dark, the line was advanced and some of the enemy trenches were taken. The French on the right captured Sailly-Saillisel. On the following day the 6th Division was relieved by the 8th, and the 12th Division on its left by the 29th. At the same time Brig.-General Hotham handed over the Left Artillery of the XIVth Corps to the C.R.A. Guards Division and took command of the Left Group, consisting of the three brigades of the 20th Divisional Artillery and the 24th Field Artillery Brigade of the 6th Division. The 21st, 22nd and 23rd of October were spent in a bombardment of the enemy’s trenches as a preparation for another attack. This was launched on the 23rd at 2.30 P.M. and was very successful. The infantry of the 8th Division, which by 9.55 P.M. had gained all its objectives, reported that the artillery barrage was excellent. At the end of the month this Division was relieved by the 17th. On the 24th Brig.-General Hotham, who had done so much to create the excellent _esprit-de-corps_ which existed in the 20th Divisional Artillery, was invalided home and handed over command temporarily to Lieut.-Colonel F. A. Wilson, D.S.O. In the last week of October heavy rain made further operations impossible. Toc 7 Valley had been heavily shelled throughout the past month; the ground was worse than ever and the trenches waist deep in water, making the life of an artilleryman at this time a most unpleasant one. In this sector, too, the German aeroplanes seemed to have very much their own way, and several times flew unmolested low over the battery positions. The Guards Artillery withdrew to rest on November the 10th. Lieut.-Colonel Wilson then took command of the Left Artillery of the Corps, consisting of the 91st, 92nd and 93rd Brigades and a brigade and two batteries from the artillery of the 4th Division. Three days later he handed over to Brig.-General W. B. Browell, C.M.G., who came from the 14th Division to the 20th to take up the duties of C.R.A.