The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
The German artillery fire greatly exceeded the British in volume.
Nevertheless the British forces were in the more comfortable
position. They had comparatively little to do except wait until they
were needed, which would be when their artillery had completed the
preparation for the inevitable charge. On the other hand the German
soldier had a nerve-racking part to play. He knew from the preparation
that an attack in force was about to be made; but he did not know when
it would occur nor where. Hence it was necessary for him to be
constantly on the alert. Many of the Germans were under arms at all
hours of the day and night. In fact few of them on that part of their
line got any real rest during the week in which the bombardment
continued. The section between the two lines of trenches was
illuminated at night, and the cannonade kept up so that there was no
opportunity for the Germans to repair the havoc made by the British
shells.
The suspense was terminated on the evening of June 15, 1915, by an
additional flight of projectiles from the British guns. Every piece of
British ordnance on that part of the line was worked at top speed. The
Germans, knowing that this immediately preceded an infantry charge,
used their artillery to stop it. But the British charge formed in
their trenches, with the Canadians on their right. In addition to the
shrapnel the Germans made breaks in the lines of their foes by the use
of machine guns, but the breaks were quickly filled. On some parts of
the front the British and Canadians were successful and reached the
trenches. In all the captured trenches extended from Rue du Bois to
Rue d'Ouvert.
In the meantime those Canadians who had been directed against Stony
Mountain and Dorchester were doing heroic work. The First Company of
the Ontario Regiment charged through the debris of the mine explosion,
only to run into the deadly hail sent at them by the machine guns. But
the Canadians were determined to complete their task, and they took
Dorchester and the connecting trench. The fire was too heavy for them
to reach Stony Mountain. A group of bombers made a dash forward, but
were shot down before they could get near enough to use their weapons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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