But though the infantry was new, it was unfortunately not fresh. Sir Julian Byng had no rested troops at all at his disposal. It may be said that the whole of the subsequent history of the battle and its sequel hinges upon these two points. All our infantry was weary in the extreme, and most of it had never co-operated with Tanks before. Consequently many strong points, though they were finally captured, gave us more trouble than they should. On the 21st, Tanks attacked several villages and strong points with success. Thirteen Tanks of “B” (2nd) Battalion surrounded the village of Cantaing. They met with a stubborn resistance as they closed in upon it. To this they replied vigorously with machine-gun and 6-pounder fire, and by noon the enemy had been driven out. Two Tanks also, of “B” Battalion, were sent for by the infantry, who were held up by heavy machine-gun fire outside Noyelles. In half an hour they succeeded in crushing all resistance, setting fire to an ammunition dump and patrolling the village till the infantry took over. Neither Tank was in the least hurt, and there were no casualties among the crews. Twelve Tanks of “H” (8th) Battalion received orders soon after 8 a.m. to attack Fontaine-Notre-Dame. The village was six miles distant, and the Tanks came in for severe fighting on the way there. They reached their objective at about 4.30. By 5.30 they had captured it and were withdrawn after handing it over to the infantry. But next day a furious German counter-attack dislodged our garrison. We were determined to possess it, and on the 23rd attacked again in force. The enemy was prepared, and a desperate battle ensued among the houses. Twenty-four Tanks from “B” and “H” Battalions had entered the village first, whereupon the enemy retired to the tops of the houses and rained down bombs and bullets upon the roofs of the machines. The Germans were in force, and in the narrow streets it was difficult for the Tanks to bring an effective fire to bear upon them. The infantry was too weary to clear the place, and after patrolling the streets the Tanks withdrew, as soon as darkness covered their retreat. On the same day thirty-four Tanks of the 1st Brigade supported a brilliant attack made by the 40th Division upon Bourlon Wood. The wood was captured after a sharp struggle. The Tanks then pressed on towards the village, but as at Fontaine, the infantry, who had suffered severe casualties in the taking of the wood, was too exhausted to follow up. On November 25 and 26 we renewed our attack upon Fontaine-Notre-Dame and again tried to capture Bourlon Village. In the end, however, both these important points remained in enemy hands. A week had now elapsed since the launching of the battle.