The despatch tells how the battle fared all along the line. “Moving up and down behind the barrage, the Tanks either killed the enemy or forced him to take shelter in dug-outs, where he became an easy prey to the infantry. Hamel was taken by envelopment from the flanks and rear, the enemy was driven from Vaire Wood, and at the end of the day our troops had gained all their objectives and over 1500 prisoners.” Our little success had been complete and triumphant. No less than fifty-seven of the sixty fighting Tanks came through the day without a scratch, the infantry killed and wounded amounted to less than half the German prisoners who passed through our cages; and as we have seen, the battle between Tanks and machine-guns being _à l’outrance_, the proportion of Germans killed to those made prisoners had been unusually high. As for the Tank crews, they suffered only thirteen men wounded. To our great satisfaction also, the five damaged machines were all salved, and thus the armament of the Mark V.’s could not be investigated by the enemy. But at first almost the most striking characteristic of the victory seemed the perfect co-operation between Tanks and infantry. The Tanks and the Australians were equally enthusiastic over one another’s performances. The Australians were surprised and delighted at the weight and solidity which the sixty Tanks had lent their impact, and at the sense of support and comradeship which their men had experienced. The Tank Corps were equally impressed by the superb _moral_ of the Australians,[66] “who never considered that the presence of Tanks exonerated them from fighting, and who took instant advantage of any opportunity created by the Tanks.” A generous and lasting friendship had been established. The 5th Tank Brigade and their Australians were destined throughout their coming partnership to prove an almost invincible combination. But it was not alone the battle partners who were pleased and surprised. The whole Allied front rang with the news of victory. We had sent up our tentative _ballon d’essai_, and behold it had sailed up, high above our highest expectations and now hung, a token in the sky. All men might know that though Apollyon had straddled all across the way, we had beaten him and were at last come out of the Valley of Humiliation. CHAPTER XVI WITH THE FRENCH--THE BATTLE OF MOREUIL The 5th Brigade and the Australians had sworn eternal friendship with a refreshing enthusiasm. They were like two schoolgirl friends, not to be separated, and at Vaux, whither they had retired for combined training, metaphorically went about all day with their arms round each other’s waists. Therefore, when on July 17 orders reached the 5th Tank Brigade that they were to send a Battalion south to fight with the French, consternation reigned. If anybody went it would have to be the 2nd Battalion, which had not fought at Hamel at all.