[73]“Second Lieutenant Gould’s Tank was pushing on towards the Red Line, which overlooked the valley running south. Here the enemy were found to be organising for a counter-attack. Enemy transport with a large number of stragglers, estimated at 1000, was in full retreat up the road, and in the valley itself a force estimated at half a battalion was forming up and being reinforced by other parties coming over the hill in rear. All the time this Tank was under heavy fire from machine-guns and snipers from the left flank and rear. Fire was opened with 6-pounders on the transport and direct hits observed. M.G. fire was also directed with good effect on the excellent targets in the valley, causing confusion and disorganisation in the enemy ranks. With the prolonged running at high speed the interior of the Tank rapidly became unbearable through heat and petrol fumes, and the crew were forced to evacuate it and to take cover underneath. At this moment two of the crew were wounded, one was sick, one fainted and one was delirious. Fortunately, before the enemy could take advantage of the lull, two Whippet Tanks and a body of cavalry came up, and the enemy in the valley began to retreat over the hill.” The 1st Tank Battalion, with the Canadians, suffered extremely severely. [74]“Owing to the French having been held up, the British were subjected to a heavy enfilade fire from the villages of Beaucourt and Le Quesneu and nine of the eleven Tanks belonging to ‘A’ Company received direct hits from a field battery firing over open sights from Le Quesneu. The majority caught fire and were burnt out, and very severe casualties resulted, three out of the four Section Commanders being killed and the remaining one wounded and captured. This disaster was followed by a particularly heroic action on the part of Second Lieutenant Cassell, who observed the destructive fire of the battery, and, passing through the burning victims of its shells, steered straight on to it, in an attempt to avenge the destruction of his comrades. His heroism was in vain, for before he had proceeded many yards he received a shell through the front of his Tank which put it out of action and killed Second Lieutenant Cassell and most of his crew.” Meanwhile, the Whippets and the cavalry had pushed forward. They and the armoured cars were to press on beyond the limits of the infantry and heavy Tank attack. Generally the Whippets were to precede the cavalry, in order to silence machine-guns, deal with wire, if any, and generally to pave the way. In practice, however: