We did not renew the advance till the 21st, when nine Tanks helped the attack on the 3rd Corps front against the Knoll and Guillemont and Quennemont Farms. Two of these Tanks were of the Mark V. Star pattern and carried forward infantry machine-gunners. But we were up against a desperate enemy resistance, machine-guns firing armour-piercing bullets, anti-Tank rifles, field guns and land mines all being used against us. The attack did not succeed in gaining us the coveted positions, and we were to pay dearly for this failure. Again two days elapsed, and meanwhile (on the 20th) the 8th, 16th and 13th Battalions, and the 5th Supply Co. had been brought forward. There was a big enterprise in view. This hitherto more or less isolated sector of attack was to be “federated” with the new vast projected attack which was to be made by no fewer than three Armies, their blows timed to fall in rapid succession. Meanwhile a piece of ground which we coveted remained in enemy hands. We were anxious to hold the high ground north of Selency and to clear up the formidable Quadrilateral south of Fresnoy. The 9th Corps, therefore, was to attack on a two-division front with the aid of twenty Tanks of the newly arrived 13th Battalion. The plans were discussed at a conference held on September 22, and the Tanks brought up to the assembly points by skeleton crews that same night. The fighting crews were brought up by lorry the following afternoon, according to the wise practice which was now beginning to be generally employed, whenever there was enough personnel to make it possible. The final approach march was begun at 8.30 p.m. the night of the 23rd. [90]“After Clearing St. Quentin Wood, in which some delay was caused by overhead signal wires, which had to be passed from hand to hand to avoid catching the semaphore standards, Tanks had to pass through a heavy harassing fire in which gas shell was largely employed. Thus the latter part of the march was made with Tanks closed and gas masks often worn; in consequence the crews, especially of the company working on the left, suffered greatly from gas and petrol fumes. While waiting on the Start Lines, Tanks were heavily shelled, and enemy ’planes twice during the night dropped flares exactly over the sections with the 6th Division on the right.” Anti-Tank guns were extremely active throughout the operation. Three Tanks, which with their infantry penetrated right into the Quadrilateral, were all put out of action by a single gun. Altogether, the Tanks suffered a 50 per cent. loss of machines in this action. However, we won some of the points of observation that were needed for the next attack, and though we failed to hold the Quadrilateral we had practically outflanked and sterilised it by the end of the day. So ended the little Battle of Epehy. Our advance had not been a long one, for the enemy had contested every yard with a desperate valour.