[41]“Our infantry then consolidated the Cockcroft. This completed the capture of all objectives. “The Tanks waited till consolidation was well forward before returning. “_Casualties_--Infantry: no killed, 15 wounded. “Tank Personnel--Killed: Officers, none; other Ranks, 2. Wounded: Officers, 2; other Ranks, 10.” In one of the strong points we found a German officer who had been hanged by his men. The St. Julien attack, as it was afterwards called, proved a sufficient counterblast to the 5th Army report. The friends of the Tank Corps made the most of it. It was a brilliant little exploit, and once brought to notice, the casualty figures pleaded too loudly to be ignored. It is probably no exaggeration to say that it was in some measure to the Tanks which won the little Battle of St. Julien that the Tank Corps owed the opportunity of winning the Battle of Cambrai. IV From August 22 till October 9, by which time hope of British success at Ypres had been more or less abandoned, the Tanks fought in about a dozen minor actions. They made almost as many more unavailing attempts to fight. Like the rest of the Army, they spent much vain labour and knew the weariness of much frustrated effort. They made elaborate and toilsome movements in preparation for attacks which were never launched. They struggled night after night to get up to some battle which eventually had to take place without them. Tanks had now invariably to move upon the roads, as the ground between had finally and definitely been reduced to impassable swamp. The roads naturally formed standing targets for the German gunners. We lost heavily in men and machines. General Elles had originally estimated that one machine in two would get into effective action. Now, in view of the appalling ground conditions, he revised this, only reckoning on one machine in ten getting into effective contact with the enemy. This modest estimate was as a matter of fact seldom exceeded. Whenever Tanks did get into action, however, they usually did well, though rarely decisively, in spite of the standard of extraordinary courage which was steadfastly maintained by the crews. The briefest review of most of these depressing little engagements is all that need be given. They were remarkable for nothing except the heroic patience shown day after day by every arm of our attacking forces. On August 22 a minor attack was launched by all three Corps. Small parties of Tanks fought with each. With the _2nd Corps_ in Glencorse Wood four Tanks of the 2nd Brigade were of some service, and did considerable execution. With the _19th Corps_ eighteen Tanks of the 3rd Brigade were used on the off-chance of their being able to reach the objectives. The going was more than ordinarily atrocious, the whole of the Frezenberg-Zonnebeke road having been shot away. One Tank fought a very remarkable action, engaging the enemy near “Gallipoli” for sixty-eight hours.