From documents captured during the battle we found that up to the 18th the Germans had issued such reports as “The enemy’s work is confined to the improvement of his trenches and wire.” But the prisoners whom the Germans had taken on the night of the 18th had yielded more interesting information. On the strength only of their preliminary examination the Germans moved reserve machine-guns up to Flesquières. At the last moment a higher enemy authority seems to have again examined the prisoners, and, too late, an urgent warning was sent down to all units in the line to maintain a sharp lookout and to issue armour-piercing bullets immediately. This message we found half transcribed in a front-line signal dug-out. Six o’clock had struck. Under cover of the mist the whole line of 350 Tanks moved forward, led by General Elles’ Flag Tank, the “Hilda.” As they moved a thousand concealed guns hailed down their fire upon the German line. Even through the din of the barrage and the clamour of their own engines the Tank crews could hear, as they advanced, the tearing and snapping of the German wire as they trampled it under them. The bewildered enemy was overwhelmed. He had only one last hope. Perhaps the wide trenches themselves would hold back this inexorable company! But when each of the second line of Tanks stopped, ducked its head, laid its “stepping stone” in the trench and crawled easily over it, the enemy completely lost his balance. All along the line men fled in panic. Only at a few tactical points did our onrush meet with any real opposition. The surprise, the novel tactics, the crushing onrush of the Tanks proved too much in those first confounding minutes for one of the best fighting armies the world had ever seen. The “Hilda” reached the outposts line in the van of the battle; the resistance here was only slight, but General Elles succeeded in picking up a few targets which he pointed out to the gunners. It is reported that he did most of his observing with his head thrust up through the hatch in the roof of the Tank, using his feet in the gunner’s ribs to indicate targets. Once the Tanks were astride the enormous Hindenburg ditch, the enemy only offered resistance in a few places. The “Hilda,” still carrying the flag which had been several times hit but not brought down, went on to her first objective line, which included the main Hindenburg front, and support lines. But the General’s holiday was over. The great problem had been triumphantly solved. The next most pressing need would be for reorganisation.