The night of the 14th-15th was fairly quiet. Both sides were attending to their wounded. But early in the morning of July 15th, when the 6th Battalion had relieved the 7th, the Germans returned to the attack, and this attempt, very pluckily repulsed, is memorable for the use of a weapon, new in the experience of the defenders, and hardly less horrible in its first effect than the surprise of poison-gas at Ypres. We have the advantage of a graphic description of the three hours’ fighting on that morning from the pen of Lieut. Meekosha, V.C., who took part in it as a non-commissioned Officer.[59] He writes: ‘About 3-30 a.m. the Germans launched their dastardly attack with liquid fire, the only warning we received being the terrifying shrieks of those unfortunate sentries who came into contact with the flame. Then came a hail of hand grenades, a few of the Boches coming as far as our own parapet, hoping to find our men demoralized. For their pains they were each presented with at least one well-aimed bullet. Our men then lined the parapet with as much speed and ammunition as possible, and let the Hun have it for all they were worth. Another party of Boches, well stacked with bombs, had already stormed one of our saps, which had been blocked about half way. Our Battalion bombers were at once called out to deal with this party, and, fighting their way foot by foot, cleared every living Boche from the sap, a fact which reflected no little credit on our men, being, as they were, at a disadvantage from the very beginning. Our Stokes Mortar Battery was then set to work on the German front line, and to see old Fritz jump on to his own parapet, run a few yards as hard as he could go, and then into his own trench again (provided that he did not get a bullet in the attempt, our machine-guns and rifles being on the look out for opportunities) was the best amusement I had had for weeks. This went on for about three hours, during which time the work of our Officers and N.C.O.’s was cut out in stopping our men from rushing headlong into the Hun trenches in their eagerness to kill as many Boches as possible in as little time as possible. Unfortunately, a few of the good men lost their lives during this fighting, but we had the satisfaction of knowing that, for every one lost, the Hun lost at least four. ‘Thus ended our first experience under liquid fire. ‘After this, our boys set to and cooked for themselves the breakfast they so richly deserved.’