My command was now largely increased, with a view to further operations, by the addition of the 11th and the 58th Divisional Artilleries, which went into action near St. Leger and Ecoust respectively. This brought the artillery with the 62nd Division to a strength of 180 18-pounder guns and 48 howitzers. Early on the 15th the Huns made a determined counter-attack against the Australian Division on our right. At first it was completely successful; the enemy broke through as far as Noreuil and Lagnicourt, and for a short time was actually in possession of two brigades of the Australian artillery. At about 8 a.m., however, the Anzacs made a magnificent recovery, and hurled the enemy back to his original line, retaking their guns and capturing about 400 prisoners. Over a thousand German corpses were left on the field. While all this was going on my batteries were subjected to heavy shell fire, and suffered many casualties. In one of the batteries of the 58th Division the losses were particularly severe, three officers being killed and one wounded. I sent one of the brigades of the 11th Division to reinforce the Anzacs directly the attack commenced, and this was retained after the battle, and therefore left my command. On the 16th Lieut.-Colonel F. A. Woodcock arrived to command the D.A.C. vice Lieut.-Colonel F. Mitchell, who had gone to England. For some time past the weather had been very inclement, and the unvarying cold and damp, added to the strain of heavy work and constant danger night and day, was having its inevitable effect on the physical powers, though not on the fighting spirit, of the officers and men behind the guns; and, it should be added, of the officers and men of the D.A.C., whose work in these operations had been of a most strenuous and perilous nature. The men fall asleep while working at the guns. For nine or ten weeks now they have worked without a rest, and it is a question whether human endurance can go much further. They fire day and night, and when not firing they are staggering through the mud carrying up ammunition; they have no shelter except what they can dig in the ground, and no sooner have they dug a resting place than the batteries have to move to a fresh position. And the weather is beyond words abominable. If it isn't raining it's snowing, and it's impossible to keep anything dry; nothing but cold, squalor, and hideous discomfort. And yet they stick it out with the utmost courage and cheerfulness, and fight splendidly.