Now, and afterwards, efforts were constantly being made by which to vary the monotony of trench warfare, and to make things more lively for the Huns; as an example, I select the following instance. On the 27th April, at a given time, two howitzer batteries put "stops" on selected portions of the enemy's support line about 200 yards apart. Then on the trench thus enclosed three batteries opened a rapid fire of gas and smoke shell, the object being to smoke the occupants out of their dug-outs. After five minutes of this treatment two more batteries opened with shrapnel on the only trench which could be used by the enemy if he tried to escape to the rear--this, of course, in the hope of getting some of them as they retired. The whole thing went off like clockwork, and the fire was most accurate. As to the amount of damage done, that must remain a matter of conjecture, as it was impossible to see into the trenches. In this case, as always in such experiments, one could but hope for the best. [Sidenote: May 1917.] All arrangements having been made for an attack on Bullecourt under an artillery barrage, Divisional Headquarters moved up on the 2nd May to an advanced position north of Ervillers. The attack was launched early on the 3rd as part of a big operation in which altogether fourteen divisions took part. Our infantry advanced under a barrage at 3.45 a.m., and broke through the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. The enemy was, however, in great strength, and his position was an extraordinarily formidable one. Although our men managed to get through and beyond the village, they were then checked by numerous machine guns firing from concrete emplacements, and were finally forced back again through Bullecourt by a strong counter-attack. The Division suffered very heavy losses, and the results of the battle did not come up to our high expectations; but, none the less, substantial progress had been made, and at the end of the action we were able to hold on to and consolidate a good slice of the village of Bullecourt, together with about 2000 yards of the Hindenburg front line to the east of it. It was hard that our first battle should have been so costly in life and so apparently unfruitful in results, but our sorely tried infantry had proved their mettle, and had shown that magnificent spirit in the face of appalling odds which, in the Homeric battles which were still to come, was so often to spur them on to victory. Lieut. C. Punchard was wounded (gas) on the 7th, and Lieuts. G. H. Kitson and C. V. Montgomery were wounded on the 12th and 13th respectively.