At 5.45 a.m. there was a particularly furious burst of firing, which died down at a few minutes past six, and was succeeded by a dead silence, during which one could fancy one heard the anxious beating of fifty thousand hearts. Did the Boche know; had he some infernal surprise for us? We stood in a little group outside the hut which served for our headquarters, and fixed our eyes on the long grey line of wood along the edge of which the guns lay waiting. The moment arrived. A tremendous thunder clap broke the silence; the whole sky grew red, and the air sighed with shell. The battle had begun according to our plans, and success was certain. Preceded by the tanks, our infantry swept forward in an irresistible wave, and pressing close up behind the barrage, overcame all obstacles, capturing system after system of strongly fortified posts, and following the tanks through a jungle of barbed wire which the Boche might well have believed to be absolutely impenetrable. By about noon they had taken all their objectives. Havrincourt, Graincourt, Anneux, and the Cambrai road, from the factory north-west of Graincourt to the canal, were in our hands, together with several hundreds of prisoners, a 4.2-inch howitzer battery, and many machine guns and mortars. The Division had made the record advance of the war, 7000 yards in one day. The following message was received in the evening: "Army Commander sends special congratulations to all ranks of the 62nd Division on their very fine achievements to-day." As this was the greatest battle in which the Division had yet been engaged, I shall here give in full the official account of the artillery action, as it was made out at the time by Capt. Lindsell, my Brigade Major. _20th November._ From zero (6.20 a.m.) until the capture of the brown line the artillery action was in the nature of a set piece, the barrage being fired according to timetable as detailed. No modifications were found necessary. _10.30 a.m._ The first artillery advance was ordered, 77th Brigade being directed to send forward one battery to the area north-east of Havrincourt Wood in support of the 185th Infantry Brigade. _10.40 a.m._ Eight prisoners were captured by the advanced reconnoitring party of C/310. _10.50 a.m._ The 5th Brigade R.H.A., having passed under the orders of the C.R.A. 62nd Division, was ordered to advance battery by battery to the east of Havrincourt, to support the advance of the 186th Infantry Brigade on Graincourt. _11.40 a.m._ The 77th Brigade was ordered to advance complete to the south-west of Havrincourt to cover the line Graincourt--Factory on Bapaume-Cambrai road. _12 noon._ The 310th Brigade was ordered to advance battery by battery to the east of Havrincourt to support, with 5th Brigade R.H.A., the further advance of the 186th Infantry Brigade. _2 p.m._ The Divisional Artillery situation was as follows: