actually to enter them under cover of darkness and take coffee with the unfortunate but stout-hearted inhabitants. The attack was launched in bright moonlight at 2 a.m. on the 20th October. The barrage was kept up for 23 minutes on the village and suburbs mentioned above, while the infantry forced their way across the river; it then crept up on each side of Solesmes at the rate of 100 yards in four minutes. The infantry followed it up closely and secured the ground on each side of the town, while specially detailed battalions turned in to the right and left and entered Solesmes, which they took possession of after some hard fighting. While the town was being "mopped up," the guns kept up a standing barrage beyond it for over an hour. At 4.20 a.m. the artillery ceased firing for a time, and some of the more distant batteries moved up to closer range. At 7.40 a.m. the creeping barrage began again, and moved north-east at the same rate as before, followed by a fresh infantry brigade up to a line about 500 yards short of Romeries. The victory was complete, not only on our immediate front, but along the whole army line. The 62nd Division took prisoner 12 officers and 539 men, and also three field guns, several trench mortars, and a large number of machine guns; its own casualties were under three hundred. The infantry were loud in their praise of the shooting of the guns, and I was proud to get the following note from Brig.-General J. L. G. Burnett, D.S.O., Commanding the 186th Infantry Brigade: "As I know that you people like to know what the infantry who attacked thought of the barrage: both the left attacking battalion and the one which took the railway station wish me to say that it was the most accurate barrage which they have yet advanced under. Would you please convey our thanks to the men behind the guns who so largely contributed towards the success. "Yours sincerely, "J. G. BURNETT."