The Army Corps was now on the eve of its first considerable fight. Signs were not wanting that the Germans meant to break into, or through, a portion of our line, and the fighting that followed was confined to the Corps alone. It was in fact the only time during our stay in France that we conducted a combined operation entirely on our own, so to speak. At Givenchy in December, Neuve Chapelle in March, Ypres in April, Festubert in May, and Mauquissart in September, our battles, though on a far bigger scale, were fought in conjunction with and as part of combined forces; but on this solitary occasion we had it all to ourselves, and although it was a purely defensive action the results were highly satisfactory. We regained all our lost trenches and the heavy losses were more than repaid by the knowledge gained, viz. that the Indian Corps as a fighting unit could carry out its own rôle in the war without exterior assistance, so long as the ranks were not too far depleted to permit of our holding the front assigned, and we could employ our own guns as considered necessary. It was not an unreasonable request we made, that we should not be expected to do more than our numbers warranted. Let us examine for a moment the fighting strength of the Indian Corps at this time. It amounted in rifles to 3500 British and 9500 Indian, and in Reserve about 1750 were available from the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade, which might mean 1000 rifles. The combined strength therefore was little more than a British Division. There was always the argument raised that this number was far under the “Ration strength,” _i.e._ the number of men for whom rations were drawn. But without going into details which would not be understood by the ordinary reader, it may at once be said that the actual troops available for taking part in any fighting in or near the trenches was as stated above, and no more could be found. The preliminary operations which preceded the German attack were directed against the Bareilly Brigade of the Meerut Division, which was commanded by Major-General Macbean. On the 21st November the Germans started a succession of bomb attacks from trench guns against the section held by the 6th Jats, causing many casualties and destroying the trenches. This was followed next day by a still heavier bombardment on the same trenches, and against those occupied by the 58th Vaughan’s Rifles.