"SEPTEMBER 24. "A rain of shells is pouring down upon us. The kitchen and everything that is sent to us is bombarded at night. The field-kitchens no longer come to us. Oh, if only the end were near! That is the cry every one is repeating. Peace! Peace!" Extract from the notebook of a man of the 103rd Regiment: "From the trench nothing much can now be seen; it will soon be on a level with the ground." Letter of an artilleryman of the 100th Regiment of Field Artillery: "SEPTEMBER 25. "We have passed through some terrible hours. It was as though the whole world was in a state of collapse. We have had heavy losses. One company of two hundred and fifty men had sixty killed last night. A neighboring battery had sixteen killed yesterday. [Sidenote: Destructiveness of the French shells.] "The following instance will show you the frightful destructiveness of the French shells. A dug-out five metres deep, surmounted by 2 metres 50 centimetres of earth and two thicknesses of heavy timber, was broken like a match." Report made on September 24 in the morning, by the captain commanding the 3rd company of the 135th Regiment of Reserve: "The French are firing on us with great bombs and machine-guns. We must have reinforcements at once. Many men are no longer fit for anything. It is not that they are wounded, but they are Landsturmers. Moreover the wastage is greater than the losses announced. "Send rations immediately; no food has reached us to-day. Urgently want illuminating cartridges and hand grenades. Is the hospital corps never coming to fetch the wounded?" [Sidenote: German troops exhausted.] "SEPTEMBER 25, 11.45. "I urgently beg for reinforcements; the men are dying from fatigue and want of sleep. I have no news of the battalion." The time fixed for all the attacks on the Champagne front was a quarter-past nine in the morning. There was no hesitation. At the time mentioned the troops came out of the trenches with the aid of steps or scaling ladders and drew up in line before making a rush at the German trenches. The operation was rapidly effected. The objective was at an average distance of two hundred metres; this was covered without serious losses. The Germans were nearly everywhere surprised, and their defensive fire was not opened until after the invading tide of the attackers had passed by. [Sidenote: First German trench penetrated.]