I gently peeped over
the parapet. What a sight. Never in my life had I seen such a hurricane
of fire. It was inconceivable that any living thing could exist anywhere
near it. The shells were coming over so fast and furious that it seemed
as if they must be touching each other on their journey through the air.

To get my camera up was the work of a few seconds. I had no time to put
any covering material over it. The risk had to be run, the picture was
worth it. Up went my camera well above the parapet and, quickly sighting
my object, I started to expose. Swinging the machine first one way then
the other, I turned the handle continuously. Pieces of shell were flying
and ripping past close overhead. They seemed to get nearer every time.
Whether they were splinters from the bursting shells or bullets from
machine guns I could not tell, but it got so hot at last that I judged
it wise to take cover. I had exposed sufficient film for my purpose, so
quickly unscrewing the camera, my man taking the tripod, I hurried into
a dug-out for cover. "Jove!" I thought, mopping the perspiration from
my head, "quite near enough to be healthy!"

Although the men were all taking cover, they were as happy as crickets
over this "strafe." There is nothing a Tommy likes more than to see our
artillery plastering Bosche trenches into "Potsdam."

"Well, what's the next move?" I was asked.

"Trench Mortars," I said. "Both 'Flying Pigs' and 'Plum Puddings' ought
to make topping scenes."

"Yes," the Captain said. "They are in action this afternoon, and I am in
charge of H.T.M. I'll give you a good show. I have only one pit
available, as Fritz dropped a 'crump' in the other yesterday, and blew
the whole show to smithereens. My sergeant was sitting smoking at the
time, and when she blew up it lifted him clean out of the trench,
without even so much as scratching him. He turned round to me, and
cursed Bosche for spoiling his smoke. He's promised to get his own back
on 'Brother Fritz.' Bet your life he will too."

He had hardly ceased speaking, when our dug-out shook as if a mine had
gone up close by. I tumbled out, followed by the others. Lumps of earth
fell on our heads; I certainly thought the roof was coming in on us.
Getting into the trench, the bombardment was still going strong, and
looking on my left I saw a dense cloud of smoke in our own firing
trench.

"What in the world's up?" I enquired of a man close by.

"Dunno, sir," he said. "I