d into the enemy position
past Gommecourt Cemetery almost to the Kern Redoubt. What it faced in
getting so far may be read in Mr. Liveing's account. Before our men
left the trenches outside Hebuterne they were in a heavy barrage, and
the open valley of the No Man's Land hissed, as Mr. Liveing says, like
an engine, with machine-gun bullets. Nevertheless, our men reached
the third line of enemy trenches and began to secure the ground which
they had captured.

During the afternoon the enemy counter-attacked from the south, and,
later in the day, from the north as well. Our men had not enough bombs
to hold back the attackers, and were gradually driven back, after very
severe hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches, to an evil little bend
in the front line directly to the south of Gommecourt Cemetery. At
about 11 P.M., after sixteen hours of intense and bitter fighting,
they were driven back from this point to their own lines.

Mr. Liveing's story is very well told. It is a simple and most vivid
account of a modern battle. No better account has been written in
England since the war began. I hope that so rare a talent for
narrative may be recognised. I hope, too, that Mr. Liveing may soon be
able to give us more stories as full of life as this.

JOHN MASEFIELD.

The Author wishes to thank Messrs. Blackwood and Sons for their kind
permission to republish this article, which appeared in _Blackwood's
Magazine_, December, 1917, under the title of "Battle."

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. GATHERING FOR ATTACK 23

II. EVE OF ATTACK 28

III. ATTACK 54

IV. TOLL OF ATTACK 93

ATTACK

CHAPTER I

GATHERING FOR ATTACK

The roads were packed with traffic. Column after column of lorries
came pounding along, bearing their freight of shells, trench-mortar
bombs, wire, stakes, sandbags, pipes, and a thousand other articles
essential for the offensive, so that great dumps of explosives and
other material arose in the green wayside places. Staff cars and
signallers on motor-bikes went busily on their way. Ambulances hurried
backwards and forwards between the line and the Casualty Clearing
Station, for the days of June were hard days for t