The men in the front trenches began cheering, as
always before an attack, but instead of advancing they shot over a
heavy shower of bombs. One soldier alone was credited with having
flung more than 300 bombs into the German trenches. In the obscurity
of the gray dawn British troops quietly and suddenly dashed into the
Germans and cleared the trenches with bayonets. This was accomplished
in two minutes, when the large guns spread a curtain of fire over the
Germans, inflicting severe losses. The German soldiers then attempted
resolute counterattacks, but were repulsed with machine-gun fire.

Between the 1st and 4th of March, 1916, there was sharp grenade
fighting southeast of Vermelles, in some mine craters. After severe
bombardment the Germans attempted to recapture the craters by infantry
attacks, but apparently without success. In Artois they endeavored to
drive the French from a crater they occupied near the road from
Neuville to La Folie, and failed in the enterprise. In the Argonne the
French bombarded the German organizations in the region southeast of
Vauquois and demolished several shelters, while in Lorraine, in the
neighborhood of the Thiauville Ponds, the French carried sections of
German trenches after artillery preparation, capturing sixty
prisoners, including two officers, and some machine guns. On March 4,
1916, a serious explosion occurred in the powder magazine known as
"Double Couronne," St. Denis, a fort used by the French as a munitions
store. The concussion was so terrific that a car a considerable
distance away and containing thirty-two passengers was overturned and
nearly all were injured. Altogether the casualties amounted to about
thirty-five killed and 200 wounded.

In the Ypres sector during March 4 and 5, 1916, the fighting came to a
standstill and the positions remained unchanged. In the Champagne
vigorous artillery action continued on both sides with occasional
infantry attacks and counterattacks of little consequence. In the
district about Loos and northeast of Ypres heavy cannonading endured
all day on the 6th, the Germans hurling quantities of large caliber
shells over the enemy's trenches without any apparent object. On the
Ypres-Comines Canal the British still held the positions gained by
storm on March 2, 1916. Near Soissons the French heavily bombarded the
German works, and their terrific fire at Badenviller in Lorraine
compelled a German retirement from the positions established th