defense of that place and had pushed forward to La
Coulotte. The object of the British command was to exert extreme
pressure on the enemy and at the same time keep down the casualties,
and this they were successful in doing.

Patrols sent out reached the crown of Reservoir Hill without meeting
opposing forces and pressed on down the eastern slope to occupy the
strong Lens outpost. South of the Souchez River the Canadians were
pressing on the very heels of the retreating Germans. Railway
embankments southeast of the Lens electric station were occupied, and
the advance was then continued toward La Coulotte.

For several days the Germans had been destroying houses in the western
part of the mining center, in order to secure a wider area of fire for
their guns. This movement suggested to the British command that they
intended to cling as long as possible to the eastern side of the city
and to prolong the fight to the bitter end by house-to-house fighting.

In the night of June 25, 1917, the French made a brilliant attack
northwest of Hurtebise on a strongly organized German position. They
gained all their objectives and the rapidity with which the attack was
carried out proved a crushing surprise to the Germans who lost in the
fight and in counterattacks ten officers and over 300 of other ranks.

Among the positions captured by the French in the operations in this
region was the "Cave of the Dragon," which was more than 100 yards
wide and 300 yards deep, and had been converted into a strong
fortress. The cavern had numerous exits and openings through which
machine guns could be fired. Here the French captured a vast amount of
war material, including nine machine guns in good condition,
ammunition depots, and a hospital relief outpost.

In the morning of June 27, 1917, the Canadians, encouraged by their
recent successes, which had been won at slight cost, decided to attack
across the open ground sloping upward to Avion and the village of
Leauvette near the Souchez River. The assaulting troops consisted of
men from British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, and the
British army contained no more daring fighters. The attack was a
success, except at one point, where the Germans were strong in machine
guns, and were surrounded by barbed-wire entanglements of a peculiarly
complicated sort. Here the sturdy men from overseas were unable to
gain their objectives, but at other points they gained valuable
ground.

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