and energy. They had been trained by officers whose courage and spirit
of self-sacrifice are indicated by this casualty list; a general of
division and four colonels wounded; two colonels killed.

[Sidenote: Wooded region between Souain and Perthes.]

[Sidenote: Region broken up by mines and trenches.]

(3) _Sector of Perthes._ Between Souain and Perthes stretches a wooded
region in which already, in February and March, heavy fighting had taken
place. At that period we had contrived to take possession on the eastern
extremity of this region of the German defences of the wood of Sabot. We
had also made progress to the north-west of Perthes, on the summit of
Hill 200. But between these two positions the Germans had retained a
strong system of trenches forming a salient almost triangular in shape,
to which we gave the name of the Pocket (_la Poche_). During the whole
year a war of mining had been going on, and the region, which was broken
up by concave constructions and intersected in all directions by
trenches and alleys of communication, constituted an attacking ground
all the more difficult because to the north of la Poche the somewhat
thickly wooded Trou Bricot, the edges of which were in a state of
defence, obstructed a rapid advance. This wooded region extends over a
width of a kilometre and a half and a depth of four kilometres. The
arrangements made for the attack contemplated, after the capture of la
Poche, the surrounding of the wood of the Trou Bricot. The junction was
to be made at the road from Souain to Tahure, with the troops assigned
for the attack on the eastern border of the hollow at Souain.

[Sidenote: The York trench.]

The ground to the east of the Trou Bricot was less difficult. Open and
comparatively flat, it was defended on the north of Perthes by a triple
line of trenches distant 100 metres from each other. At a distance of
1000 metres to 1200 metres a supporting trench, called the "York
trench," was almost unique in its entire construction. The open country
beyond stretched for a distance of three kilometres up to the second
German position (Hill 195, Butte de Tahure). The principal effort was
directed against this passage, the left flank of the attack being
secured by a subsidiary action confined to the capture of la Poche.

[Sidenote: Attack preceded by artillery fire.]

At 9 a.m. our artillery directed its fire successively against the
first-line trenches and the supporting trenches. Th