for a change it
was a clear morning with clouds beginning to bank up from the west--the
Boche let us know he was alive. He gave us a good drenching with gas
shells which didn't do much harm, and then messed up our forward zone
with his trench mortars. At 7.20 his men began to come on, first little
bunches with machine-guns and then the infantry in waves. It was clear
they were fresh troops, and we learned afterwards from prisoners that
they were Bavarians--6th or 7th, I forget which, but the division that
hung us up at Monchy. At the same time there was the sound of a
tremendous bombardment across the river. It looked as if the main
battle had swung from Albert and Montdidier to a direct push for
Amiens. I have often tried to write down the events of that day. I
tried it in my report to the Corps; I tried it in my own diary; I tried
it because Mary wanted it; but I have never been able to make any story
that hung together. Perhaps I was too tired for my mind to retain clear
impressions, though at the time I was not conscious of special fatigue.
More likely it is because the fight itself was so confused, for nothing
happened according to the books and the orderly soul of the Boche must
have been scarified ... At first it went as I expected. The outpost
line was pushed in, but the fire from the redoubts broke up the
advance, and enabled the line of resistance in the forward zone to give
a good account of itself. There was a check, and then another big wave,
assisted by a barrage from field-guns brought far forward. This time
the line of resistance gave at several points, and Lefroy flung in the
Americans in a counter-attack. That was a mighty performance. The
engineers, yelling like dervishes, went at it with the bayonet, and
those that preferred swung their rifles as clubs. It was terribly
costly fighting and all wrong, but it succeeded. They cleared the Boche
out of a ruined farm he had rushed, and a little wood, and
re-established our front. Blenkiron, who saw it all, for he went with
them and got the tip of an ear picked off by a machine-gun bullet,
hadn't any words wherewith to speak of it. 'And I once said those boys
looked puffy,' he moaned.

The next phase, which came about midday, was the tanks. I had never
seen the German variety, but had heard that it was speedier and heavier
than ours, but unwieldy. We did not see much of their speed, but we
found out all about their clumsiness. Had the things been properly
h