h Division
on the front from Bazuel to a short way north of Mazinghien, with a
view to the attack planned for the 23rd October. There now occurred a
sudden change in the type of country. Instead of open rolling downs,
there was a multiplicity of small fields, divided by high thick-set
hedges trained on wire which proved formidable obstacles. The enemy
had good positions for his artillery in the Bois l'Eveque, and on the
east bank of the Canal de la Sambre, protected from the danger of
being rushed by that obstacle, and it was evident that he intended to
put up a determined fight on the strong position thus afforded. The
hostile artillery fire was more than had been encountered since the
fighting about St. Quentin, and throughout the few days preceding the
attack the shelling of roads, farms and villages in our rear area and
of artillery positions was continuous. On the night of the attack the
assembly positions of the assaulting brigades were subjected to
heavy counter-preparation, including a great deal of gas-shelling,
and the assembly units suffered considerable casualties. The attack
was delivered at 1.20 a.m. on 23rd October in a dense fog; the 1st
Division being on the right and the 25th Division on the left. Three
sections of 301st American Tank Company were allotted to the Division,
and did excellent work in smashing fences and destroying machine-gun
nests, though, owing to the fog, the infantry lost touch with them
almost at once.

On the right the 18th Infantry Brigade, which attacked with the 2nd
D.L.I. on the right and the 1st West Yorkshire Regiment on the left,
had a less difficult task than the 71st Infantry Brigade, but were
delayed in crossing the gas-shelled valley in their immediate front,
and met with opposition from various farms. However, they fought their
way steadily forward during the day, and by the late afternoon their
right battalion had reached its objective and had pushed its patrols
down to the canal, and the left battalion, having reached its first
objective, was struggling forward to its second.

The 71st Infantry Brigade on the left attacked with the 9th Norfolk
Regiment and the 1st Leicestershire Regiment. Its attack soon became
disorganized in the very enclosed country, was unable to keep pace
with its barrage, lost touch with its tanks in the fog, and was soon
held up on a line not more than about 400 yards beyond that from which
it had started. Fighting continued throughout the da