Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/226/1 - Folder - Part 3

18

8 Bn   7 Bn

5 Bn

*** Diagram - see original document

"A" Coy. (left support) was about xxx 600 yds. on left of the

main road. Each Coy. had about 500 yds. front - D Coy. about 800

B Coy. about 400. It was in St Martin's Wood, on the north of

the roadm  that the Bn. met its first opposition - the right had

gone on. The line Coys. on theleft (D) had not yet gone through
the wood. This Coy. (D) had heavy fighting in St. Martin's Wood,

and A Coy. came into the fight. The troops who got ahead turned

the flanks of the Germans who were holding up their parties, and

about 100 prisoners were got out of St Martin's Wood.

The 8th Bn. which was supporting mopped up St. Martin's Wood

while 6 Bn. went on.'

 

There were some guns in St, Martin's Wood or just behind it -

either one or two. One of these fired point blank - and the

gunner was either wounded or rattled so that his shell hit the

ground 50 yds. in front of the gun. This gun fired till we were

right on top of it.

In front of Plateau Wood No. 2, where there was heavy fighting,

6 Bn. was held up. There were two guns in this wood. A Sergt.

and Cpl. of 6 Bn. (Sergt Woodnorth, "A' Coy.), was killed right

close to these guns which appear to have been fired almost to the

end. A platoon of 8th Bn. under Lieut. McGinn turned this position

(and one of the guns was allotted as an 8th Bn. trophy).

From the Chalk Pit one runner, who was being sent back to

Brigade, took with him 87 prisoners.

Battn. H.Q. was by 8 a.m. able to move on to the huts just

below thebank of the second gully, south of the road. The German

was very quick to notice that the woods had been taken, and

shortened his artillery almost at once. By 8.30 he was pounding

St. Denis and Herleville Woods.

At 9 a.m., though the 6 Bn. was well across the second gully,

the Germans were still strong in Herleville Wood in direct right

rear of them. The orders of the men were to push on whatever

happened. When the Germans were underground the men simply pushed on and if the Germanswould  not come up they were left to come up later and fire in rear.

The Battn. was out of touch with its right - and this made

things look ugly. The Germans tried to get back up their long

C.T. from Herleville Wood but out Lewis Gun fire prevented this.

A German post at the west end of one of the wtwo long C.T.'s was

forced to retire by sniping 6 Bn. H.Q. just 700 yds N. of it

One Coy. Of 8 Bn. was then lent to fill in any gap on the right.

By 11 a.m. - about rwo hours after our line was established

ahead of it, the Germans in Herleville Wood surrender to support

Coys. of 6 Bn. and 8 Bn.

By 3.30 p.m. the Coy. of 8Bn. which was sent up was put in a

sunken road on the far side of the second gully behind the right of

8 Bn., so as to strengthen the gap at first and later fill it.

The Argylls

19.

The Argylls on right were then reported from the S.E. corner of

Herleville Wood, 400 yds. in right rear of 6 Bn. right flank

(which had been refused in a defensive flank) and thence southwards

and eastwards bulging round the north front of Herleville village.

B Coy. - the line Coy. on the right -had lost all its

officers.

Capt. Johnston, hit in thigh on final line.

Lieut. Gaston (just got his commission - R.S.M. - He went in

as R.S.M. attached to the Coy. asplatoon commander. He

was shot through the chest by m.g. His body was found

right out on the far post.

Lieut. G. P. Day - hit in thigh on the front line.

2/Lieut. Palmer -  wounded early in the fight.

All these had been wounded in the morning. For a time B Coy.

was out of communication for this reason. Their C.S.M. was

wounded and it was hard to know what was going on with B Coy. -

28 of them were found later but they were found mixed up with other

Coy.; so B Coy. seemed to have disappeared - no reports from them -

nothing. Reports from the right of the line came from C Coy.

commander. This Coy. went in under Capt. Carne (now M.C.).

Carne was wounded on the night of this fight but remained on duty

till next day. "A" Coy. was under Lieut. Cuzens who was the only

officer left (lost all others on tape); C Coy. after Carne had

gone away fell to Lieut. xxxxxx Tutton; and D Coy. to Lieut Darby.

Aug 23. The Battn . managed to reach a line200-300 yds. over

the crest of the second gully, then bending back on left behind

Plateau Wood No. 2 M.G. fire on the top was very heavy and the

posts could not be pushed further.

Aug. 24. Casualties till next morning (Aug. 23) were 8 off. 170 O.R.

At 11 p.m. Aug. 24, 8 Bn relieved 6 Bn. in front line.

6 Bn. took up position in trenches which were on the

tongue between the two gullies (on west xxxxx side of Herleville)

wood).

Aug. 25. On Aug. 25 from 1 am. to 5 a.m. there was an intense gas and

H.E. bombardment over the whole area - Blue Cross being easily

recognisable. from 8 a.m. to 12 noon it slackened but the heat

of the sun in the gully seemed to make the gas rise.

At 11 a.m. conditions were so bad that the men had to be

withdrawn to the western fork of the gully, leaving two forward

posts of one N.C.O. and four or five men in each keep touch with

the line Coys. Gas helmets had to be worn all the time. The

strength of the four Coys. was now 2 off. 84 O.R. (The two officers

are Tutton and Robb - both got a bar to M.C.). About 8.30 p.m.

that night it rained and gas cleared wonderfully.

In the gas bombardment 110 men were lost. The men could not

get out of the trenches as they were under observation. Capt.

Cockburnn, the R.M.O., worked in the Chalk Pit Hill he could not

see - and had to be sent away about 5 a.m.  About 8 a.m. Capt.

Hamilton from the ambulance near La Flaque Dump (Major Guthridge's

ambulance) came up and was wounded while loading up the ambulance by a "daisy cutter" - getting 12 wounds. At about noon a third

medical officer, Capt. Lilliford, came up and he lasted till the Bttn. came out.

d Coy. - Lieut. Warne-Smith, wounded about 6 a.m. during the

second part of the advance, xxxxxxxxxxxxx - he died later of 

wounds.

Lieut. Simpson was killed during the early part of

the advancem, or on the tapeline, by shelling.

20.

GASSED.-Lieut.  Cuzena (only officer left with A Coy. was gagged).

Lieut. Darby, of D Coy., was gagged

Both on Aug.25

The Battn., going in with less than 400 men, took 800 prisoners, including 20 officers; captured 4 field guns, 69 machineguns, and 20 minenwerfers and granatenwerfers.

Gaston, by where his body was found, must have led his men with especial bravery. 

XXXXXX Tutton and Cuzens did splendidly.

7 M.Ca, 8 D.C.Ms., Bar to D.S.O. and 25 M,Ms, came out of this fight.
                                  ----------------
C.Q.M.S. Kirby, who got his D.C.M at Lihons, a splendid chap, was killed at Herleville. (Acting C.S.M)
Lieut, Stafford, now transport officer, did grand work at Lihons.
The work done by Stretcher bearers was wonderful at Lihons. The machinegunners of the 7th Bavarian M.G (Coy. or Regt.) fought splendidly in the woods there and were killed by their guns in some cases. That was where the German guns also galloped into action and fired point-blank. They fought so well on their hill that the men, who found a lot of Kummel there, were inclined to put it down to this -  they were entirely puzzled by xx it.

21.

2nd Battalion.
XXXXXXXX  Took over from 10th and 12th Bns. The German was by then
8 Aug. 2nd Bn. (with 1st Bds. acting as reserve bde. of 4th Div.) moved two hours after zero following 48th Bn. The Bn. was ro exploit 48th Bn;s success. 2nd Bn. was to go through them at Proyart.
In P. 17 the Bn. was waiting (its role of support to 48th Bn being cancelled) for further orders. About 4 p.m. orders were received to form an outpost line facing the Somme opposite Chipilly -  from east of Morcourt to east edge of Chipilly, all south of river. Bn. marched down valley toward Cerisy and then across country past Thin Wood and took up outpost line at dusk. There was no observed fire.
9 Aug. The 2nd Bn. held this outpost line till the Americans and British took Chipilly xxxxxx spur on Aug.9. On thea afternoon of Aug. 9 our rtillery put down a heavy bombardment after which Americans and British advanced from north of Chipilly along the ridge almost E.S.E. or E. They seemed to come under machinegun fire as they reached the top. Some were going forward, some back. It became too dark to see clearly -  some men seemed to go forward, others waver and go back. Reports were conflicting from north of river for 24 hours afterwards, even on Aug.10. By the following day the ridge was consolidated. 1st Bn patrols went through the village on that day. 
10 Aug. 14th Bn. relieved 2nd Bn. there on night of Aug,, when 1st Bde. went to Harbonnieres.
(NOTE.- Check these dates by diary.)
LIHONS. Took over from 10 and 12th Bn. The German was by then on defensive but shelling Crepy and Anger Wood heavily. He did not counterattack. The 3rd Bde. had reported heavy counterattacks on the day on which 2nd Bn relieved them. The 2nd Bn. therefore expected a lively time when they went in that night. None happened; but patrols men heavy opposition whenever they pushed out. Lieut. Binns was out with a patrol. He followed two Germans through a small wood 400-500 yds. ahead of outpost line. There a German post saw him and fired at him and killed him almost on the parapet of the German post. Two men were with him. One threw bombs into the trench while the other got his papers, but his body was never recovered. A patrol was sent out later the same day (2nd day of tour), found post and shot the two sentries, but could not get in as flanking xxxx posts' fire was too heavy. They got to a road 10 yds. away but M.G fire down this road prevented their crossing.
15th and 46th Bns. relieved. The German seemed to be sparring for time to remove stores. Bn. had about 50 casualties here.
Aug.18, Bn. was in reserve -  dug in on edge of Chuignolles valley from St. Martin's Wood northwards along gully towards Chuignolles. 
Here on night of Aug.24 they werevery heavily gassed, especially the right Coy. in the flat in the gully, Possibly the German concentrated on the woods (it was the woods he shelled) knowing it must have troops there. The 2nd Bde. in St.Martin's Wood lost most of a Bn. The gas floated down onto theflats and B.Coy. 2nd Bn had 50 casualties oout of 95 men, including 3 xxxxx. officers. It was the next day that the 4th Bn. patrols got into Lapin Wood -  so it looks as if the German was looking for targets to throw his gas away at.
Orders were received that 2nd Bn. xxx would be taking over the front line: but they were cancelled and the 2nd Bn. was relieved by the 5th and 4th Divisions.

22.

After 3rd Bn. went through Robert Wood it was noticed that men were being sniped from there. Lieut, Connor, Mt. Offr 2nd Bn., organised a party and were through the wood. The men on top ran down - Connor dropped a 

MIlls bomb down one entrance and they came out of the other. Connoe did this off his own bat, with three or four batmen, cooks, etc. They took 16 prisoners and 2 T.M.'s -  so it was evidently a German trench mortar battery sniping with its rifles. (Connor got a M.C.)      
                                                         ---------------
from
Bde. went out/there to Vaux-sur-Somme. After Peronne was taken it was brought up again and came in west of Joncourt, relieving 37th Bn. 2nd Bn. on relief went straight through 37th Bn. to the edge of Joncourt village. Within the next three days they took the trench system East of Joncourt and the villagei itself by stong fighting patrols.
In the trench system these patrol fights were in the form of organised platoon attacks under a barrage of Stokes mortars and No. 36 grenades (cup grenades).
In these little fights Lieut. Parle and Sgt. Dransfield did especially well in the fighting with the tow posts south of the village. Parle was working up a trench. He went round a traverse first and found a German officer looking at him over a barricade. The German toldhim to surrender but Parle shot first, hit the officer, slipped back and organised hisplatoon, attacked the post over the top and took the garrison behind the barricade prisoner. 
Dransfield in the attack on the other post advanced over the open firing his Lewis gun from the thigh. There were eight Germans found dead in the post and seven others were taken prisoner. Dransfield was badly wounded by M.G. fire from Le Verguier ridge when at the edge of the post. 
The Germans were apparently holding the old system on the same lines as our platoon post system - posts of about 30 men. Bn. would tackle one of these at a time. On the south of the village two post were attacked - 15 prisoners taken, about 30 killed; and a certain number were seen getting away. These were two separate xxxxx operations. The Germans were in old British trenches. The method was to work up a trench till you found a post, then go back and get a platoon and knock it out. Two sections of 1st A.L.T.M. Battery were attached (4 guns). 
(See two preceding paragraphs).
The village was not strongly held. The first night (on relief) a patrol with a Lewis gun struck about 20 Germans in fours marching into the village at the far end. When they rook the village they found several new graves, a very bloodstained road, and 18 rifles lying there. The trenchesN.E. of Jeancourt were apparently practically unoccupied; but were covered by machinegun fire from the high groundin front of Le Verguier. The trench (circular) at 27A 3.7. was occupied by Germans with machineguns - oneman of our patrolling was killed here. 
On the left E. of Herbecourt the Germans seemed to be close, but on the right they were further back. The long German trench line west of Le Verguier was mostly only a few inches deep - and pretty old - certainly some months old at least. 
One of the German lines east of Jeancourt was to be occupied by one of our Coys. But on the night they were going in they walked right over it. (Similar experiences occurred around Doignies and Hermies in April;, 1917).
 

22.
Bde. wenr out from there to vaux-sur-Somme.  After Peronne was taken

 [[Text unreadable-seems that pages were scanned upside down & back to front]]
 

23.
It was at the same time when 2nd Bn. was working at Jeancourt that 4th Bn was shelled out from the hill in 8 Central after the last attempt at peaceful penetration.
The 2nd Bn. was relieved here by 8th and 50th Bns. 49th Bn. had been on right while 2nd Bn. was in the line.
2nd Bn. moved back to some old German stables by Bouchy. They were there three days and then moved in further north - east of Herbecourt. The tapes ran across 14A and C Central. The crest of the hill in C8Central was just beyond. The tape was about 10 yds. behind the part of the sunken road (the part in 14A and C to 14A Central.
2Bn. went in 316 strong to this attack. The prisoners were over 200 - 26 M.G., 2 T.M. and a field gun. These results are extraordinary all through. There was a heavy percentage of Germans killed also. It is quite on the cards that the Bn. accounted for 316 Germans killed, wounded or prisoners. 
The Bn. was having some tea in Hesbecourt about 1.45 a.m. when the rain came down. About half an hour later the Bn. started for the tapeline in soaking rain. The rain did not delay them - they were on the tapes on time. (The Engineers had laid a tapeline from Hamelet - the best line and route the Bn ever went in on - `partly along road - as far as Eoiselle; then across country to the Hervilly-Hesbecourt Road; then along road through Hesbecourt to 14 [[C]].  where the tapelines crossed the assembly track. The tape was laid along the embankment and grass at the wide of the road. Across country it was on screw pickets about [[19[[ inches above the groubd - you didn't have to feel down on the grass). The consequence was that they were on tape 1 [[?]] hours. before Zero. They had a travelling kitchen in the shape of an old German cooker and two salved mules. This cooker made enough tea for the whole Bn. (more than ours would - splendid for tea). After this fight the cooker used to go sound the outposts (support them) in daylight. 
Captain Miller, who was with the Tommies as liaison officer, says the Bde. staff of the British were congratulating themselves on getting hot tea to the men on the 4th night. He was not impressed with their staff work
Our lessons were the advantages of tanks for supplies; and the advantages of mounted orderlies (Light Horse xxxxxxxxx section attached to 2nd Bn.  - 4 men). Only one horse was wounded by a shell.
The rain continued till Zero but eased about 4 a.m.
Signaller Jones was going forward with the telephone with V B Coy. H.Q. and got hung up in some barbed wire beyond Hargicourt switch on the left of 2nd Bn. sector S.W. of Hargicourt. When he got free he had lost the Coy. and wandered on expecting to pick them up. He went away to the left to the Fosses beyond Templeux. He ran into a German post and was captured. They took his kit ans rifle. About six Germans were taking him away when some Tommies appeared. While the Germans' attention was on the Tommies he bolted and got back to the Tommies, got a rifle, and these Germans and others later thereabouts were later captured. He returned to the Bn. with two German officers and 50 Huns.
There was no shelling before the start. The left was troubled by a gun which xxx shelled short throughout. 

The first trouble was on the left from Hargicourt switch. A batch of prisoners was sent down from there and reached Bn. H.Q. 20 mins. after Zero- about 12 of them. This switch was occupied in very few places -  (where dug it was very full of water). One officer and several men were casualties at this place. Lieut. Granville wounded. Lieut. Ryan was killed by a shell (a scattered German shelling was now occurring).

24.
The right met with opposition from Hargicourt switch in xxx 15B. and again at Cote Wood. It was very foggy and dark and the smoke made it difficult to keep direction. The officers were working by compass and known objects (quarries, etc.) The chief opposition was met from a ridge just east of the sunken road from 11A 2.0 to 11A 4.7. Frome one post there three heavy and three light H.G. were captured, the crews being killed. The fighting there was heavy. The flanks worked round-  while the Lewis guns engaged from the front the bombers worked round and the guns were settled with bombs. Lieut. Hillman, who was leading the attack at this point, was killed by machinegun fire as his platoon came over the ridge.  The first burst of fire killed him. Sergt. Armstrong took hisplace and organised the attack. The brown line just S.E. of Hargicourt was then reached along 2 Bn.  front and it consolidated there. A filed gun was captured in the hedge at 11 A. 8.6. It seemed to be an anti-tank gun - it was not seen firing direct on the troops/ There the 2nd Bn. dug in and 1st Bn. went through. In one post on the objective there were men of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th Bns. and TOmmies - but all heading east.
When Bn. got on the objective a body of about 400 Germans were seen coming towards us and were taken by a platoon as counter-attacking. They were fired on by the platoon and turned and ran back. It was then noticed that they had no arms nor kit, and so presumably were coming in to surrender. This was before the 1st Bn went through but after 2nd Bn reached objective.
Let in the day the Germans shelled Hargicourt heavily and the trenches around Cologne Farm, where 2nd Bn moved a Coy, up to support 3rd Bn.
2nd Bn stayed there and B Coy. supported 1st Bn. in attack of September 21. This Coy.m under Capt. Collingwood took up position in Minnow Trench when 1st Bn moved. Collingwood, who had to move up after the attack had begun, dribbled his men through heavy barrage with the greatest skill, a few at a time, and so saved them losses to a very great extent. It would be easy to lost half the Coy. in such a barrage. (This is undoubtedly far better work than could have been done with our want of experience at Pozieres time.) They were heavily shelled there but were not called on to reinforce front line. This wasfurther south than where the line on left came back. 2nd Bn. were relieved night of 22/23 by 8th Bn.
Casualties:            

                                            Off.   O.R.
                       Killed,            3        19
                       Wounded,    1        63   
Lieut. Sheen was killed by shellfire while Bn was in support at Hargicourt just before relief.
This was the heavier of the two fights for 2nd Bn., but xxxx their casualties were heaviest at Proyart in support (125 casualties going through Proyart in advance -  the stretcherbearers did very good work in this barrage -  and by gas two days later.
Bullecourt was the heaviest fight 2nd Bn. had in France. The Germans fought very hard. The Bn. had to fight for every inch of ground won and then had to fight to hold on. The Germans there fought better than they ever fought 

 against this Bn.

25.
1st MACHINE GUN COMPANY.  194
Holding line only at Lihons. No counterattacks. Germans were shelling the crest and Crepy Wood-road-wood on left of village. The German planes were bombing every night close to the line. German shelling was all 8. in or 5.9. When 4th Division came in 12th M.G. Coy. and another took over. 1st M.G. Coy. side-slipped to Vaux-sue-Somme (near Cerisy). Were here two days or so and then moved up to Proyart for the attak of Aug. 23.
Aug.23, 1st M.G. Coy. fired barrage from zero hour, 6 a.m. till 7.50 a.m. and then went up with the infantry. It was fine bright moonlight. During the 22nd the Germans put down a barrage on south side of Somme eas of Mericourt but otherwise it was quiet on this sector and there was a xxx quiet night.
On morning of the 23rd German barrage was pretty heavy and quick in coming down. The guns-some of them-kept barrage on or beyond the final line of protective barrage for the advance. As their angle became dangerous or after 12.40 they went up. 
In the afternoon's attack the 1st M.G. Coy. was really working with 3rd Bde. A section for example was covering the 10th Bn. which went through the 9th. B Section went forward with the 10th. C Section was working with 11th Bn. which (working with 9th Bn) took Beacon Bluff. D Sections went up and took Beacon Bluff. D Section went up and took a position on the left flank to protect the flank from the west side of the valley S.W. of Froissy Beacon.
A Section was on S.E. of Luc Wood. 10th Bn. went through by the huts east of the Wood. The Germans started running down the road along the valley northwards before the 10th Bn. got to them. The M.G. got onto them here. The Germans were breaking in small parties. None went up the opposite hill, but some ran from the top of it towards the rea. Probably the right of our attack got into the valley first and this started them up the road.
B Section followed 10 Bn which got over the tope of the ridge somewhere south of Square Wood. When first they and 10 Bn got up to the ridge there were a few M.G. in Marly Woods-but these were soon settled. During the advance there were only odd shells and erratic shooting.
Germans were mostly seen getting back into the gully south of Cappy. The Germans had to leave one gun on the hill just to left of B Section. 
10 Bn wasout past Square Wood that day but weredrawn back at dark to link up with 9th further on left.
Just after xxxx the attack the Germans tried to come in behind the flank of the Bn (10th) and they themselves were cut off and 90 captured by 11 men. 
C Section fired the morning barrage over the 1st Bde from about 400 yds behind front line, then went back to Coy. H.Q. About 2 p.,. moved up through a very heavy barrage in Luck Wood (it was very heavy there between 2 and 5 p.m.-oneman gassed), struck xxxxxx half-right across the road and waited on the flat just west of the railway line for an hour and had another man killed by a German shell.
From there they moved onto the railway line and then north up the valley and finally about 5 p.m. on top of the Bluff. Three guns were placed there ans one in the valley to west to cover left. There were 11 Bn, patrols only and no one else on the flats north of the Beacon. There were some trenches just over the Beacon, The Germans kept a troublesome barrage on the edge of the hill. Whether there were infantry in 90 and by Square Wood seems uncertain-possibly posts.
D Section had no direct fire. The line (9 Bn.) pushed well out during the night and mopped up the flats in 33. Our advance

26.
had been entirely from the high land. Flats were left to be dealt with.
After 48 hours the 1st M.G. Coy. was relieved.
B and D Sections were in the "peaceful penetration" advance by 4th and 2nd Bn. on September 11th at 6.30 a.m.
Two guns of D Coy. went out to try and dig in with the outposts of 4th Bn. on night of 10/11. They moved up about 9 p.m. just after dark. From our own outposts a patrol was sent out. The Devons were on theleft and the infantry and M.G. were to go out from the trenches near Hant Woods to the sunken road through 8a and D. The patrol was fired on on the north side of the hill in 8 Central. (The trenches were then old grassed trenches xxx intact). It was decided to go out in the morning at 5.30 a.m. There was supposed to be a heavy barrage but only four shots were fired.
They got out with the infantry to 8 Central or the hill just in rear of it. The Germans were holding around Templeux and on the valley sides with small M/G. posts. The men started to dig in on the road in 9 8 Central and were shelled out at once. The infantry went back to the original front line with pretty heavy losses. The Germans could be seen in posts on the country side and were probably in houses in the village but could not be picked up there. The guns got back to the original front line between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The shelling was very heavy and M/G. fire also. They had 8 gassed on getting back to the front line.
D Section had four guns on the 10/11th. RTwo were with Sergt. Davison. Lieut. Ifould. was in charge but was wounded on night of 10th and this left Sergts. Blackmore and Davison in charge. Lieut. Cumming. came up after that- Spet. 12th.
They came through after 4th Bn. and took up positions in old German artillery emplacements. About 11.30 a,m. they got word to fall back as the flanks were in the air and there was no ammunition with the infantry-no bombs. TheGermans M.G. were pretty active-also artillery fairly active. They came back to the original front line- one gun in the railway embankment in 19a and theother in the north corner of Hervilly Wood. That night the gun in the wood was  sent up to D Coy. 4th Bn. in Hesbecourt. The Germans shelled Hervilly Wood heavily and that evening the ledges around Hesbecourt.
B Section was with 2nd Bn on right of 4th Bn. Two guns moved about 10 a.m. on 11th to the forward position (before it started). The bombers were sent up a trench to bomb out a German post which was known to be there-covered by the M/G. which fired on any Germans trying to get away.
After taking the post at noon they went on about 1000 yds. over the ridge looking (on its left) into Jeancourt. The Germans could be seen evacuating Jeancourt. They got past the trenches into a sunken road. There was fighting to get to this road. There were a few bombing stunts at night. The 4th Div. then came up and filled the gap on theright. Lieut. V. C. Potter was wounded and  L/Cpl. Prior killed. Tey were hit by M.G. fire after the post was taken in going over the open. They were drawn out that night.