Our heavy artillery had at last
returned and got to work and their shelling began to have effect, for it
was noticeable that the Boche shells were now arriving from a greater
distance than formerly. The 6th had an exciting episode that day. A
party of courageous Germans, led by an officer, had pushed forward and
were throwing bombs amongst them. Lieut. Mall decided this must be
stopped, and he led one platoon over in a short sharp charge. Fifteen
Huns were bayonetted, and Mall returned triumphantly with the officer
and one man as prisoners. They proved to be Jaegers, and although the
officer told us nothing the man was very voluble. It was some comfort to
find that of one fresh battalion that had entered Ablainzevelle, about
forty only remained. A couple of packets of Woodbines were found in the
pockets of the officer--loot from the canteen at Achiet-le-Grand. The
soldier told us that this form of German enterprise was reserved for the
officers.
This day, March 28th, marked the end of the heavy fighting. The German
thrust had been checked, and the effort to reach the Coast had failed. A
glance at the map will show that, had the advance continued here the
Arras position would have been seriously threatened, and the Germans
would have been well on their way to Abbeville and the Channel Ports.
That night the 7th were overjoyed to hear that they were to be relieved.
The L.F's. took over the brigade sector, but the relief had been ordered
so suddenly that there was no time for reconnaissance, with the result
that it was almost dawn before the last platoon of the battalion had
struggled over the crest line to the old system of trenches 1,500 yards
further back in dead ground.
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