72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

CAMBRAL
patrick, D.S.O., and the Battalion moved off at 1:35 a.m.
on September 27th, through the pitch-black night and pour
a marked contrast to the weather of the preced
ing rain
ing day to its assembly positions in the already-captured
portion of the boasted Hindenburg line, overlooking Inchy
on the Canal du Nord, and about 3,000 yards behind the
front line. The "B. W."
operation, as the attack was
officially known, in common with all those during the
"Hundred Days" from August 8th to November llth, in
volved formations "leap-frogging" through other forma
tions as each reached its objective. The 12th Brigade was
to follow the 10th across the Canal du Nord, and was to
pass through them some 1,000 yards before reaching Bourlon
Wood. The 12th, therefore, was assembled some dis
tance in the rear of the front line, and the 72nd found
their shelter () for the night in and about the gaping
muddiness of the before-mentioned Hindenburg line. One of
the novel features of the
attack as now arranged was the
close proximity of the supporting artillery to the front
line some of the eighteen-pounders being practically in
the village of Inchy itself. Guns The forward area was
stiff with them. The notorious line in the vincity of that
village was full of eighteen-pounders, down in the trench
itself, and screened by nettings of camouflage. And the
guns hidden in this trench were but a fraction of the huge
number stationed up and down the front in readiness, on
the tick of "zero,"
to burst into hideous noise.
The strength of the rolling barrage will vary from one
gun to seventeen yards of front; to one gun to 28 yards
of front." So ran the official report of the artillery con
centration.
This referred only to the eighteen-pounders and
4.5 s, and did not include the large provision of heavy
guns which were to hurl their terrific shells on to selected
points in the rear of the enemy s line.
The Battalion completed its assembly by 4:10 a.m. One
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