The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

"THE LAST HUNDRED DAYS 131:and "Dcompanies reached their assembly positionsbefore our barrage came down. The company commanders seeing that there was no time to wait for theoriginal battle order seized the initiative and swungtheir companies into the breach, C Company takingthe place of B"Company in the left attack, and "D"Company making the right attack. They moved forwardbehind the barrage and the other companies came up insupport although losing heavily under the enemy s barrage. In spite of these handicaps the Forward ObservingOfficer reported that the attack was progressing favourably.At 12.30 p.m. messages from the front line started toreach Battalion Headquarters. Captain Steer, com;manding D Company, returned wounded with sixtyprisoners which his company had captured and reportedthat the attackers were proceeding to their final objective. At 1.20 p.m. a further report from the rightattacking company stated that their right flank was onthe Cojeul River and that they were suffering frommachine-gun fire. Later they asked for artillery to beturned on Cigarette Copse and on Long Wood, whichwere full of machine-guns. Also a field gun had theirrange and was firing over open sights from the corner ofthe wood. This hostile concentration was promptlybroken up by our artillery. At 4.10 p.m. all companiesreported that they were holding Lady Lane" and support trenches and were in touch on the left with the 52ndBattalion and elements of the 116th Battalion and 58thBattalion which had come up.The Battalion was very grateful to a Battery ofthe 52nd Brigade Artillery which reported to theBattalion sHeadquarters and gave excellent support bykeeping down enemy machine-guns. The work of theBattery was most commendable. The speed with whichit got into action in a forward position was responsiblefor the breaking up of the enemy formations and for thedestruction of obstacles which were impeding the advance.By sundown the situation had become normal. TheBattalion had taken all its objectives and after consolida-