THE YPRES TIMES
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could take availed him in the least. On the day appointed for each attack the British
advance rolled on exactly as intended. The Germans counter-attacked, as they had
been wont to do successfully in the earlier stages of the battle but, so long as the fine
weather lasted, these attempts were easily detected either by the front-line infantry
or by aeroplanes, and the tremendous barrage, descending like a dense curtain, engulfed
them. In several cases counter-attacks were thus utterly crushed without the front-line
infantry ever knowing that it had even been threatened.
Only once within Australian experience in this phase of the battle was a German
counter-attack even partly successful. This was immediately before the second attack
of the series. In the firstthat of September 20th (usually known as the Battle of
the Menin Road the Germans had been pushed back from Nonne Bosschen and
Glencorse Wood into Polygon Wood, across which their line now lay. The Butte
was still in German possession, and in the next operation, planned for September 26th,
it was intended to thrust the Germans back from this position, and, farther north, to
reach the neighbourhood of Zonnebeke. The 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions, which
had played a central part in the battle of the 20th, had been relieved, and the troops
of the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions, which were to dehver the next attack in this
sector, were partly in position and partly on the way thither, when, after an unusually
severe concentration of artillery fire, the Germans counter-attacked immediately south
of the 5th Division's flank. Only the southern edge of that division was involved, but
the Germans forced their way into the line farther south by the Reutelbeek. A handful
of Scottish troops held out magnificently, although entirely surrounded, but their
survival was at the time unknown to anyone on the British side. The 5th Australian
Division by heavy fighting made good its own flank and part of the ground adjoining
but the plans for the next day had been seriously upset, and the authorities were forced
to consider whether the intended operation could be carried out. It was, however,
decided to carry on," and the third brigade of the 5th Australian Division was
accordingly hurried forward at the last moment to assist its southernmost brigade in
the task. On September 26th, at the appointed hour, the great attack moved forward,
the southernmost Australian brigade making special arrangements to protect its flank,
since the intended advance of the line south of that point could not be fully carried out.
This advance went like a whirlwind to its objective. Though fired into from its right
rear, the 5th Division seized The Butte and, when the Germans presently debouched
to counter-attack, an Australian machine-gun from the mound assisted in sweeping
away their attempt. Farther south the gap in the line about the Reutelbeek was presently
filled, the brave Scots being found still holding their own against a surrounding enemy.
The next operation of the series resulted in the heaviest blow sustained by the
Germans during the Third Battle of Ypres. Although the British line now ran over the
heights at Polygon Wood, farther north it lay in the lowlands of Zonnebeke facing the
Germans whose front line still lay near the foot of the ridge. This was to be assaulted
on October 4th, the Australians having shifted slightly northwards so that the 1st Anzac
Corps (1st and 2nd Australian Divisions) was opposite Broodseinde, with the 2nd Anzac
Corps (New Zealand and 3rd Australian Divisions) on its left. Both Australian and
New Zealand troops were especially elated, since this was the first time that four
Australasian divisions had fought together in line. Moreover, on their southern flank
was the 7th British Division, which had fought beside Australians some months before
at Bullecourt and for which they had an especial affection and regard.
The battalions allotted for this attack had marched up during the night along the
tracks taped out for them, and were lying down in the dark along other tapes marking
the jumping-off line," with the graceful white flares of the Germans rising and falling
from the opposing line 300 yards in front, when there shot up another sort of flare,
bursting into hundreds of golden spangles. This was followed by others of the same sort,
