It was the greatest and most successful surprise of the war.  There was no preliminary bombardment to warn the enemy, and the advance continued steadily for two days, when the towns of Masnieres, Marcoing, Ribecourt, Havrincourt, Graincourt, and Flesquieres, long occupied by the enemy, all were behind the British lines.

Just before dawn on the 20th there was absolute quiet along the whole line.  A few minutes later British tanks were rumbling along over “No Man’s Land” flanked and followed by the infantry.  The tanks smashed down the barbed wire entanglements and were atop the trenches and, dugouts before their German defenders were aware of their peril.

The German artillery could lay down no barrage, and line after line of trenches had been captured before they got into action.  Then the British guns opened, but not for barrage purposes.  They were shelling and silencing the enemy artillery.

Following through the gaps made by the tanks, English, Scottish, and Irish regiments swept over the enemy’s outposts and stormed the first defensive system of the Hindenburg line on the whole front.

The infantry and tanks then swept on in accordance with the program and captured the German second system of defense, more than a mile beyond.  This latter was known as the Hindenburg support line.

English rifle regiments and light infantry captured La Vacquerie and the formidable defense on the spur known as Welsh ridge.  Other English county troops stormed the village of Ribecourt and fought their way through Coillet wood.

In severe hand-to-hand fighting at Flesquieres near Cambrai, on the 21st, British troops, preceded by tanks, stormed the town.  The Germans fired on the tanks with seven big guns at short range.  The British infantry charged the guns, captured them, and killed the crews.  Three other big guns were captured in a similar manner at Premy Chapelle.  British cavalry captured a battery at Rumilly, sabering the crews.

Highland territorial battalions crossed the Grand ravine and entered Flesquieres, where fighting took place.  West Biding terriorials captured Havrincourt and the German trench, systems north of the village, while the Ulster battalions, covering the latter’s left flank, moved Northward up the West bank of the Canal du Nord.

Later in the day the advance was continued and rapid progress was made at all points, English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh battalions secured the crossings on the canal at Masnieres and captured Marcoing and Neuf Wood.  On the following day, Wednesday, November 21, reinforcements which the enemy hurried up to the battlefield to oppose the British advance were driven out of a further series of villages and other fortified positions.

Thousands of cavalry co-operated with the great army of tanks and infantry in continuing the successful assault begun on November 20.  Open fighting went on at many places and the mounted troops, who long had waited for a chance to vindicate their existence in this war, rendered invaluable services in “mopping up”.