At the first streak of dawn the bombardment was switched off, as if by a tap; the curtain fire was redoubled in volume; and a massed attack swept across the disintegrated wire into the shattered and pulverised Redoubt.  Other attacks were launched on either flank; but these were obvious blinds, intended to prevent a too concentrated defence of the Kidney Bean.  The Royal Stickybacks—­what was left of them—­put up a tough fight; but half of them were lying dead or buried, or both, before the assault was launched, and the rest were too dazed and stupefied by noise and chlorine gas to withstand—­much less to repel—­the overwhelming phalanx that was hurled against them.  One by one they went down, until the enemy troops, having swamped the Redoubt, gathered themselves up in a fresh wave and surged towards the reserve-line trenches, four hundred yards distant.  At this point, however, they met a strong counter-attack, launched from the Brigade Reserve, and after heavy fighting were bundled back into the Redoubt itself.  Here the German machine-guns had staked out a defensive line, and the German retirement came to a standstill.

Meanwhile a German digging party, many hundred strong, had been working madly in No Man’s Land, striving to link up the newly acquired ground with the German lines.  By the afternoon the Kidney Bean was not only “reversed and consolidated,” but was actually included in the enemy’s front trench system.  Altogether a well-planned and admirably executed little operation.

Forty-eight hours later the Kidney Bean Redoubt was recaptured, and remains in British hands to this day.  Many arms of the Service took honourable part in the enterprise—­heavy guns, field guns, trench-mortars, machine-guns; Sappers and Pioneers; Infantry in various capacities.  But this narrative is concerned only with the part played by the Seventh Hairy Jocks.

“Sorry to pull you back from rest, Colonel,” said the Brigadier, when the commander of the Hairy Jocks reported; “but the Divisional General considers that the only feasible way to hunt the Boche from the Kidney Bean is to bomb him out of it.  That means trench-fighting, pure and simple.  I have called you up because you fellows know the ins and outs of the Kidney Bean as no one else does.  The Brigade who are in the line just now are quite new to the place.  Here is an aeroplane photograph of the Redoubt, as at present constituted.  Tell off your own bombing parties; make your own dispositions; send me a copy of your provisional orders; and I will fit my plan in with yours.  The Corps Commander has promised to back you with every gun, trench-mortar, culverin, and arquebus in his possession.”