News also was received that a body of French cavalry had demolished part of the railway to the north, so cutting, at least temporarily, one line of communication which is of particular importance to the enemy.

On Saturday, the 19th, the bombardment was resumed by the Germans at an early hour and continued intermittently under reply from our own guns.  Some of their infantry advanced from cover, apparently with the intention of attacking, but on coming under fire they retired.  Otherwise the day was uneventful, except for the activity of the artillery, which is a matter of normal routine rather than an event.

Another hostile aeroplane was brought down by us, and one of our aviators succeeded in dropping several bombs over the German line, one incendiary bomb falling with considerable effect on a transport park near La Fere.

A buried store of the enemy’s munitions of war was also found, not far from the Aisne, ten wagon loads of live shell and two wagon loads of cable being dug up.  Traces were discovered of large quantities of stores having been burned—­all tending to show that as far back as the Aisne the German retirement was hurried.

There was a strong wind during the day, accompanied by a driving rain.  This militated against the aerial reconnoissance.

On Sunday, the 20th, nothing of importance occurred until the afternoon, when there was a break in the clouds and an interval of feeble sunshine, which was hardly powerful enough to warm the soaking troops.  The Germans took advantage of this brief spell of fine weather to make several counter-attacks against different points.  These were all repulsed with loss to the enemy, but the casualties incurred by us were by no means light.

In one section of our firing line the occupants of the trenches were under the impression that they heard a military band in the enemy’s lines just before the attack developed.  It is now known that the German infantry started their advance with bands playing.

The offensive against one or two points was renewed at dusk, with no greater success.  The brunt of the resistance has naturally fallen upon the infantry.  In spite of the fact that they have been drenched to the skin for some days and their trenches have been deep in mud and water, and in spite of the incessant night alarms and the almost continuous bombardment to which they have been subjected, they have on every occasion been ready for the enemy’s infantry when the latter attempted to assault, and they have beaten them back with great loss.  Indeed, the sight of the Pickelhauben [German spiked helmets] coming up has been a positive relief after long, trying hours of inaction under shell fire.

The object of the great proportion of artillery the Germans employ is to beat down the resistance of their enemy by concentrated and prolonged fire, to shatter their nerves with high explosives, before the infantry attack is launched.  They seem to have relied on doing this with us, but they have not done so, though it has taken them several costly experiments to discover this fact.