(1) The destruction of the wire entanglements.
(2) The burial of the defenders in their dug-out.
(3) The razing of the trenches and the demolition of the embrasures.
(4) The stopping-up of the alleys of communication.
Work of the long-range guns.
The gun-fire covered not only the first trench but also the supporting trench and even the second position, although the distance at which the last was situated and the outline of its wire entanglements made it difficult to make field observations in that direction. At the same time the heavy long-range guns bombarded the headquarters, the cantonments and the railway stations; they cut the railway lines, causing a suspension of the work of revictualling. The best witnesses to the effectiveness of our bombardment are to be found in unfinished letters found upon prisoners.
"September 23.
Letters found on prisoners.
"The French artillery fired without intermission from the morning of the 21st to the evening of the 23rd, and we all took refuge in our dug-outs. On the evening of the 22nd we were to have gone to get some food, and the French continued to fire on our trenches. In the evening we had heavy losses, and we had nothing to eat."
"September 25.