By 8.25 p. m. the party was posted ready in the Hohlweg. The clouds of gas and smoke, however, still hung so thick over the enemy’s trenches that it was impossible to distinguish whether our own shells were still falling on the point of entry or whether our artillery had already lengthened their range.
At 8.27 p. m. Lieutenant Stradtmann received the order to advance to the attack with his patrol. Lieutenant Boenig, with the six stretcher bearers, left the Hohlweg simultaneously and in rear of Stradtmann’s patrol, and posted connecting files, whose positions were marked by red signal lamps shaded to the front and to the sides.
At 8.28 p. m. Dumas’ and Böhlefeld’s patrols advanced. Following the line of connecting files, they reached the point of entry, to find that Stradtmann’s patrol was already in possession of 16 yards of trench, and had captured three prisoners. The latter had come out of their dug-outs just as Lieutenant Stradtmann appeared in front of the enemy’s trench. They carried hand grenades and rifles with bayonets fixed, but were immediately disarmed by Lieutenants Boenig and Stradtmann.
Dumas’ patrol immediately turned to the left down the trench, and, in a few steps, came upon a half-destroyed machine gun emplacement. Reservist Nadolny, of Stradtmann’s patrol, was already occupied in digging out the buried machine gun. Lieutenant Dumas penetrated further along the enemy’s trench, and soon reached the communication trench which runs, roughly along the dividing line between Target Sectors 79 and 80, towards the Weisse Steinmauer. At this point a large dug-out had been wrecked, apparently by a direct hit. Lieutenant Dumas had previously sent three men of his patrol along behind the enemy’s trench; they reached the communication trench about 11 yards behind the front line trench. A few Englishmen, who came out of this communication trench, endeavored to reach the parados of the front line trench, whence they evidently intended to defend it. They were, however, surprised by our three men and bayoneted.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Dumas, with the rest of his men, forced his way further along the trench, and just north of Besenhecke reached the communication trench which leads to the brown prolongation of the Weisse Steinmauer (white stone wall). They passed another wrecked dug-out, in which dead bodies were seen. Adjoining the above-mentioned communication trench, another large dug-out was found, which the patrol intended to clear. As, however, a number of Englishmen advanced upon Dumas’ patrol from the communication trench and alongside it, a mêlée ensued with grenades, rifles and pistols, in the course of which the enemy, after suffering evident loss, either retreated or surrendered, while none of Dumas’ patrol received wounds of any account.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Böhlefeld advanced along the enemy’s trench to the right of the point of entry, and, in a few yards, came to three large dug-outs, of which one was wrecked and full of dead and wounded. At his summons, the enemy came out of the others and surrendered without more ado. Lieutenant Böhlefeld sent back the prisoners and asked for reinforcements in order to clear the dug-outs, undertaking, meanwhile, to hold the enemy’s trench with two men.
At 8.30 p. m., as no noise came from the point of entry, or from the right of the same, while from a point some 65 yards to the left shots and reports of grenades could be heard, I ordered Vice-Sergeant Major Elb to advance with five men and reinforce Dumas’ patrol. Lieutenant Erb, the regimental adjutant, attached himself to this party. He was wearing an oxygen-breathing apparatus and had been waiting in the Hohlweg. Shortly after, the sounds of fighting ceased on the left, and the first batch of prisoners was brought back from the enemy’s trench. I had come to the conclusion that we had the upper hand everywhere, especially on the right, and with a view to exploiting fully our success, I ordered Lieutenant Freund to cross the enemy’s trench at the point of entry with 15 men of the supports, and to attack the Spion from the rear. At the same time, I sent forward Vice-Sergeant Major Wölfle with 4 men to reinforce Lieutenant Böhlefeld.
In order to have a reserve in hand for meeting all eventualities, I ordered up the commanders of the two groups on the flank of the 12th Company, which was stationed immediately to the right of Sap No. 3. The groups had been warned in the afternoon and given the necessary instructions. Whilst Vice-Sergeant Majors Elb and Wölfle, with their men, went in search of Dumas’ and Böhlefeld’s patrols, Lieutenant Freund dashed across the enemy’s trench at the point of entry and followed it along to the right as far as the communication trench which leads into the front line trench near the Spion. Freund’s patrol leapt into the enemy’s front line trench on both sides of the communication trench, captured 10 men almost without a struggle, and secured several rifles and articles of equipment. A few Englishmen who offered resistance were bayoneted; Volunteer Herrmann, of the 7th Company, and Lance Corporal Haufler, of the 4th Company, particularly distinguished themselves. A few Englishmen attempted to get away, but were shot dead.
Volunteer Herrmann further discovered an extemporized trench mortar. The latter could not be carried off, however, as it was securely built in. Vice-Sergeant Major Wölfle, who arrived on the scene shortly after, destroyed the trench mortar as well as he could with hand grenades and pistol shots.
Böhlefeld’s reinforced patrol had accompanied the advance of Freund’s patrol along the trench, and came across three or four more wrecked dug-outs, which were filled with dead. Individuals standing about in the trench were killed by the patrol or made prisoner. During this affair, Under Officer Nössler, of the 11th Company, repeatedly distinguished himself.