Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

COUNTER-STROKES IN THE WEST. 111

mile northwards up to the summit of the Butte. It was the farthest point reached in the autumn advance in Champagne.

That same day, too, progress was made against another section of the German final line, that north of the Navarin Farm, where the great trenches named © Vandal ”” and © Kultur > cut at right angles the Souain-Somme-Py road. There the Moroccan infantry carried the « Vandal ” trench and took many prisoners, but were checked by the machine guns hidden in the patches of wood to the northward. The troops against them belonged to the roth (Hanover) Corps, who had been hastily brought from the Eastern front, and, like the defenders of Tahure, had been reduced almost to starvation by the preceding bombardment.

The position won in their final line drove the Germans to desperate efforts. A thrust or two more, and there was every chance that the whole of their laborious defence would crumble. They began feverishly to construct new lines on the heights north of the Py valley, and on the night of 8th October they counter-attacked east of the Navarin Farm and against the Butte of Tahure, Oct. 8 after a preliminary bombardment with fen asphyxiating and lachrymatory shells. No progress was made, and the French improved their position by the capture of another trench south-east of Tahure village. The German position on the Butte of Mesnil was now becoming a thin and perilous salient.

Meanwhile, on Friday, 8th October, a counterstroke had been levelled against the British position north of Loos. For several days the Germans had