1917] THIBD BATTLE OF TPEES A>'D CA

field artillery. The enemy's plan was to hold his
first line—which, was eft en a mere string of shell-
craters linked by a trench—with fevr men, who would
fall back before an assault. H? had his gnus well
behind, so that- they should not be captTired in the
first rush, and would be available for a barrage when
his opponents were entangled in the " pill-box "
zone* Finally, he had his reserves in the second
line, ready for the counter-stroke before the attack
could secure the ground won. It will be seen that
these tactics were admirably suited for the exposed
and contorted ground of the Salient, Any attack
would be allowed to make some advance ; but if the
German plan worked well, this advance would be
short- lived, and would be dearly paid for. Instead
of the cast-iron front of the Siegfried area, the
Flanders line would be highly elastic, but would
spring back into position after pressure with a
deadly rebound.

Throughout July ike preparations for the great
Salient battle were being assiduously -pressed on.
All the month our bombardment continued, till
every corner of the Salient was drenched with our
fire. We made constant raids and gas attacks, the
latter with deadly effect. The front of attack was
fifteen miles long, from the Lys river to a little
north of Steenstraate, but the main effort was
planned for the seven and a half miles between
Boesinghe and the Zillebeke-Zandvoorde road. The
task of the British Fifth Army was, by a series of
bounds, to capture the enemy's first defences situated
on the forward slope of the rising ground, and his
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