The Bedfords Hold Hill 60

Wednesday 21st April 1915: yesterday at 6.30 pm the Germans made another attack on the 1st Bedfords, holding Hill 60 with 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. This came after a day of interminable bombardment from three sides as the hill sticks out into the German lines. The attack was beaten off as was another at 8 pm. The adjutant reports that casualties on both sides have been very heavy. He adds that German machine guns and now firing into the flank of their position, as mentioned yesterday, this unpleasant situation is known as enfilading fire.

He goes on that German artillery is within thirty yards of the hill, firing at his men at point blank range. Strikes from shells have blown the trench parapet to pieces “mangling the defenders”. Our own artillery dare not fire at these guns for fear of hitting the defenders of Hill 60 and so giving them fire to cope with from a complete 360 degrees. They also seem to be ineffective at taking out the larger German guns, a good way behind the German lines, which are also doing great execution. He tells us that four officers have been killed and eight wounded. Over four hundred other ranks have been killed or wounded, thus reducing the battalion to about half strength. As he spoke to us men from the Cameron Highlanders and 1st Devonshire Regiment were beginning to relieve the battered Bedfords and Surreys who will leave this wasteland of shell craters and corpses to rest and sleep at Reningelst.

Source: X550//5