Day Twenty Five on the Somme

Tuesday 25th July 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

All today the Germans have been bombarding the area around Pozières. Hammer blows from artillery of the largest calibre as well as the more normal howitzers have reduced the ruined village to a completely flattened state, we understand. The Australian defenders must be suffering greatly from nerves if not in numbers of casualties.

Soldiers to whom I have spoken have highlighted this effect on morale as the worst part of protracted heavy bombardment as, provided one is deep enough underground (and German dug-outs which will have been captured at Pozières are notoriously deep) one is comparatively safe from death.

No doubt a massive German counter-attack to retake the village is in the offing. This knowledge, too, will play on the minds of the defenders under the rain of shells. 

1st Field Company East Anglian Royal Engineers, who are attached to 2nd Division, have been ordered to prepare for work on a redoubt with three machine-gun emplacements and holding a platoon of infantry 300 yards south of the church in Longueval, preparation against successful German counter-attacks. The commander of the company told me: "In siting this redoubt, special consideration was given to obtaining a good field of fire towards Waterlot Farm". He went on: "A reconnaissance was made of the ground between Bernafay Wood and Longueval for the purpose of setting a communication trench between these two points" The work was not begun today due to an imminent attack.

Source: X550/3WD