Day Thirty Five on the Somme

Friday 4th August 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Today at Devils' Wood 17th (Northern) Division attacked just after midnight but the men were cut down by German artillery and machine-gun fire. The attack was preceded by a five minute “hurricane bombardment” (that is a bombardment of greater than normal intensity) following a slower bombardment of normal intensity. Evidently the enemy were just waiting for the end of the hurricane bombardment to begin their own bombardment on positions which they have had nearly a month to register.