in the clearing east of Riquerval Farm, with the aid of a tank which was to work south and assist in extricating the Battalion Headquarters from the wood. The tank, however, broke down and was unable to move, and the attack, which was launched at 4 p.m., failed.
Orders were then given for a bombardment of the trench system, and this was carried out by the guns of the 16th Army Brigade, R.H.A., which was supporting the 137th Infantry Brigade. Another attack was then launched, but this also was repulsed before it was well started, the enemy putting down a barrage on the company detailed for the attack, at the moment of its assembly. At the same rime, a further attempt was made to relieve the right company of the Leicesters, but this also failed. The enemy, counter-attacking heavily, then solved the problem by driving the Leicesters, Battalion Headquarters and all, out of the wood and down on to the Bohain-Aisonville Road. Here, the relief took place without further incident.
In view of the extremely stubborn resistance of the enemy concealed in the wood, the Divisional Commander now decided to withdraw all his troops to a line conforming roughly to the outline of the western outskirts of the wood and about two hundred yards from it. All available guns were then turned on the wood and a concentrated bombardment carried out, particular attention being paid to the trench systems and strong-points in the clearings, and to the few existing buildings which had been organized for defence, as, for example, the house in the south-western outskirts already won and lost by our troops.
It was now quite plain that the enemy's rearguard intended to make as prolonged a stand as possible on this line. Favoured as they were by the freedom from observation and the facilities for machine-gun defence
