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374 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
village of Barbas in a picturesque hollow, its church tower
dominating in a lordly manner the pretty little red-roofed
stone houses beneath. One and a half kilometres south of
Barbas, sharply outlined against the light rising background,
were two little dark clumps of trees. On the north side of
these coppices two German batteries were actively shelling
the enemy positions. On the western border of the wooded
belt to the right infantry fighting was in actual progress. At
the moment the Germans were proceeding to the attack of the
French positions. Both sides had concealed themselves
gingerly behind trees and bushes, but the rattling fire from
rifles and machine guns was deafening. One moment the
shots would succeed one another in a continuous din, the
next minute one heard but isolated reports. Of the actual
fighting itself we saw nothing, but it became evident in the
course of the day that the centre of activity was shifting south-
westward, which meant that the German attack was progressing.
Behind us the battery at which we had just stopped kept
pounding away, and once more we heard the horrible, sinister
whistle of shells pass overhead. The German artillery was
very active, but the French did not reply to the fire. Towards
the afternoon the German fire also ceased, the attempted goal
having been reached. It was assumed that the French bat-
teries, which had but lately occupied this point, had now been
removed to some other place where they would come in more
useful. I for my part was quite content to do without their
fire, and it was a pleasant and restful experience not to have
to be in constant dread of a shell coming on the top of me.
The day before the French had sent a couple of shells into
Blamont, but without doing any appreciable damage. Neither
did we see any aviators on this occasion. I was told that they
were less numerous in these parts.
After a short visit to Blamont cemetery and a walk through
the pretty village, where we dined, I returned with a couple
of officers to the hill, but found it deserted. The General and
his Staff had, it appeared, advanced a couple of kilometres
to Barbas, where we found all the officers assembled in an
open space, a cross between a street and a market-place. This
had now become the point from which the operations on the
whole front of the division were directed, and horsemen and
cycle-orderlies kept dashing backwards and forwards as before
on the hill.
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