The conformation of the country about Graf and Meetcheele made the
arrangements of a really effective barrage a highly technical affair. In
that district of swamps and hills and copses it was impossible that our
line should be straight, and on the night before their offensive the men
of the P.P.C.L.I. were compelled to establish their assembly position
close in rear of the front line. This enabled our artillery to place a
heavy barrage just before our attacking troops without too much risk of
casualties among our own men.
On the morning of October 30th, when the Princess Pat's went forward to
the attack upon Graf and Meetcheele, our artillery fire was effective
enough, and good progress was made, though our casualties were heavy.
Stubborn bayonet fighting took place about the enemy's pill-boxes on the
flanks of the hill, and along the valley of the Ravebeek, where the
heavy smoke barrage covered the right of our advance.
For a time all went well: but the enemy's fire was close and intense,
and our men suffered so heavily that for a time it seemed as if our
advance might die out through sheer numerical weakness. But we kept on,
and reached the foot of the hill at Meetcheele before a really serious
check was encountered. A German pill-box was situated upon the top of
the hill, and all the higher ground was dotted with the machine-gun
emplacements of the enemy. From the commanding position of the concrete
fort upon the crest, direct observation could be obtained over our whole
local advance, and the sweeping fire of its guns inflicted casualties
upon our men attacking half-a-mile away, who were in complete ignorance
of the existence of such a strong point.
As in many cases during the Passchendaele fighting, the front of this
attack was dangerously narrowed by marshy ground on each side of a dry
spur leading direct to the top of the hill.
It is an interesting fact to consider that the Germans, after the first
Canadian attack, altered the zones of fire of a number of their
machine-guns so as to cover swamps and marshy ground that previously had
been considered impregnable from their natural difficulties. This was a
real compliment to our men--for apparently the enemy thought the
Canadians quite capable of attacking over ground impassable to other
troops.
However, in this case, the Princess Pat's fought their way up the slope
until most of their effective strength was gone; and then Sergeant
Mullin went forward to reconnoitre the possibilities of a flanking
attack. Finding a place where one man could advance unobserved, but
where the movement of a party would certainly bring disaster, he made
his way forward alone.
Crawling through the brush, he reached a point close to a sniper's post
just before the master pill-box on the top of the hill. He destroyed
this post and its garrison with bomb-fire, then made straight for the
pill-box. It must have appeared most heroically absurd--this attack by
one man upon a concrete fort bristling with men and guns--but Mullin
knew very well what he was about. It was all done before the eyes of our
men, who were swarming up the slope, regardless of the heavy fire in
their anxiety to be in at the finish. Mullin climbed on to the roof of
the pill-box. Crawling to the centre, he fired down upon the German
machine-gunners inside, laying them out across their weapons. Then,
sliding down the roof, he landed beside the entrance just in time to
receive the surrender of the thoroughly demoralized garrison.
The capture of this fort decided the issue upon the local front, for the
offensive capacity of the pill-box proved as great in the hands of the
Canadians as it had in those of the enemy. Our objective was gained and
consolidated, and excellent positions assured for the next attack.
[Illustration]