It was a tragedy for the Portuguese that the heaviest bombardment in the
storm of gunfire, as terrible in its fury as anything of the kind since
March 21, was directed against the centre, which they held. It was
annihilating to their outposts and smashed their front-line defenses,
which were stoutly held. It beat backward and forward in waves of high
explosives from the trench line opposite Neuve Chapelle to the second
line, opposite Fauquissart and Richebourg St. Vaast. Large numbers of
heavy guns also searched behind these defense systems for crossroads,
ammunition dumps, railways, villages, and headquarters or units, while
the Portuguese batteries were assailed with gas shells and flying steel.
The Portuguese front line was overwhelmed by the intensity of the
bombardment, and, although some of their outposts held on, fighting
gallantly to the last man, their line had to fall back to the second
system. This was attacked by enemy assault troops and between 6 and 7 in
the morning they had reached Fauquissart. The barrage lifted at 7
o'clock for a general attack on the second line. Here the strongest body
of Portuguese troops fought stubbornly, but by 11 o'clock the Germans
forced their way through to Laventie and the position round Fleurbaix
was threatened.
The Portuguese field artillery served their guns as long as possible and
destroyed the breechblocks whenever it became inevitable that they would
have to leave a gun behind. The Portuguese gunners were attached to the
British heavy batteries and behaved with special courage.