Trenches, and, easily over-running these works and capturing or killing the garrison of the trenches, endeavoured to enter the village from the south-east.
Almost at the outset of the attack two Stokes mortars, which had been detailed to assist in the attack from north of the village, were knocked out by enemy artillery fire, and this hampered the attack from that side materially. For some time the attack sped fairly well, and good progress was made by our men, who penetrated into the northern elements of Pontruet and captured the strongly defended cemetery and the blockhouse. Their success was short-lived, however, for the enemy, reacting strongly with fresh reinforcements, bombed their way back down the Forgan's Trench—an enemy work running south-east and north-west right up the area attacked—and drove our men back almost to the forming-up line, forcing us to give up our hold on the part of Pontruet which remained in our hands. Hard fighting continued for several hours, but, according to statements of prisoners captured from the garrison, the enemy had been expecting an attack on Pontruet and was able to bring up strong reserves. A second attack in the evening by the 5th Leicesters, reinforced by a company of the 5th Sherwood Foresters, was repulsed, without our obtaining a footing in the village. At 1.40 a.m. on the 25th, the order was therefore given to withdraw from Pontruet, but to hold on to the captured posts to the north and west of the village.
The attack was thus in a great measure a tactical failure, though it left our positions somewhat improved. It had resulted, however, in the capture of one officer and one hundred and thirty-six other ranks, and had given the enemy a foretaste of the fighting quality of the Division. The moral of the men throughout was excellent: they fought with great dash and initiative, and
