Counterattacks fail

MR Philip Gibbs writes: After the Australian attack on Hamel the enemy, whose guns had almost been silenced, shelled some of our new positions rather heavily, and they also made three counterattacks in the evening on the Australian line, but they were feeble and not successful. Groups of German machineguns were established within 50 years of the Australians, who decided not to tolerate their close approach, and a number of Australians, during the night drove back the German outposts and captured prisoners. The

Americans engaged in the fighting were not many compared with the Australians, but these few companies were eager to meet the enemy for the first time, and proved their fighting quality to the hilt, to the utter surprise of the enemy. The silencing of his guns made the battle less fearful than the Americans expected. The intensity of our gunfire was the most horrible feature.