Owing to the large amount of firing done by the Battery, the ammunition question always occupied at least half the cannoneer's time. Every night or so the caissons would come up. Lines of men would be formed between them and the ammunition dumps, and the shells would be "hopped" down the lines. No time was wasted in this operation because one could never tell when the Boche would "open up", and horses and men in the open fire an extremely vulnerable target. Frequently we would get all eight caissons unloaded in seven or eight minutes. The unloading of the shells was just the first phase of the ammunition question. The different lots had then to be sorted out and the shells of each lot stacked (no more than five deep) in the shelters. After that they had to be put in shape for firing. The rotating bands had to be scraped, cleaned and greased. Then there were the fuses: the yellows, reds, blacks, whites, and longs. They all had to be sorted out too.

The Battery fired 3,494 rounds in this position, at many different targets. The Sector was so extended that we were responsible for no less than 11 barrages, 7 C. P. O.'s and 7 concentrations. The barrages and C. P. O.'s (Counter Preparation Offensive) were all named according to the segment of the line in defense of which they were fired. The barrages included the Normal Apremont Barrage in defense of the famous and much fought over "Goose Neck," Ponds Barrage, Redoute Barrage, Knight Barrage, Left eventual (supporting the French on our left) E Battery's Nor­ mal (in case E Battery were put out of action), C Battery's Normal (in case C were put out of action),

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PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY AIRPLANE OF THE BATTLE OF SEICHEPREY

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