The account which Reuter's correspondent sent to the papers of
Monday of the successful British attack at Hooge on Monday week is most encouraging reading. On this occasion there was no doubt whatever of the superiority of the British artillery. The German entanglements were simply swept away, and even in the concreted trenches many gaps were made. The attack was timed to take place at a particular moment when all the available guns were concentrated on the named area. All watches had been exactly synchronized for the purpose. There was no failure through inadequate artillery preparation on any portion of the German line, as happened in some previous attacks. The consequence was that the assault was extraordinarily speedy, and cost few lives. The Germans seem to have been too dazed and paralysed to resist seriously. If the attack was arranged deliberately for the moment when the German troops in the trenches were being relieved—it took place at that moment., whether by design or accident—a 'word of praise is also due to our intelligence work.
