artillery observing officer with it – he was in telephonic communication with his batteries but so thick was the smoke that he very often could not see how far our infantry had advanced. In addition to this each battalion was provided with screens, one side khaki & the other side red & yellow – these screens were put up to show the artillery the position of the advanced infantry, but the smoke from the shells made this very difficult, & it being a still morning there was no breeze to carry off the smoke. The Germans chiefly Badeners & Wurtembergers had been so heavily shelled by our guns, that they were nearly all demoralized & put up very little fight. In the mean