that the Germans were not beaten back, but we managed to drive them back a short way. The trench they have captured is the most important tactical point in the line of about 1000 yds from they can enfilade one of our trenches and his observers can see a great distance through Sanctuary Wood & towards Hooge; it is a thousand pities we do not have another try to get rid of them, but I hear we have not sufficient heavy shell to spare – this is bad to say the least of it, & hampers all our operations. The Germans seem to have as much ammunition as they can use, & their shells are always heavier than ours, & they have far more heavy guns. Visited Hooge and the trenches