Also the sixteen were to send up rockets, giving signals, which the Germans of course knew as well as we.

Then again they were to place gas shells--with the gas flowing out of them--in all the dugouts of the first line.

Meanwhile the French artillery had registered directly on our own front trenches, so that it could slaughter the Germans when they came across, believing those trenches to be occupied as usual.
"Everything worked out as expected, and as luck had it, most of those gallant sixteen Frenchmen got back safely.
"Five minutes before the Germans started their artillery preparation for the drive Gen.

Gouraud started his cannon going and there was a slaughter in the German lines.

Then when the German infantry crossed to our front line trenches (now entirely vacant) they were smashed up because the French guns were firing directly upon these positions, which they knew mathematically.