137th Infantry Brigade relieved the 138th Infantry Brigade, who retired to the area about Le Verguier for a short rest.
The relief took place without trouble, though the enemy subjected the captured positions to a desultory fire throughout the night, but at 7 a.m. on the 28th September bombing attacks were commenced on the outpost company of the 5th South Staffords, and at 10 a.m. the enemy counter-attacked heavily under a barrage on the whole front which had been the scene of our attack of the evening before.
The attack was accompanied by heavy artillery fire on our support positions and on the main lines of communication up which reinforcements and supplies for the troops occupying the captured trenches would have to pass. The infantry attack was pressed by the enemy with unusual determination, bombing parties working up the communication trenches leading from the enemy's positions as well as across the open. Severe in-and-out fighting continued for some hours, and the outpost companies were very hard pressed and finally were forced to yield ground owing to the impossibility of keeping the troops supplied with S.A.A. and bombs. The attack was particularly severe on the front held by the outpost company of the 1/5th South Staffords, and after an hour and a half's fighting the enemy forced their way into the trenches held by this company. A local counterattack was at once organized, however, and the Germans were driven out.
Later in the morning this company was once more driven back, fighting every step of the way, but gradually running out of small-arm ammunition and bombs. By this time 60 per cent. of the company had become casualties, and it was forced to withdraw to the trenches
