I thereupon gave the order for our bombardment to begin at 11.30 p.m.

in order to catch the assembling German troops.

I had 200 _batteries secretes_ ready--of which the enemy had no idea--which had given beforehand no sign of their existence.

Then we sat with our watches in our hands.

Was it true--or not true?
12.5--12.6--12.8--12.9 .-- Probably it was a mare's nest.