many casualties; 13 October was quiet. The Mounds On 14 October, the 25th Division attacked the Mounds, north-west of Stuff Redoubt, with the 8th Loyal North Lancs of the 7th Brigade. At , a German barrage ended on the British line; A and B companies attacked on time at and advanced close behind a dense creeping barrage the to the objective, reaching the Mounds with few casualties. (German prisoners later said that the preparations had been seen but their commander apparently refused to believe that an attack was imminent and ordered the German bombardment to cease at The battalion took of II Battalion, RIR 111 and several machine-guns. Observation over the Grandcourt valley was from all along the ridge was obtained and a line of observation posts was built down the slope. Air operations Balloon observers reported batteries firing in the 24 hours before the attack on 26 September and pinpointed the positions of The artillery bombarded positions under the direction of artillery-observation aircraft and a force of about troops seen near Miraumont was scattered by artillery directed by a 4 Squadron crew. The attack was observed by the crews of 4 Squadron and 7 Squadron RFC who reported that the infantry had hugged the creeping barrage, overrun Mouquet Farm and pressed on to Redoubt and beyond to Hessian Trench as observation crews took photographs of the area. The IV and V brigades RFC bombs on German trenches, artillery and infantry billets. The III Brigade attacked the German airfield at Lagnicourt and its 60 Squadron attacked observation balloons with Le Prieur rockets, shot down two in flames and attacked several balloons on the ground with phosphorus bombs and a headquarters at Barastre was bombed by 19 Squadron. Two German aircraft were shot down and four more damaged by RFC offensive patrols but the pilots found that the faster German aircraft often refused battle. A 70 Squadron Sopwith -Strutter of a formation of six aircraft was shot down over Bapaume in a dogfight with six German aircraft. On 27 September the RFC found many German formations airborne until a downpour began. Six aircraft of 27 Squadron were attacked by five aircraft of (), which shot down three of the British aircraft and damaged another. Another -Strutter of 70 Squadron was lost to a German fighter during an early morning reconnaissance and no German aircraft were shot down. A German balloon lost