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THE ROLE OF PERSUASION IN INTEGRATED
Chapter 7 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Chapter Objectives
1. Understand the nature and role of attitudes in marketing communications, different hierarchy
of effects models, and under what conditions that attitudes should predict behavior.
2. Appreciate the role of persuasion in marketing communications.
3. Explain the tools of influence from the marketing communicator’s perspective.
4. Discuss the five important factors of persuasion: message strength, peripheral cues, receiver
involvement, receiver initial position, and communication modality.
5. Understand the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and its implications for marketing
communications.
6. Understand practical marketing communications efforts that enhance consumers’ motivation,
opportunity, and ability to process messages.
7. Explain the theory of reasoned action (TORA) and basic attitude, preference, and behavior
change strategies.
Chapter Overview
Marketing communications in its various forms (advertising, social media, personal selling,
direct marketing, and so on) involves efforts to persuade consumers by influencing their attitudes
and ultimately their behavior. This chapter describes the role and nature of attitudes and different
hierarchies by which they are formed and changed. From the marketing communicators’
perspective, attitude formation and change represent the process of persuasion. The role of
measurement specificity and direct experience is discussed in trying to predict behavior from
attitude measures. Persuasion efforts on the part of the persuader are next described and
illustrated, including six influence tactics: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof,
liking, authority, and scarcity.
The nature of persuasion is discussed with particular emphasis on an integrated framework called
the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Two alternative persuasion mechanisms are described:
a central route, which explains enduring persuasion under conditions when the receiver is
motivated, able, and has the opportunity (MAO) to process the message; and a peripheral route,
in which one MAO elements may be deficient, yet a peripheral cue may account for short-term
persuasion. In this context, three attitude-formation processes are described: emotion-based
persuasion, message-based persuasion, and classical conditioning. The first two are mechanisms
for attitude change under the central route, whereas classical conditioning is a peripheral-route
process.
A treatment is then given to practical efforts to enhance consumers’ motivation, opportunity, and
ability to process marketing messages. This section includes descriptions and illustrations of
marcom efforts to heighten consumers’ motivation to attend and process messages, measures to
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
augment consumers’ opportunity to encode information and reduce process time, and techniques
used to increase consumers’ ability to access knowledge structures and create new structures.
A final topic covered is the theory of reasoned action (TORA) found in persuasion research and
basic attitude, preference, and behavior change strategies.
Chapter Outline
I. The Nature and Role of Attitudes
A. What Is an Attitude?
Attitudes are hypothetical constructs. A variety of perspectives attempt to describe
and measure attitudes. Attitude means a general and somewhat enduring positive or
negative feeling toward, or evaluative judgment of, some person, object, or issue.
Brands are our primary attitude object. Attitudes are learned. Attitudes are relatively
enduring. Attitudes influence behavior. Attitudes include an affective, cognitive, and
behavioral component.
1. Hierarchies of Effects
The high involvement hierarchy, also known as the standard learning hierarchy,
shows a clear progression under high involvement from initial cognition to affect
to conation. Other hierarchies include the low involvement hierarchy which
moves from minimal cognition to conation and then to affect, and the dissonance-
attribution and integrative models.
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Role of Persuasion in Integrated Marketing Communications
A. Reciprocation
As part of the socialization process in all cultures, people acquire a norm of
reciprocity. We return a gesture with an in-kind gesture.
C. Social proof
People may decide how to behave based on the choices of others.
D. Liking
People may be persuaded by those they like. Likability is based on physical
attractiveness and similarity.
E. Authority
People tend to be influenced by people in positions of authority. Authority may come
from one’s position or by one’s credible knowledge in an area.
F. Scarcity
Scarcity is based on the principle that people want things more when they are in high
demand but short supply. The theory of psychological reactance explains why
scarcity works. The theory suggests that people react against efforts to reduce their
freedom to choose.
A. Message Arguments
The strength or quality of the message arguments is often the major determinant of
whether and to what extent persuasion occurs. People are more persuaded by
believable messages.
B. Peripheral Cues
Peripheral cues include elements like background music, scenery, and graphics.
C. Communication Modality
Mode of communication is important, especially when considered alongside
likability.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
D. Receiver Involvement
Persuasion results from self-generated thoughts that people produce in response to
persuasive efforts. Cognitive responses may be support arguments or
counterarguments. Support arguments occur when the receiver agrees with the
message and counterarguments occur when the receiver disagrees. Agreement was
discussed in Chapter 6. Other responses include source bolstering and source
derogation.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Role of Persuasion in Integrated Marketing Communications
hearing the bell ring. The dog had learned that the bell regularly preceded meat
powder, and thus the ringing bell caused the dog to predict that something
desirable—the meat powder—was forthcoming.
Something similar to this happens when consumers process peripheral cues. For
example, brand advertisements that include adorable babies, attractive people, and
majestic scenery can elicit positive emotional reactions. Think of these peripheral
cues as analogous to meat powder (the US), the emotional reactions as similar to
the dog’s salivation (the UR), and the advertised brand as similar to the bell in
Pavlov’s experiments (the CS). The emotion contained in the cue may become
associated with the brand, thereby influencing consumers to like the brand more
than they did prior to viewing the commercial. Through their repeated association,
the CS (advertised brand) comes to elicit a conditioned response (CR) similar to
the unconditioned response (UR) evoked by the US itself (the peripheral cue).
2. Temporary versus Enduring Attitude Change
According to ELM, people experience only temporary attitude changes when
persuaded by peripheral cues.
C. Dual Routes
It is possible for both routes to work simultaneously. This is shown in Figure 7.4.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
where:
ABj = attitude toward a particular brand (brand j)
bij = the belief, or expectation, that owning brand j will lead to outcome i
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Role of Persuasion in Integrated Marketing Communications
A consumer’s attitude toward a brand (or, more technically, toward the act of owning and
consuming the brand) is determined by his or her “cognitive structure” (i.e., the beliefs
regarding the outcomes, or consequences, of owning the brand multiplied by the
evaluations of those outcomes). Outcomes (expressed in Equation 7.1 as i =1 through n,
where n is typically fewer than 7) involve those aspects of product ownership (e.g., a
running shoe) that the consumer either desires to obtain (e.g., getting in shape, improving
one’s race time) or to avoid (e.g., knee or foot injuries, abnormal shoe wear). Consumers
approach benefits and avoid detriments. Beliefs (the bij term in Equation 7.1) are the
consumer’s subjective probability assessments, or expectations, regarding the likelihood
that performing a certain act (e.g., buying brand j) will lead to a certain outcome. In
theory, the consumer who is in the market for a product has a separate belief associated
with each potential outcome for each shoe brand he or she is considering buying, and it is
for this reason that the belief term in Equation 7.1 is subscripted both with an i (referring
to a particular outcome) and j (referring to a specific brand).
Because all outcomes are not equally important or determinant of consumer choice, we
need to introduce a term that recognizes this influence differential. This term is the
evaluation component, ei, in Equation 7.1. Evaluations represent the value, or importance,
that consumers attach to consumption outcomes (e.g., getting into shape, improving race
times, avoiding foot injury). It is important to note that outcome evaluations apply to the
product category in general and are not brand specific. It is for this reason that we need
only a single subscript, i, to designate evaluations and not also a j as in the case of beliefs.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
preferences may be by using methods that have direct emotional impact (e.g., graphic
visual warnings shown to smokers with entrenched beliefs).
In addition to emotional conditions, marketers use a variety of other methods to change
consumer preferences (and behavior) that do not require changing cognitions. These
behavioral modification methods include various forms of classical and operant
conditioning, modeling, and ecological modification. Shaping is one application by
which marketers attempt to shape certain behaviors through a process of changing
preceding conditions and behaviors. Coupons, loss leaders, special deals, and free-trial
periods are all examples to help shape future consumer behavior.
Vicarious learning or modeling is an attempt to change preferences and behavior “by
having an individual observe the actions of others … and the consequences of those
behaviors.”
Chapter Features
1. Explain the cognitive, affective, and conative attitude components. Provide examples of each
using your attitude toward the idea of personally pursuing a career in selling and sales
management. Contrast the high involvement (standard learning) hierarchy with that of the
low involvement one.
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Role of Persuasion in Integrated Marketing Communications
Answer:
Student answers will vary depending upon their attitudes toward sales but each explanation
should include components of feeling, thinking, and doing and follow the low and high
involvement hierarchies in terms of the order of think, feel, do or do, feel, think.
Answer:
Student examples from commercials will vary. The message arguments should be primary
selling points and may include evidence to support the arguments. The peripheral cues will
be components not directly related to the selling points such as music and endorsers.
Answer:
The more involved a person is the more likely they will have high elaboration likelihood.
High EL uses the central route.
4. There are three general strategies for changing attitudes. Explain each, using, for illustration,
consumers’ attitudes toward a fast-food chain of your choice (McDonald’s, Burger King,
KFC, etc.).
Answer:
To change someone’s attitude one can use the central route, the peripheral route, or a dual
route. For instance, a fast-food chain which seeks to change a negative attitude against it may
provide documentation on how healthy the food is (central route) or it may use a popular
spokesperson (peripheral route) or it may do both.
5. Assume that your target audience is composed of people who can afford to purchase a
“hybrid” automobile such as the Chevy Volt, Honda’s Insight, or Toyota’s Prius. (Note:
Hybrid automobiles are high-mileage cars that combine efficient gasoline engines with
electric motors powered by batteries.) Assume that your target audience is composed of
people who have negative attitudes toward hybrid vehicles. Using material from the chapter,
how would you attempt to change their attitudes if you were the advertising agency
responsible for this campaign? Be specific. Do the same for all-electric vehicles, such as the
Nissan Leaf.
Answer:
Responses will vary but the explanations should follow the ELM and may also reference the
six tools of influence.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
Answer:
Student answers will vary but will reference the tools of influence and the ELM. Students
may note the need to use counterarguments when dealing with unethical marketing.
7. In the discussion of the influence tactic of reciprocation, you were introduced to the concept
of contingency, or “it-depends,” thinking. What “it-depends” factors best explain when the
scarcity tactic would and would not be effective?
Answer:
Whether and when a tactic is effective depends upon the circumstances and the
characteristics of the people involved. Scarcity would likely be most effective when the item
in scarce supply is desirable to the consumer.
8. Assume that you are on the fundraising committee for a non-profit institution. Explain how
in this situation you could use each of the six influence tactics discussed in the text. Be
specific.
Answer:
Student responses should refer to the six tactics of reciprocity, commitment and consistency,
social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. Prospective donors might receive a gift and be
inspired to reciprocate with a donation. They might be asked to make a pledge
(commitment). They might be invited to participate by someone they like. They may feel that
time is running out to save the cause (scarcity). They might be told of the importance of the
charity by someone in a position of authority. All of these tactics could encourage donations.
9. Describe the similarity between the concept of elaboration and active synthesis, which was
explained in the prior chapter.
Answer:
Elaboration means to think about content. Synthesis involves making sense of the content.
Both concepts are very similar.
10. Locate two advertisements that illustrate exemplar-based learning and provide detailed
explanations as to how specifically your chosen advertisements facilitate exemplar-based
learning.
Answer:
Student responses will vary.
11. Pretend you are in charge of advertising for an online retailer. You know that consumers
have positive evaluations for the convenience of online shopping but many are distrustful of
unknown retailers and of giving out credit card numbers online. Using material from this
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Role of Persuasion in Integrated Marketing Communications
chapter, explain how you would attempt to change consumers’ attitudes about the risks of
online shopping. Visit several actual online retailers and describe instances where the
retailers have addressed consumers’ risk perceptions.
Answer:
To change attitudes on something of this level of risk, central route processing should be
used. Student answers should identify credible content which could illustrate safety.
Examples will vary.
12. Visit the Internet sites of approximately five brands that appeal to you. Based on the
framework in Figure 7.5, identify at least one example of each of the following efforts to
enhance consumers’ MOA factors: Locate an effort to increase consumers’ motivation to
process brand information. Identify an Internet advertisement that attempts to enhance
consumers’ opportunity to encode information. Find an advertisement that uses an exemplar
to assist consumers in either accessing or creating a new knowledge structure.
Answer:
Student answers will vary.
13. The opening Marcom Insight posed this question: Can we be persuaded to overcome bad
habits? What is your viewpoint on this matter? Please back up your position with appropriate
content from the chapter.
Answer:
The Marcom Insight suggests that habits are difficult to change. Students will present their
opinions.
14. Identify two magazine advertisements of your choice, presumably involving brands/products
that hold some interest for you. With each advertisement, indicate what you consider to be its
message arguments and peripheral cues. Then explain why you regard these as message
arguments/peripheral cues.
Answer:
Student answers will vary.
15. Construct an illustration to demonstrate your understanding of Equation 7.1. Identify three
brands in a product category that is personally relevant. Then specify four “outcomes” (i.e.,
benefits and detriments) pertinent to that category. Next, assign a numerical value from 1 to 5
to each outcome, where 1 equals “virtually no importance” and 5 equals “extreme
importance.” Then assign a value from 1 to 5 to represent your beliefs regarding how well
each of the three brands satisfies each of the four outcomes. In assigning your beliefs, treat 1
as indicating that the brand performs very poorly on this outcome, 5 as indicating the brand
performs extremely well, and 2-through-4 reflecting increasingly positive performance.
Answer:
Student answers will vary.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 7
16. Assume that all outcomes (i = 1… n outcomes) are equally important to customers in a
particular product category. If this were so, how would adjust the attitude model in Equation
7.1 to capture the attitude-formation process?
Answer:
The numerical value assigned would be the same for each option considered.
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
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The Germans turned in the same way, their battle-cruisers taking
station at the head of the enemy’s line and pursuing Beatty. As they
executed this turn, the Fifth Battle Squadron closed them, steaming
in the opposite direction, engaged them with all its guns, and then
turned and fell in astern of Beatty, who now had eight ships in line,
proceeding at a speed of something over 21 knots. The enemy’s
battle fleet was in action, and the Germans had concentrated in
superior force on a part of the British Fleet.
The range was 14,000 yards and the enemy was getting heavily
hit, while he was apparently not making many hits on the British
ships. After 5, one of the German battle-cruisers—perhaps the
Lutzow, which, according to the enemy, received 15 or 16 heavy
shells—left the line damaged. At 5.10 the sixth ship in the German
line—a Dreadnought—was reported to have been hit by a torpedo,
and it is just possible that she sank, as a huge cloud of smoke and
steam was seen just after where she had been. The Germans were
now edging off to the E., learning either from Zeppelins or their light
cruisers that the British Battle Fleet was coming up to the N.W.
Admiral Beatty reports that “probably Zeppelins were present,”
though they appear to have been seen only by neutrals in the first
stage of the battle.
The head of the German line at this part of the battle was
getting severely punished, and a second of the German battle-
cruisers had vanished, leaving only three enemy battle-cruisers in
line. The first stage of the battle was over. Beatty had led the
Germans to the British Battle Fleet, which was sighted at 5.56
10,000 yards away to the N.
The position of the Fleet was as follows:—Beatty, with four
battle-cruisers, and astern of him the four fast battleships of the
Fifth Battle Squadron, was now turning sharply eastwards to pass
across the head of the German Fleet and prevent it from edging E.
and getting away in that direction. This movement of his would have
enabled him to “cross the T” of the enemy’s line—i.e., to pass at
right angles across it, raking the ships as he passed, which is
regarded as the most advantageous position that can be obtained in
battle—if the enemy had not turned. N. of Admiral Beatty’s ships was
the British Battle Fleet, with three battle-cruisers under Hood on one
wing, and three or four armoured cruisers under Arbuthnot on the
other. On a line generally parallel to Beatty’s was the whole force of
German battle-cruisers (3) and battleships (22), slightly astern of
him, so that the German ships at the southern end of the line were
out of the battle—too distant to fire. The head of the enemy line was
some 12,000 yards from him, and about 22,000 yards from the
British Battle Fleet.
Beatty’s eastward turn compelled the enemy to turn, and
enabled the British Battle Fleet, if it desired, to move in behind the
High Sea Fleet and cut it off from its bases. To reinforce Beatty in
these critical moments, Hood steamed in fast with his three battle-
cruisers, and swung magnificently into position at the head of
Beatty’s line. There he received a terrific fire from the enemy, 8,000
yards away, and a few minutes later the Invincible, his flagship, was
struck by the combined salvoes of the German Fleet and she sank.
Three battle-cruisers were gone, and of their combined crews of
2,500 men a mere handful were saved. Beatty at 6.35, about the
time when the Invincible sank, turned S.E. A little earlier, Rear-
Admiral Arbuthnot, with three weak armoured cruisers, struck the
German Battle Fleet, which was apparently almost hidden in smoke.
His intervention prevented a dangerous German torpedo attack on
the British battle-cruisers, but in rendering this last service he
perished.
The Black Prince was very badly hit. The Warrior was disabled,
and in extreme danger. Probably the German ships were attacking
these vessels with concentrated salvoes—battleships of the super-
Dreadnought class firing at pre-Dreadnought armoured cruisers. The
German shooting must have begun to deteriorate, as the Warspite
was quickly got under control, and with but slight damage rejoined
the Fifth Battle Squadron, which was now taking station astern of
Admiral Jellicoe’s Fleet.
At 6.17 this Fleet entered the battle. The First Battle Squadron
was the first to engage at 11,000 yards, closing the enemy slowly to
9,000 (which is very short range indeed, and would allow the
Germans to use their 6-in. guns). The light was very bad. The
Germans were shrouded in haze; their destroyers sent up thick
clouds of coal smoke, which obscured an atmosphere already
choked with the fumes of bursting shells, and the smoke from the
numerous fires in the ships engaged. From the van of the Battle
Fleet never more than five German ships could be seen, and from
the rear never more than twelve. The British constantly strove to
close, but were eluded by the enemy, who utilised destroyer attacks
to cover his retreat. But, difficult though it was to shoot with
accuracy, Sir J. Jellicoe reports that in this phase of the battle the
enemy ships were repeatedly hit, and one at least was seen to sink.
The Marlborough, in the First Battle Squadron, specially
distinguished herself, firing seven salvoes (if with all her guns about
70 13·5-in. shell) at a battleship of the Kaiser class; at 6.54 she was
so unlucky as to be hit by a torpedo fired from a German light
cruiser, which she sank. She was the only British ship to suffer in this
way. A great cloud of smoke rose from her and she listed violently,
then recovered, and nine minutes later re-opened fire. At 7.12 she
poured 14 salvoes with great speed upon a battleship of the König
class, and drove her from the line.
The flagship, Iron Duke, at 6.30 engaged a Dreadnought of the
König class in the German Fleet, hitting her at the second salvo,
which was a remarkable gunnery performance at a range of 12,000
yards and in the clouds of smoke. The enemy turned away and
escaped. The other ships of the Fourth Battle Squadron were mainly
engaged with the German battle-cruisers. The Second Battle
Squadron attacked the German battleships, and also fired at a
damaged German battle-cruiser, from 6.30 to 7.20; at 7 p.m. the
British Fleet turned S., and shortly afterwards S.W. The battleship
engagement closed about 8.20, when the enemy disappeared in the
smoke and mist. He lay to the W. of Admiral Jellicoe’s Fleet, and
orders were issued to the British torpedo craft to attack him. About
8.20 Beatty pushed W. in support of the light cruisers which had
been ordered to locate the enemy’s position, and came upon two
battle-cruisers and two battleships, which he attacked at a range of
10,000 yards. The leading German ship was struck repeatedly, and
turned away sharply with a very heavy list, emitting flames; the
Princess Royal set a three-funnelled battleship (possibly the
Helgoland) on fire. A third ship was battered by the Indomitable and
New Zealand, and was seen heeling over, on fire, drawing out of the
line. Then about 8.38 the mist came down so thickly that the battle
was broken off, the enemy fleet being last seen by the larger British
ships about 8.38, steaming W.
At 8.40 a violent explosion was felt by the British Fleet. This was
probably caused by the destruction of a big ship.
Beatty steamed S.W. till 9.24, when having seen nothing more of
the enemy, he assumed that the Germans were to the N.W., and
proceeded N.N.E. to the British Battle Fleet. He says: “In view of the
gathering darkness, and the fact that our strategical position was
such as to make it appear certain that we should locate the enemy
at daylight under most favourable circumstances, I did not consider
it proper or desirable to close the enemy battle fleet during the dark
hours.”
STORMING THE VILLAGE OF LOOS: HAND-TO-HAND
FIGHTING IN THE STREETS.
Reproduced by permission of “The Sphere.”
VI.
By John Masefield.
E
From “Gallipoli.” By John Masefield. (Heinemann.)
T HE men told off for this landing were: the Dublin Fusiliers, the
Munster Fusiliers, half a battalion of the Hampshire Regiment,
and the West Riding Field Company.
By Philip Gibbs.
F
From “The Battles of the Somme.” (Heinemann.)
A ND now I must tell a little more in detail the story of the Guards
in this battle. It is hard to tell it, and not all can be told yet
because of the enemy. The Guards had their full share of the
fighting, and of the difficult ground, with strong forces against them.
They knew that would be so before they went into battle, and yet
they did not ask for better things but awaited the hour of attack with
strong, gallant hearts, quite sure of their courage, proud of their
name, full of trust in their officers, eager to give a smashing blow at
the enemy.
These splendid men, so tall and proper, so hard and fine, went
away as one might imagine the old knights and yeomen of England
at Agincourt. For the first time in the history of the Coldstreamers,
three battalions of them charged in line, great solid waves of men,
as fine a sight as the world could show. Behind them were the
Grenadiers, and again behind these men the Irish.
They had not gone more than 200 yards before they came under
the enfilade fire of massed machine guns in trenches not previously
observed. The noise of this fire was so loud and savage that,
although hundreds of guns were firing, not a shot could be heard. It
was just the stabbing staccato hammering of the German Maxims.
Men fell, but the lines were not broken. Gaps were made in the
ranks, but they closed up. The wounded did not call for help, but
cheered on those who swept past and on, shouting “Go on, Lily-
whites!”—which is the old name for the Coldstreamers—“Get at ’em,
Lily-whites!”
They went on at a hot pace with their bayonets lowered. Out of
the crumpled earth—all pits and holes and hillocks, torn up by great
gun-fire—grey figures rose and fled. They were German soldiers
terror-stricken by this rushing tide of men.
The Guards went on. Then they were checked by two lines of
trenches, wired and defended by machine guns and bombers. They
came upon them quicker than they expected. Some of the officers
were puzzled. Could these be the trenches marked out for attack—or
other unknown trenches? Anyhow, they must be taken—and the
Guards took them by frontal assault full in the face of continual
blasts of machine-gun bullets.
There was hard and desperate fighting. The Germans defended
themselves to the death. They bombed our men, who attacked them
with the bayonet, served their machine guns until they were killed,
and would only surrender when our men were on top of them. It
was a very bloody hour or more. By that time the Irish Guards had
joined the others. All the Guards were together, and together they
passed the trenches, swinging left inevitably under the machine-gun
fire which poured upon them from their right, but going steadily
deeper into the enemy country until they were 2,000 yards from
their starting place.
Then it was necessary to call a halt. Many officers and men had
fallen. To go farther would be absolute death. The troops on the
right had been utterly held up. The Guards were “up in the air” with
an exposed flank, open to all the fire that was flung upon them from
the enemy’s lines. The temptation to go farther was great. The
German infantry was on the run. They were dragging their guns
away. There was a great panic among the men who had been hiding
in trenches. But the German machine gunners kept to their posts to
safeguard a rout, and the Guards had gone far enough through their
scourging bullets.
They decided very wisely to hold the line they had gained, and
to dig in where they stood, and to make forward posts with strong
points. They had killed a great number of Germans and taken 200
prisoners and fought grandly. So now they halted and dug and took
cover as best they could in shell-craters and broken ground, under
fierce fire from the enemy’s guns.
The night was a dreadful one for the wounded, and for men who
did their best for the wounded, trying to be deaf to agonizing
sounds. Many of them had hairbreadth escapes from death. One
young officer in the Irish Guards lay in a shell-hole with two
comrades, and then left it for a while to cheer up other men lying in
surrounding craters. When he came back he found his two friends
lying dead, blown to bits by a shell.
But in spite of all these bad hours the Guards kept cool, kept
their discipline, their courage, and their spirit. The Germans
launched counter-attacks against them, but were annihilated. The
Guards held their ground, and gained the greatest honour for self-
sacrificing courage which has ever given a special meaning to their
name. They took the share which all of us knew they would take in
the greatest of all our battles since the first day of July, and, with
other regiments, struck a vital blow at the enemy’s line of defence.
THE ADVANCE ON BAGHDAD: BATTLE ON THE DIALA RIVER.
Reproduced by permission of “The Sphere.”
IX.
By Edmund Candler.
The second pontoon had got into the middle of the stream,
when a terrific fusillade was opened on it. The crew of five rowers
and ten riflemen were killed and the boat floated down the stream.
A third got nearly across, but was bombed and sank. All the crew
were killed. But there was no holding back. The orders still held to
secure the passage. Crew after crew pushed off to an obvious and
certain death. The fourth crossing party was exterminated in the
same way, and the pontoons drifted out to the Tigris to float past
our camp in the daylight with their freight of dead. The drafts who
went over were raised by volunteers from other battalions in the
brigade. These and the sappers on the bank share the honour of the
night with the attacking battalion. Nothing stopped them, save the
loss of the pontoons. A Lancashire man remarked: “It is a bit hot
here, but let’s try higher up,” but the gallant fellows were reduced to
their last boat. Another regiment, which was to cross higher up,
were delayed, as the boats had to be carried nearly a mile across
country to the stream. After the failure of the bridgehead passage
the second crossing was cancelled, but the men were still game.
On the second night the attempt was pursued with equal
gallantry. This time the attack was preceded by a bombardment.
Registering by artillery had been impossible on the first day in the
speed of the pursuit. It was the barrage that secured us the footing
—not the shells, but the dust raised by them. This was so thick that
you could not see your hand in front of your face. It formed a
curtain behind which ten boats were able to cross. Afterwards, in
clear moonlight, when the curtain of dust had lifted, the conditions
of the night before were re-established. Succeeding crossing parties
were exterminated, and pontoons drifted away, but a footing was
secured. The dust served us well. The crew of one boat which lost
its way during the barrage were untouched, but they did not make
the bank in time. Directly the air cleared a machine-gun was opened
on them, and the rowers were shot down, and the pontoon drifted
back ashore. A sergeant called to volunteers to get the wounded out
of the boat, and a party of twelve men went over the river bank.
Every man of them, as well as the crew of the pontoons, were killed.
Some 60 men had got over, and these joined up and started
bombing along the bank. They were soon heavily pressed by the
Turks on both flanks, and found themselves between two woods.
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