Complex sentence: On 31 May, the Germans nearly punched through at Nieuport, and the situation grew so desperate that two British battalion commanders had to personally man a Bren gun, with one colonel firing and the other loading.
Split into simpler sentences: On 31 May, the Germans nearly punched through at Nieuport. The situation grew so desperate that two British battalion commanders personally manned a Bren gun, with one colonel firing and the other loading.