The fate of “A” and “B” Companies was still harder, and to understand it the reader must again turn to the map. The two companies advanced rapidly behind our barrage and entered Snag Trench, Captain Whiting, who commanded “B” Company, being mortally wounded half-way across. They failed, however, to realize that they had reached their objective, and continued beyond it. The whole place was so battered by shell-fire that the trench outlines had become obscure. They saw about 600 yards on their right some of the Highlanders of the 26th Brigade, but they had now wholly lost touch with their flanks, and the enemy was filtering in between them and their old front. Lieutenant Stapleton with a few stragglers succeeded in returning, after killing some twelve Germans and taking nineteen prisoners; two officers and sixteen other ranks were captured; but with these exceptions all the men of “A” and “B” Companies were killed.[15] At daybreak a gallant attempt was made by Major Ormiston, commanding the troops on the Pimple, to bomb along the trench leading to the junction of the Tail and Snag trenches, but it broke down under machine-gun fire from the German strong-point at the Nose. A block was established about 50 yards up the trench from the Pimple, but no further progress could be made, since the trench dipped into a hollow, and was wholly commanded by the Germans at the Nose. Such was the position on the morning of the 18th. During the night a company of the 3rd Regiment, under Captain Langdale, had been moved forward to the front line and put at Dawson’s disposal, and a company of the 4th Regiment was sent to replace it in the support line. Presently Langdale took up his position in Pearse’s Trench, and on Dawson’s instructions sent out a patrol to look for “A” and “B” Companies. The patrol returned at two in the afternoon, having obtained no information. The situation, therefore, was that “C” Company had failed in the attack with heavy losses, and that “A” and “B” Companies had disappeared. The key of the enemy position was clearly the Nose, and until this could be thoroughly bombarded progress was impossible. Communications, however, were so difficult that all day Dawson was asking for the bombardment of the Nose, and all day our guns were firing on the wrong point.