Zero was at 9.25 A.M., when the assaulting troops advanced to within 70 yards of the barrage. As soon as the barrage lifted, they attacked the position. The D.C.L.I., under Captain Macmillan, the second in command, established themselves in the first objective, where they captured 100 prisoners and 2 minenwerfer. They found, however, that they were not in touch with the Somersets, though they met an isolated company of this battalion. Due largely to the splendid efforts of Lance-Cpl. R. V. E. Hill and Pte. C. Barrow, who both received the M.M. for their gallant action on this day, the Somersets gained the German line on a front of 150 yards, taking 50 prisoners and 2 machine guns. They held their position while they dug another trench just to the west of it; then having used all their own bombs and all that they had captured from the enemy, they had to fall back to the new trench. The time laid down for the advance to the second objective was 10 A.M., but Captain Macmillan, 7th D.C.L.I., seeing that the attack on the left was not progressing, decided not to attempt any further advance. It appears that, owing to the late hour at which the orders were received and to the difficulty of effecting the necessary reliefs, the Guards were late in launching their attack, and then meeting with strong opposition were unable to make much progress. The Somersets came under very heavy machine-gun fire, from which they suffered severely. As early as half-past ten they were reported to have only two junior officers left. In spite of running short of bombs and ammunition, they held on in the trench they had dug until they were relieved at night. The D.C.L.I., meanwhile, with a gap between them and the Somersets, were left with both flanks in the air. They too had lost heavily, and all battalion bombers had been wiped out by minenwerfer. The K.O.Y.L.I. came up and made their right flank secure, and when a counter attack developed on their left they borrowed two bombing sections from this battalion, and with their help drove the enemy back. At 10.45 A.M. the 12th King’s went up to reinforce the line under very heavy machine-gun fire from the front, right, and right rear. About 6 P.M. the 84th Field Company R.E. came up and constructed strong points on the flanks, and at dusk a platoon of the K.O.Y.L.I. with a Lewis gun and a bombing section dug in, with the assistance of a party of R.E. on the left of the D.C.L.I. During the operations Lieut.-Colonel B. B. Robinson, commanding the 7th K.O.Y.L.I., was wounded by a shell which hit the battalion headquarters, killing or wounding all officers there. At night all units of the brigade were relieved.