By the evening of the 30th the outpost line ran from the north of Dessart Wood (where it was in touch with the 8th Division) through Neuville and Ruyaulcourt; the main line of resistance remained unchanged. On the 1st of April the 60th Brigade relieved the 61st on the left of the line, and on the 2nd, Divisional Headquarters moved from Guillemont to Rocquigny. By the 1st of April reconnaissances had found the enemy rearguards holding a line covering Metz-en-Couture and the south-west corner of Havrincourt Wood. The object of the following operations was to capture this line. As a preparatory measure a small party of the 11th R.B. advancing over ground covered with snow tried to occupy Metz-en-Couture on the night 2nd/3rd, but found the village strongly held. A similar attempt made by the 10th R.B. on the following night met with the same result. The main line of resistance on the right was advanced during the night of the 2nd/3rd to a monument 1000 yards north of Fins, running thence west for 1000 yards and joining the Ytres--Bertincourt line half a mile north of Equancourt. On the 4th Brig.-General Browne-Clayton’s advanced guard attacked the enemy in front of it, while the 8th Division on the right advanced against Gouzeaucourt Wood and a line running thence to the south-east. A heavy snowstorm on the night before the attack added to the difficulties of the operation, but by 2.30 P.M. on the 4th, although the slush underfoot made the going very bad, the weather had to some extent improved. The advanced guard as constituted for this operation consisted of the 59th Brigade, the 59th Machine Gun Company, one section of the 217th Machine Gun Company, the whole of the Divisional Artillery, and two sections of the 83rd Field Company R.E. The operation was divided into two phases: 1. At zero (2 P.M.) an advance on the right of two battalions (the 10th K.R.R.C. on the right and the 11th K.R.R.C. on the left) to capture and hold the first objective, Metz-en-Couture. 2. At 3.25 P.M. an advance on the left of one battalion (the 11th R.B., with one company of the 10th R.B.) to capture the second objective, the enemy’s trench from the north-west corner of Metz to the south-west corner of Havrincourt Wood. The 60th Brigade and one section of the 217th Machine Gun Company were to assist by bringing machine-gun fire to bear on the south-west corner and the west side of the wood from all available guns which could be assembled in Neuville. The 12th King’s moved up into the line on the 3rd to enable the whole of the 59th Brigade to attack. By the morning of the 4th, battalions were disposed as follows: 10th K.R.R.C. (Lieut.-Colonel Ley) in Dessart Wood. 11th K.R.R.C. (Lieut.-Colonel Priaulx) at Fins. 10th R.B. (Lieut.-Colonel Troughton) holding a line about 1500 yards south-west of Metz, facing the village. 11th R.B. (Lieut.-Colonel Cotton) prolonging this line to a point 400 yards south-east of Neuville.