By concentrating their efforts on the three main valleys, i.e.Noreuil Valley on our extreme left, Lagnicourt Valley in the centre and Morchies Valley on our extreme right, they avoided much of the fire which they would have encountered on the broad spurs, and thus worked round and isolated the garrisons of the latter.

For five hours the bombardment continued with tremendous force, first with gas and H.E.on back areas to cut communications and disorganize reinforcements, later about 7 to 8 a.m.
with smoke and H.E.on the forward system.

The intensity of it may be gauged by the fact that four out of five concealed anti-tank guns were knocked out by direct hits.
This bombardment annihilated the garrisons of the forward system, and few survivors came back to the reserve line.
The only authenticated accounts of a successful resistance in the front system were from the 71st Infantry Brigade, where both 9th Norfolks and 2nd Sherwood Foresters repulsed the first attack.

By 10.30 a.m.the enemy had nearly reached Noreuil and had driven back the 59th Division on our left, leaving the left flank of the 16th Infantry Brigade in the air, while its right flank went shortly afterwards, as the enemy captured Lagnicourt, driving in the Sherwood Foresters in the valley.

The 16th Infantry Brigade was gradually squeezed out towards the corps line, where at 4 p.m.parties from the Divisional Bombing School counter-attacked and drove the enemy out of trenches on the immediate left.