On the right was the French 42nd Division slightly in rear, having followed the Germans through St.Quentin and met with strong resistance beyond it.
The position to be attacked consisted of high rolling downs with deep traverse valleys, giving good cover for supports and forward guns, and on the right a broad longitudinal valley closed by a ridge on which stood the village of Mericourt.

The French had a stiff task in front of them, and did not propose to advance as far as the British--6,000 yards--with the result that even if they were successful our frontage, thrown back from left to right, would be 7,500 yards, and if unsuccessful over 10,000.

Added to this their zero hour was nearly an hour after ours, and there would be a very real danger of counter-attack from the right.

The Divisional Commander, therefore, decided to leave the valley severely alone to start with, merely smoking by guns and bombs from aeroplanes the Mericourt Ridge and attacking all along the high ground on the north.

As our attack and the French attack progressed the valley was to be cleared by three whippet tanks supported by the 1st Battalion West Yorks, lent to the 16th Infantry Brigade, while finally an attack from the high ground against the Mericourt Ridge would be delivered with a view to cutting off posts in the valley between the two attacks.