making a salient, extending our
front, as far as the Third Army was concerned, from a straight 7,000
yards to a curving 15,000 yards, thus affording the enemy a chance of
a blow at the sides and hinges of the salient, of which he availed
himself to good purpose ten days after our initial attack.

To ensure success the troops which were to undertake operations
practised with tanks in back areas, and officers and men went through
the operation on a carefully made ground model without being aware
what ground it represented. Units were brought up just before the 20th
of November, the day of the attack, marching by night and hiding in
villages and woods by day. In some cases battalions were quartered in
flat canvas erections, looking like ammunition or supply dumps. The
6th Division were fortunate in being in woods and destroyed villages.
No unusual activity on ground or in the air was allowed, no guns
registered as had been usual, even the Home mails were stopped for a
short period, and a screen of the troops which had held the line for
some time was kept in front trenches to the last. Under General Byng's
initiative the difficulty of tanks crossing the wide Hindenburg
Line trenches was overcome by each tank carrying on its brow a huge
faggot which it deposited in the trench at its selected crossing-place,
and which gave its tail a purchase to enable it to climb the opposite
side of the trench. The ground was very suitable for tanks, as it was
moderately hard grass land, and the first portion of the attack on
much of the front was downhill.

The III Corps (Lt.-Gen. Sir W. Pulteney) was on the right, and
consisted of the 12th, 20th, and 6th Divisions, which attacked in the
order named. The left corps (IV) consisted of the 51st and 62nd
Divisions. These covered the six miles with an average frontage of one
and a half miles. The 6th Division attacked on the front Villers
Plouich-Beaucamps, with the 71st Infantry Brigade (Brig.-Gen. P. W.
Brown) on the left next to the 51st Division, the 16th Infantry
Brigade (Brig.-Gen. H. A. Walker) on the right next to the 20th
Division. These two brigades were to advance about 3,000 yards to the
first objective (Ribecourt and spur to south-east of it), and another
1,000 yards to the second objective (support system). The 18th
Infantry Brigade (Brig.-Gen. G. S. G. Craufurd) was ordered to advance
through the 71st Infantry Brigade and secure the third objective about
a mile farther on (Prem