The direction of the attack was north-east, with the left resting on the Ypres-Staden railway. The extent of the front increased from 1000 yards on the Steenbeek to 1400 on the final objective. The boundary between brigades as far as the first objective was the Langemarck road; it then skirted the south of Langemarck and of Schreiboom. It will be seen that this gave a wider front to the 61st Brigade than to the 60th until the final objective was reached. The reasons for this were as follows:
(1) The 61st Brigade was thus made responsible for the whole village of Langemarck.
(2) The 60th Brigade on a narrower front would be able to keep one battalion in reserve; this brigade was more liable to be attacked from the direction of Poelcapelle, where the enemy was known to keep his reserves.
(3) If the 61st Brigade were held up at Langemarck, the 60th, by working round to the south-east, could partially surround the village.
The 60th Brigade was to attack the first and second objectives on a one battalion front with the 6th Oxford and Bucks L.I.; the 6th K.S.L.I. and the 12th K.R.R.C. were then to advance to the final objective. If all went well this would leave one battalion (the 12th R.B.) still in reserve.
The 61st Brigade was to advance throughout on a two battalion front, two half battalions of the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. and the 7th Somerset L.I. being allotted to each of the first and second objectives; the 12th King’s and the 7th D.C.L.I. being detailed to attack the third.
Special arrangements were made to deal with Au Bon Gite. The company of the 11th R.B. which had made the original assault on the 14th, and a party of the 83rd Field Company R.E., were to advance with the first wave of the Oxfords and reduce this place while the main attack pressed forward on either side.
The 11th Division was on the right of the 20th and the 29th Division on the left, and at certain fixed points during the advance touch was to be gained with these divisions.
The Right Artillery of the XIVth Corps (the 20th and 38th Divisional Artilleries) covered the attack with standing and creeping barrages, pausing on the first objective for twenty minutes and on the second for an hour, so that under cover of smoke shells the infantry might have time to re-form or to come up to the objective should the attack have been delayed. The Corps heavy guns co-operated in the barrage on areas further behind the enemy’s lines. A machine-gun barrage was provided by the four machine gun companies with the exception of half of the 60th and half of the 61st, which accompanied their brigades.
The attacking troops formed up during the night of the 15th/16th. It was, of course, of the utmost importance that they should take up their position east of the Steenbeek without the knowledge of the enemy. As the enemy’s posts opposite the 60th Brigade were at an average distance of 150 yards from the stream and only 80 yards opposite Au Bon Gite on the front of the 61st Brigade, this was an extremely difficult manœuvre. During the night the 83rd and 84th Field Companies R.E. placed bridges, covered with canvas, across the Steenbeek, Lieut. E. C. Delamain of the 84th Field Company being awarded the M.C. for his work during the night. Further, Major P. G. Norman, commanding 84th Field Company, carried out the very hazardous task of laying tapes under severe fire to mark the forming-up places on the cast bank of the stream. It reflects great credit on all who directed the operation and on the troops who earned it out that in spite of the enemy’s shelling, which was at times severe, and of machine-gun fire from Au Bon Gite, the leading battalions formed up in their positions apparently without the enemy being aware of their presence.