in the line, and the other two brigades and the TMBs moved into the line north of Ypres shortly afterwards. The duties included shooting at enemy strongpoints and reprisals for enemy shellfire, while the men worked to improve the gun positions and waggon lines. There was a further reorganisation of 39th DA between 18 and 30 January 1917 when CLXXIX Bde was broken up: C (H) Bty was split to make up the other brigades' D (H) Btys to six howitzers each. A/CLXXIX Battery joined CCLXXVII Brigade, RFA, a Lancashire Territorial Force unit operating as an Army Field Artillery (AFA) brigade; it saw extensive service on the Western Front, supporting a wide variety of formations at Ypres, Cambrai and the battles of 1918 (see below). Similarly, B/CLXXIX Bty joined CXIX AFA Bde. D (H) Battery was split between the howitzer batteries of these two AFA brigades. CLXXIX Brigade HQ was absorbed into 39th DAC, which reformed into two gun ammunition sections and one divisional small arms ammunition section. This gave 39th DA virtually its final organisation: CLXXIV Bde: A, B, C Btys (each 6 x 18-pdr), D (H) Bty (6 x 4.5-inch) CLXXXVI Bde: A, B, C Btys (each 6 x 18-pdr), D (H) Bty (6 x 4.5-inch) 39th TM Bde: X/39, Y/39, Z/39 Medium TMBs (re-equipped with Newton 6-inch mortars in July 1917) V/39 Heavy TMB (9.45-inch mortars) Third Battle of Ypres On 20 February 39th DA was relieved and went into reserve until 1 March, when it took over the Zillebeke sector. There was little activity apart from artillery cooperation for trench raids while the DAC waggons were employed bring up material for the forthcoming Third Ypres Offensive. Between 10 April and 5 May the brigades, TMBs and DAC were rotated into reserve and training near the coast. The rest of May was employed in building battery positions for the coming offensive. In the first week of June 39 DA took part in two demonstration bombardments in cooperation with the Battle of Messines. From their OPs on the higher ground the Germans could see the preparations for the offensive, and carried out their own CB bombardments against the massed British guns, especially around Zillebeke. Late in June C/CLXXXVI Bty was heavily shelled and had to leave its position after two gun pits were set on fire and ammunition blown up. On 28 June CLXXXVI Bde's HQ was also