taking the objective and Contalmaison Three battalions of the 17th (Northern) Division and 38th (Welsh) Division attacked towards Quadrangle Support Trench, part of Pearl Alley south of Mametz Wood and Contalmaison on 7 July, at after a brief bombardment. The Germans were alert and a counter-barrage began promptly; many British shells fell short on the leading British troops, who found the wire uncut and fell back, eventually returning to their start-line. Part of the left-hand battalion got into Pearl Alley and some found themselves in Contalmaison before being driven back by part of Infantry Regiment Lehr and Grenadier Regiment 9 from the fresh 3rd Guard Division, which had been able to take over from Mametz Wood to Ovillers. The Germans tried to extend their counter-attacks from the east of Contalmaison towards the advanced positions of the 17th (Northern) Division, which were eventually repulsed at about The troops, who had been delayed as they moved up to the start-line, advanced far behind the creeping barrage and were hit by machine-gun fire from Mametz Wood; the survivors were ordered back, apart from a few in advanced posts. On the right, part of the 50th Brigade had tried to bomb up Quadrangle Alley but was driven back. In the III Corps area on the left flank, the 68th Brigade of the 23rd Division was delayed by the barrage on Bailiff Wood until when a battalion reached the southern fringe before machine-gun fire from Contalmaison forced them back , as a fresh battalion worked along a trench towards the 19th (Western) Division on the left flank. The attack on Contalmaison by the 24th Brigade was to have begun when the 17th (Northern) Division attacked again on the right but mud and communication delays led to the attack not starting until after when two battalions attacked from Pearl Alley and Shelter Wood. Contalmaison was entered and occupied up to the church after a thirty-minute fight, in which several counter-attacks were repulsed. The attack from Shelter Wood failed because the troops were slowed by mud and caught by machine-gun fire from Contalmaison and Bailiff Wood; the battalion in the village withdrew later in the afternoon. An attempt to attack again was cancelled due to the mud, a heavy German barrage and lack of fresh troops. The 68th Brigade dug in on the west, facing Contalmaison and the 14th Brigade dug in on the south side. The