 The British planned to advance on a 17 @,@ 000 @-@ yard ( 16 @,@ 000 m ) front , from St. Yves to Mt . Sorrel east to the Oosttaverne line , a maximum depth of 3 @,@ 000 yards ( 2 @,@ 700 m ) . Three intermediate objectives to be reached a day at a time became halts , where fresh infantry would leap @-@ frog through to gain the ridge in one day . In the afternoon a further advance down the ridge was to be made . The attack was to be conducted by three corps of the Second Army ( General Sir Herbert Plumer ) : II Anzac Corps in the south @-@ east was to advance 800 yards ( 730 m ) , IX Corps in the centre was to attack on a 5 @,@ 000 yards ( 4 @,@ 600 m ) front , which would taper to 2 @,@ 000 yards ( 1 @,@ 800 m ) at the summit and X Corps in the north had an attack front of 1 @,@ 200 yards ( 1 @,@ 100 m ) . The corps planned their attacks under the supervision of the army commander , using as guides , the analyses of the Somme operations of 1916 and successful features of the attack at Arras on 9 April . Great care was taken in the planning of counter @-@ battery fire , the artillery barrage time @-@ table and machine @-@ gun barrages . 
