 Just after 5 : 00 a.m. all of the British second intermediate objective , the first trench of the German Höhen ( second ) line , on the near crest of the ridge , had been taken . German documents gleaned from the battlefield showed that they expected the forward crest of the ridge to be held until the Eingreif divisions arrived to counter @-@ attack ; the effect of the mines , artillery and British infantry tactics had been underestimated by the German command . The next objective was the rear trench of the German Höhen ( second ) line and the rear crest of the ridge , 400 – 500 yards ( 370 – 460 m ) away . There was a pause of two hours , for fresh battalions to move forward and the captured ground to be consolidated . About 300 yards ( 270 m ) beyond the forward positions , a protective bombardment by 18 @-@ pounders swept back and forth , while the heavier artillery stood ready to respond with SOS barrages . Pack animals and men carrying Yukon packs , brought supplies into the captured ground and engineers supervised the digging and wiring of strong @-@ points . At 7 : 00 a.m. the protective bombardment increased in intensity and began to creep forward again , moving at 100 yards ( 91 m ) in three minutes , as some divisions used battalions from their third brigade and other divisions those that had attacked earlier . Most of the tanks still operational were outstripped but some caught up the infantry . 
