 Laffert had expected that the two Eingreif divisions behind Messines Ridge , would reach the Höhen ( second ) line before the British . The divisions had reached assembly areas near Gheluvelt and Warneton by 7 : 00 a.m. and the 7th Division was ordered to move from Zandvoorde to Hollebeke , to attack across the Comines canal , towards Wijtschate into the British northern flank . The 1st Guard Reserve Division was to move to the Warneton line east of Messines , then advance around Messines to recapture the original front system . Both Eingreif divisions were plagued by delays , being new to the area and untrained for counter @-@ attack operations . The 7th Division was shelled by British artillery all the way to the Comines canal , then part of the division was diverted to reinforce the remnants of the front divisions holding positions around Hollebeke . The rest of the division found that the British had already taken the Sehnen ( Oosttaverne ) line , by the time that they arrived at 4 : 00 p.m. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was also bombarded as it crossed the Warneton ( third ) line but reached the area east of Messines by 3 : 00 p.m. , only to be devastated by the resumption of the British creeping barrage and forced back to the Sehnen ( Oosttaverne ) line , as the British began to advance to their next objective . Laffert contemplated a further withdrawal , then ordered the existing line to be held after the British advance stopped . Most of the losses inflicted on the British infantry by the German defence came from German artillery fire . In the days after the main attack , German shellfire on the new British lines was extremely accurate and well @-@ timed , inflicting 90 percent of the casualties suffered by the 25th Division . 
