, ▁to ▁be ▁commanded ▁by ▁ ▁Ritter ▁von ▁Klaus , ▁the ▁senior ▁inf antry ▁commander ▁in ▁the ▁division . ▁ ▁For ▁several ▁weeks , ▁the ▁batt al ions ▁pract ised ▁for ▁the ▁attack ; ▁ ▁d ug outs ▁were ▁en larg ed ▁and ▁ ▁were ▁d ug , ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁the ▁attack ers ▁during ▁the ▁final ▁bomb ard ment . ▁Quick ▁entry ▁and ▁exit ▁from ▁the ▁d ug outs ▁was ▁re he ars ed ▁and ▁each ▁soldier ▁was ▁shown ▁a ▁gap ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁bar bed ▁wire , ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁pass ▁through . ▁The ▁attack ▁was ▁to ▁begin ▁at ▁ ▁led ▁by ▁bomb ing ▁parties ▁and ▁bay on et ▁men ▁identified ▁by ▁black ▁arm lets , ▁carrying ▁wire ▁cut ters , ▁sp ades ▁and ▁l add ers . ▁The ▁second ▁wave ▁in ▁white ▁arm b ands , ▁were ▁to ▁carry ▁ent rench ing ▁tools ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁wave ▁in ▁red ▁arm lets ▁were ▁to ▁follow ▁with ▁kn ife ▁rest s , ▁d ug out ▁frames , ▁steel ▁pl ates ▁and ▁pl anks . ▁Each ▁Non - comm ission ed ▁officer ▁was ▁to ▁wear ▁a ▁white ▁board ▁with ▁the ▁company ▁number ▁in ▁black , ▁to ▁keep ▁units ▁together . ▁After ▁several ▁weather ▁del ays , ▁the ▁batt al ions ▁were ▁brought ▁forward ▁by ▁train ▁to ▁Me urch in ▁ ▁east ▁of ▁H ull uch , ▁then ▁filtered ▁forward ▁in ▁small ▁groups ▁to ▁the ▁d ug - outs . ▁Ten ▁minutes ▁before ▁zero ▁hour , ▁the ▁troops ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁front ▁line