▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁In ▁a ▁di version ary ▁attack ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁Som me ▁front , ▁the ▁attack ing ▁troops ▁were ▁committed ▁to ▁a ▁short ▁advance ▁over ▁flat , ▁water log ged ▁country ▁against ▁strong ▁def ences ▁including ▁concrete ▁machine ▁gun ▁emp lac ements . ▁The ▁attack ▁was ▁tim ed ▁for ▁ 1 7 . 3 0 ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁July , ▁after ▁several ▁days ' ▁bomb ard ment ▁of ▁the ▁enemy ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁and ▁breast works . ▁ 2 / 4 th ▁Gl ouc esters ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁attack ing ▁batt al ions , ▁and ▁suffered ▁from ▁German ▁shell fire ▁while ▁they ▁waited ▁all ▁day ▁in ▁their ▁jump ing - off ▁positions . ▁When ▁the ▁signal ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁advance ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁hit ▁by ▁Sh rap nel ▁shell s ▁as ▁they ▁tried ▁to ▁exit ▁the ▁S ally ▁ports , ▁and ▁these ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁abandoned ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁went ▁' over ▁the ▁top ' ▁of ▁the ▁par ap et . ▁Once ▁in ▁No ▁man ' s ▁land ▁the ▁machine ▁gun ▁fire ▁was ▁so ▁inten se ▁that ▁they ▁made ▁no ▁progress . ▁The ▁attack ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster , ▁the ▁assault ing ▁batt al ions ▁taking ▁very ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties . ▁ 6 1 st ▁( 2 nd ▁SM ) ▁Division ▁was ▁only ▁used ▁for ▁tren ch - hold ing ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁Y pres ▁and ▁Camb rai ▁In ▁March ▁and ▁April ▁