, ▁they ▁were ▁driven ▁back ▁with ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁bar rage , ▁while ▁the ▁reserve ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁line ▁were ▁suffering ▁badly ▁from ▁German ▁How itzer ▁fire . ▁D ▁Company , ▁having ▁already ▁suffered ▁ 5 0 ▁per ▁cent ▁cas ual ties , ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁send ▁over ▁another ▁carrying ▁party ; ▁all ▁the ▁men ▁became ▁cas ual ties . ▁At ▁ 1 3 . 0 0 , ▁the ▁batt alion ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁send ▁forward ▁a ▁company ▁to ▁support ▁what ▁was ▁left ▁of ▁the ▁R angers ▁and ▁ 1 / 4 th ▁B n ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁tren ches , ▁but ▁at ▁ 1 3 . 3 0 ▁the ▁British ▁hold ▁on ▁the ▁German ▁tren ches ▁was ▁broken ▁by ▁counter - att acks ▁and ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁attempted ▁to ▁retre at ▁over ▁No - man ' s ▁land . ▁At ▁ 1 4 . 3 0 , ▁Battalion ▁H Q ▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁how itzer ▁shell ▁( the ▁command ing ▁officer ▁( CO ), ▁L t - Col ▁L . L . ▁Whe at ley , ▁was ▁d ug ▁out ▁alive ), ▁and ▁at ▁ 1 5 . 3 0 ▁the ▁CO ▁was ▁given ▁permission ▁to ▁withdraw ▁the ▁sh atter ed ▁batt alion ▁from ▁the ▁jump ing - off ▁tren ch ▁to ▁the ▁reserve ▁line . ▁The ▁batt alion ▁had ▁suffered ▁ 5 0 ▁per ▁cent ▁cas ual ties ▁in ▁the ▁action , ▁even ▁though ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁it ▁had ▁even ▁left ▁the ▁British