▁preced ed ▁by ▁a ▁very ▁short ▁but ▁powerful ▁art illery ▁bar rage ▁which ▁caused ▁dam aged ▁to ▁the ▁def ensive ▁line . ▁Still ▁once ▁the ▁attack ing ▁Russian ▁and ▁French ▁inf antry ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁its ▁tren ches ▁and ▁reached ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁it ▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁very ▁powerful ▁art illery ▁bomb ard ment , ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁Bulgar ian ▁and ▁German ▁batter ies , ▁which ▁caused ▁great ▁confusion ▁among ▁its ▁ranks . ▁Thus ▁three ▁consecutive ▁waves ▁of ▁attack ing ▁inf antry ▁were ▁driven ▁back ▁to ▁their ▁starting ▁tren ches ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁inf antry ▁which ▁managed ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁" He int sel man " ▁was ▁decis ively ▁rep elled ▁by ▁its ▁German ▁def enders . ▁By ▁ 1 8 : 0 0 ▁the ▁attack ▁was ▁called ▁off ▁all ▁together . ▁ ▁Despite ▁this ▁set back ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁continued ▁to ▁hold ▁their ▁positions ▁on ▁" D ab its a " ▁but ▁the ▁initi ative ▁was ▁now ▁in ▁German ▁and ▁Bulgar ian ▁hands . ▁The ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 2 nd ▁Infantry ▁Brigade ▁colon el ▁von ▁Re uter ▁planned ▁to ▁re take ▁his ▁lost ▁positions ▁by ▁attack ing ▁from ▁both ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁east ▁sides ▁of ▁" D ab ica ". ▁The ▁art illery ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁attack ▁began ▁at ▁ 1 9 : 4 0 ▁and ▁delivered ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁bomb ard ment ▁on ▁the ▁Russian ▁positions . ▁Under ▁its ▁cover ▁at ▁ 1 9 : 5 5 ▁the ▁inf antry ▁counter