Once the survivors had advanced ninety metres, the next wave emerged from the trenches. By now the German artillery had joined the fight causing punishing losses. After a few hundreds metres, the courageous survivors met the worst blow of all. The artillery had hit the barbed wire. However, all it had done was to toss it into the air and let it come straight back down. After this happened several times the wire was in even more of a mess than at the beginning. Some attackers tried to bridge it with the corpse of a dead comrade; others tried to cut away at it. Many were too shocked to do anything constructive, and were simply killed where they stood. Anyone who became entangled suffered a similar fate (Fig.6).

Night finally came giving respite for those who were wounded or cut off from their units. Some managed to reach their own lines unaided; others were rescued by stretcher-bearers. Many, however, suffered a long drawn out death alone at the bottom of a shell hole. Night too gave a chance for the British commanders to reflect on the 60,000 casualties - 20,000 of them dead. The failings of the attack seemed clear. Once again the artillery had been inadequate. By attacking on as deep and wide a front , the intensity of the bombardment was lessened. However, it was not realised that already the battle was lost. Instead, it carried on for an incredible 142 days. As at Verdun, both sides had bled to death. In total, 420,000 British, 450,000 German and 200,000 French were killed or wounded as a result of tactics that were based on outdated battle plans. What started as a battle for a breakthrough switched to senseless adherence to a War of Attrition.