On 25 September, the two leading battalions of the 26th Brigade attacked from the jumping-off trench at under the cover of the gas discharge, a smoke-shell barrage from Stokes mortars and phosphorus grenades, which formed a thick yellow screen. The gas was not blown far into no man's land and many British troops were poisoned. The gas and smoke persisted for long enough for the first infantry companies in the attack to form up behind it, ready to advance when the British artillery lifted off the German front trenches. The right-hand battalion advanced through the screen, into German small-arms fire, found the wire well cut but quickly entered the German trenches, finding little organised resistance from the garrison. The battalion bombed forward along communication trenches, North Face and South Face trenches to reach "Fosse" Trench around with few additional casualties. The troops continued towards "Fosse" 8, the cottages nearby and The Dump, as German troops retired towards Auchy and by the British had reached Three Cabarets and occupied Corons Trench east of the "fosse", before pausing to re-organise.