In much of the new position, the new principle of reverse-slope positions with artillery-observation posts to the rear was not followed. Artillery observation posts were built in the front-trench system or in front of it. Trenches had been dug near a crest, on a forward slope or at the rear of a reverse slope, which replicated the obsolete positions being abandoned. The 1st Army commander, General Fritz von Below and his Chief of Staff Colonel Fritz von Loßberg rejected this layout since smoke and dust would make artillery observation from such positions impossible. They urged that the 1st Army section of the (Hindenburg Line) from Quéant, where it met the site of the (Wotan Line) to Bellicourt north of St Quentin, should have another position built in front of the new position, which would become the artillery protection position () behind the revised front system; the line already had to accommodate , which was sufficient to shelter local reserves. The new line would be similar but on reverse slopes, have dugouts for and be ready by 15 March. The existing artillery positions were scrapped and the artillery sited to dominate ground useful for the assembly of assault-troops, such as the La Vacquerie plateau. Rupprecht refused to delay implementation of Operation (the ) but having inspected the (Hindenburg Line) on 27 February, sanctioned the 1st Army proposal and provided three divisions and for the new construction, which turned the (Hindenburg Line) into the . Another two-trench system () was planned near the artillery reserve positions, which were about behind the existing battery positions, to be built as soon as labour became available. The extra position would ensure that an attack that captured the (Hindenburg Line), could not continue without a pause to move artillery into range of the . When complete the various positions had a depth of and the original Hindenburg Line had become an intermediate line (). Work began on another defensive position in the autumn of 1917, with the original Hindenburg Line as its front-trench system.