The Sixth Army was reinforced near the river on 3 September, by XXXIII Corps with the 70th Division and 70th Division astride the river and VII Corps with the 45th Division, 46th Division, 47th Division and 66th Division. XX Corps on the French left was relieved by I Corps (Lieutenant-General Adolphe Guillaumat), with the 1st Division, 2nd Division and several fresh or rested brigades, were distributed to each corps. Control of the creeping barrage was delegated to commanders closer to the battle and a communications system using flares, Roman candles, flags and panels, telephones, optical signals, pigeons and message runners, was set up to maintain contact with the front line. Four French divisions attacked north of the Somme at noon on 3 September. Cléry was subjected to a machine-gun barrage from the south bank and VII Corps captured most of Cléry, much of the German position along the Cléry–Le Forêt road and all of the village of Le Forêt. On the left, I Corps advanced , occupied high ground south of Combles and entered Bois Douage in one hour.