All the Allied armies began a rolling offensive all the way along the Western Front on 26 September. The BEF's Third Army stormed across the Canal du Nord on 27 September, and next morning 5th Division launched a follow-up attack. Because the designated assault brigade (13th Brigade) had suffered heavy casualties, 95th Brigade was substituted for it at short notice and only just got to the jumping-off position in time for Zero hour at 02.40. It ran into considerable opposition and 12th Gloucesters found both its flanks were open; 1st DCLI came up on the left later, but the right remained exposed and isolated German machine gun posts had to be dealt with using rifle grenades. It was not until 08.00 that the first village was taken. The brigade then had to resort to trench warfare methods to work its way up to the second objective on the slopes of Welsh Ridge by evening. 95th Brigade was also hung up when it attacked again next day, finding the pace of the creeping barrage too fast over broken ground. By the time it was relieved on 30 September 12th Gloucesters' casualties amounted to 52, 24 of them fatal, though it had taken about 120 prisoners.