The Germans had now fallen back to the Hindenburg Line, and there was a pause while the Allies prepared to storm this position. 32nd Division was transferred to IX Corps as its reserve. IX Corps was newly reformed and had been given the task of forcing the St Quentin Canal, considered one of the toughest sections of the Hindenburg Line. The canal was to be crossed by 46th (North Midland) Division, supported by 32nd DA and five AFA brigades as well as its own divisional artillery. Although the field artillery had not registered their guns, and the FOOs could see nothing through the morning mist and smoke barrage, the creeping barrage starting at 05.50 on 29 September was described as 'one of the finest ever seen'. It was arranged as 'lifts' (40 in total) at a pace of one every two minutes while the infantry rushed down to the canal, then one every four minutes for the rest of the operation, punctuated by standing protective barrages at each objective. Following the barrage the infantry of 137th (Staffordshire) Bde stormed across the canal using life-belts, improvised bridges, and Riqueval Bridge, which was captured intact. The brigade then reformed, protected by the barrage, before moving on again at 07.30. By 08.20 137th Bde had taken its second intermediate objective, and the other two brigades crossed to continue the attack when the barrage lifted again at 11.20. 32nd Division next crossed the canal, and its leading brigades were in position by 17.30. 32nd Divisional Artillery had begun limbering up and moving forward at 10.00: 'the valley in which they were was a most wonderful sight, black with crowds of gun teams swarming up to get the guns forward', the Chaplain remarked. However, the earliest that 32nd DA could provide a barrage was 18.00, and by then the German defence was stiffening. 32nd Division's attack did not make much progress, although 14th Bde did capture its second objective.