Editing First day on the Somme (section)

===Subsequent operations===
{{main|Battle of Albert (1916)}}

Haig visited the Fourth Army headquarters and discussed the continuation of the attack on 2 July, although in the confused situation the original plan was not changed. Pressure was to be maintained on the Germans to inflict losses and reach ground from which to attack the German second position, with particular emphasis on the capture of Fricourt. Gough, with the Reserve Army ready to exploit a gap was not called on and at {{nowrap|7:00 p.m.}} Rawlinson requested that he take over X Corps and VIII Corps, to reorganise the front astride the Ancre. The [[12th (Eastern) Division]] was sent to relieve the 8th Division and the 25th Division was moved closer to X Corps. Haig ordered the 23rd and 38th (Welsh) divisions to move towards the Somme front and at {{nowrap|10:00 p.m.}} the Fourth Army headquarters ordered all corps to continue the attack. Local conditions south of the Albert–Bapaume road led many officers to urge that the German defeat in the area to be exploited with fresh divisions but XIII Corps was ordered to consolidate and prepare to attack Mametz Wood with XV Corps, which was to capture Fricourt and advance towards Contalmaison, still thought to have been captured. III Corps was ordered to attack La Boisselle and Ovillers again and reach Contalmaison and X Corps and VIII Corps were ordered to capture all of the German first position and reach the intermediate line.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=481–483}}

In the afternoon of 1 July, the German survivors of the 28th Reserve Division and 12th Division and part of the [[10th Bavarian Infantry Division|10th Bavarian Division]] at Montauban Ridge, had been driven back to the {{lang|de|Braune Stellung}} (second position) from Ginchy to Longueval and Bazentin le Grand. The 12th Division arrived in the evening from Bapaume, was sent towards Combles and Ginchy and at {{nowrap|6:45 p.m.,}} a counter-attack was ordered to regain Montauban Ridge, between Favières Wood and Montauban. One regiment was to advance past the north end of Combles to Guillemont and re-capture the north end of Montauban, a regiment in the centre was to retake Favières Wood and the left regiment was to advance along the north bank of the Somme between Curlu and Maurepas, troops joining in from the second position. Dawn broke at {{nowrap|3:00 a.m.}} on 2 July, well before the advance reached Bernafay Wood and a British barrage quickly forced back the Germans into Caterpillar Valley. At La Briqueterie the German infantry were quickly repulsed, as was their attack along the river by French infantry south of Favières Wood. The 12th Division suffered many casualties and was withdrawn to the {{lang|de|Grüne Stellung}} (Green Position) around Maltz Horn Farm, an intermediate position in front of the {{lang|de|Braune Stellung}}.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=78–79}}