In the center of the 158th Brigade’s attack sector, the 7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers ran into the enemy defense’s main line: a string of villages along the high ground south of the forest, defended by infantry backed by a handful of self-propelled guns or tanks. The 116th Panzer Division had cleverly installed a line of strong outposts on the high ground that dominated the southern edge of the forest. The absence of paved roads inside the forest and overall rough terrain further impeded the British advance. Through the thick forest south of Sur Waha, concealed German machine-gun outposts frequently blocked the slow advance. By midday, Sergeant Reginald Anstee’s patrol had reached the objective, a crossroads of trails in the forest called “Aux Tiers de Tailles” (on high ground, west of Chéoux). The leading company was then subjected to heavy shelling. At 1600, Lt. Col. R.K. Exham was planning a further attack for the next day when a German counterattack with considerable artillery support developed on the left flank of the battalion and regained some vital ground on the brigade front. The situation became anxious.

The sharp enemy counter-attack took the Fusiliers by surprise. The left forward company (D Company) was overrun; the next in line, C Company, ran short of ammunition and the battalion fell back in some confusion. The battalion’s remnants rallied around the reserve company’s positions, but suffered considerable casualties before they could stabilizer their front with the aid of large-scale artillery support. The Fusiliers held off further enemy attempts but spent an anxious and very uncomfortable night in the forest with enemy patrols roaming around. The 7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had been effectively eliminated from action; that evening the battalion reported three officers and 73 men remaining in A Company, one officer and 60 men in B Company, one officer and 31 men in C Company and two officers and 14 men in D Company, a total of 186 men. A fresh battalion immediately came forward to take their place.