First Army had issued orders at 11.30pm for a general renewal of the attack at 11.00am on 26th September. Sir John French commented to Sir Douglas Haig about the futility of pushing reserves through a narrow gap in the enemy's defences, but he allowed his Army commander to continue to plan his own tactics.

There was mist, low cloud and rain all day.

At 1.10am, the Brigadiers of 24th Division met to consider their actions for the next morning. The heavy rain had now stopped. Reports were now confirming that Hulluch was still in enemy hands, contrary to earlier messages. The officers decided to continue the general advance across the Lens - La Bassee road and through the second German line, by moonlight. They had no intelligence concerning German strength or defences.

5.00am Orders are received by 15th Division. Reinforced by 21st Division, they are to recapture Hill 70 with an attack at 9.00am. It was proving virtually impossible to move artillery forward to support this attack, and ammunition supplies were dwindling - fresh ones being held up in traffic. The attack would be supported by artilley firing from their original positions, and the second German line would barely be touched. A bombardment of two rounds per gun per minute was ordered. In confusion, some units did not receive an order to withdraw from the most advanced positions, and British shells fell on their own infantry in places. Many infantry units did not receive orders to attack until 7.00am, and in at least one case, 8.00am.

5.30am Another heavy German attack against the 7/Royal Scots Fusiliers, on the Eastern side of the Loos Crassier, was repulsed with the assistance of the 11th Motor Machine-Gun Battery.

8.00am approx. The units of 21st and 24th Divisions had moved with great difficulty throughout the night, and had reached the advanced positions facing the enemy's second line, around Bois Hugo, Chalk Pit Wood, Chalet Wood and Hill 70 Redoubt. They were informed that a general attack had been ordered for 11.00am. First Army believed they had halted as ordered on the Lens-La Bassee road, and had been resting for some time.

9.00am The weakened battalions of 45th Brigade advanced up the slope of Hill 70, just as the mist cleared. They came under immediate fire from the Redoubt at the summit, but parties entered the trenches there and hand to hand fighting took place. After suffering continued losses, and unable to get around the flanks of the Redoubt, the survivors withdrew. 10/Yorkshire and 12/Northumberland Fusiliers of 62nd Brigade, advancing behind them, suffered the same fate. By 10.00am the attack had ended, German counterattacks retaking the entire Redoubt complex.

11.00am A heavy German bombardment fell on the forward positions. Without leaders, without food and exhausted, many men fell back into Loos village.

12.00 noon First Army orders 6th Cavalry Brigade to reinforce Loos area. They send 3rd Dragoon Guards and 1st Royal Dragoons forward, dismounted.

3.30pm A general retirement from the Hill 70 position took place. This unnecessary act was the result of some confused orders, the origins of which remain uncertain to this day. At the same time, various small units were moving into the Hill 70 positions to reinforce units there! The enemey counterattacked against the Loos Crassier, which was by now consolidated and strongly held by 1/20th Londons.

8.00pm The two cavalry regiments, having rallied men of 45th and 46th Brigades who were found retiring from Loos, enter and clear the village and re-establish the position on the lower slopes of Hill 70.

11.30pm Remainder of 3rd Cavalry Division moves to Loos, and completes the relief of 15th Division during the night.

Midnight A heavy German attack against the 1/South Wales Borderers of 3rd Brigade near the Vermelles-Hulluch road was repulsed with very heavy loss to the attackers.

1.00am A heavy attack by the German 117th Division was launched against the forward units of 7th and 9th Divisions between the Vermelles-Hulluch road and Fosse 8. It achieved complete surprise, catching wiring parties and isolated sections unawares. On the right, 20th Brigade pulled all advanced units back to the protection of Gun Trench. In the centre, the most forward units were in a shallow trench a hundred yards ahead of the Quarries. Their left had no contact with the 27th Brigade of 9th Division, which was somewhere away on their left. A reorganisation of scattered and mixed-up units was underway - under shellfire that included gas shells - when the German attack hit. The enemy entered the Quarries through the undefended gap to the North, and much confused and hand to hand fighting took place. By 1.30am the British troops had lost the Quarries. Further advance was halted by concentrated fire from the 2/Yorkshire and 1/South Staffordshire. 27th Brigade - who lost their CO, Brig-General Bruce, captured in the Quarries - withdrew from Fosse Alley in good order. A hastily arranged counterattack with the intention of retaking the Quarries was delivered at 6.45am by the dog-tired 9/Norfolks of 24th Division, but it was annihilated by consolidated enemy infantry. At Fosse 8, the enemy infantry cheered as they approached the British positions 100 yards away, and fire from 26th Brigade and 73rd Brigade (placed under orders of 9th Division and just arriving after their night marches) destroyed the attack.

7.00am A composite Brigade (consisting of 1/KRRC, 1/Royal Berkshire and 2/Worcestershire, under command of Lt-Col. B. Carter and now called Carter's Force) arrives from 2nd Division, with orders to assist a I Corps attack on Cite St Elie. Corps instead sends them to recapture the Quarries. There is much delay in preparing for this attack, during which the Berkshires are detached and sent to assist 9th Division and 73rd Brigade at Fosse 8.

9.00am A German counterattack at Bois Hugo is brought to a standstill, but only after much confusion and loss to 63rd Brigade.

10.00am British artillery begin a bombardment preliminary to the renewed attack. Many batteries have by now moved up, and are in the open near Le Rutoire and Lone Tree. German artillery opens and maintains fire on the exposed gunners. Few British shells fall on the German second line, which is complete, reinforced and protected in front by masses of untouched wire.

10.05am XI Corps orders Guards Division to move to original British trenches astride Vermelles road, ready to explout the anticipated success of the attack.

10.30am The German counterattack continues and men of 63rd Brigade retire in disaay from Chalk Pit Wood. The enemy captures Chalet Wood. 6/Cameron Highlanders make repeated efforts to recapture it.

10.50am The attack orders reach the battalions of 21st Division and 24th Division. They had no specific objectives.

11.00am The remainder of the attacking units move forward from the Bois Hugo area towards the German second line. They have had little rest, and for many no food or water since yesterday. The various orders to deploy battalions piecemeal, together with the defence against counterattacks, has reduced what was intended to be an attack by 24 battalions to just 6. The 4 battalions of 72nd Brigade advanced over open ground, starting some 1000 yards West of the La Bassee road, and were in such good order that they had the effect of reinvigorating 63rd Brigade on their right. However, once again men of this Brigade lost direction and moved towards the summit of Hill 70, taking them across direct fire from Chalet Wood and Bois Hugo, both places they should have been approaching frontally. The advance of 72nd Brigade, composed now of 8/Royal West Kents and 9/East Surreys, together with half of 2/Welch, came under severe enfilade and frontal fire which included point-blank artillery. These units also reported British shellfire falling among them. 8/Buffs, 8/Queen's, 11/Essex and 9/Suffolks were all pushed into this murderous area. (The first three named all lost their Commanding Officers, killed in action here). Only a thin line reached the virtually undamaged German wire by about 1.00pm. All attempts to cut the wire failed with heavy casualties, and the remaining men took cover in long grass. At a shouted order to retire, men withdrew - many being hit by machine-gun fire as they did so. Those who did not retire were killed or captured.

11.00am Many misunderstandings and miscommunications, together with the heavy losses incurred by the units the day before, lead to a serious problems in the attempted advance of 1st Division. It made no progress.

12.20am The advance of 63rd and what is left of 64th Brigades has been broken, with survivors falling back down Loos valley. The 9/KOYLI and 10/KOYLI take up the advance (although Brigade was frantically trying to get orders to them to stop them doing so), which has the effect of rallying some of the retiring men. They are also swept by fire from Chalet Wood and Bois Hugo, and the survivors retire.

1.30pm The retirements of most units of 21st and 24th Divisions mean that there is a mass of men falling back unmolested on the entire front between The Vermelles-Loos and the Vermelles-Hulluch roads. Only isolated groups clung on to the advanced positions in long grass, in the hope of reinforcement. German medical personnel assist in providing first aid to British wounded.

2.00pm Bombardment of the Quarries begins again.

4.00pm Carter's Force finally makes it's attack on the Quarries. Progress is slow, despite the regular units using 'fire and movement' tactics. They reach a position 200 yards short of the Quarries and halt after heavy casualties. They consolidate their position. Major-General Capper, OC 7th Division, receives a fatal wound while close to the advance.

4.00pm Staff of XI Corps finally understand from reports that the attack of their Divisions has failed. Gradually the groups of men straggling rearward were brought under control, and placed in the shelter of the old British and German front lines. Coincidentally Sir Douglas Haig is present at Corps HQ. He has already requested Sir John French that the Guards Division be placed under his orders, to restore the situation. Confirmation arrives at 4.02pm.

Enemy units move out from Bois Hugo and take up positions along the Lens-La Bassee road. In so doing they surround and capture 500 men of 24th Division who are still lying out in the most forward positions.

During the evening and night, the three Brigades of Guards Division moved into the original British trenches between Loos Road redoubt and Le Rutoire. They relieved most of the units of 21st and 24th Divisions.

The men of 73rd Brigade holding the positions east of Fosse 8 are in an exhausted condition, having no food, water or sleep for 48 hours.

12.00 noon Heavy enemy shelling of Fosse 8 and tracks to the North (Trois Cabarets), begins and continues all afternoon and evening.

Mine buildings at Fosse 8 : date uncertain

This front had settled down to an uneasy period of consolidation.

The shattered units of 15th, 21st and 24th Divisions were in process of relief at Loos and Hulluch, with 3rd Cavalry and Guards Divisions taking their place. This area was relatively safe from attack, although the enemy had moved their advanced positions forward from their second line and they remained in possession of Hill 70 and the Quarries. There was concern about the condition of troops holding Fosse 8, and their ability to withstand enemy attack. Roads behind the lines remained very congested, with many units struggling to move supplies forward. Parties clearing teh houses of Loos village were still finding enemy troops in hiding.

After the battle, the tracks leading to the Loos area are strewn with the devastation of destroyed British transport