Haig chose to push forward despite everything, as he couldn't bear the cost of failure.
Pershing's repeated objections, Shire's judgment, the latter even issued warnings to the public through the newspapers.
All of these were ignored by Haig.
If he conceded defeat now, he, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, would lose face.
...
The Walterine Forest, southwest of Saarbrücken.
Major General Tonyo and his 21st Infantry Division were stationed at the forest's outskirts, most of his troops were local recruits because the Colonial Army was unruly lately.
However, Major General Tonyo was unalarmed by casualty concerns.
His mission was simple: build a defensive line encircling the forest to prevent Germans from launching a counterattack, thereby safeguarding the supply line behind.
Upon arrival at their destination, Major General Tonyo immediately ordered the digging of trenches, setting up barbed wires, and planting landmines.
