The basis of the plan was that an eight day, non-stop artillery barrage would cut German barbed-wire entanglements and utterly destroy German front-line positions. 

Around 750,000 troops (from 27 divisions) would then advance almost unopposed to capture Bapaume where retreating Germans would find themselves pushed into chaos behind their own rear-lines along a 40 mile salient. 

This would sever the northern wing of the German line (on the Belgian border) from its southern wing (on the Meuse and at Verdun), cutting German communications allowing the Allies to make encircling and pincer movements to neutralise enemy strength in northern France.