 Herbert Plumer's Second Army was given a parallel task, attacking the southern flank of the salient and guarding the BEF's southern flank.Anthoine then served as chief of staff to Petain, French commander in chief, but was dismissed as he was thought “too pessimistic” after the near catastrophe of the Third Battle of the Aisne in May 1918.After this disgrace, François Anthoine died many years later in 1944.