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The Battle of Somme
-Western front War, the “trenches”,
-The Allies developed a plan.
-France gave the idea for an operation at the point in the Allied line where the Britannic and the French armies met.
-40 km front on the River Somme in the northern France.
-Battle in Verdun (21 February 1916). The Germans attacked the French, so the British started their plan earlier in order to help their ally. -
The Bombarment Artillery
The seven-day bombardment began on 24 June 1916. (1.5 million shells). Its goal was to cut the barbed wire in front of the German lines and destroy the enemies’ trench defenses. It was believed that with the bombs, the Germans would be weak, opening space to cross the no man’s land. But it did not achieve its goal. The guns were too thinly spread for the task. The German defenses were not destroyed, and the wire remained uncut. The Allies used mines to destroy the German lines before battle. -
The Plan
The French had a good military, but Britain didn’t. Haig had confidence to gamble a breakthrough. Rawlinson wanted to do a more prepared attack. Haig wanted to take the Germans by stretching the available gun power too far. The French resources were shrinking (Verdun). The instruction was that the troops had to move into the open land and take possession without knowing if the bombardment had paralyzed the resistance. The Fourth Army's troops, advanced first at “a steady pace”(30 kg) -
The first day
At 7:30 am on 1 July 1916, Britain divisions attacked. The bombardment had failed to cut the German barbed wire or damage the defenses. They were unable to passed through the land before the Germans attacked. Haig’s army met a storm of machine-gun rifle and artillery fire (57,000 casualties). They had a substantial British success in the south, where they did enter. -
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Following Fighting
Rawlinson’s Fourth Army fought to capture Trones Wood Mamentz Wood and Contalmaison to cover the flanks of an assault on the German second main defensive position. -
Logueval Ridge
British divisions made a dawn attack on Logueval Ridge. Seizure of the German line (5,486m) of the German line, but the Germans in Delville Wood held out until 27 August. High Wood was unoccupied on the morning of the 14 July. It was, until two months later, that they managed to occupy it. -
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Pozières Village struggle
Australian division led by Gough's Army were involved in a costly but successful event in Pozières village.It was an alternative approach into the rear of the Thiepval defences. -
Debut of the tank
By mid-September, the British were ready to attack with the tank. The objective on September 15 was for the Fourth Army to capture the German defenses at Flers, Geudecourt, Lesboeufs, and Morval. The troops of the Gough's Canadian Reserve Army's goal was to take Courcelette. Only 39 of 49 tanks reached their strating points, causing the alarming of the German defenses. The advance was limited to 2,286m on a 4.8km front. -
Thiepval Ridge
Gough's Reserve Army began an attack on the Thiepval Ridge from Redoubt to north of Courcelette. Mouquet Farm and Thiepval fell to the British hands. -
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Fourth Army
The Fourth Army was moving towards Le Transloy, capturing Le Sars on 7 October. The rain brought some difficulties in the battlefield. -
Fighting in Schwaben
The fighting in Schwaben Redoubt ended. -
Regina Trench
The Canadians were involved in the Regina Trench battle until 10 November. -
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Ancre sector
The last conflict of the Somme battle took place in the Ancre sector. The conflict started despite several postponements because the need of Britain to make a good impression at the inter-Allied conference at Chantilly on November 15. Gough's Reserve Army, attacked the River Ancre in order to reduce the German principal land between Serre and the Albert-Bapaume road. -
The end of the Battle of Somme
The British had conquered and 32 km long territory, but still 5 km away from Bapume. The French had stopped short of Péronne. During the Battle of Somme, the British had managed to weaken the Germans, but they didn't achieve their goals and the war continued for 2 years. There were a million of casualties. Although, the battle didn't show results in a short term, it is said that this conflict was fought to meet the needs of the Allies and served to contribute to the victory in 1918.