For Your Historians: The Battle Of The Somme In pictures, 1916

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Link: The Battle of the Somme in pictures, 1916

 

The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was one of the largest battles of the First World War. It was fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire and it took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

 

In December 1915, Allied commanders had met to discuss strategies for the following year and agreed to launch a joint French and British attack in the region of the River Somme in the summer of 1916. The location was mainly chosen as it was where French and British forces on the Western Front met. But the German attack on the French at Verdun in February 1916 forced Britain to take the lead in the Somme offensive.

 

A seven-day preliminary bombardment began on 24 June 1916 in an attempt to cut the barbed wire in front of the German lines and destroy trench defences and artillery. In the week leading up to the battle, over 1.5 million shells were fired.

 

The British believed that the Germans would be so shattered by this massive bombardment that British troops would be able to cross no man’s land and occupy the German trenches. Haig instructed General Rawlinson to prepare for ‘a rapid advance’. However, the British guns were too thinly spread to achieve this goal and around two thirds of the shells were shrapnel, which were largely ineffective against the concrete dugouts. To make matters worse, it has been been estimated that as many as 30% of the shells failed to explode. The British artillery was also unable to neutralise the German artillery, which would prove critical on the first day of the battle...

 

In the week leading up to the battle, over 1.5 million shells were fired.

[jdoyle]

1 Gt Grandfather was there digging under the Somme with 179 Tunnelling Company, RE. Exploded the Lochnagar and Y Sap mines @ 7:28am 1st July 1916.

 

Somme was the first mass appearance of the Brodie steel helmet.