BATTLE OF THE SOMME
The Battle of the Somme 1 July - 18 November 1916 was a joint
operation between British and French forces intended to achieve a
decisive victory over the Germans on the Western Front after 18
months of trench deadlock. ... The British plan of attack was primarily
down to two commanders.
The Somme offensive began with the main objective of simply
relieving the pressure on the French at Verdun. In this it succeeded.
Moreover, it hurt the Germans badly and ultimately brought America
into the war. Many people agree the battle was an important step
towards Allied victory in 1918.
It lasted until November 1916. For many people, the Battle of the
Somme was the battle that symbolised the horrors of warfare in World
War One; this one battle had a marked effect on overall casualty
figures and seemed to epitomise the futility of trench warfare.
The plan went horribly wrong in three deadly ways: As heavy as the
artillery was, it was not nearly heavy enough to wreck concrete
fortifications well beneath ground level. At the same time, because
the fire had been so prolonged, it messed up the ground enough to
disorder infantry trying to advance in formation.
I don’t believe the problems encountered were Haig’s fault because
he wanted to give time the soldiers that were inexperienced time to
train and grow there skills though the French needed his help
immediately he thought they should grow their skills.