The first day of the Somme offensive was
the bloodiest in the history of the British
Army. More than 20,000 were killed and
60,000 injured. Sixty per cent of all the
officers were also killed on the first day.
The offensive, which took place between 1
July and 18 November 1916, was intended
as a decisive breakthrough for the allies.
Instead it became a slow battle of attrition
which led to more than a million casualties.
It was also a baptism of fire for the new armies of volunteers who responded to Lord
Kitchener's appeal to join up in 1914.
The Somme was originally intended as a heavy attack from the south by the French,
with British making a diversionary attack to the north.
But the battle of Verdun had used up so many French divisions that when the attack
was launched it was the British who undertook the main assault.
The main British effort took place along the line of the river Somme which marked he
junction of the British and French armies. The British attack was towards Baupaume on
a 15-mile front and the French towards Peronne on a 10-mile front.
After an eight-day preliminary bombardment, in which nearly 1.7 million shells were fired
at German positions, the allies attacked. But the shells were often of poor quality and
failed to destroy German dugouts.
Although the British came under heavy fire the French quickly broke through the
German lines. Haig sent the newly formed Fifth army to help hold the gains made by the
French.
For the next 10 weeks little headway was made in the battle. Both the British and the
French constantly shelled the Germans and making a few costly gains.
The British Commander-in-Chief, Sir Douglas Haig's use of what many criticized as
flawed tactics caused controversy. In Britian it contributed to the first signs of warweariness.
Haig was determined to batter his way through the German lines and on 15 September
he renewed the British offensive - this time using tanks for the first time in battle. They
helped to increase the allied penetration even though half of them failed to start due to
mechanical problems.
The battle finally ended on 19 November with an area approximately 25 miles long by
six miles wide won by the allies. After four months of fighting each side had sustained
more than half a million casualties.