WAR infographic

Prelude

 

• The battle that defines the bloody nature of the First World War for the British...

• It was a massive operation of British and French forces intended to achieve an important victory over the Germans on the Western Front

• The attack was launched upon a 30 kilometers front

• the German defenses consisted of three lines

 

on 24 June 1916: 7-day preliminary bombardment

 

• The expectation was that the bombardment would destroy all German defenses.

• The allies fired 1,738,000 shells.

• 30% of the shells failed to explode.

• Allie artillery was unable to neutralize the German artillery

• The British commanders were confident the German defenses were destroyed... That was the absolutely crucial mistake...

 

on 1 July 1916: The first day of the Somme offensive

 

• The British army attacked north of the Somme with 14 infantry divisions

• The French attacked south of the Somme with 5 divisions.

• Allies expected, after the furious bombardment of enemy lines, an easy walk onto the German lines.

• Instead, they were met by terrible German fire

• The Bloody day resulted in 57,470 British casualties and 2,000 French casualties.

• This first day of the battle was the bloodiest in British military history.

• The British did not achieve the quick breakthrough and the Somme became a deadlocked battle.

 

The third phase of the battle was characterized by ruthless British attacks and equally determined counterattacks of German forces

 

From 2 to 13 July: Fourth Army fought to establish positions to cover the flanks of an assault on the German second defensive line. 

on 14 July: Approximately 6 km of the German line is seized.

By mid-July to mid-september: Ally forces captured strategic positions to prepare attack on the German third line of defenses with a new weapon, the tank (the British Mark)

• Of 49 tanks, only 36 reached their starting points. The tanks failed to have a crucial impact.

• They were, too few, too massive and too vulnerable to German artillery fire.

 

13 to 19 November: The last act of the Somme offensive

 

Allies failed to achieve all of their objectives

 

 

At the end...

 

• Wet winter weather and snow put an end after 140 days of fighting

• The allies had advanced only 13 km into German-held territory

• Allied losses were estimated at 623,000

  • 420,000 British and 200,000 French soldiers had been killed

• German losses were estimated at 500,000-660,000

• Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in human history

 

Interesting facts

 

• The Allies lost around 55 men per one meter of gained territory.

• The first major volunteered engagement in a war history until then: British Pals battalions. Battalions allowed friends, workmates and relatives to fight together. When a battalion was destroyed, it meant that majority of the men from a given place in Britain were killed.

• Both sides dug to save their lives. The Germans dug deep dugouts. The Allies developed smaller underground facilities because they thought they would soon be moving forward