The Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916)
- Created by: e.walker28
- Created on: 11-05-15 23:23
The Battle of the Somme (July-August 1916)
- BEF grew in size and took over responsibility for defending more territory from the French
- The BEF expanded the miles of their trenches outwards to the south of the original area of Ypres
- By the spring of 1916 the border between the British and the French armies was around the valley of the River Somme
- Was chosen for the site for the joint British-French Summer 1916 offensive as it was the point were forces met each other
Strategic motive behind the attack = take pressure off the French
1916:
Britain, France and Russia launched a co-ordinated attack on the Germans to break the stalemate (in phase two)
- Had 2.5 million soldiers and was under the commandship of General Haig
Feb 1916:
Germans attacked the French at Verdun with their own strategy (to cause immense losses for the French) --> British aim = to take pressure off the French at Verdun
Meant that the offensive was primarily a British attack as German trenches were bombarded for a week in advance of the attack and everyone assumed that the German trench system and the barbed wire guarding it would be destroyed
ALSO because the French had had a reduced role in the joint assault
Before battle: artillery bombardment for a week existed to cut barbed wire and to destroy German trenches and dug-outs
- 1.5 million shells were fired (1m of shrapnel - not high explosives)
1st July 1916
Attack = by Fourth Army of Sir Henry Rawlinson who had 17 divisions available that was made of Kitchener's New Army troops:
- e.g. Pals' Battalion
- was on…
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