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Battle of the Somme: A History
from Beginning to End
(World War 1)
Hourly History
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A must read for anyone unfamiliar with the horrors of WWI.
"“It’s the end of the 1916 winter, and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it, and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can’t escape it, not even by dying.”
"—Private Edward Lynch"
WWI was war of mud. War by one of the Royal mob against his cousins, achieving revenge against one who had spurned him - by getting her family annihilated and clan decimated by massacres.
WWII, of bombardment of cities from Rotterdam to Nagasaki, of whole villages burnt alive and anyone escaping shot dead to the tune of two million across Belarus and Russia by nazis, apart from extermination camps, and Mengele et al using camp inmates for experiments.
It was war for civilisation that ended up threatening existence in turn.
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"Despite the willingness of the new British troops to be part of the war effort and fight, there is no substitute for experience. Both the British troops and those leading them were training while on the job, but a battlefield with shells exploding all around was no place for soldiers to learn about combat. While the soldiers were undoubtedly courageous, they were also understandably confused and likely traumatized by the carnage and death around them, leading to many mistakes. Nevertheless, despite the stress of the situation, the inexperienced British soldiers did succeed in, albeit slowly, pushing the Germans back."
There's no mention of the troops from India that were massive in number, over a million, and more than proved their worth despite extremely cold unfamiliar weather, shortage of daylight and unfamiliar terrain.
Does this point at racism of Hourly History, publishers and authors?
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"“Every Englishman has a picture of the Somme in his mind, and I will not try to enlarge it.”
"—A. P. Herbert"
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"The Somme Offensive will be remembered for many things. For instance, it was the first battle that would see tanks deployed. Mostly though, the Battle of the Somme, and particularly its first day, will be remembered for its brutal carnage and astonishing loss of life that was typical of First World War trench warfare. The first day of the Somme remains the bloodiest in British military history, and it has also come to symbolize the loss of life during the whole war.
"Haig and others were heavily criticized for continuing with the Somme Offensive when they were incurring such enormous losses. It was the first major battle to be fought by Lord Kitchener’s Pals battalions, volunteers who knew each other. They were relatives, workplace colleagues, and members of the same community. Men who, having volunteered in a fit of patriotic fervor, would end up fighting and dying alongside one another in a foreign country, many miles from home. These weren’t people who ever thought they’d be soldiers going to war.
"For many, the offensive also came to represent a loss of innocence as shelling was used on an unprecedented level, forever changing how wars were fought. For others still, the Battle of the Somme would serve to highlight the futility of war, as after seven days of near-continuous bombardment, the bloodiest day in British history, and almost five months of trench warfare, the campaign was a failure that did not bring the expected breakthrough and victory against the Germans on the Western Front.
"Still, despite the various failures of the Somme Offensive, many German positions in France were damaged or taken, prompting strategic retreats by the Germans in 1917. The Somme Offensive saw Britain introduce modern all-arms mass-industrial warfare to the battlefield, taking the strategic initiative and causing the German Army catastrophic damage from which it could not recover. As Captain von Hentig, a staff officer with the German Guard Reserve Division, said, the Somme “was the muddy grave of the German Field Army.”"
Perhaps that was the real humiliation that Hitler sought to avenge, but couldn't mention?
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"The Territorial Force had been created in 1908 and was an element of the British Army that was made up of part-time volunteers. It was overseen by the War Office and was originally created to avoid turning to conscription for men to supplement the regular army abroad in expeditionary operations. At the outset of the First World War, there was a huge surge of volunteers who signed up for foreign service. These volunteers would have their first taste of the war during 1914’s German offensive on the Western Front. They would go on to bridge the gap between the near-collapse of the regular army in 1914 and the 1915 introduction of the New Army. Despite its willingness to fight, the regular army never considered the Territorial Force a real military force, and it was also spoken of with disdain by those who favored conscription."
One recalls seeing All Quiet On The Western Front, and wondering, fleetingly but definitely, about its status as a thought provoking film, which it is - but never lambasted for its tone of criticism if not outright denunciation, instead of the usual reverence for soldiers, army, Allied efforts, et al.
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"Lord Kitchener, then-British Secretary of State for War, regarded the Territorial Force as being made up of amateurs led by “middle-aged professional men who were allowed to put on uniform and play at soldiers.” The Territorial Force was disappointed at Lord Kitchener’s eventual decision in 1914 to keep it in Britain for home defense in favor of raising the New Army. However, Kitchener would soon change his mind, and the Territorial Force would end up fighting the German offensive on the Western Front and the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey, amongst others."
How much were they responsible for the disaster of the Gallipoli Campaign?
"Kitchener’s objections to the Territorial Force weren’t solely to do with professional prejudice. He was concerned that local County Territorial Associations could not manage the recruitment and training of large numbers of volunteers. The initially low number of volunteers signing up for overseas operations also led him to believe it would be better used for home defense.
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"The First World War was famously predicted to be over by Christmas 1914, but Kitchener was one of a relatively few who voiced their opinion that the war would be long and brutal. Instead of relying solely on the Territorial Force, Kitchener decided to raise a New Army, also known as Kitchener’s Army. It was initially a volunteer force, just like the Territorial Force.
"To speed up the recruitment drive, General Henry Rawlinson suggested that more men would sign up if they were promised they could serve with their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members rather than be assigned to a battalion arbitrarily. He reached out to the City of London for the stockbrokers to set an example. Within a week, 1,600 stockbrokers had enlisted to be part of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, nicknamed the “Stockbrokers’ Battalion.”
"Soon after, the Earl of Derby had 1,500 men enlist in Liverpool. He told them: “This should be a battalion of pals, a battalion in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honor of Britain and the credit of Liverpool.” With three more battalions raised in Liverpool within days, Kitchener was convinced of the approach and promoted it all over the country.
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"Thus, fortifications were made with enlarged barbed wire obstacles using double and triple thickness wire. Rather than one trench line, the Germans had dug three, roughly 150-200 yards (140-180 meters) apart. Sentry groups occupied the first trench while the second protected most of the front-trench garrison. The third was for local reserves. Communication trenches extended to the reserve line, where they were as well-constructed and equipped as the first position.
"The Germans even built a telephone line to connect the front line with the artillery. With artillery organized in a series of barrage sectors, each officer knew which batteries covered his section of the front line and which would engage targets. A line of strongpoints was also constructed roughly 1,000 yards (900 meters) behind the front line. By the time the battle at the River Somme began, construction was almost complete on a third defensive position located roughly two miles (three kilometers) behind the strongpoints.
"Despite all these fortifications, the German defenses had two crucial weaknesses that had still not been addressed. Their front trenches were highlighted by white chalk, making them easily visible to observers on the ground. The other weakness was that the defenses were gathered closely together toward the front trench. Within only about 2,000 yards (1,800 meters) of no man’s land, there was a regiment with two battalions, the reserve battalion, and the second position. Most troops were located within 1,000 yards (900 meters) of the front line. The clearly visible front line with troops closely gathered behind it meant it would bear the brunt of an Allied artillery bombardment.
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"For the Allied forces, the objectives were simple: relieve pressure on the French still battling at Verdun and inflict as many losses as possible on the Germans. In the first phase of their battle plan, the British and French forces expected to take 15 miles (25 kilometers) of the German first line, from Montauban to Serre, after an artillery bombardment that would last five days. Meanwhile, the Third Army would set up a diversion at Gommecourt.
"The second phase would see the Fourth Army take the German second position, from Pozières to the Ancre and then south of the Albert-Bapaume Road, ahead of taking their third position, south of the road toward Flers. The Reserve Army would then capitalize on the success by advancing towards Arras. The French Sixth Army would guard the right flank of the main British attack. At least, that was the plan."
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"“The whole show is very ghastly. The artillery is awful and the flies worse, whilst conditions of living are worse still.”
"—Lieutenant Cyril Catford"
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"British Generals Douglas Haig and Henry Rawlinson have often received criticism for the bombardment carried out prior to the Battle of the Somme. They assumed relentless bombing would result in an easy win with little resistance from the Germans, but they were wrong in this belief.
"For the bombardment at the Somme, the British Army had more artillery at its disposal than ever before. Up until that point, the largest bombardment that had been fired was in September 1915 at the Battle of Loos. There, the infantry stormed the German defenses after the bombardment had destroyed the German barbed wire, strongpoints, and parts of their trenches. The bombardment at the Somme used almost twice as many heavy artillery weapons compared to Loos—on a per yard of front basis—as well as having a quarter more in terms of field artillery and a colossal amount of ammunition. Not known for hyperbole, General Rawlinson told his men, “Nothing could exist at the conclusion of the bombardment in the area covered by it.”
"The amassed firepower was impressive; however, it was to be deployed over a large area. Haig’s decision to also bomb the second German trench meant that only half the artillery was expected to hit the front lines. When the depth of the German defenses, made up of barbed wire obstacles and multiple lines of trenches, are taken into account, the firepower for the bombardment was not even on a par with that amassed at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 in terms of the shellfire weight for every yard of enemy trench.
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"Nevertheless, on June 5, the artillery units received their bombardment orders: the enemy would endure shellfire without respite for five entire days beginning on June 24, named U Day. The following days were named V, W, X, and Z Day, with Z being the day the infantry would begin their assault.
"The plan was for the British to focus on cutting through the barbed wire defenses during the first two days of the bombardment. Then the following three days would see the destruction of trenches and strongpoints by heavy artillery. Meanwhile, the barbed wire would continue to be cut by field guns. Gas and smoke were also to be used by the Allied troops to confuse the Germans, while at night the roads would be shelled to hinder supply lines and the arrival of relief units. A daily period of more intense bombardment lasting 80 minutes was also planned. On Z Day, this would be curtailed for 15 minutes to allow Allied soldiers to begin their assault while the German soldiers were still hunkered in their trenches.
"Haig directed Rawlinson to get ready for “a rapid advance,” believing that the Germans would be so traumatized by the bombardment that British soldiers would face no resistance and would simply walk across the no man’s land and take the Germans in their trenches. This was not to be.
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"On June 24 (U Day), the bombardment began, effectively marking the start of the Battle of the Somme. After thunderstorms the day before, it was a dull and cloudy day with heavy rain, so aerial observation flights couldn’t commence until much later in the day. Also, the British were unable to target the German artillery, which retaliated, though only very lightly. Meanwhile, the wire cutting process began, and the British spent an hour releasing gas to confuse the Germans.
"The wire-cutting operation continued on June 25 (V Day), a much brighter day, which meant that counter-battery (targeting enemy artillery) could be increased. Huge explosions at German enemy dumps were reported by Royal Flying Corps pilots, who also brought down three German observation balloons near the British front. The Germans then retaliated, and more than a hundred batteries were spotted firing back. At night, under the cover of darkness, British raiding parties were sent to assess the situation. They brought back mixed news: some trenches had been badly damaged, but others were still full of German soldiers.
"On June 26 (W Day), there were heavy showers and low clouds, so aerial visibility was poor. Several divisions used gas or smoke, and the intense 80-minute period of fire began at 9 am. Photographs showed that the wire cutting appeared to be successful; despite this, the shellfire on the wire was increased. Shells were fired at a rate of 400-500 from each gun each day to cut the wire. Observation from infantry raids once again brought mixed news, but officers had some cause for optimism after interrogating prisoners.
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"On June 27-28 (X and Y Days), mist and heavy rain hampered observation of the effect the shells were having. Once again, conflicting reports were brought back by raiding parties, not giving a clear picture of the effect of the bombardment, which continued as the final gas supplies were released. Further observation of the Germans found that they were greater in numbers and more alert than had previously been reported.
"At 11 am on Y Day, the French and British leaders decided to change their plans due to the poor weather and uncertainty about how well the bombardment was working. They decided on a delay of 48 hours before sending the infantry to attack. This meant orders had to be rushed through to the supply units and infantry. Meanwhile, the artillery had to ration their stocks of shells to accommodate two more days of firing. In their shelters below the front lines, the Germans continued to wait out the bombardment.
"On June 29-30, known as Y1 and Y2 Days, 171 enemy batteries were spotted firing, but there was not much counter-battery work done until June 30. Many fires were seen raging in and behind the German lines. Fresh supplies of smoke and gas were released, provoking the increasingly frustrated Germans into firing machine guns from their front lines. Raiding parties reported large gaps in the wire, while front-line observers saw that much of the barbed wire was intact. A German deserter divulged that his compatriots knew an attack was coming and wished only for it to finally come, as they hadn’t eaten for three days.
"The last raiding party reports on June 30-July 1 (Y2 Day and Z Day) brought more conflicting news about the state of the barbed wire. Some said they could see that the Germans had attempted to use concertina wire to seal gaps; others noted that where gaps existed, they were very narrow. Ominously, with only hours to go until the main assault, all raids reported large numbers of soldiers actively manning the German front line."
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"“It seemed all over, hardly 20 minutes from the start. It was a strong point and still was, even with reinforcements it would be hopeless, with those sodding machine guns still in action. Behind we could see where we started from, in front, the Jerry lines on slightly rising ground.”
"—Private Harry Leedham"
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"While the artillery bombardment began on June 24, it wasn’t until July 1 that the infantry attack began. The first meeting of Allied and Central forces in the Battle of the Somme was at the so-called Battle of Albert, which represented the first two weeks of the Anglo-French attack. The Battle of Albert opened on July 1 with the five divisions of the French Sixth Army attacking the German Second Army on the River Somme’s east side. Meanwhile, eleven divisions of the British Fourth Army attacked from the north of the river. The French and British had early success with their attacks, resulting in an almost total collapse of the German defense south of the Albert-Bapaume road. The German defense could not resist another attack on the south bank and had to make a significant withdrawal.
"North of the road toward Gommecourt, however, German defenders were able to deal the British infantry a huge defeat and an unprecedented number of casualties. As they stepped into no man’s land, the soldiers faced an onslaught of machine-gun fire from German strong points, which were much more heavily fortified than expected. It didn’t help that the British soldiers had been ordered to advance with their full kit, weighing about 66 pounds (30 kilograms).
"In an effort to consolidate the success of the British attack in the south, Haig soon decided to go against Joffre’s recommendations and abandon the attack on the north of the road. Still, a staggering 57,000 casualties were inflicted upon the British Fourth Army on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, most of which occurred on the Albert-Bapaume road to Gommecourt. In comparison, the French Sixth Army sustained 1,500 casualties while the German Second Army had to contend with roughly 10,000 to 12,000 losses.
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"The first day of the Battle of the Somme was a catastrophe for the British and the single worst day in British military history in terms of casualties sustained. This is often what the Battle of the Somme is most remembered for. However, the British failures at the River Somme alone do not explain why the battle was one of the most important of the First World War. After all, Allied forces in the south successfully navigated the German defensive system and captured Montauban and Mametz as they made significant advances against the Germans. This early success changed things for both sides, shutting down the attack north of the River Ancre and concentrating the fighting elsewhere, such as Thiepval.
"The Battle of Albert set up the Allies to continue pushing back the German defenses along the Bazentin Ridge on the way to Pozières on the Albert-Bapaume road. Here, the Fourth Army came up against the German second defensive position in a clash that lasted from July 14-17. The offensive, known as the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, was supposed to give the Allied forces control over several villages, including Bazentin le Petit, Bazentin le Grand, and Longueval.
"At 3:25 am on July 14, four divisions attacked along a three-mile (five-kilometer) front after deploying a five-minute bombardment. A barrage of firepower was deployed using field artillery as waves of foot soldiers applied pressure in no man’s land. By the time the barrage of firepower on the German front trench had come to an end, there was only a short distance for the soldiers to cover. However, despite the British meeting their objectives and putting the German defense under considerable strain, their lack of communication, organization, and comparatively high number of casualties meant they could not fully capitalize on the success. The German Second Army would soon recover and counterattack.
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"Another noteworthy battle taking place around the same time was the Battle of Fromelles from July 19-20. Not officially an element of the Battle of the Somme, the Fromelles attack was supposed to distract the Germans, so it took place some distance away on the Somme, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south. It was also meant to provide the Fourth Army with support as they capitalized on any weaknesses the German defenses might develop. The same German defenses had already successfully fought off a similar attack in 1915, and again, on this occasion, the Allies severely underestimated the German manpower available in defense. This time, the Germans outnumbered the Allies by two to one.
"Besides British troops from the 61st Division, the attack involved Australian soldiers from the 5th Australian Division. While the attack was not well-organized and the preparations were hurried, the Australians were also relatively untested and inexperienced when it came to trench warfare. The attack represented the first time the Australian Imperial Force had been involved with the Western Front, and the 5th Australian Division had only arrived in France a matter of days before the Battle of Fromelles commenced. Many of the Australian divisional artillery had no idea what the conditions on the Western Front were like.
"The attack was carried out in daylight, and the battle was fought on a narrow front. The flanks of the attack were exposed to the German defense artillery firing on either side. The 61st Division had been due to attack on July 20, but it was called off after German counterattacks forced the Australian troops to withdraw. While the Germans sustained some losses at the Battle of Fromelles, they hadn’t given up any ground. Instead of being a significant diversion, as it was planned, the attack didn’t stop the Germans from sending troops to the Somme.
"By the end of the battle, the Germans had sustained about 2,000 losses while the Allies lost 7,000, with most of these inflicted upon the 5th Australian Division. The fighting at Fromelles was one of the deadliest in Australian history in terms of deaths in action during a 24-hour period. Most of these men were buried in mass graves near the village of Fromelles."
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"“The tragedy of the Somme battle was that the best soldiers, the stoutest-hearted men were lost; their numbers were replaceable, their spiritual worth never could be.”
"—Unidentified German soldier"
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"The Battle of Albert had changed the nature of the Somme Offensive, and it now included capturing terrain that would serve as vantage points for artillery fire and starting positions for further attacks. The terrain the Allies intended to capture included woods and any other area that could offer a strong position against attacks from the Central Powers armies, including villages with significant defensive advantages. One of these strategically desirable villages was that of Ginchy, which was held by the German forces. However, the British could not mount an operation to capture Ginchy until they had secured Delville Wood and Guillemont.
"Thus, the second phase of the Somme Offensive kicked off on July 14 with the Battle of Delville Wood. This operation was a continuation of the fighting at Bazentin Ridge and was meant to secure the British right flank in Delville Wood as well as capture the nearby High Wood. High Wood’s position offered whoever held it great view of the surrounding areas, which would be vital if the Allies wanted to break through the German defenses.
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"The fighting that took place during the Battle of Delville Wood from July 14-September 15 resulted in many losses for all that took part in it—not least for the South African 1st Infantry Brigade, which made its debut on the Western Front. By July 20, the South African 1st Infantry Brigade had lost more than 2,500 soldiers, a similar number of disastrous losses that many other brigades had suffered on July 1. Despite this, they did manage to secure the British right flank and capture Delville Wood, which the brigade held until July 20 when they were relieved.
"Still, the South African 1st Infantry Brigade was essentially destroyed in undertaking the operation, which turned Delville Wood into the site of a massacre strewn with bodies of the dead from both sides of the fighting. While the area was fought over many times, it is mostly remembered for the South African Brigade’s unrelenting attack, which captured and held it for the British.
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"Delville Wood was within sight of High Wood. With all the fighting over at Bazentin Ridge, High Wood was actually left undefended on July 14. Unfortunately, a lapse in coordination and communication meant the British missed their opportunity, and it would take another two months before they finally captured the wood. When there weren’t delays in communication, contradictory orders caused confusion amongst the British troops. Different departments at the British headquarters had been saddled with overlapping responsibilities, resulting in the British troops receiving a set of orders, only for them to be canceled out by another set of orders from a different department, causing confusion and delays in troop mobilization.
"While German lines of communication weren’t much clearer, soldiers from the 7th Division of the German reserves managed to beat the British by taking control of the southern half of High Wood while two of their cavalry squadrons descended upon the east side. The Germans then took full advantage and occupied the trench system which ran through the back of the wood. Arriving too late, the British had to fight the Germans to take control of High Wood, which they finally did in mid-September.
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"Meanwhile, communication breakdowns between the British and the French meant that they found it impossible to mount a general attack. Instead, they found themselves fighting many small-scale battles that resulted in massive casualties for the British, French, and German sides but yielded little progress. Bad weather kept aircraft on the ground and resulted in poor visibility. Also, the rain turned the roads into mud which slowed down any movement along them.
"The Germans also had problems with communication, as well as a shortage of fresh soldiers for the Somme front. Soldiers had to be taken off the front line every two weeks, resulting in a high turnover of German divisions. They also had to send divisions to the Eastern Front after Romania sided with the Allies and declared war on Germany on August 27. With a shortage of troops and a lack of resources, the Germans found it difficult to launch organized counterattacks on the Allies. Instead, the piecemeal attacks they fought were usually just as costly and fruitless for them as the British attacks were for the Allies.
"British plans also came apart on July 22 and 23 when they combined with the French for an attack on Pozières to the west of Bazentin Ridge. Due to communication failures, the plan for the general attack deteriorated and broke down into a number of separate attacks. Also contributing to the failure of the plan were the bad weather and supply line issues. The Allies were also hampered by the bombardment and counterattacks the Germans inflicted upon them, beginning on July 23 and continuing up to August 7. The one success the Allies could take away from this operation happened at the beginning of the Battle of Pozières when the 1st Australian Division of the Reserve Army captured the village of Pozières.
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"It may have been only a small village, but it was on high ground, and taking control of it was vital for any more advances toward the German stronghold at Thiepval. It was also essential to hamper the German defense of Delville Wood and High Wood. The division occupied the area to the north and east of Pozières, allowing the Allies to observe Ovillers, La Boisselle, and Albert to the south as well as High Wood, Delville Wood, and westward to Thiepval.
"At the end of August, the largest German counterattack yet mounted coincided with a pause in Anglo-French attacks as they tried to organize larger combined attacks. In light of the German counterattack, Joffre and Haig reconsidered their larger combined attacks and decided upon sequenced army attacks. As a result, they captured the German defenses around Guillemont.
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"The battle for the village of Guillemont, fought from September 3-6, then saw casualties in the thousands with attack and counterattack strategies deployed by both sides. Despite the German-held village being captured by the British Fourth Army on the first day of the battle, many observers contended that the German defense of Guillemont represented their best Western Front effort in the entire war.
"Almost a mile (1.5 kilometers) northeast of Guillemont lay the German-occupied village of Ginchy on higher ground that overlooked Combles to the southeast. With a general attack planned for mid-September, British soldiers needed to take positions that would offer better observation of the German third position. Beginning with attacks from Leuze Wood, the British 7th Division captured Ginchy before being ousted by a counterattack from the Germans. The 16th Division then retook the village. Occupying Ginchy was vital for the British and French armies to execute much larger attacks coordinated with the Tenth and Reserve Armies during the third and final phase of the Somme Offensive. These attacks in September would help the Allies to push the Germans back and inflict 130,000 casualties upon them that month."
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"“The sights I saw are too terrible to write about . . . I saw dead and wounded lying side by side. Some were moaning, and others had so far lost their reason that they were laughing and singing.”
"—Private William Roberts"
No, the last-mentioned were trying yo keep up their own morale, which was sll they could possibly do under the circumstances.
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"Starting on September 15, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette represented the British Army’s third general offensive. The objective was to take control of Morval, Lesboeufs, and Gueudecourt, combining an attack by the French upon Frégicourt and Rancourt. Together, the British and French were to surround Combles and mount an attack on the Somme’s south bank. They hoped to finally break through the German defenses, but it wouldn’t come on this occasion.
"Despite not finding a way to break the Germans, the British and French gained hugely during this phase of the Somme Offensive. They managed to push the Germans back roughly two miles (three kilometers) and inflicted a great number of casualties. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette is also notable for having been the debut battle of not only the Canadian Corps and the New Zealand Division on the Somme, but it also featured new weaponry as it was the first battle ever to introduce the use of tanks.
"There weren’t many tanks available at the battle, and those that were there were not mechanically stable. In addition, a strategy had not yet been developed to take full advantage of what the tanks had to offer, so they were not used in a way that would benefit the Allies the most. Despite all that, the tanks had a positive effect on the Allies during the battle. The tank had been developed in secret and came as a surprise to not only the German soldiers but the British soldiers as well. The tanks eventually helped the Allies fully clear Delville Wood and High Wood, leading to a considerable advance being made to Flers and onward to Combles.
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"Combles was due to be attacked by the French Sixth Army as part of the Battle of Morval which took place from September 25-28. The British Fourth Army postponed its attack on Morval, Gueudecourt, and Lesboeufs to allow the British to combine with the French attack on Combles, south of Morval. The combined attack meant the German defenders to the west, near Thiepval, would be deprived of much-needed reinforcements, making the Reserve Army’s attack planned for September 26 much more effective.
"The British eventually defeated the German lines of defense, only to find themselves on much more open ground that was also flatter. Gradually making their way to the Transloy Ridges, the fighting was brutal, and the autumnal weather added to the miserable conditions. The rain, the obstinate German defense, and the persistent pressure from the British pushed the physical endurance of all soldiers fighting at the Battle of Morval to its limit. Still, progress was made by the British, and they eventually achieved their goals. The Germans suffered many casualties at the Battle of Morval as the British Fourth Army made its most significant advance since July 14, leaving the Germans facing huge difficulties.
"Meanwhile, the British Reserve Army led by Lieutenant General Hubert Gough mounted their first large offensive, the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, beginning on September 26 and ending on September 28. Commencing a day after the Battle of Morval, the Battle of Thiepval Ridge was intended to take advantage of the attack inflicted by the British Fourth Army. German defenders fought the British to retain control of Thiepval Ridge, which was well fortified. The determination of the German defenders in fending off the British attack was not all that hampered the British Reserve Army as they fought the Germans. The maze of trenches and dug-outs led to confusion amongst the British soldiers and resulted in a generally uncoordinated effort from their infantry and artillery.
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"Joffre wanted the British and French armies to cooperate in robust and coordinated attacks. However, the bad weather combined with the difficulty of actually organizing such efforts dashed Joffre’s hopes. Instead, their coordinated attacks became increasingly disjointed and less effective as the Battle of Thiepval Ridge wore on. This coincided with a renewed sense of purpose from the German defense. Still, this revival of the German defense wouldn’t last long.
"During this battle, the British were trying out new ideas in the deployment of gas warfare, bombardment using machine-gun fire, and coordination between foot soldiers and tanks. Despite the Germans reorganizing and diverting significant numbers of soldiers, artillery, and aircraft from Verdun, they struggled against the sheer numbers of men and resources the British and French sent into battle. September would come to represent the highest for German casualties, but it wouldn’t be until October and November that the final Allied objectives would be achieved.
"Unusually, the weather was good on October 7 when the Allies captured Le Sars at the Battle of Le Transloy, but the good weather wouldn’t last long. When the Allies realized that the German defense had recovered from their earlier defeats, they decided upon a strategy of methodical bombardment. So, the fighting paused between October 8 and 11, and then another planned pause occurred between October 13 and 18. By October 17, Haig had reduced the planned operations after discussing the situation with army commanders. The changes meant the attacks by the Reserve Army and Fourth Army would be reduced to limited operations in coordination with the French Sixth Army, while the plan for the Third Army was canceled altogether.
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"Operations only picked up again on October 23 on the Fourth Army’s northern flank after another pause. Bad weather affected the Fourth Army’s right flank and the French Sixth Army front, causing further delays until November 5. The British fought many counterattacks as the heavy mud from the flooded battlefield clung to their uniforms, slowing down attempts to bring the front line to higher ground where a larger offensive could be initiated. On November 6, the Fourth Army halted its offensive operations, but its small attacks to improve positions and distract the Germans from the Reserve Army and Fifth Army’s attacks went ahead.
"Meanwhile, the Battle of the Ancre Heights was fought between October 1 and November 11. The Third Army was to take control of the area east of Gommecourt, while the Reserve Army attacked from Thiepval Ridge and Beaumont Hamel-Hébuterne to capture Stuff Trench at the west point of Bazentin Ridge. The British hadn’t attacked in that area for a long time as Thiepval had been under German control. Since the Allies had now taken Thiepval and the Germans’ vantage points overlooking the valley of the River Ancre, they were free to attack. Despite the advantage, more inclement weather caused the Reserve Army significant delay and difficulty. The British objectives were not achieved until November 11.
"On November 13, the final major British operation of 1916, the Battle of the Ancre, began. Here, the Fifth Army attacked the Germans in the Ancre valley after the Battle of the Ancre Heights. The Germans were exhausted after the battle, and the British took full advantage of their condition to gain ground ahead of the offensive resuming in 1917.
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"Despite the fog and snow, British troops attacked from the same front lines as on July 1, when their attack had failed so dismally. But things were different this time. While an attack on Serre was foiled, other objectives were met. Beaumont-Hamel and Beaucourt-sur-l’Ancre were captured, as were Regina Trench and Desire Support Trench. Still, some things remained the same. A huge number of casualties was inflicted on both sides before the battle was finally declared over on November 18, and there was a lull in the war as both sides focused on getting through the freezing temperatures.
"As the Battle of the Ancre ended, so too did the larger Somme Offensive. More than one million soldiers had been lost to casualties, and yet no decisive victory had been achieved. In terms of territory, all the Allies had to show for their efforts was an advance of about six miles (ten kilometers). Still, despite its failures, the Battle of the Somme did manage to weaken the Germans. Rather than returning to fight over the same territories, they would withdraw to the Hindenburg Line the following spring. The Allied forces had also learned valuable—though costly—lessons from the offensive, which would eventually contribute to them achieving victory on the Western Front before the end of 1918."
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"“It’s the end of the 1916 winter, and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it, and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can’t escape it, not even by dying.”
"—Private Edward Lynch"
WWI was war of mud. War by one of the Royal mob against his cousins, achieving revenge against one who had spurned him - by getting her family annihilated and clan decimated by massacres.
WWII, of bombardment of cities from Rotterdam to Nagasaki, of whole villages burnt alive and anyone escaping shot dead to the tune of two million across Belarus and Russia by nazis, apart from extermination camps, and Mengele et al using camp inmates for experiments.
It was war for civilisation that ended up threatening existence in turn.
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"General Haig had preferred an attack at Ypres in Flanders, which he thought could win the Allies key strategic objectives. However, the French preferred that the British fight with them at the River Somme, leading to July 1, 1916, and the most deadly day in British military history with almost 20,000 British soldiers killed in action and 38,000 wounded. By November, the Battle of the Somme had resulted in roughly 420,000 killed, wounded, or missing British soldiers. The French meanwhile lost around 200,000 men, and the Germans about 500,000. With these mind-boggling numbers in mind, one has to ask: what led to the failures at the Somme?
"Arrogance on the part of the Allies may have been a factor. They truly believed that nothing could survive the artillery bombardment they had dealt the Germans over the course of seven days. Had there not been so many other issues, perhaps the bombardment could have been more effective. For a start, the tactics the Allies used were dubious, but the initial attack was also hampered by the British gunners, who were inexperienced. Yet perhaps the biggest problem with the bombardment was the shortage of high explosive shells. Most of the 1.7 million shells that were fired between June 24 and July 1 were shrapnel and weren’t very effective against the German concrete trenches. A considerable number of them also failed to explode, rendering the battery even less effective.
"The bombardment was expected to destroy enemy artillery, but the techniques necessary to pinpoint enemy guns were still being developed. And, even if they could be located, the weapons weren’t yet sophisticated enough to accurately target them. The unaffected German artillery meant that no man’s land remained just that for the Allied troops, an area that was almost impenetrable. Those who did make some progress found themselves unable to receive reinforcements and also unable to make their way back.
................................................................................................
"Despite the willingness of the new British troops to be part of the war effort and fight, there is no substitute for experience. Both the British troops and those leading them were training while on the job, but a battlefield with shells exploding all around was no place for soldiers to learn about combat. While the soldiers were undoubtedly courageous, they were also understandably confused and likely traumatized by the carnage and death around them, leading to many mistakes. Nevertheless, despite the stress of the situation, the inexperienced British soldiers did succeed in, albeit slowly, pushing the Germans back."
There's no mention of the troops from India that were massive in number, over a million, and more than proved their worth despite extremely cold unfamiliar weather, shortage of daylight and unfamiliar terrain.
Does this point at racism of Hourly History, publishers and authors?
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"Haig had counted on trench deadlock being a transient phase and that normal battlefield conditions would soon return. He hadn’t anticipated that the inexperienced army made up of volunteers and conscripts would have to deal with the stalemate for so long. In the end, it wasn’t until 1918 that the stalemate was broken.
"A larger contingent of tanks might have helped the Allied forces, but the technology was too new and too temperamental to be manufactured and deployed in large numbers. They were definitely not going to win the war for the Allies. It could be argued that Haig shouldn’t have wasted the element of surprise with so few tanks that could not be truly effective on the battlefield. Also, it is possible that he shouldn’t have used them when they were so unsuited to the particular conditions of the Somme battlefield. It is possible that Haig thought so highly of the Mark 1 tanks that he believed they were sure to make an impact, even in such small numbers. Many believe that Haig and his staff had put too much faith in new technology that was not yet ready for the realities of war, just as with their belief that the artillery would destroy the German defenses and soldiers in their trenches.
"The weather was awful for much of the Somme Offensive, turning the battlefields into a thick sludge that clung heavily to the British soldiers already overburdened with heavier kits than their German counterparts. Despite this, Haig and Joffre insisted on continuing the battles of attrition over pockets of territory that were taken back by the enemy almost as quickly as it was won from them. Men and resources were squandered in these battles at the cost of larger objectives. Often, support wasn’t available quickly enough to provide backup to troops on the cusp of a victory, such as at Bazentin Ridge in July. On that occasion, a significant victory was within reach, but the British were unable to place reserves where they needed to be. By the time a cavalry attack arrived, it was too late.
"Haig had hoped that the bombardment would destroy the German defenses but prepared a contingency plan that would later become necessary. As the fighting opened in July, the ensuing small-scale attacks and attritional battles led to an enormous loss of life on both sides. The Germans defended obstinately and refused to give in to the French and British, denying the Anglo-French forces the effective start to the offensive that they had wanted. But the Germans did more than defend; they also immediately counterattacked at every opportunity, exhausting the Allied troops. Despite this, the British did fulfill one of the main objectives in relieving the pressure on the French troops at the Battle of Verdun.
................................................................................................
"All this is not to say that the reasons why success eluded the Allies are down to just the Allies themselves. The Germans had a lot to say on the matter. As already mentioned, they were resilient, counterattacking with vigor and defending robustly. One of the biggest reasons for the success of the German defenses was their sophisticated defense line from which they would emerge after the barrages to protect their positions against attacks from a larger enemy force. Another reason for their defensive success was their defiance in the face of the relentless onslaught. They were highly adaptable and disciplined as they contended with the horrific conditions of the battlefields.
"Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of firepower, the Germans were better organized and had arranged their guns in barrage sectors. This unexpected tactic helped them to deal the Allies a tremendous number of casualties. The German soldiers themselves were also better prepared for combat since they were not loaded with heavy equipment. Unlike the British soldiers, each of whom carried about 66 pounds (30 kilograms) of gear. Being more mobile, the German units were better able to contend with unexpected changes. For instance, the tanks initially bewildered the German soldiers, but they soon found ways to work around the threat they posed and eventually learned how to disable them.
"Although Haig could only work from the observations his intelligence staff brought back to him, he overestimated how low German morale would be brought down by attrition. On the other hand, it could be that his staff told him what they thought he wanted to hear. An insight into his approach came near the end of 1916 from a divisional commander commenting on July 1. According to the divisional commander, he suggested to Haig that “perhaps we had all been rather optimistic as to what it was possible to do.” Haig responded: “Well, we were all learning.”
"There were a number of factors that contributed to Haig continuing with the attacks even when faced with such enormous numbers of casualties. One of the biggest was the pressure Joffre applied. Joffre needed the attacks to continue to stop the Germans from moving troops to Verdun as well as to the Italian and Eastern Fronts. Political maneuvering and concerns about the morale of Allied soldiers also played a part. In the end, the Battle of the Somme would earn Haig the nickname “the Butcher of the Somme.” While there is no question that the Battle of the Somme was a horrific event with death and destruction on a rarely-before-seen scale, opinions still diverge on whether he deserved such a moniker."
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"“Every Englishman has a picture of the Somme in his mind, and I will not try to enlarge it.”
"—A. P. Herbert"
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"Many soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Somme went missing in action, and their bodies were never recovered from the battlefields. These soldiers have no gravestones and received no funeral. So that they would never be forgotten, a monument, the Thiepval Memorial, was built in Thiepval between 1928 and 1932. It is currently the largest monument in the world dedicated to the missing. The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing bears the names of 72,337 missing Allied soldiers who fought at the Battle of the Somme and whose bodies could not be found.
"Bodies are regularly discovered on the site of the former battlefield, and different methods are used to try to identify them. It was decided that since the memorial was intended to be solely for missing or unidentified soldiers, the engraved names of those whose bodies had been recovered or identified would be filled in with cement. The soldiers whose bodies are recovered and identified receive a full military funeral at a cemetery close to where they were found. Since the inauguration of the memorial, numerous soldiers have been found, and their names have been removed from the memorial resulting in gaps."
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"The Somme Offensive will be remembered for many things. For instance, it was the first battle that would see tanks deployed. Mostly though, the Battle of the Somme, and particularly its first day, will be remembered for its brutal carnage and astonishing loss of life that was typical of First World War trench warfare. The first day of the Somme remains the bloodiest in British military history, and it has also come to symbolize the loss of life during the whole war.
"Haig and others were heavily criticized for continuing with the Somme Offensive when they were incurring such enormous losses. It was the first major battle to be fought by Lord Kitchener’s Pals battalions, volunteers who knew each other. They were relatives, workplace colleagues, and members of the same community. Men who, having volunteered in a fit of patriotic fervor, would end up fighting and dying alongside one another in a foreign country, many miles from home. These weren’t people who ever thought they’d be soldiers going to war.
"For many, the offensive also came to represent a loss of innocence as shelling was used on an unprecedented level, forever changing how wars were fought. For others still, the Battle of the Somme would serve to highlight the futility of war, as after seven days of near-continuous bombardment, the bloodiest day in British history, and almost five months of trench warfare, the campaign was a failure that did not bring the expected breakthrough and victory against the Germans on the Western Front.
"Still, despite the various failures of the Somme Offensive, many German positions in France were damaged or taken, prompting strategic retreats by the Germans in 1917. The Somme Offensive saw Britain introduce modern all-arms mass-industrial warfare to the battlefield, taking the strategic initiative and causing the German Army catastrophic damage from which it could not recover. As Captain von Hentig, a staff officer with the German Guard Reserve Division, said, the Somme “was the muddy grave of the German Field Army.”"
Perhaps that was the real humiliation that Hitler sought to avenge, but couldn't mention?
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Table of Contents
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Introduction
Verdun
The Brusilov Offensive
Preparations for the Somme
Bombardment Battle Begins: First Day on the Somme
Second Phase: A War of Attrition
Third Phase: Debut of the Tank
Failures at the Somme
The Somme Today
Conclusion
Bibliography
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REVIEW
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Introduction
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"At a time when the Allies were desperate for a quick end to the First World War, the Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was fought along both sides of France’s River Somme between July 1 and November 18, 1916. Indeed, the Battle of the Somme was intended to be the beginning of the end of World War I, but ... this meticulously planned battle went awry in ways that none of the armies involved could have anticipated.
"After all, this was a battle that saw over three million men take part, with over one million of them becoming wounded in action or killed. The astonishing losses suffered by all armies involved made the Battle of the Somme one of the deadliest humanity has ever unleashed. Designed by the British and French to achieve a conclusive victory on the Western Front, the Somme Offensive is still considered one of the most painful and notorious events of the First World War.
"Planning for the battle began in December 1915 at the second of three conferences held in Chantilly, France. These conferences, named after the town of their location, were held by the Allies to discuss aims and strategies for fighting the war. However, what they could not have foreseen was that the British plans for the Battle of the Somme would be leaked. German archive documents unsealed in 2016 have shown that the date and location for the planned British offensive were given up to German interrogators by two British soldiers. With vital information in hand ahead of the offensive, Germany was aware of the British strategy and made plans accordingly. The result was an exhausting battle of attrition that lasted almost five months.
" ... a compelling piece of history that should never be forgotten."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 1. Verdun
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"“Before the world grew mad, the Somme was a placid stream of Picardy, flowing gently through a broad and winding valley northwards to the English Channel.”
"—A. D. Gristwood"
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"We cannot discuss the Battle of the Somme without highlighting some of the events that lead to it. While the Somme Offensive began in July 1916 and ended in November of that year, there was another battle nearby that started earlier and lasted longer. Beginning on February 21 and ending on December 18, 1916, the Battle of Verdun is to France what the Battle of the Somme is to the British: an event that has a prominent place in their history and has come to symbolize deep feelings of loss and antiwar sentiment.
"We cannot discuss the Battle of the Somme without highlighting some of the events that lead to it. While the Somme Offensive began in July 1916 and ended in November of that year, there was another battle nearby that started earlier and lasted longer. Beginning on February 21 and ending on December 18, 1916, the Battle of Verdun is to France what the Battle of the Somme is to the British: an event that has a prominent place in their history and has come to symbolize deep feelings of loss and antiwar sentiment.
"The original plan for the British and French forces fighting on the Western Front had been to retake the Belgian coast by launching an offensive in Flanders close to France’s northern border. French General Joseph Joffre had agreed to this plan put forth by British General Douglas Haig in January 1916, but by February, he had a change of heart. Ultimately, it was decided that a combined British and French offensive should take place where the two armies met, at the River Somme in the French region of Picardy, before the British continued northward to Flanders.
"The Battle of Verdun was started by the Germans a week later when they attacked the French Army to the southeast at Verdun, close to the River Meuse. Erich von Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General Staff, carefully strategized to bring the French Army close to collapse by drawing French troops into defending Verdun. While the British and French had plotted the Battle of the Somme as a way to end the war, Falkenhayn believed he could do the same thing by bringing Germany victory with the Battle of Verdun.
................................................................................................
"Wary of the large number of Allied reserves that could threaten to smother a German breakthrough, Falkenhayn planned to exploit a sensitive area close to the front line, provoking the French into counterattacking positions the German Army dominated. He anticipated the French would suffer huge losses from the masses of heavy German artillery there and that the British would support the French with a relief offensive resulting in similar losses for them.
................................................................................................
"Wary of the large number of Allied reserves that could threaten to smother a German breakthrough, Falkenhayn planned to exploit a sensitive area close to the front line, provoking the French into counterattacking positions the German Army dominated. He anticipated the French would suffer huge losses from the masses of heavy German artillery there and that the British would support the French with a relief offensive resulting in similar losses for them.
"Hoping for the French to fall into their trap, the German Fifth Army attacked the fortified region of Verdun and the defenses of the French Second Army on the east bank of the Meuse on February 21. They hoped to capture the Meuse Heights, which would afford them an excellent defensive position. Perfect for unleashing artillery fire over Verdun, once captured it would be a position, the Germans hoped, that the French would want to take back. In doing so, the Germans calculated that the French would sacrifice their strategic reserve and incur tremendous losses while the Germans would lose relatively few soldiers and resources.
"After attacking whatever subsequently remained of the French and British armies, Falkenhayn expected the western alliance to be shattered. However, he hadn’t counted on how long the Battle of Verdun would last, and he also underestimated how many German units would need to be replaced. Instead, the Battle of Verdun depleted the German reserve, which in turn forced the Germans to assume a strategy of stubborn defense at the Battle of the Somme.
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"While the Battle of Verdun didn’t yield the results that Falkenhayn had hoped for, it did have another effect that would go on to change the face of the fighting at the Somme. With more French divisions directed to Verdun, the French would become little more than backup for the British as they were unable to contribute as many soldiers as planned for the Somme. It also meant that it became even more urgent for the Somme Offensive to be put into action.
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"While the Battle of Verdun didn’t yield the results that Falkenhayn had hoped for, it did have another effect that would go on to change the face of the fighting at the Somme. With more French divisions directed to Verdun, the French would become little more than backup for the British as they were unable to contribute as many soldiers as planned for the Somme. It also meant that it became even more urgent for the Somme Offensive to be put into action.
"The Germans had counted on drawing the French Army into a battle they could not afford to shy away from and wouldn’t want to escape—not just for the strategic benefits Verdun offered but for French pride. Verdun represented French history and prestige, having been vital in defending the French homeland. In the fifth century, for example, Attila the Hun was halted in his attempt to capture the town. In the center of Verdun were a citadel and a range of 28 forts, many of which had been brought up to date to withstand modern artillery. The French couldn’t afford to let the Germans keep Verdun, and the Germans knew it.
"By May of 1916, although it hadn’t even yet begun, Generals Haig and Joffre’s confidence in the Battle of the Somme had waned somewhat. Where they had forecast a firm victory for the Allied forces, the numbers of soldiers and resources being committed to the Battle of Verdun led them to reconsider their expectations. By this point, Haig and Joffre had been reduced to hoping that the Battle of the Somme would provide relief for French forces battling the Germans in Verdun. They also hoped that spreading the German troops thin would leave the Russian forces free to carry on with the Brusilov Offensive on the Eastern Front.
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Chapter 2. The Brusilov Offensive
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"“Brusilov’s revolutionary tactics had been stunningly successful: artillery had been used with a precision that was unprecedented; infantry had worked their way close to the defenses before launching their attacks; and those attacks had not used the traditional lines of men that were so easy for machineguns and defensive artillery to destroy.”
"—Prit Buttar"
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"When discussing the Battle of the Somme, it’s important to bear in mind the activities of the Russians, one of the Triple Entente nations, along with Great Britain and France. The Chantilly Agreement of December 1915 saw the Triple Entente nations commit to simultaneous attacks on the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) in the summer of 1916.
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"When discussing the Battle of the Somme, it’s important to bear in mind the activities of the Russians, one of the Triple Entente nations, along with Great Britain and France. The Chantilly Agreement of December 1915 saw the Triple Entente nations commit to simultaneous attacks on the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) in the summer of 1916.
"After the Battle of Verdun began in February, General Joffre expected that the Germans would divert more of their troops from the area if an attack on the Eastern Front were initiated. So, at the request of Joffre, Russia’s Lake Naroch Offensive commenced on March 18, 1916, close to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which had been occupied by the Germans since 1915. The popular First World War method of attack, the human wave, was used. The human wave consisted of great masses of soldiers continuously sent to attack the same area of the enemy’s front.
"The Russian initiative ended in disaster, with the Germans losing roughly only a fifth of the number of soldiers as the Russians. Eventually, on March 30, General Alexei Evert called off the attack, having achieved no “decisive results.” Instead of decisive results, the battle had sapped the morale of the Russian troops and had not helped to relieve the pressure on the French in Verdun at all. It is no wonder that the Germans and Austro-Hungarians were a little complacent when fighting the Russians again.
"The most important Russian activity during the events of the Somme was the Brusilov Offensive. Also known as the June Offensive, it was named after General Aleksei Brusilov, the commander in charge of the Southwestern Front of the Imperial Russian Army and the general who originally proposed the offensive to the Stavka (Russian high command) in April. Brusilov’s plan aimed to relieve some pressure from the French and British armies in France as well as the Italians fighting along the Isonzo River. It was additionally hoped that the offensive might take Austria-Hungary out of the war.
"Meanwhile, preparations were beginning for the Battle of the Somme, which would be mainly fought by British and French forces against the Germans. ... "
................................................................................................"The most important Russian activity during the events of the Somme was the Brusilov Offensive. Also known as the June Offensive, it was named after General Aleksei Brusilov, the commander in charge of the Southwestern Front of the Imperial Russian Army and the general who originally proposed the offensive to the Stavka (Russian high command) in April. Brusilov’s plan aimed to relieve some pressure from the French and British armies in France as well as the Italians fighting along the Isonzo River. It was additionally hoped that the offensive might take Austria-Hungary out of the war.
"The Russians were assiduous about spreading misinformation to conceal their true plans from the enemy. This misinformation included fake radio traffic and messengers sent with fake orders that were intended to be captured. They also used dummy artillery and equipment to further confuse the enemy. Knowing significant reinforcements would not be coming, Brusilov used his reserves to dig entrenchments along the front line to provide troops with shelter and stop the Austrians from observing their activity.
"The Russian activities on the Eastern Front meant that the Austro-Hungarians and Germans had to keep their troops in place and couldn’t afford to divert any to the Somme, as had been the plan. German commanders had planned to send troops for a so-called spoiling attack at the Somme, but this had to be abandoned.
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"The Brusilov Offensive would see the Russians attack the Central Powers’ armies in what is now Ukraine, near the present-day towns of Lviv, Kovel, and Lutsk. On June 4, 1916, the Russians kicked off the offensive, starting with a 200-mile (320-kilometer) front from Pinsk in Belarus to the Romanian border. The front would gradually advance 90 miles (150 kilometers) and eventually reach the Carpathian Mountains.
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"The Brusilov Offensive would see the Russians attack the Central Powers’ armies in what is now Ukraine, near the present-day towns of Lviv, Kovel, and Lutsk. On June 4, 1916, the Russians kicked off the offensive, starting with a 200-mile (320-kilometer) front from Pinsk in Belarus to the Romanian border. The front would gradually advance 90 miles (150 kilometers) and eventually reach the Carpathian Mountains.
"At the time of the Brusilov Offensive, the Austro-Hungarian Army was spread quite thin. Also, many of the more experienced divisions had already been redirected from the Eastern Front to fight in the Alps. Their replacements were relatively green. So, instead of focusing their efforts on the Somme and diverting extra troops there, Falkenhayn and other commanders found themselves sending troops to the Eastern Front to support the Austro-Hungarian forces and prevent their army from collapsing.
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"Thus, the Brusilov Offensive succeeded in forcing Germany to shift its focus from Verdun and redirect considerable forces to the Eastern Front. After the offensive, the Austro-Hungarian Army was increasingly dependent upon German military support for any success. Despite inadvertently crossing into Romania, which was not participating in the war at the time, the initial successes of the Brusilov Offensive also persuaded Romania to join the war against the Central Powers on August 27. As a result, the Germans were forced to send troops there for a counter-offensive against the Romanians.
"The Brusilov Offensive was not only the biggest Russian success of the First World War, but it is also considered the greatest victory on any World War I front. Bolstered by lower-ranked yet highly-skilled soldiers, supported by good planning and benefitting from good leadership, the Russians inflicted up to 1 million casualties and took 400,000 prisoners. In a considerable change from the human wave attacks, General Brusilov initially used smaller but more specialized units. These units focused on exploiting the weak points in enemy trench lines so the rest of the army could more fully take advantage.
"However, while the Brusilov Offensive went well, the overall Russian offensive that summer was incredibly costly, and thereafter, another similarly-sized offensive was not possible. The losses the Russians suffered—between 500,000 and 1,000,000—contributed to the collapse of its army and the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in 1917, effectively ending Russia’s participation in the war."
No wonder it's never mentioned in general sphere!
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Chapter 3. Preparations for the Somme
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"“Idealism perished on the Somme.”
"—A. J. P. Taylor"
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"By 1916, the battles of World War I had claimed most lives of the pre-war regulars in the original British Expeditionary Force. In August 1914, the British had the foresight to begin building up a new force comprising of volunteers. These volunteers would become members of the Territorial Force and Kitchener’s Army and made up most of the army that would join forces with the French to face the Germans at the River Somme.
"The British had a significant number of soldiers thanks to these volunteers. The dramatic expansion of Britain’s armed forces meant there were plenty of vacancies, some of which were filled by retired officers with military experience. Still, the huge number of relatively green soldiers with no military experience, let alone combat experience, meant that the experience level among the troops was relatively low. One of the consequences of this shortage of military experience and combat knowledge amongst the troops was that army commanders were equally in the dark about the true abilities of each division.
"As a result of the lack of experience amongst not only soldiers but also those who were rapidly being promoted to fill vacancies, many officers began using directive command. This meant they wouldn’t need to delegate to their subordinates who were usually novices. The relatively haphazard collection of men in each division meant ability levels were diverse, certainly making it a challenge for commanders to plan attacks and project the results. Among the British troops, the relative lack of experience and knowledge meant they had little real idea of what to expect upon reaching the front.
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"The Territorial Force had been created in 1908 and was an element of the British Army that was made up of part-time volunteers. It was overseen by the War Office and was originally created to avoid turning to conscription for men to supplement the regular army abroad in expeditionary operations. At the outset of the First World War, there was a huge surge of volunteers who signed up for foreign service. These volunteers would have their first taste of the war during 1914’s German offensive on the Western Front. They would go on to bridge the gap between the near-collapse of the regular army in 1914 and the 1915 introduction of the New Army. Despite its willingness to fight, the regular army never considered the Territorial Force a real military force, and it was also spoken of with disdain by those who favored conscription."
One recalls seeing All Quiet On The Western Front, and wondering, fleetingly but definitely, about its status as a thought provoking film, which it is - but never lambasted for its tone of criticism if not outright denunciation, instead of the usual reverence for soldiers, army, Allied efforts, et al.
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"Lord Kitchener, then-British Secretary of State for War, regarded the Territorial Force as being made up of amateurs led by “middle-aged professional men who were allowed to put on uniform and play at soldiers.” The Territorial Force was disappointed at Lord Kitchener’s eventual decision in 1914 to keep it in Britain for home defense in favor of raising the New Army. However, Kitchener would soon change his mind, and the Territorial Force would end up fighting the German offensive on the Western Front and the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey, amongst others."
How much were they responsible for the disaster of the Gallipoli Campaign?
"Kitchener’s objections to the Territorial Force weren’t solely to do with professional prejudice. He was concerned that local County Territorial Associations could not manage the recruitment and training of large numbers of volunteers. The initially low number of volunteers signing up for overseas operations also led him to believe it would be better used for home defense.
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"The First World War was famously predicted to be over by Christmas 1914, but Kitchener was one of a relatively few who voiced their opinion that the war would be long and brutal. Instead of relying solely on the Territorial Force, Kitchener decided to raise a New Army, also known as Kitchener’s Army. It was initially a volunteer force, just like the Territorial Force.
"To speed up the recruitment drive, General Henry Rawlinson suggested that more men would sign up if they were promised they could serve with their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members rather than be assigned to a battalion arbitrarily. He reached out to the City of London for the stockbrokers to set an example. Within a week, 1,600 stockbrokers had enlisted to be part of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, nicknamed the “Stockbrokers’ Battalion.”
"Soon after, the Earl of Derby had 1,500 men enlist in Liverpool. He told them: “This should be a battalion of pals, a battalion in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honor of Britain and the credit of Liverpool.” With three more battalions raised in Liverpool within days, Kitchener was convinced of the approach and promoted it all over the country.
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"Kitchener envisioned these volunteers specifically trained to be battle-ready with all the knowledge a regular army member would have upon completing their training. Recruiting in 1914, Kitchener expected the volunteers to be molded into units ready by mid-1916, but as it turned out, they had to be used a lot sooner, first seeing action at Suvla Bay in the Gallipoli Campaign in August 1915. By the beginning of 1916, as the truth about the war got back to volunteers in Britain, the queues to sign up dramatically shortened, and Kitchener had to resort to conscription, like other major powers in the war. As the Battle of the Somme neared, the British Army was nearly ten times the size it had been in 1914; these numbers would quickly dwindle as the slaughter at the Somme began.
"By this point, German preparations for a battle at the Somme were already underway. Erich von Falkenhayn found himself pursuing a strategy of unwavering defense, despite consternation from his countrymen. He would later suggest that any alternative was impossible due to the morale of German soldiers and the lack of reserves caused by the fighting at Verdun and the Eastern Front. Falkenhayn believed an offensive breakthrough was out of the question as the Germans didn’t have the necessary number of troops to enforce it. Withdrawing, on the other hand, would damage the morale of German soldiers and give them the belief that they could choose to avoid a battle.
................................................................................................
"Thus, fortifications were made with enlarged barbed wire obstacles using double and triple thickness wire. Rather than one trench line, the Germans had dug three, roughly 150-200 yards (140-180 meters) apart. Sentry groups occupied the first trench while the second protected most of the front-trench garrison. The third was for local reserves. Communication trenches extended to the reserve line, where they were as well-constructed and equipped as the first position.
"The Germans even built a telephone line to connect the front line with the artillery. With artillery organized in a series of barrage sectors, each officer knew which batteries covered his section of the front line and which would engage targets. A line of strongpoints was also constructed roughly 1,000 yards (900 meters) behind the front line. By the time the battle at the River Somme began, construction was almost complete on a third defensive position located roughly two miles (three kilometers) behind the strongpoints.
"Despite all these fortifications, the German defenses had two crucial weaknesses that had still not been addressed. Their front trenches were highlighted by white chalk, making them easily visible to observers on the ground. The other weakness was that the defenses were gathered closely together toward the front trench. Within only about 2,000 yards (1,800 meters) of no man’s land, there was a regiment with two battalions, the reserve battalion, and the second position. Most troops were located within 1,000 yards (900 meters) of the front line. The clearly visible front line with troops closely gathered behind it meant it would bear the brunt of an Allied artillery bombardment.
................................................................................................
"For the Allied forces, the objectives were simple: relieve pressure on the French still battling at Verdun and inflict as many losses as possible on the Germans. In the first phase of their battle plan, the British and French forces expected to take 15 miles (25 kilometers) of the German first line, from Montauban to Serre, after an artillery bombardment that would last five days. Meanwhile, the Third Army would set up a diversion at Gommecourt.
"The second phase would see the Fourth Army take the German second position, from Pozières to the Ancre and then south of the Albert-Bapaume Road, ahead of taking their third position, south of the road toward Flers. The Reserve Army would then capitalize on the success by advancing towards Arras. The French Sixth Army would guard the right flank of the main British attack. At least, that was the plan."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 4. Bombardment
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"“The whole show is very ghastly. The artillery is awful and the flies worse, whilst conditions of living are worse still.”
"—Lieutenant Cyril Catford"
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"British Generals Douglas Haig and Henry Rawlinson have often received criticism for the bombardment carried out prior to the Battle of the Somme. They assumed relentless bombing would result in an easy win with little resistance from the Germans, but they were wrong in this belief.
"For the bombardment at the Somme, the British Army had more artillery at its disposal than ever before. Up until that point, the largest bombardment that had been fired was in September 1915 at the Battle of Loos. There, the infantry stormed the German defenses after the bombardment had destroyed the German barbed wire, strongpoints, and parts of their trenches. The bombardment at the Somme used almost twice as many heavy artillery weapons compared to Loos—on a per yard of front basis—as well as having a quarter more in terms of field artillery and a colossal amount of ammunition. Not known for hyperbole, General Rawlinson told his men, “Nothing could exist at the conclusion of the bombardment in the area covered by it.”
"The amassed firepower was impressive; however, it was to be deployed over a large area. Haig’s decision to also bomb the second German trench meant that only half the artillery was expected to hit the front lines. When the depth of the German defenses, made up of barbed wire obstacles and multiple lines of trenches, are taken into account, the firepower for the bombardment was not even on a par with that amassed at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 in terms of the shellfire weight for every yard of enemy trench.
................................................................................................
"Nevertheless, on June 5, the artillery units received their bombardment orders: the enemy would endure shellfire without respite for five entire days beginning on June 24, named U Day. The following days were named V, W, X, and Z Day, with Z being the day the infantry would begin their assault.
"The plan was for the British to focus on cutting through the barbed wire defenses during the first two days of the bombardment. Then the following three days would see the destruction of trenches and strongpoints by heavy artillery. Meanwhile, the barbed wire would continue to be cut by field guns. Gas and smoke were also to be used by the Allied troops to confuse the Germans, while at night the roads would be shelled to hinder supply lines and the arrival of relief units. A daily period of more intense bombardment lasting 80 minutes was also planned. On Z Day, this would be curtailed for 15 minutes to allow Allied soldiers to begin their assault while the German soldiers were still hunkered in their trenches.
"Haig directed Rawlinson to get ready for “a rapid advance,” believing that the Germans would be so traumatized by the bombardment that British soldiers would face no resistance and would simply walk across the no man’s land and take the Germans in their trenches. This was not to be.
................................................................................................
"On June 24 (U Day), the bombardment began, effectively marking the start of the Battle of the Somme. After thunderstorms the day before, it was a dull and cloudy day with heavy rain, so aerial observation flights couldn’t commence until much later in the day. Also, the British were unable to target the German artillery, which retaliated, though only very lightly. Meanwhile, the wire cutting process began, and the British spent an hour releasing gas to confuse the Germans.
"The wire-cutting operation continued on June 25 (V Day), a much brighter day, which meant that counter-battery (targeting enemy artillery) could be increased. Huge explosions at German enemy dumps were reported by Royal Flying Corps pilots, who also brought down three German observation balloons near the British front. The Germans then retaliated, and more than a hundred batteries were spotted firing back. At night, under the cover of darkness, British raiding parties were sent to assess the situation. They brought back mixed news: some trenches had been badly damaged, but others were still full of German soldiers.
"On June 26 (W Day), there were heavy showers and low clouds, so aerial visibility was poor. Several divisions used gas or smoke, and the intense 80-minute period of fire began at 9 am. Photographs showed that the wire cutting appeared to be successful; despite this, the shellfire on the wire was increased. Shells were fired at a rate of 400-500 from each gun each day to cut the wire. Observation from infantry raids once again brought mixed news, but officers had some cause for optimism after interrogating prisoners.
................................................................................................
"On June 27-28 (X and Y Days), mist and heavy rain hampered observation of the effect the shells were having. Once again, conflicting reports were brought back by raiding parties, not giving a clear picture of the effect of the bombardment, which continued as the final gas supplies were released. Further observation of the Germans found that they were greater in numbers and more alert than had previously been reported.
"At 11 am on Y Day, the French and British leaders decided to change their plans due to the poor weather and uncertainty about how well the bombardment was working. They decided on a delay of 48 hours before sending the infantry to attack. This meant orders had to be rushed through to the supply units and infantry. Meanwhile, the artillery had to ration their stocks of shells to accommodate two more days of firing. In their shelters below the front lines, the Germans continued to wait out the bombardment.
"On June 29-30, known as Y1 and Y2 Days, 171 enemy batteries were spotted firing, but there was not much counter-battery work done until June 30. Many fires were seen raging in and behind the German lines. Fresh supplies of smoke and gas were released, provoking the increasingly frustrated Germans into firing machine guns from their front lines. Raiding parties reported large gaps in the wire, while front-line observers saw that much of the barbed wire was intact. A German deserter divulged that his compatriots knew an attack was coming and wished only for it to finally come, as they hadn’t eaten for three days.
"The last raiding party reports on June 30-July 1 (Y2 Day and Z Day) brought more conflicting news about the state of the barbed wire. Some said they could see that the Germans had attempted to use concertina wire to seal gaps; others noted that where gaps existed, they were very narrow. Ominously, with only hours to go until the main assault, all raids reported large numbers of soldiers actively manning the German front line."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 5. Battle Begins: First Day on the Somme
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"“It seemed all over, hardly 20 minutes from the start. It was a strong point and still was, even with reinforcements it would be hopeless, with those sodding machine guns still in action. Behind we could see where we started from, in front, the Jerry lines on slightly rising ground.”
"—Private Harry Leedham"
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"While the artillery bombardment began on June 24, it wasn’t until July 1 that the infantry attack began. The first meeting of Allied and Central forces in the Battle of the Somme was at the so-called Battle of Albert, which represented the first two weeks of the Anglo-French attack. The Battle of Albert opened on July 1 with the five divisions of the French Sixth Army attacking the German Second Army on the River Somme’s east side. Meanwhile, eleven divisions of the British Fourth Army attacked from the north of the river. The French and British had early success with their attacks, resulting in an almost total collapse of the German defense south of the Albert-Bapaume road. The German defense could not resist another attack on the south bank and had to make a significant withdrawal.
"North of the road toward Gommecourt, however, German defenders were able to deal the British infantry a huge defeat and an unprecedented number of casualties. As they stepped into no man’s land, the soldiers faced an onslaught of machine-gun fire from German strong points, which were much more heavily fortified than expected. It didn’t help that the British soldiers had been ordered to advance with their full kit, weighing about 66 pounds (30 kilograms).
"In an effort to consolidate the success of the British attack in the south, Haig soon decided to go against Joffre’s recommendations and abandon the attack on the north of the road. Still, a staggering 57,000 casualties were inflicted upon the British Fourth Army on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, most of which occurred on the Albert-Bapaume road to Gommecourt. In comparison, the French Sixth Army sustained 1,500 casualties while the German Second Army had to contend with roughly 10,000 to 12,000 losses.
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"The first day of the Battle of the Somme was a catastrophe for the British and the single worst day in British military history in terms of casualties sustained. This is often what the Battle of the Somme is most remembered for. However, the British failures at the River Somme alone do not explain why the battle was one of the most important of the First World War. After all, Allied forces in the south successfully navigated the German defensive system and captured Montauban and Mametz as they made significant advances against the Germans. This early success changed things for both sides, shutting down the attack north of the River Ancre and concentrating the fighting elsewhere, such as Thiepval.
"The Battle of Albert set up the Allies to continue pushing back the German defenses along the Bazentin Ridge on the way to Pozières on the Albert-Bapaume road. Here, the Fourth Army came up against the German second defensive position in a clash that lasted from July 14-17. The offensive, known as the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, was supposed to give the Allied forces control over several villages, including Bazentin le Petit, Bazentin le Grand, and Longueval.
"At 3:25 am on July 14, four divisions attacked along a three-mile (five-kilometer) front after deploying a five-minute bombardment. A barrage of firepower was deployed using field artillery as waves of foot soldiers applied pressure in no man’s land. By the time the barrage of firepower on the German front trench had come to an end, there was only a short distance for the soldiers to cover. However, despite the British meeting their objectives and putting the German defense under considerable strain, their lack of communication, organization, and comparatively high number of casualties meant they could not fully capitalize on the success. The German Second Army would soon recover and counterattack.
................................................................................................
"Another noteworthy battle taking place around the same time was the Battle of Fromelles from July 19-20. Not officially an element of the Battle of the Somme, the Fromelles attack was supposed to distract the Germans, so it took place some distance away on the Somme, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south. It was also meant to provide the Fourth Army with support as they capitalized on any weaknesses the German defenses might develop. The same German defenses had already successfully fought off a similar attack in 1915, and again, on this occasion, the Allies severely underestimated the German manpower available in defense. This time, the Germans outnumbered the Allies by two to one.
"Besides British troops from the 61st Division, the attack involved Australian soldiers from the 5th Australian Division. While the attack was not well-organized and the preparations were hurried, the Australians were also relatively untested and inexperienced when it came to trench warfare. The attack represented the first time the Australian Imperial Force had been involved with the Western Front, and the 5th Australian Division had only arrived in France a matter of days before the Battle of Fromelles commenced. Many of the Australian divisional artillery had no idea what the conditions on the Western Front were like.
"The attack was carried out in daylight, and the battle was fought on a narrow front. The flanks of the attack were exposed to the German defense artillery firing on either side. The 61st Division had been due to attack on July 20, but it was called off after German counterattacks forced the Australian troops to withdraw. While the Germans sustained some losses at the Battle of Fromelles, they hadn’t given up any ground. Instead of being a significant diversion, as it was planned, the attack didn’t stop the Germans from sending troops to the Somme.
"By the end of the battle, the Germans had sustained about 2,000 losses while the Allies lost 7,000, with most of these inflicted upon the 5th Australian Division. The fighting at Fromelles was one of the deadliest in Australian history in terms of deaths in action during a 24-hour period. Most of these men were buried in mass graves near the village of Fromelles."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 6. Second Phase: A War of Attrition
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"“The tragedy of the Somme battle was that the best soldiers, the stoutest-hearted men were lost; their numbers were replaceable, their spiritual worth never could be.”
"—Unidentified German soldier"
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"The Battle of Albert had changed the nature of the Somme Offensive, and it now included capturing terrain that would serve as vantage points for artillery fire and starting positions for further attacks. The terrain the Allies intended to capture included woods and any other area that could offer a strong position against attacks from the Central Powers armies, including villages with significant defensive advantages. One of these strategically desirable villages was that of Ginchy, which was held by the German forces. However, the British could not mount an operation to capture Ginchy until they had secured Delville Wood and Guillemont.
"Thus, the second phase of the Somme Offensive kicked off on July 14 with the Battle of Delville Wood. This operation was a continuation of the fighting at Bazentin Ridge and was meant to secure the British right flank in Delville Wood as well as capture the nearby High Wood. High Wood’s position offered whoever held it great view of the surrounding areas, which would be vital if the Allies wanted to break through the German defenses.
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"The fighting that took place during the Battle of Delville Wood from July 14-September 15 resulted in many losses for all that took part in it—not least for the South African 1st Infantry Brigade, which made its debut on the Western Front. By July 20, the South African 1st Infantry Brigade had lost more than 2,500 soldiers, a similar number of disastrous losses that many other brigades had suffered on July 1. Despite this, they did manage to secure the British right flank and capture Delville Wood, which the brigade held until July 20 when they were relieved.
"Still, the South African 1st Infantry Brigade was essentially destroyed in undertaking the operation, which turned Delville Wood into the site of a massacre strewn with bodies of the dead from both sides of the fighting. While the area was fought over many times, it is mostly remembered for the South African Brigade’s unrelenting attack, which captured and held it for the British.
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"Delville Wood was within sight of High Wood. With all the fighting over at Bazentin Ridge, High Wood was actually left undefended on July 14. Unfortunately, a lapse in coordination and communication meant the British missed their opportunity, and it would take another two months before they finally captured the wood. When there weren’t delays in communication, contradictory orders caused confusion amongst the British troops. Different departments at the British headquarters had been saddled with overlapping responsibilities, resulting in the British troops receiving a set of orders, only for them to be canceled out by another set of orders from a different department, causing confusion and delays in troop mobilization.
"While German lines of communication weren’t much clearer, soldiers from the 7th Division of the German reserves managed to beat the British by taking control of the southern half of High Wood while two of their cavalry squadrons descended upon the east side. The Germans then took full advantage and occupied the trench system which ran through the back of the wood. Arriving too late, the British had to fight the Germans to take control of High Wood, which they finally did in mid-September.
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"Meanwhile, communication breakdowns between the British and the French meant that they found it impossible to mount a general attack. Instead, they found themselves fighting many small-scale battles that resulted in massive casualties for the British, French, and German sides but yielded little progress. Bad weather kept aircraft on the ground and resulted in poor visibility. Also, the rain turned the roads into mud which slowed down any movement along them.
"The Germans also had problems with communication, as well as a shortage of fresh soldiers for the Somme front. Soldiers had to be taken off the front line every two weeks, resulting in a high turnover of German divisions. They also had to send divisions to the Eastern Front after Romania sided with the Allies and declared war on Germany on August 27. With a shortage of troops and a lack of resources, the Germans found it difficult to launch organized counterattacks on the Allies. Instead, the piecemeal attacks they fought were usually just as costly and fruitless for them as the British attacks were for the Allies.
"British plans also came apart on July 22 and 23 when they combined with the French for an attack on Pozières to the west of Bazentin Ridge. Due to communication failures, the plan for the general attack deteriorated and broke down into a number of separate attacks. Also contributing to the failure of the plan were the bad weather and supply line issues. The Allies were also hampered by the bombardment and counterattacks the Germans inflicted upon them, beginning on July 23 and continuing up to August 7. The one success the Allies could take away from this operation happened at the beginning of the Battle of Pozières when the 1st Australian Division of the Reserve Army captured the village of Pozières.
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"It may have been only a small village, but it was on high ground, and taking control of it was vital for any more advances toward the German stronghold at Thiepval. It was also essential to hamper the German defense of Delville Wood and High Wood. The division occupied the area to the north and east of Pozières, allowing the Allies to observe Ovillers, La Boisselle, and Albert to the south as well as High Wood, Delville Wood, and westward to Thiepval.
"At the end of August, the largest German counterattack yet mounted coincided with a pause in Anglo-French attacks as they tried to organize larger combined attacks. In light of the German counterattack, Joffre and Haig reconsidered their larger combined attacks and decided upon sequenced army attacks. As a result, they captured the German defenses around Guillemont.
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"The battle for the village of Guillemont, fought from September 3-6, then saw casualties in the thousands with attack and counterattack strategies deployed by both sides. Despite the German-held village being captured by the British Fourth Army on the first day of the battle, many observers contended that the German defense of Guillemont represented their best Western Front effort in the entire war.
"Almost a mile (1.5 kilometers) northeast of Guillemont lay the German-occupied village of Ginchy on higher ground that overlooked Combles to the southeast. With a general attack planned for mid-September, British soldiers needed to take positions that would offer better observation of the German third position. Beginning with attacks from Leuze Wood, the British 7th Division captured Ginchy before being ousted by a counterattack from the Germans. The 16th Division then retook the village. Occupying Ginchy was vital for the British and French armies to execute much larger attacks coordinated with the Tenth and Reserve Armies during the third and final phase of the Somme Offensive. These attacks in September would help the Allies to push the Germans back and inflict 130,000 casualties upon them that month."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 7. Third Phase: Debut of the Tank
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"“The sights I saw are too terrible to write about . . . I saw dead and wounded lying side by side. Some were moaning, and others had so far lost their reason that they were laughing and singing.”
"—Private William Roberts"
No, the last-mentioned were trying yo keep up their own morale, which was sll they could possibly do under the circumstances.
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"Starting on September 15, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette represented the British Army’s third general offensive. The objective was to take control of Morval, Lesboeufs, and Gueudecourt, combining an attack by the French upon Frégicourt and Rancourt. Together, the British and French were to surround Combles and mount an attack on the Somme’s south bank. They hoped to finally break through the German defenses, but it wouldn’t come on this occasion.
"Despite not finding a way to break the Germans, the British and French gained hugely during this phase of the Somme Offensive. They managed to push the Germans back roughly two miles (three kilometers) and inflicted a great number of casualties. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette is also notable for having been the debut battle of not only the Canadian Corps and the New Zealand Division on the Somme, but it also featured new weaponry as it was the first battle ever to introduce the use of tanks.
"There weren’t many tanks available at the battle, and those that were there were not mechanically stable. In addition, a strategy had not yet been developed to take full advantage of what the tanks had to offer, so they were not used in a way that would benefit the Allies the most. Despite all that, the tanks had a positive effect on the Allies during the battle. The tank had been developed in secret and came as a surprise to not only the German soldiers but the British soldiers as well. The tanks eventually helped the Allies fully clear Delville Wood and High Wood, leading to a considerable advance being made to Flers and onward to Combles.
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"Combles was due to be attacked by the French Sixth Army as part of the Battle of Morval which took place from September 25-28. The British Fourth Army postponed its attack on Morval, Gueudecourt, and Lesboeufs to allow the British to combine with the French attack on Combles, south of Morval. The combined attack meant the German defenders to the west, near Thiepval, would be deprived of much-needed reinforcements, making the Reserve Army’s attack planned for September 26 much more effective.
"The British eventually defeated the German lines of defense, only to find themselves on much more open ground that was also flatter. Gradually making their way to the Transloy Ridges, the fighting was brutal, and the autumnal weather added to the miserable conditions. The rain, the obstinate German defense, and the persistent pressure from the British pushed the physical endurance of all soldiers fighting at the Battle of Morval to its limit. Still, progress was made by the British, and they eventually achieved their goals. The Germans suffered many casualties at the Battle of Morval as the British Fourth Army made its most significant advance since July 14, leaving the Germans facing huge difficulties.
"Meanwhile, the British Reserve Army led by Lieutenant General Hubert Gough mounted their first large offensive, the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, beginning on September 26 and ending on September 28. Commencing a day after the Battle of Morval, the Battle of Thiepval Ridge was intended to take advantage of the attack inflicted by the British Fourth Army. German defenders fought the British to retain control of Thiepval Ridge, which was well fortified. The determination of the German defenders in fending off the British attack was not all that hampered the British Reserve Army as they fought the Germans. The maze of trenches and dug-outs led to confusion amongst the British soldiers and resulted in a generally uncoordinated effort from their infantry and artillery.
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"Joffre wanted the British and French armies to cooperate in robust and coordinated attacks. However, the bad weather combined with the difficulty of actually organizing such efforts dashed Joffre’s hopes. Instead, their coordinated attacks became increasingly disjointed and less effective as the Battle of Thiepval Ridge wore on. This coincided with a renewed sense of purpose from the German defense. Still, this revival of the German defense wouldn’t last long.
"During this battle, the British were trying out new ideas in the deployment of gas warfare, bombardment using machine-gun fire, and coordination between foot soldiers and tanks. Despite the Germans reorganizing and diverting significant numbers of soldiers, artillery, and aircraft from Verdun, they struggled against the sheer numbers of men and resources the British and French sent into battle. September would come to represent the highest for German casualties, but it wouldn’t be until October and November that the final Allied objectives would be achieved.
"Unusually, the weather was good on October 7 when the Allies captured Le Sars at the Battle of Le Transloy, but the good weather wouldn’t last long. When the Allies realized that the German defense had recovered from their earlier defeats, they decided upon a strategy of methodical bombardment. So, the fighting paused between October 8 and 11, and then another planned pause occurred between October 13 and 18. By October 17, Haig had reduced the planned operations after discussing the situation with army commanders. The changes meant the attacks by the Reserve Army and Fourth Army would be reduced to limited operations in coordination with the French Sixth Army, while the plan for the Third Army was canceled altogether.
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"Operations only picked up again on October 23 on the Fourth Army’s northern flank after another pause. Bad weather affected the Fourth Army’s right flank and the French Sixth Army front, causing further delays until November 5. The British fought many counterattacks as the heavy mud from the flooded battlefield clung to their uniforms, slowing down attempts to bring the front line to higher ground where a larger offensive could be initiated. On November 6, the Fourth Army halted its offensive operations, but its small attacks to improve positions and distract the Germans from the Reserve Army and Fifth Army’s attacks went ahead.
"Meanwhile, the Battle of the Ancre Heights was fought between October 1 and November 11. The Third Army was to take control of the area east of Gommecourt, while the Reserve Army attacked from Thiepval Ridge and Beaumont Hamel-Hébuterne to capture Stuff Trench at the west point of Bazentin Ridge. The British hadn’t attacked in that area for a long time as Thiepval had been under German control. Since the Allies had now taken Thiepval and the Germans’ vantage points overlooking the valley of the River Ancre, they were free to attack. Despite the advantage, more inclement weather caused the Reserve Army significant delay and difficulty. The British objectives were not achieved until November 11.
"On November 13, the final major British operation of 1916, the Battle of the Ancre, began. Here, the Fifth Army attacked the Germans in the Ancre valley after the Battle of the Ancre Heights. The Germans were exhausted after the battle, and the British took full advantage of their condition to gain ground ahead of the offensive resuming in 1917.
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"Despite the fog and snow, British troops attacked from the same front lines as on July 1, when their attack had failed so dismally. But things were different this time. While an attack on Serre was foiled, other objectives were met. Beaumont-Hamel and Beaucourt-sur-l’Ancre were captured, as were Regina Trench and Desire Support Trench. Still, some things remained the same. A huge number of casualties was inflicted on both sides before the battle was finally declared over on November 18, and there was a lull in the war as both sides focused on getting through the freezing temperatures.
"As the Battle of the Ancre ended, so too did the larger Somme Offensive. More than one million soldiers had been lost to casualties, and yet no decisive victory had been achieved. In terms of territory, all the Allies had to show for their efforts was an advance of about six miles (ten kilometers). Still, despite its failures, the Battle of the Somme did manage to weaken the Germans. Rather than returning to fight over the same territories, they would withdraw to the Hindenburg Line the following spring. The Allied forces had also learned valuable—though costly—lessons from the offensive, which would eventually contribute to them achieving victory on the Western Front before the end of 1918."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 8. Failures at the Somme
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"“It’s the end of the 1916 winter, and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it, and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can’t escape it, not even by dying.”
"—Private Edward Lynch"
WWI was war of mud. War by one of the Royal mob against his cousins, achieving revenge against one who had spurned him - by getting her family annihilated and clan decimated by massacres.
WWII, of bombardment of cities from Rotterdam to Nagasaki, of whole villages burnt alive and anyone escaping shot dead to the tune of two million across Belarus and Russia by nazis, apart from extermination camps, and Mengele et al using camp inmates for experiments.
It was war for civilisation that ended up threatening existence in turn.
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"General Haig had preferred an attack at Ypres in Flanders, which he thought could win the Allies key strategic objectives. However, the French preferred that the British fight with them at the River Somme, leading to July 1, 1916, and the most deadly day in British military history with almost 20,000 British soldiers killed in action and 38,000 wounded. By November, the Battle of the Somme had resulted in roughly 420,000 killed, wounded, or missing British soldiers. The French meanwhile lost around 200,000 men, and the Germans about 500,000. With these mind-boggling numbers in mind, one has to ask: what led to the failures at the Somme?
"Arrogance on the part of the Allies may have been a factor. They truly believed that nothing could survive the artillery bombardment they had dealt the Germans over the course of seven days. Had there not been so many other issues, perhaps the bombardment could have been more effective. For a start, the tactics the Allies used were dubious, but the initial attack was also hampered by the British gunners, who were inexperienced. Yet perhaps the biggest problem with the bombardment was the shortage of high explosive shells. Most of the 1.7 million shells that were fired between June 24 and July 1 were shrapnel and weren’t very effective against the German concrete trenches. A considerable number of them also failed to explode, rendering the battery even less effective.
"The bombardment was expected to destroy enemy artillery, but the techniques necessary to pinpoint enemy guns were still being developed. And, even if they could be located, the weapons weren’t yet sophisticated enough to accurately target them. The unaffected German artillery meant that no man’s land remained just that for the Allied troops, an area that was almost impenetrable. Those who did make some progress found themselves unable to receive reinforcements and also unable to make their way back.
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"Despite the willingness of the new British troops to be part of the war effort and fight, there is no substitute for experience. Both the British troops and those leading them were training while on the job, but a battlefield with shells exploding all around was no place for soldiers to learn about combat. While the soldiers were undoubtedly courageous, they were also understandably confused and likely traumatized by the carnage and death around them, leading to many mistakes. Nevertheless, despite the stress of the situation, the inexperienced British soldiers did succeed in, albeit slowly, pushing the Germans back."
There's no mention of the troops from India that were massive in number, over a million, and more than proved their worth despite extremely cold unfamiliar weather, shortage of daylight and unfamiliar terrain.
Does this point at racism of Hourly History, publishers and authors?
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"Haig had counted on trench deadlock being a transient phase and that normal battlefield conditions would soon return. He hadn’t anticipated that the inexperienced army made up of volunteers and conscripts would have to deal with the stalemate for so long. In the end, it wasn’t until 1918 that the stalemate was broken.
"A larger contingent of tanks might have helped the Allied forces, but the technology was too new and too temperamental to be manufactured and deployed in large numbers. They were definitely not going to win the war for the Allies. It could be argued that Haig shouldn’t have wasted the element of surprise with so few tanks that could not be truly effective on the battlefield. Also, it is possible that he shouldn’t have used them when they were so unsuited to the particular conditions of the Somme battlefield. It is possible that Haig thought so highly of the Mark 1 tanks that he believed they were sure to make an impact, even in such small numbers. Many believe that Haig and his staff had put too much faith in new technology that was not yet ready for the realities of war, just as with their belief that the artillery would destroy the German defenses and soldiers in their trenches.
"The weather was awful for much of the Somme Offensive, turning the battlefields into a thick sludge that clung heavily to the British soldiers already overburdened with heavier kits than their German counterparts. Despite this, Haig and Joffre insisted on continuing the battles of attrition over pockets of territory that were taken back by the enemy almost as quickly as it was won from them. Men and resources were squandered in these battles at the cost of larger objectives. Often, support wasn’t available quickly enough to provide backup to troops on the cusp of a victory, such as at Bazentin Ridge in July. On that occasion, a significant victory was within reach, but the British were unable to place reserves where they needed to be. By the time a cavalry attack arrived, it was too late.
"Haig had hoped that the bombardment would destroy the German defenses but prepared a contingency plan that would later become necessary. As the fighting opened in July, the ensuing small-scale attacks and attritional battles led to an enormous loss of life on both sides. The Germans defended obstinately and refused to give in to the French and British, denying the Anglo-French forces the effective start to the offensive that they had wanted. But the Germans did more than defend; they also immediately counterattacked at every opportunity, exhausting the Allied troops. Despite this, the British did fulfill one of the main objectives in relieving the pressure on the French troops at the Battle of Verdun.
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"All this is not to say that the reasons why success eluded the Allies are down to just the Allies themselves. The Germans had a lot to say on the matter. As already mentioned, they were resilient, counterattacking with vigor and defending robustly. One of the biggest reasons for the success of the German defenses was their sophisticated defense line from which they would emerge after the barrages to protect their positions against attacks from a larger enemy force. Another reason for their defensive success was their defiance in the face of the relentless onslaught. They were highly adaptable and disciplined as they contended with the horrific conditions of the battlefields.
"Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of firepower, the Germans were better organized and had arranged their guns in barrage sectors. This unexpected tactic helped them to deal the Allies a tremendous number of casualties. The German soldiers themselves were also better prepared for combat since they were not loaded with heavy equipment. Unlike the British soldiers, each of whom carried about 66 pounds (30 kilograms) of gear. Being more mobile, the German units were better able to contend with unexpected changes. For instance, the tanks initially bewildered the German soldiers, but they soon found ways to work around the threat they posed and eventually learned how to disable them.
"Although Haig could only work from the observations his intelligence staff brought back to him, he overestimated how low German morale would be brought down by attrition. On the other hand, it could be that his staff told him what they thought he wanted to hear. An insight into his approach came near the end of 1916 from a divisional commander commenting on July 1. According to the divisional commander, he suggested to Haig that “perhaps we had all been rather optimistic as to what it was possible to do.” Haig responded: “Well, we were all learning.”
"There were a number of factors that contributed to Haig continuing with the attacks even when faced with such enormous numbers of casualties. One of the biggest was the pressure Joffre applied. Joffre needed the attacks to continue to stop the Germans from moving troops to Verdun as well as to the Italian and Eastern Fronts. Political maneuvering and concerns about the morale of Allied soldiers also played a part. In the end, the Battle of the Somme would earn Haig the nickname “the Butcher of the Somme.” While there is no question that the Battle of the Somme was a horrific event with death and destruction on a rarely-before-seen scale, opinions still diverge on whether he deserved such a moniker."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Chapter 9. The Somme Today
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"“Every Englishman has a picture of the Somme in his mind, and I will not try to enlarge it.”
"—A. P. Herbert"
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"Many soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Somme went missing in action, and their bodies were never recovered from the battlefields. These soldiers have no gravestones and received no funeral. So that they would never be forgotten, a monument, the Thiepval Memorial, was built in Thiepval between 1928 and 1932. It is currently the largest monument in the world dedicated to the missing. The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing bears the names of 72,337 missing Allied soldiers who fought at the Battle of the Somme and whose bodies could not be found.
"Bodies are regularly discovered on the site of the former battlefield, and different methods are used to try to identify them. It was decided that since the memorial was intended to be solely for missing or unidentified soldiers, the engraved names of those whose bodies had been recovered or identified would be filled in with cement. The soldiers whose bodies are recovered and identified receive a full military funeral at a cemetery close to where they were found. Since the inauguration of the memorial, numerous soldiers have been found, and their names have been removed from the memorial resulting in gaps."
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Conclusion
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"The Somme Offensive will be remembered for many things. For instance, it was the first battle that would see tanks deployed. Mostly though, the Battle of the Somme, and particularly its first day, will be remembered for its brutal carnage and astonishing loss of life that was typical of First World War trench warfare. The first day of the Somme remains the bloodiest in British military history, and it has also come to symbolize the loss of life during the whole war.
"Haig and others were heavily criticized for continuing with the Somme Offensive when they were incurring such enormous losses. It was the first major battle to be fought by Lord Kitchener’s Pals battalions, volunteers who knew each other. They were relatives, workplace colleagues, and members of the same community. Men who, having volunteered in a fit of patriotic fervor, would end up fighting and dying alongside one another in a foreign country, many miles from home. These weren’t people who ever thought they’d be soldiers going to war.
"For many, the offensive also came to represent a loss of innocence as shelling was used on an unprecedented level, forever changing how wars were fought. For others still, the Battle of the Somme would serve to highlight the futility of war, as after seven days of near-continuous bombardment, the bloodiest day in British history, and almost five months of trench warfare, the campaign was a failure that did not bring the expected breakthrough and victory against the Germans on the Western Front.
"Still, despite the various failures of the Somme Offensive, many German positions in France were damaged or taken, prompting strategic retreats by the Germans in 1917. The Somme Offensive saw Britain introduce modern all-arms mass-industrial warfare to the battlefield, taking the strategic initiative and causing the German Army catastrophic damage from which it could not recover. As Captain von Hentig, a staff officer with the German Guard Reserve Division, said, the Somme “was the muddy grave of the German Field Army.”"
Perhaps that was the real humiliation that Hitler sought to avenge, but couldn't mention?
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Bibliography
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"Dowling, T. (2008). The Brusilov Offensive.
"Edmonds, J. E. (1937). Military Operations France and Belgium, 1916: Sir Douglas Haig's Command to the 1st July: Battle of the Somme.
"Hart, P. (2006). The Somme.
"McCarthy, C. (1993). The Somme: The Day-by-Day Account.
"Reeves, N. (March 1997). "Cinema, Spectatorship and Propaganda: 'Battle of the Somme' (1916) and its contemporary audience".
"Sheffield, G. (2003). The Somme.
"Terraine, J. (1963).
Douglas Haig: The Educated Soldier. "The South Africans at Delville Wood".
"The South African Military History Society. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20090420022107/http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol072iu.html"
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September 28, 2022 - September 28, 2022.
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Battle of the Somme: A History
from Beginning to End
(World War 1)
Hourly History
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September 27, 2022 - September 28, 2022
Purchased September 28, 2022.
ASIN:- B0B89JC7ZG
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5012492007
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