The first day of the Battle of the Somme: How did it become the costliest day in British military history?
In early 1916, Sir Douglas Haig, the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force from December 1915, was tasked with planning an Anglo-French attack. Following the German attack at Verdun, Haig was under immense pressure from General Joseph Joffre, commander of the French army, to launch an attack which would take the crushing force off the French in the fortified region.
Haig assigned Rawlinson’s Fourth Army to complete the initial thrust, and following a visit to the Somme region, Rawlinson described it as “capital country in which to undertake an offensive” where they “ought to be able to avoid the heavy losses which infantry have suffered on previous occasions.” Preparations began immediately.
On the 1st of July 1916, the Somme Offensive began after a seven-day preliminary bombardment which saw over 1.5 million artillery shells fired at the German trenches over a twenty-five kilometre front line in the Somme region of Northern France. The men of the Fourth Army, which was primarily formed of Kitchener’s New Army, were under the impression that there would be nothing left of the German army to defend the frontline, and some battalions were given footballs to kick across no man’s land.
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers fixing bayonets prior to the attack on Beaumont Hamel, July 1916. Imperial War Museum Q 744.
Many mothers, siblings, and sweethearts who had received news of the upcoming offensive through letters waited anxiously for news of the big push. However, these were often sent from “Somewhere in France” due to censorship, On the 1st of July 1916, the Derby Daily Telegraph reported that “Our Casualties Not Heavy” and that there were “German Trenches Occupied.” The sighs of relief from the British public were soon vanquished. The news of sixty-thousand casualties, including 19,920 deaths on the first day of the offensive came to light, as families received letters stating their loved ones had died while serving for “King and Country.”
Despite an extensive bombardment, nineteen mines, and one-hundred thousand men going over the top, not a single objective had been taken. The 1st of July 1916 was to become the bloodiest day in British military history and the offensive developed into the costliest battle of the First World War. There is an endless list of reasons why the first day of the Somme Offensive was unsuccessful, but arguably the most significant are the German’s strategic advantages and inefficient use of artillery.
The Germans arrived at the Somme in 1914. After fighting with the French, they began to construct defensive lines which were strategically placed on the hills and ridges which dominated the valleys and low ground that were held by the Allies. By 1916, these had developed into formidable fortresses, which were imposing enough from aerial photos; however, these were to be destroyed by the preliminary bombardment.
Soldiers of 'A' Company, 11th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment, occupy a captured German trench at Ovillers-la-Boisselle on the Somme. Imperial War Museum Q 3990.
Lurking beneath these lines were honeycombs of dugouts, bunkers, and tunnels which could withstand even the most intense shelling. Despite the torment that thousands of Germans faced underground, the soldiers and equipment remained mostly unharmed. When the whistles blew on the 1st of July 1916, the Germans arose from their dugouts and opened fire on the attackers at full capacity.
The preliminary bombardment had multiple objectives, but the primary aims were to destroy the barbed wire belts, which were up to twenty-seven metres thick in places, and demolish the German front line. Ineffective use of artillery further paved the way for the unsuccessful opening day. In 1916, the Royal Artillery were using predominantly eighteen-pounder guns firing shrapnel ammunition, which were designed to explode above a target and fire lead balls below. These were devastating against personnel but were highly inefficient against barbed wire and trenches. High explosive shells were also used, and were violently efficient. Nevertheless, the percussion fuses required hitting something hard on impact, meaning they often would not explode until they had penetrated the earth and simply blew barbed wire into the air that came crashing back down. Regardless, the equivalent of 2.4 shells fired per second for seven days, the aims were not achieved. As the British soldiers advanced on the 1st of July 1916, they were met with mainly uncut barbed wire, and gaps that had been cut. As a result, they simply funnelled soldiers into the sites of German machine gun and rifle fire.
Battle of Albert. 6-inch gun firing. July 1916. Imperial War Museum Q 103.
The meticulously planned offensive quickly descended into a devastating battle, resulting in 420,000 British and Commonwealth casualties. Many of the initial objectives were only achieved in the final days of the Battle. The progress made by the British and Commonwealth Armies from July the 1st to the 18th of November, 1916, serve as a poignant reminder of the futility of the Battle of the Somme.
By Harvey Henson
Bibliography:
Winter, Denis. 2004. Haig’s Command : A Reassessment. London: Pen & Sword.
Macdonald, Lyn. Somme. New York: Scribner Paper Fiction, 1989.
Imperial War Museum. ‘The private papers of Douglas Haig, 1914-1919 being selections from the private diary and correspondence of Field-Marshal the Earl Haig of Bemersyde, KT, GCB, OM, etc.’ Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500045310
Imperial War Museum. ‘The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916. Accessed April 23rd, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205193132.
Imperial War Museums. ‘The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916’. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205071273.
Images:
Imperial War Museums. ‘The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916’. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205193132
Imperial War Museums. ‘The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205191386
Imperial War Museums. ‘The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205071273