Editing Battle of the Somme (section)

=== First phase: 1–17 July 1916 ===
==== Battle of Albert, 1–13 July ====
{{Main|Battle of Albert (1916)}}
[[File:Royal Irish Rifles ration party Somme July 1916.jpg|thumb|220x220px|[[Royal Ulster Rifles|Royal Irish Rifles]] at the beginning of the battle.]]
The Battle of Albert was the first two weeks of Anglo-French offensive operations in the Battle of the Somme. The Allied preparatory artillery bombardment began on 24 June and the Anglo-French infantry attacked on 1 July, on the south bank from Foucaucourt to the Somme and from the Somme north to Gommecourt, {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=on}} beyond Serre. The French Sixth Army and the right wing of the British Fourth Army inflicted a considerable defeat on the German Second Army, but from the Albert–Bapaume road to Gommecourt the British attack was a disaster where most of the {{circa|60,000 British}} casualties were incurred. Against Joffre's wishes, Haig abandoned the offensive north of the road, to reinforce the success in the south, where the Anglo-French forces pressed forward towards the German second line, preparatory to a general attack on 14 July.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 76–78}}

===== First day =====
{{main|First day on the Somme}}

[[File:British plan Somme 1 July 1916.png|thumb|upright|British objectives, 1 July 1916]]

The Battle of the Somme lasted {{nowrap|141 days}} beginning with the opening day of the [[Battle of Albert (1916)|Battle of Albert]]. The attack was made by five divisions of the French Sixth Army on the east side of the Somme, eleven British divisions of the Fourth Army north of the Somme to Serre and two divisions of the Third Army opposite Gommecourt, against the German Second Army of General Fritz von Below. The German defence south of the Albert–Bapaume road mostly collapsed and the French had "complete success" on both banks of the Somme, as did the British from the army boundary at Maricourt to the Albert–Bapaume road. On the south bank the German defence was made incapable of resisting another attack and a substantial retreat began; on the north bank the abandonment of Fricourt was ordered. The defenders on the commanding ground north of the road inflicted a huge defeat on the British infantry, who took an unprecedented number of casualties. Several truces were negotiated to recover wounded from [[no man's land]] north of the road. The Fourth Army took {{nowrap|57,470 casualties}}, of which {{nowrap|19,240 men}} were killed. The French Sixth Army had {{nowrap|1,590 casualties}}, and the 2nd German Army had {{nowrap|10,000–12,000 losses}}.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 41–69}}

==== Battle of Bazentin Ridge, 14–17 July ====
{{Main|Battle of Bazentin Ridge}}

[[File:Bazentin le Petit 14 July 1916 map.png|thumb|The [[21st Division (United Kingdom)|British 21st Division]] attack on Bazentin le Petit, 14 July 1916.]]
[[File:The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q4417.jpg|thumb|Soldiers digging a communication trench through Delville Wood]]
The Fourth Army attacked the German second defensive position from the Somme past [[Guillemont]] and [[Ginchy]], north-west along the crest of the ridge to [[Pozières]] on the Albert–Bapaume road. The objectives of the attack were the villages of [[Bazentin le Petit]], [[Bazentin le Grand]] and [[Longueval]] which was adjacent to [[Delville Wood]], with [[High Wood]] on the ridge beyond. The attack was made by four divisions on a front of {{convert|6000|yd|km|abbr=on}} at {{nowrap|3:25 a.m.}} after a five-minute [[hurricane bombardment|hurricane artillery bombardment]]. Field artillery fired a creeping barrage and the attacking waves pushed up close behind it in no man's land, leaving them only a short distance to cross when the barrage lifted from the German front trench. Most of the objective was captured and the German defence south of the Albert–Bapaume road put under great strain but the attack was not followed up due to British communication failures, casualties and disorganisation.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 79–85}}

==== Battle of Fromelles, 19–20 July ====
{{Main|Battle of Fromelles}}

The '''Battle of Fromelles''' was a subsidiary attack to support the Fourth Army on the Somme {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the south, to exploit any weakening of the German defences opposite. Preparations for the attack were rushed, the troops involved lacked experience in trench warfare and the power of the German defence was "gravely" underestimated, the attackers being {{nowrap|outnumbered 2:1}}. On 19 July, von Falkenhayn had judged the British attack to be the anticipated offensive against the 6th Army. Next day, Falkenhayn ordered the [[Guards Reserve Corps|Guard Reserve Corps]] to be withdrawn to reinforce the Somme front. The Battle of Fromelles had inflicted some losses on the German defenders but gained no ground and deflected few German troops bound for the Somme. The attack was the debut of the [[First Australian Imperial Force|Australian Imperial Force]] on the Western Front and, according to McMullin, "the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history".{{sfn|McMullin|2006}} Of {{nowrap|7,080 BEF casualties}}, {{nowrap|5,533 losses}} were incurred by the [[5th Division (Australia)|5th Australian Division]]; German losses were {{nowrap|1,600–2,000, with}} {{nowrap|150 taken}} prisoner.{{sfn|Miles|1992|p = 133}}