Editing Battle of the Somme (section)

===== 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}}