Editing Battle of the Somme (section)

==== Battle of Thiepval Ridge, 26–28 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Thiepval Ridge}}

[[File:British Mark I male tank Somme 25 September 1916.jpg|thumb|British Mark I male tank near Thiepval, 25 September 1916.]]

The Battle of Thiepval Ridge was the first large offensive mounted by the [[British Reserve Army|Reserve Army]] of [[Lieutenant General]] [[Hubert Gough]] and was intended to benefit from the [[British Fourth Army|Fourth Army]] attack at [[Battle of Morval|Morval]] by starting {{nowrap|24 hours}} afterwards. Thiepval Ridge was well fortified and the German defenders fought with great determination, while the British co-ordination of infantry and artillery declined after the first day, due to confused fighting in the maze of trenches, dug-outs and shell-craters. The final British objectives were not reached until the [[Battle of the Ancre Heights]] (1 October – 11 November). Organisational difficulties and deteriorating weather frustrated Joffre's intention to proceed by vigorous co-ordinated attacks by the Anglo-French armies, which became disjointed and declined in effectiveness during late September, at the same time as a revival occurred in the German defence. The British experimented with new techniques in gas warfare, machine-gun bombardment and tank–infantry co-operation, as the Germans struggled to withstand the preponderance of men and material fielded by the Anglo-French, despite reorganisation and substantial reinforcements of troops, artillery and aircraft from Verdun. September became the worst month for casualties for the Germans.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 130–131}}