Editing Battle of the Somme (section)

== Battles of the Somme, 1916 ==
=== 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}}

=== Second phase: July–September 1916 ===
==== Battle of Delville Wood, 14 July – 15 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Delville Wood}}

[[File:Delville Wood 14 July 1916 (cropped).png|thumb|Positions on 14 July 1916]]

The Battle of Delville Wood was an operation to secure the British right [[Flanking maneuver|flank]], while the centre advanced to capture the higher-lying areas of High Wood and Pozières. After the Battle of Albert the offensive had evolved to the capture of fortified villages, woods, and other terrain that offered observation for artillery fire, jumping-off points for more attacks, and other tactical advantages. The mutually costly fighting at Delville Wood eventually secured the British right flank and marked the Western Front debut of the South African [[1st Infantry Brigade (South Africa)|1st Infantry Brigade]] (incorporating a [[Southern Rhodesia]]n contingent), which held the wood from 15 to 20 July. When relieved, the brigade had lost {{nowrap|2,536 men}}, similar to the casualties of many brigades on 1 July.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|p = 251}}

==== Battle of Pozières, 23 July – 7 August ====
{{Main|Battle of Pozières}}
[[File:The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q1042.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Captured 15 cm (150 mm) Ringkanone 92 German gun near Mametz Wood, 10th August 1916.]]
The Battle of Pozières began with the capture of the village by the 1st Australian Division (Australian Imperial Force) of the 

[[Reserve Army (United Kingdom)|Reserve Army]], the only British success in the Allied fiasco of {{nowrap|22/23 July,}} when a general attack combined with the French further south, degenerated into a series of separate attacks due to communication failures, supply failures and poor weather.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 94–95}} German bombardments and counter-attacks began on 23 July and continued until 7 August. The fighting ended with the Reserve Army taking the plateau north and east of the village, overlooking the fortified village of [[Thiepval]] from the rear.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 94–96}}

==== Battle of Guillemont, 3–6 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Guillemont}}
[[File:The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q4172.jpg|thumb|British gunners watching German prisoners passing after the taking of Guillemont, 3 September 1916]]
The Battle of Guillemont was an attack on the village which was captured by the Fourth Army on the first day. Guillemont was on the right flank of the British sector, near the boundary with the French Sixth Army. German defences ringed the British salient at Delville Wood to the north and had observation over the French Sixth Army area to the south towards the Somme river. The German defence in the area was based on the second line and numerous fortified villages and farms north from [[Maurepas, Somme|Maurepas]] at Combles, Guillemont, Falfemont Farm, Delville Wood and High Wood, which were mutually supporting. The battle for Guillemont was considered by some observers to be the supreme effort of the German army during the battle. Numerous meetings were held by Joffre, Haig, Foch, General Sir [[Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson|Henry Rawlinson]] (commander of the British Fourth Army) and [[Émile Fayolle|Fayolle]] to co-ordinate joint attacks by the four armies, all of which broke down. A pause in Anglo-French attacks at the end of August, coincided with the largest counter-attack by the German army in the Battle of the Somme.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 98–100}}

==== Battle of Ginchy, 9 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Ginchy}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R05148, Westfront, deutscher Soldat crop.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|A young German ''Sommekämpfer'' in 1916]]

In the Battle of Ginchy the [[16th (Irish) Division|16th Division]] captured the German-held village. Ginchy was {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-east of Guillemont, at the junction of six roads on a rise overlooking Combles, {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the south-east. After the end of the [[Battle of Guillemont]], British troops were required to advance to positions which would give observation over the German third position, ready for a general attack in mid-September. British attacks from Leuze Wood northwards to Ginchy had begun on 3 September, when the 7th Division captured the village and was then forced out by a German counter-attack. The capture of Ginchy and the success of the French Sixth Army on 12 September, in its biggest attack of the battle of the Somme, enabled both armies to make much bigger attacks, sequenced with the Tenth and Reserve armies, which captured much more ground and inflicted {{circa|130,000}} casualties on the German defenders during the month.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|p = 355}}

=== Third phase: September–November 1916 ===
==== Battle of Flers–Courcelette, 15–22 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Flers–Courcelette}}

The Battle of Flers–Courcelette was the third and final general offensive mounted by the British Army, which attacked an intermediate line and the German third line to take Morval, Lesboeufs and Gueudecourt, which was combined with a French attack on Frégicourt and Rancourt to encircle Combles and a supporting attack on the south bank of the Somme. The strategic objective of a breakthrough was not achieved but the tactical gains were considerable, the front line being advanced by {{convert|2500|–|3500|yd|m}} and many casualties were inflicted on the German defenders. The battle was the debut of the [[Canadian Corps]], the [[New Zealand Division]] and [[tank]]s of the Heavy Branch of the [[Machine Gun Corps]] on the Somme.{{sfn|Sheffield|2003|pp = 112–124}}

==== Battle of Morval, 25–28 September ====
{{Main|Battle of Morval}}

[[File:The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q1308 (cropped).jpg|thumb|British troops moving up to the attack during the Battle of Morval, 25 September 1916.]]

The Battle of Morval was an attack by the Fourth Army on [[Morval, Pas-de-Calais|Morval]], [[Gueudecourt]] and [[Lesboeufs]] held by the German [[1st Army (German Empire)|1st Army]], which had been the final objectives of the [[Battle of Flers–Courcelette]] (15–22 September). The attack was postponed to combine with attacks by the French Sixth Army on [[Combles]], south of Morval and because of rain. The combined attack was also intended to deprive the German defenders further west, near Thiepval of reinforcements, before an attack by the Reserve Army, due on 26 September. Combles, Morval, Lesboeufs and Gueudecourt were captured and a small number of tanks joined in the battle later in the afternoon. Many casualties were inflicted on the Germans but the French made slower progress. The Fourth Army advance on 25 September was its deepest since 14 July and left the Germans in severe difficulties, particularly in a Salients, re-entrants and pockets salient near Combles. The Reserve Army attack began on 26 September in the [[Battle of Thiepval Ridge]].{{sfn|Philpott|2009|p = 383}}

==== 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}}

==== Battle of Le Transloy, 1 October – 11 November ====
{{Main|Battle of Le Transloy}}

The Battle of Le Transloy began in good weather and Le Sars was captured on 7 October. Pauses were made from {{nowrap|8–11 October}} due to rain and {{nowrap|13–18 October}} to allow time for a methodical bombardment, when it became clear that the German defence had recovered from earlier defeats. Haig consulted with the army commanders and on {{nowrap|17 October}} reduced the scope of operations by cancelling the Third Army plans and reducing the Reserve Army and Fourth Army attacks to limited operations, in co-operation with the French Sixth Army.{{sfn|Miles|1992|pp = 458–459}} Another pause followed before operations resumed on 23 October on the northern flank of the Fourth Army, with a delay during more bad weather on the right flank of the Fourth Army and on the French Sixth Army front, until 5 November. Next day, the Fourth Army ceased offensive operations, except for small attacks intended to improve positions and divert German attention from attacks being made by the Reserve/Fifth Army. Larger operations resumed in January 1917.{{sfn|Miles|1992|p = 474}}

==== Battle of the Ancre Heights, 1 October – 11 November ====
{{Main|Battle of the Ancre Heights}}

The Battle of the Ancre Heights was fought after Haig made plans for the Third Army to take the area east of Gommecourt, the Reserve Army to attack north from Thiepval Ridge and east from Beaumont Hamel–Hébuterne and for the Fourth Army to reach the Péronne–Bapaume road around Le Transloy and Beaulencourt–Thilloy–Loupart Wood, north of the Albert–Bapaume road. The Reserve Army attacked to complete the capture of Regina Trench/Stuff Trench, north of Courcelette to the west end of Bazentin Ridge around {{lang|de|Schwaben}} and Stuff Redoubts, during which bad weather caused great hardship and delay. The Marine Brigade from Flanders and fresh German divisions brought from quiet fronts counter-attacked frequently and the British objectives were not secured until 11 November.{{sfn|Miles|1992|pp = 447–456 & 460–466}}

==== Battle of the Ancre, 13–18 November ====
{{Main|Battle of the Ancre}}

[[File:Mametz Western Front (Frank Crozier).jpg|thumb|Mametz, Western Front, a winter scene, painting by [[Frank R. Crozier|Frank Crozier]]]]

The Battle of the Ancre was the last big British operation of the year. The Fifth (formerly Reserve) Army attacked into the Ancre valley to exploit German exhaustion after the Battle of the Ancre Heights and gain ground ready for a resumption of the offensive in 1917. Political calculation, concern for Allied morale and Joffre's pressure for a continuation of attacks in France, to prevent German troop transfers to Russia and Italy also influenced Haig.{{sfn|Miles|1992|pp = 476–477}} The battle began with another [[Mining (military)|mine]] being detonated beneath [[Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt]]. The attack on [[Serre (Somme)|Serre]] failed, although a brigade of the 31st Division, which had attacked in the disaster of 1 July, took its objectives before being withdrawn later. South of Serre, Beaumont Hamel and [[Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre]] were captured. South of the Ancre, St. Pierre Division was captured, the outskirts of Grandcourt reached and the Canadian 4th Division captured [[Regina Trench]] north of Courcelette, then took Desire Support Trench on 18 November. Until January 1917 a lull set in, as both sides concentrated on enduring the weather.{{sfn|McCarthy|1995|pp = 148–162}}