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To the north, German artillery and machine guns were responsible for the worst
day of casualties in the history of the British army, 57,470, of whom 19,240 died,
greater than the combined total of British casualties in the Crimean, Boer, and
Korean wars. On the Somme and to its south the French, attacking on a narrower
front with a greater artillery support, had more success.
At the start of the Somme offensive the objectives of the British army were not
fully resolved.The Commander, Sir Douglas Haig, hoped for a breakthrough
(although its overall direction varied in the course of the fighting), and his
subordinate army commander, Sir Henry Rawlinson, hoped for more limited
gains.This division in views resulted in compromise, but success in either would
have been enough to deliver on the original overall allied intention, to pull
German reserves simultaneously from one front to another. By the end of the
Somme, three results had been achieved: to relieveVerdun, to tie the Germans
down on theWestern Front and to wear down their strength.These have
remained the principal rationales for the Somme ever since.
Over the next four and a half months villages and areas with names which are
still familiar a century later were fought over:
•
Albert, with its famous stooping Madonna, was the principal town for
activity behind the British lines in the area of the Somme,
•
Bazentin Ridge, scene of an Indian Army cavalry charge and where most
of the objective was captured and the German defence put under great
strain,
•
Fromelles which was the début of the Australian Imperial Force on the
Western Front and “the worst 24 hours in Australia’s entire history”,
•
DelvilleWood from July to September when the offensive evolved into
the capture of fortified villages, woods and terrain that offered
observation for artillery fire and jumping-off points for more attacks.
The fighting eventually secured the British right flank and marked the
Western Front début of the South African 1st Infantry Brigade,
•
Pozières Ridge where the plateau north and east of the village was taken,
overlooking the fortified village of Thiepval,
•
Guillemont which marked the supreme effort of the German army
during the battle,