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{{About|the event|the book|The First Day on the Somme}}
{{See also|Battle of Albert (1914)|Battle of Albert (1916)|Battle of Albert (1918)}}
{{Use British English|date=
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = First
| partof = the [[Battle of the Somme]] ([[First World War]])
| image = File:Map of the Battle of the Somme, 1916.svg
| image_upright = 1.0
| caption = Battle of the Somme, 1 July – 18 November 1916
| date = 1 July 1916
| place = [[Somme (department)|Somme]], [[Picardy]], France
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{{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|German Empire}}
| commander1 =
| commander2 =
| strength1 = 13 British divisions<br />6 French divisions
| strength2 = 6 divisions
| casualties1 = British: 57,470 (19,240 killed)<br />French: 1,590
| casualties2 = 6,
| notes = In the German ten-day casualty accounting period
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Battle of Albert (1916)}}
{{Campaignbox Somme 1916}}
{{Campaignbox Western Front (World War I)}}
}}
The '''first day on the Somme'''
The German defence south of the road mostly collapsed and the French had
German counter-attacks during the afternoon recaptured most of the lost ground north of the Albert–Bapaume road and more British attacks against Thiepval were costly failures. On the north bank of the Ancre, the attack of VIII Corps was a
Several [[truce]]s were observed to recover wounded from no man's land on the British front; the Third Army diversion at Gommecourt cost {{nowrap|6,758 casualties}} against {{nowrap|1,212 German}} and the combined casualty count with the Fourth Army reached {{nowrap|57,470,}} (19,240 of which had been fatal). The French Sixth Army suffered {{nowrap|1,590 casualties}} and the German 2nd Army suffered {{nowrap|10,000–12,000 casualties.}} Orders were issued to the Anglo-French armies to continue the offensive on 2 July; a German counter-attack on the north bank of the Somme by the [[12th Division (German Empire)|12th Division]], intended for the night of {{nowrap|1/2 July,}} took until dawn on 2 July to begin and was destroyed by the French and British troops opposite. Since 1 July 1916, the British casualties on the First Day and the "meagre gains" have been a source of grief and controversy in Britain.
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{{see also|Battle of Verdun}}
In July 1915, the French [[Grand Quartier Général (1914–1919)|Commander in Chief]] [[Joseph Joffre]] held the first [[inter-Allied conference at Chantilly|Allied conference at Chantilly]]. In December, a second conference agreed a strategy of simultaneous attacks by the French, Russian, British and Italian armies. The British theatre of operations was in northern France and Flanders but in February 1916, Haig accepted Joffre's plan for a combined attack astride the Somme river, around 1 July; in April, the [[British Cabinet]] agreed to an offensive in France.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=3–4, 10, 13, 29}} The nature of a joint offensive on the Somme began to change almost immediately, when the German army attacked Verdun on 21 February. In March, Foch proposed a Somme offensive on a {{cvt|45|km
====BEF reinforcements====
[[File:Bassin de la Somme.svg|thumb|{{centre|Bassin de la Somme}}]]
The Somme was to be the first mass offensive mounted by the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War I)|British Expeditionary Force]] (BEF) and the first battle to involve a large number of [[New Army (British)|New Army]] divisions, many composed of [[Pals battalion]]s that had formed after Kitchener's call for volunteers in August 1914.{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|pp=268–270}} By the end of the [[Gallipoli Campaign]], twelve British divisions were in Egypt and from 4 February to 20 June, nine were transferred to France. From Britain and Egypt the [[34th Division (United Kingdom)|34th Division]] and [[35th Division (United Kingdom)|35th Division]]
Despite considerable debate among German staff officers, General [[Erich von Falkenhayn]], the head of {{lang|de|[[Oberste Heeresleitung]]}} (
===Tactical developments===
====French====
The offensives of 1915 showed that attacks would inevitably be slow and costly; on 8 January 1916, GQG issued "{{lang|fr|Instruction sur le combat offensif des petits unités}}" (
Artillery bombardments were to be co-ordinated with infantry attacks, various types of artillery being given targets suitable for their characteristics, for the cumulative destruction of field defences and the killing of German infantry. Heavy artillery and mortars were to be used for the destruction of field fortifications, howitzers and light mortars for the destruction of trenches, machine-gun and observation posts; heavy guns and mortars to destroy fortified villages and concrete strong points. Longer-range guns were to engage German artillery with counter-battery fire, to deprive German infantry of artillery support during the attack, when French infantry were at their most vulnerable. Wire cutting was to be performed by field artillery, firing [[
====British====
[[File:Lewis Gun (derivated).jpg|left|thumb|{{centre|
In 1915, British tactical thinking had been based on the experience of its [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] battles, particularly the [[Battle of Loos]] in September and the study of French and German experience in translated manuals and pamphlets. British planners knew the importance of organised artillery firepower and the integration of types of weapons and equipment. [[Barrage (artillery)|Creeping barrages]], [[smoke screen]]s and [[Chemical warfare|cloud gas discharges]] were to be used along with aircraft, [[Stokes mortar]]s (a light trench mortar), [[Lewis gun]]s (a light machine-gun) and elaborate signals systems
The [[9th (Scottish) Division]] had attacked at Loos with four battalions on a front {{cvt|1600|yd
====German====
On the Somme front, the construction plan ordered by Falkenhayn in January 1915 had been completed. [[Barbed wire]] obstacles had been enlarged from one belt {{cvt|5|–|10|yd
==Prelude==
===Anglo-French
====Aircraft====
For long-distance reconnaissance, bombing and attacks on {{lang|de|[[Luftstreitkräfte|Die Fliegertruppe]]}} (the Imperial German Flying Corps up to October, then {{lang|de|Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte}}, [German Air Force])
[[VII Corps (United Kingdom)|VII Corps]] (Lieutenant-General [[Thomas Snow (British Army officer)|Thomas Snow]]) in the [[Third Army (United Kingdom)|Third Army]] was given [[No. 8 Squadron RAF|8 Squadron]] with {{nowrap|18 aircraft}} and 5 Kite Balloon Section. On the Somme the RFC had {{nowrap|185 aircraft}} against the German 2nd Army aircraft establishment, which also had to face the French {{lang|fr|[[ ====Artillery====
[[File:60PounderBatteryContalmaison.jpg|upright=1.25|thumb|{{centre|[[BL 60-pounder gun|60-pounder]] gun battery}}]]
The British had substantially increased the amount of artillery on the Western Front after the Battle of Loos in late 1915 but the length of front to be bombarded on the Somme led to the preparatory bombardment being planned to last for five days. There had been a debate about the merits of a short [[hurricane bombardment]] but there were insufficient guns quickly to destroy German field defences and be certain that barbed wire was cut, given the dependence of the artillery on air observation and the uncertain weather.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=122–124}}{{efn|In 1916, despite improvisation and inexperience, British industry produced {{nowrap|33,507 machine-guns,}} {{nowrap|5,192 trench}} mortars with {{nowrap|6,500,000 rounds,}} {{cvt|127,000|LT
The artillery had to cut barbed wire and neutralise German artillery with counter-battery fire. The British artillery fired more than {{nowrap|1.5 million}} shells during the preliminary bombardment, more than in the first year of the war. On 1 July, another {{nowrap|250,000 shells}} were fired; the guns could be heard on [[Hampstead Heath]], {{cvt|165|mi ====Cavalry====
[[File:British gas attack Somme June 1916 IWMQ 55066.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Aerial photograph of a British [[Chemical weapons in World War I|gas attack]] from Carnoy to Montauban, shortly before the Somme offensive.}}]]
In March, the two British cavalry corps were disbanded and the divisions distributed to the armies and the new Reserve Corps (General [[Hubert Gough]]). In June, the Reserve Corps was reinforced and became the [[Reserve Army (United Kingdom)|Reserve Army]]. The Reserve Army cavalry was to operate combined with infantry and artillery, ready to act as a "conveyor belt", to exploit a success by the Fourth Army, with the 25th Division in the lead followed by two cavalry divisions and then [[II Corps (United Kingdom)|II Corps]].{{sfn|Sheffield|2011|pp=166–167}} In mid-June, II Corps was transferred to the Fourth Army; the French Sixth Army contained four cavalry divisions.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|pp=166–167}}
In late June, favourable intelligence reports and the reduction of the French commitment for the Somme offensive led to a change of plan by the British. Should the German army collapse, the cavalry was to follow up, capture [[Bapaume]] and take post on the right flank, to provide a flank guard of all-arms detachments facing east, as the main body of cavalry and the infantry advanced northwards. The [[1st Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)|1st]], [[2nd Indian Cavalry Division|2nd (Indian)]] and [[3rd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)|3rd Cavalry]] divisions were to assemble by zero hour {{cvt|5|mi ====Infantry====
A BEF manual published on 8 May 1916 (SS 109, ''Training of Divisions For Offensive Action''), described successions of lines to add driving power to the attack, to reach the objective with the capacity to consolidate the captured ground against counter-attack.{{sfn|Griffith|1996|p=56}}{{efn|[[Paddy Griffith]] criticised [[James Edward Edmonds|James Edmonds]], the official historian, for assuming that line-formations were rigid, not capable of [[Infiltration tactics|infiltration]] and inferior to small groups or blobs, despite them being complementary forms which were used throughout the war.{{sfn|Griffith|1996|p=56}}}} In the Fourth Army Tactical Notes of May 1916, battalions were allowed to attack on a front of {{nowrap|2–4 platoons}} in {{nowrap|8–4 waves}} about {{cvt|100|yd
Some troops in carrying platoons had about {{cvt|66|lb ====Mining====
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[[File:Battle of the Somme 1916 - Lochnagar mine, La Boisselle.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Diagram of the [[Lochnagar mine]]}}]]
The chalk soil of the Somme was ideal for tunnelling and the British inherited a number of mine workings
When the mines were blown, infantry ====Supply====
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|Dec||align="right"|5,202
|}
From 1 January to 3 July 1916 the BEF was reinforced by {{nowrap|17 divisions}} and the number of heavy guns increased from {{nowrap|324 to 714.}} The new divisions needed {{frac|51|1|2}} supply trains a week to meet daily needs and a large number of extra trains to transport heavy artillery ammunition. Until mid-June, ammunition supply for the BEF needed {{nowrap|5–12 trains}} per week, then rose to
Power stations, light railways roads and telephone networks were constructed ====Intelligence====
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{{see also|Brusilov Offensive}}
In March and April, eight German divisions were believed to be in reserve opposite the British from the Somme to the North Sea coast. Divisions in reserve behind the [[4th Army (German Empire)|4th Army]] were then moved south to Artois in the 6th Army area. From 4 to 14 June, the success of the [[Brusilov Offensive]] became apparent and agent reports showed increased railway movement from [[Belgium]] to [[Germany]]. The final BEF military intelligence estimate before 1 July had {{nowrap|32 German}} battalions opposite the Fourth Army and {{nowrap|65 battalions}} in reserve or close enough to reach the battlefield in the first week. Five of the seven German divisions in reserve had been engaged at Verdun and some divisions had been transferred from France to the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]]. Men of the 1916 conscription class were appearing among German [[prisoners of war]], suggesting that the German army had been weakened and that the British could break down the German front line and force a battle of manoeuvre on the defenders. In late June, the British part of the Somme plan was amended, rapidly to capture Bapaume and envelop the German defences northwards to [[Arras]], rather than southwards to [[Péronne, Somme|Péronne]]. An increase in the number of trains moving from Germany to Belgium was discovered but the quality of German troops opposite the British was thought to have been much reduced. The true number of German divisions in reserve in France was ten, with six opposite the British, double the number the British knew about. Reports of work continuing on the German defences opposite the Fourth Army in March and April
===Plan===
British planning for the offensive had begun in April, with a Fourth Army proposal for a methodical advance to the high ground around Thiepval and thence to the Bapaume–Péronne road. Haig had exhaustive negotiations with Joffre and rejected the concept in favour of the capture of the ridge north of Péronne to assist a French crossing of the Somme further south. Diversion of French divisions to Verdun and the assumption by the British of the main role in the offensive, led to revisions of the plan towards an ambitious attempt at strategic attrition, through a breakthrough and a battle of manoeuvre with distant objectives.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|pp=118–130}} The French Sixth Army, in ''GAN'', was the last of the three French armies originally intended for the Somme, the [[Tenth Army (France)|Tenth Army]] and [[Second Army (France)|Second Army]] having been sent to Verdun. Joffre placed [[French XX Corps|XX Corps]] north of the river, next to the British [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|XIII Corps]], the southernmost Fourth Army formation.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|p=264}} British plans were made by a process of negotiation between Haig and General [[Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson|Henry Rawlinson]], the Fourth Army commander. Haig became more optimistic at what could be achieved early in an offensive, given the examples of [[Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive|Gorlice-Tarnów]] in 1915 and at Verdun early in 1916.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=260–261}} Rawlinson favoured a methodical attack from the beginning of the offensive, in which belts of the German defences about {{cvt|2000|yd
[[File:British plan Somme 1 July 1916.png|thumb|{{centre|Anglo-French objectives, north bank of the Somme, 1 July 1916}}]]
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On 16 June, Haig discussed the Anglo-French intentions for the campaign, which were to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun, assist Italy and Russia by preventing the transfer of divisions from the Western Front and to inflict losses on the {{lang|de|Westheer}} (German army in the west), through the capture of Pozières Ridge from Montauban to the Ancre, the area from the Ancre to Serre to protect the flank, then exploit the position gained according to circumstances. If German resistance collapsed, an advance east would be pressed far enough to pass through the German defences and the attack would turn north, to envelop the German defences as far as Monchy le Preux near Arras, with cavalry on the outer flank to defend against a counter-attack. Should a continuation of the advance beyond the first objective not be possible, the main effort could be transferred elsewhere, while the Fourth Army continued to mount local attacks.{{sfn|Edmonds|Wynne|2010|pp=84–85}}
On 28 June, the Fourth Army headquarters instructed that if the Germans collapsed, the closest infantry would exploit without waiting for cavalry; the [[19th (Western) Division|19th (Western)]] and [[49th (West Riding) Infantry Division|49th (West Riding)]] divisions (in local reserve) would be committed along the Albert–Bapaume road and parallel to it to the north. The cavalry, which had assembled {{cvt|5|mi
===German
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
|+'''Weather'''<br /><small>(23 June – 1 July)</small>{{sfn|Gliddon|1987|p=415}}
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!Date
!Rain<br />mm
![[
!
|-
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|1 Jul||0.0||79°–52°<br />26°–11°||clear
|}
Many of the German units on the Somme had arrived in 1914 and made great efforts to fortify the defensive line, particularly with barbed-wire entanglements
The Somme defences had two inherent weaknesses that the rebuilding had not remedied. The front trenches were on a forward slope, lined by white chalk from the [[subsoil]] and easily seen by observers on the British side of no man's land. The defences were crowded towards the front trench, with a regiment having two battalions near the front-trench system and the reserve battalion divided between the {{lang|de|
By mid-June, General [[Fritz von Below]] (commander of the 2nd Army) and [[
In mid-June, Falkenhayn remained sceptical of an offensive on the Somme, as a great success would lead to operations in Belgium; an offensive in Alsace-Lorraine would take the war and its devastation into Germany. More railway activity, fresh digging and camp extensions around Albert opposite the 2nd Army was seen by German air observers on {{nowrap|9 and 11 June;}}
==Battle==
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====XXXV Corps====
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80513.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Maricourt and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80513)}}]]
South of the river, the [[35th Army Corps (France)|XXXV Corps]] (the [[51st Infantry Division (France)|51st]], [[61st Infantry Division (France)|61st]] and [[121st Infantry Division (France)|121st]] Divisions, backed by {{nowrap|20 batteries}} of heavy artillery) attacked two hours after the offensive began on the north bank. The 61st Division was right-flank guard for the I Colonial Corps near the river.{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}} A French attack of any great size on the south bank had been considered impossible by the German command and after the [[10th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)|10th Bavarian Division]] was transferred north of the river to reinforce the [[XIV Reserve Corps (German Empire)|XIV Reserve Corps]], divisional frontages were made even wider on the south side of the river, the three remaining divisions of XVII Corps using their third regiment to fill the gap at the cost of having no reserve. The French preliminary bombardment caused the Germans many casualties and destroyed many machine-guns and mortars
When the attack began, concealed by mist, the German defenders were surprised and overrun. The French artillery had {{circa|10 }} heavy batteries per {{cvt|1|km|order=flip}} of front, {{nowrap|18 observation}} balloons were opposite the German [[11th Division (German Empire)|11th Division]] alone and French artillery observation aircraft were flown so low by their pilots over [[Estrées-Deniécourt|Estrées]] that German soldiers could see the faces of the crews. The division had only two field artillery regiments and part of one regiment sent as reinforcement, with no heavy guns for counter-battery fire, except for periodic support from a small number of heavy guns covering all of the south side of the river.{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}}
The German artillery group around Estrées, [[Soyécourt]] and [[Fay, Somme|Fay]], attempted a systematic bombardment of the French front line on 30 June. The French replied with {{nowrap|2,000 heavy}} shells on one German field regiment alone, ====I Colonial Corps====
[[File:Banks of the Somme, 1916.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Banks of the Somme, 1916}}]]
On the south bank, the [[I Colonial Corps (France)|I Colonial Corps]] ([[2nd Colonial Infantry Division (France)|2nd]], [[3rd Colonial Infantry Division (France)|3rd]], [[16th Colonial Infantry Division (France)|16th Colonial]] and the [[99th Territorial Division (France)|99th Territorial]] divisions along with {{nowrap|65 heavy artillery batteries}}) also attacked two hours after the main assault.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=342–343}} The 2nd and 3rd Colonial divisions, advanced between XXXV Corps and the river and overran the first line of the German [[121st Infantry Division (German Empire)|121st Division]], holding the line south from the Somme, in fifteen minutes, taking [[Dompierre-Becquincourt|Dompierre
====XX Corps====
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80231.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Curlu and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80231)}}]]
North of the Somme, the French XX Corps consisted of the [[11th Division (France)|11th]], [[39th Division (France)|39th]], [[72nd Infantry Division (France)|72nd]] and [[153rd Infantry Division (France)|153rd]] divisions, with {{nowrap|32 batteries}} of heavy artillery. The 11th and 39th divisions attacked at {{nowrap|7.30 a.m.,}} the commanders of the 1st [[Liverpool Pals]] (part of the [[30th Division (United Kingdom)|30th Division]] (XIII Corps) and the French 153rd Infantry Regiment advancing together.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=342–343}} At {{lang|fr| Bois Y}}, north-west of [[Curlu]], which contained many machine-guns and was protected by Menuisiers Trench {{cvt|200|m|yd
The 37th Regiment (11th Division) attacked Curlu and received massed small-arms fire; the regiment was repulsed from the western fringe of the village before attacks were suspended for a re-bombardment, by which time the village was outflanked on both sides. Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 6 (BRIR 6) recorded the first attack at {{nowrap|9:00 a.m.,}} after drumfire (so many shells exploding that the reports merged into a rumble) which began at {{nowrap|6:00 a.m.,}} followed by two more until drumfire fell again at {{nowrap|4:00 p.m.}} and the remaining garrison was ordered to retire. Most of BRIR 6 was thrown in piecemeal from the river Somme to Montauban and destroyed, suffering {{nowrap|1,809 casualties.}}{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|p=168}} The French did not exploit their success, because the British did not advance to their second objective beyond Montauban. Four counter-attacks from Hardecourt were repulsed and by mid-morning {{nowrap|2,500 prisoners}} had been taken and an advance of {{cvt|1.5|km
===British Fourth Army===
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{{main|Capture of Montauban}}
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80560.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Montauban and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80560)}}]]
The southern flank of the British line was held by XIII Corps, which attacked Montauban with the [[Kitchener's Army|New Army]] [[18th (Eastern) Division|18th (Eastern)]] and 30th divisions. The 30th Division took its objectives by {{nowrap|1:00 p.m.}} and the 18th (Eastern) Division completed its advance by {{nowrap|3:00 p.m.}} German defences south of the Albert–Bapaume road were far less developed than to the north and were visible from territory held by the British and French. The infantry advanced behind a creeping barrage and had the benefit of the heavy artillery of French XX Corps to the south. Much of the German artillery in the area had been put out of action during the preliminary bombardment
On the right of the British attack, most of the German infantry and machine-guns were destroyed before the British advance; a river mist hampered the remaining defenders. In the chaos, alarmist reports were received that Bernafay and Trônes woods had been captured and before noon, every available man, including clerks and cooks was ordered forward to the second position. The [[12th Reserve Division (German Empire)|12th Reserve Division]] was ordered to prepare a counter-attack from Montauban to Mametz overnight but by midnight the division had only reached the second position.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=344–345}} The 30th Division suffered {{nowrap|3,011 casualties,}} the 18th (Eastern) Division {{nowrap|3,115,}} RIR 109 suffered {{nowrap|2,147}} casualties and BRIR 6 {{nowrap|1,810 ====XV Corps====
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{{main|Capture of Mametz}}
[[File:Gordon Highlanders Mametz 1 July 1916.jpg|thumb|{{centre|2nd Battalion, [[Gordon Highlanders]] crossing [[no man's land]] near Mametz}}]]
The west side of the village was attacked by the [[20th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|20th Brigade]], which had to fight forward for most of the day. The infantry pushed on to ground facing Mametz Wood and Willow Stream, outflanking Fricourt
=====Fricourt=====
{{main|Capture of Fricourt}}
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80366.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Fricourt and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80366)}}]]
The 10th [[West Yorkshire Regiment]], was required to advance close by Fricourt and suffered {{nowrap|733 casualties,}} the worst battalion losses of the day. A company from the 7th [[Green Howards]] made an unplanned attack directly against the village and was annihilated.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=361–364}} Reserve Infantry Regiment 111, opposite the 21st Division, were severely affected by the bombardment and many dug-outs were blocked by shell explosions. One company was reduced to {{nowrap|80 men}} before the British attack and a reinforcement party failed to get through the British artillery-fire, taking post in Round Wood, where it was able to repulse the [[64th Brigade (United Kingdom)|64th Brigade]]. The rest of the regimental reserves were used to block the route to [[Contalmaison]].{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=369––370}} The loss of Mametz and the advance of the 21st Division made Fricourt untenable and the garrison was withdrawn during the night. The 17th Division occupied the village virtually unopposed early on 2 July and took several prisoners.{{sfn|Miles|1992|pp=5–6}} The 21st Division suffered {{nowrap|4,256 casualties}} and the 50th Brigade of the 17th Division {{nowrap|1,155.}}{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|p=368}}
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{{main|Capture of La Boisselle}}
[[File:La Boisselle sector 1 July 1916.png|thumb|{{centre|The 34th Division attack on [[La Boisselle]]}}]]
The 34th Division (New Army) was to attack along the Albert–Bapaume road, aided by the blowing of Lochnagar mine and Y Sap mine (the largest mine explosions of the day) either side of La Boisselle. The mine at Y Sap, north of the village, caused no casualties as the Germans had evacuated the area in time but the springing of the Lochnagar mine, south of the village, temporarily trapped German troops in shelters nearby and the position was lost.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=391–392}} Parties of the [[Grimsby Chums]] got into the Lochnagar mine crater before being pinned down by German small-arms fire. The [[Tyneside Scottish Brigade]] was to attack up Mash Valley and against La Boisselle at the Glory Hole ({{lang|fr|[[L'îlot de La Boisselle|L'îlot]]}} to the French and {{lang|de|Granathof}} to the Germans). The [[
At zero hour, the Tyneside Scottish Brigade started its advance from the Tara–Usna Line (a British reserve position behind the front line) to cross {{cvt|1|mi
=====Ovillers=====
{{main|Capture of Ovillers}}
The [[8th Division (United Kingdom) in the First World War|8th Division]] attacked the Ovillers spur,
====X Corps====
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=====Leipzig salient and Thiepval=====
The salient and [[Thiepval|Thiepval village]] were attacked by the New Army [[32nd Division (United Kingdom)|32nd Division]]. The Glasgow Commercials advanced into no man's land at {{nowrap|7:23 a.m.,}} until they were {{cvt|30|–|40|yd
=====Schwaben and Stuff redoubts=====
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The 36th (Ulster) Division attacked between Thiepval and the [[Ancre River]] against {{lang|de|Schwaben}} Redoubt and gained a "spectacular victory".{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=394–399}} The preliminary artillery bombardment, which included support from French batteries firing gas-shell and a smoke screen from trench mortars, was more successful than on other parts of the front north of the Albert–Bapaume road. The infantry crept into no man's land before the attack, rushed the German front trench and then pressed on. The defeat of the neighbouring divisions left the 36th (Ulster) Division flanks unsupported and the German defenders on either side were free to rake the division from three sides. German artillery began a barrage ({{lang|de|Sperrfeuer}}) along no man's land which isolated the most advanced Irish troops, who briefly reached the German second line, captured {{lang|de|Schwaben}} Redoubt and closed on Stuff redoubt.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=403–408, 416–420}}
Opposite the 36th (Ulster) Division was III Battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment 99 (RIR 99) and I and III battalions of Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 8 (BRIR 8). The German units suffered severe casualties due to the British bombardment, which destroyed much of the front position, particularly west of {{lang|de|Schwaben}} Redoubt. The positions were so quickly overrun by the Irish that they received little return fire
====VIII Corps====
The northern flank of the Fourth Army was held by VIII Corps (Lieutenant-General [[Aylmer Hunter-Weston]]). Three divisions were to attack on the first day, with the [[48th (South Midland) Division]] in reserve, except for two battalions that held a {{cvt|1.6|mi
=====Beaumont-Hamel=====
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[[File:Ancre sector 1 July 1916.png|thumb|{{centre|The Ancre and Beaumont Hamel, 1 July 1916}}]]
The 29th Division attacked towards Beaumont-Hamel. Part of the attack was filmed and showed the detonation of a {{cvt|40000|lb|LT
The Newfoundland advance avoided the congestion of dead and wounded in communication trenches but many of the troops became casualties to German small-arms fire while still behind their front line. Some Newfoundland troops got across no man's land near Y Ravine but were held up by uncut wire.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=424–437}} Most of the German shelters and Beaumont-Hamel were derelict and shell-craters overlapped. Reserve Infantry Regiment 119, who had been sheltering under the village in {{lang|de|Stollen}} survived and with other units at {{lang|de|Leiling Schlucht}} (Y Ravine) and the {{lang|de|Leiling}} and {{lang|de|Bismarck}} dugouts, engaged the British troops from the wreckage of
=====Serre=====
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[[File:Hawthorn Ridge mine 1 July 1916.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Explosion of the mine beneath [[Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt]], 7:20 a.m. Photo by [[Ernest Brooks (photographer)|Ernest Brooks]]}}]]
The [[4th Division (United Kingdom)|4th Division]] attacked between Serre and Beaumont-Hamel,
The 31st Division, a New Army division made up of Pals battalions, was to capture Serre and then turn north to form the northern defensive flank of the Fourth Army. The 31st Division attacked uphill from several copses and the two attacking brigades were engaged by the Germans with small-arms fire, expending {{nowrap|74,000 bullets}} against the attack. Small groups of the [[Accrington Pals]] and the [[Sheffield City Battalion]] managed to cross no man's land and reach Serre and a party advanced {{cvt|1.25|mi
===British Third Army===
{{main|Attack on the Gommecourt Salient}}
The Third Army (General [[
The British bombardment cut much of the wire at Gommecourt and demolished many trenches, particularly in the area of Infantry Regiment 170 opposite the 56th (1/1st London) Division. The smoke screen obstructed the beginning of the attack and the damage caused by the bombardment blocked many dugout entrances; a counter-attack was swiftly mounted from {{lang|de|Kern}} Redoubt (the Maze), which was not under attack. The counter-attack failed to stop the 56th (1/1st London) Division reaching the third line of trenches, before a converging attack by Infantry Regiment 170 and Reserve Infantry {{nowrap|regiments 15 and 55}} began. The British had consolidated and the counter-attack made little progress, until co-ordinated bombing attacks in the afternoon gradually recovered the position. Opposite the 46th (North Midland) Division, Reserve Infantry {{nowrap|regiments 55 and 91}} took post in time, engaged the attackers while they were crossing no man's land but failed to stop the loss of the front trench until a counter-attack from the third trench "annihilated" the leading British troops; the German regiments suffered {{nowrap|1,212 casualties.}} The 46th (North Midland) Division suffered {{nowrap|2,445 casualties,}} which was the lowest divisional loss on 1 July. The commander, Major-General [[Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley|Montagu-Stuart-Wortley]], was dismissed for the failure. The 56th (1/1st London) Division suffered {{nowrap|4,314 casualties.}}{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=453–462, 465–471, 474}}
===Air operations===
British Photographic reconnaissance began in October 1915 and in March 1916 intensive British preparations commenced. The IV Brigade of the RFC was formed on 1 April 1916, with six squadrons of aeroplanes and a Kite Balloon squadron; the IV Brigade squadrons were the first to be increased from twelve to eighteen aircraft. On 25 April photographs were taken which revealed the German construction of a third position from Flers northwards to Le Sars, Pys, Irles, Achiet-le-Petit and Ablainzevelle. In mid-May and late June, the German defences opposite the Fourth Army were photographed again.{{sfn|Jones|2002|pp=195–197}} {{lang|de|Die Fliegertruppen des Deutschen Kaiserreiches}} (Imperial German Flying
The IV Brigade corps aircraft were to be protected with line patrols,
Accurate observation was not possible at dawn on 1 July due to patches of mist but by {{nowrap|6:30 a.m.}} the general effect of the Anglo-French bombardment could be seen. Observers in contact-patrol aircraft could see lines of British infantry crawling into no man's land, ready to attack the German front trench at {{nowrap|7:30 a.m.}} Each corps and division had a wireless receiving-station for messages from airborne artillery-observers and ground observers
Railway bombing was conducted by {{nowrap|28 aircraft,}} each with two {{cvt|112|lb
XIII Corps was watched by most of 9 Squadron, which saw the 30th Division troops take the line Dublin Trench–Glatz Redoubt by {{nowrap|8:30 a.m.}} and the 18th (Eastern) Division take Pommiers Trench and Pommiers Redoubt. At {{nowrap|10:00 a.m.}} an observer saw a line of flashes on the ground
The XV Corps attack on either side of Fricourt was observed by parts of 3 and 9 squadrons, which were able to report by evening that the 21st Division and the 34th Division to the north
The attacks by X Corps and VIII Corps, from Thiepval to Serre were observed by crews from 4 and 15 squadrons. Ground observers could see much of the battle and communications were
The VII Corps attack was observed by 8 Squadron, which had
===German 2nd Army===
By May 1916, eight German divisions held the front from [[Roye, Somme|Roye]] northwards to Arras with three in reserve. The German defence of the south bank of the Somme was the responsibility of XVII Corps (General {{ill|Günther von Pannewitz (General)|de}}), with three divisions. On the north bank the XIV Reserve Corps ({{lang|de|[[Generalleutnant]]}} [[Hermann von Stein (1854-1927)|Hermann von Stein]]) with two divisions held the line from the Somme to the Ancre and the [[
On 25 June, heavy artillery-fire predominated, smashing trenches and blocking dugouts. Variations in the intensity of fire indicated likely areas to be attacked; the greatest weight of fire occurring at Mametz, Fricourt and Ovillers; during the night the German commanders prepared their defences around the villages and ordered the second line to be manned. After an overnight lull, the bombardment increased again on 26 June, gas being discharged at {{nowrap|5:00 a.m.}} towards Beaumont Hamel and Serre, before the bombardment increased in intensity near Thiepval, then suddenly stopped. The German garrison took post and fired red rockets to call for artillery support, which placed a barrage in no man's land. Later in the afternoon huge mortar bombs began to fall, destroying shallower dug-outs, a super-heavy gun began to bombard the main German strong-points, as smaller guns pulverised the villages close to the front line, from which civilians were hurriedly removed.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=58–60}}
German troops billeted in the villages moved into the open to avoid the shelling and on {{nowrap|27 and 28 June,}} heavy rain added to the devastation, as the bombardment varied from steady accurate shelling to shell-storms and periods of quiet. At night British patrols moved into no man's land and prisoners captured by the Germans said that they were checking on the damage and searching for German survivors. German interrogators gleaned information suggesting that an offensive would come either side of the Somme and Ancre rivers at {{nowrap|5:00 a.m.}} on 29 June. All of the German infantry stood to with reinforcements but the bombardment resumed in the afternoon, rising to drumfire several times. Artillery-fire concentrated on small parts of the front, then lines of shells moved forward into the depth of the German defences. Periodic gas discharges and infantry probes continued but German sentries watching through periscopes were often able to warn the garrisons in time to react. The bombardment on 30 June repeated the pattern of the earlier days, by when much of the German surface defences had been swept away, look-out shelters and observation posts were in ruins and many communication trenches had disappeared.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=60–61}}▼
▲German troops billeted in the villages moved into the open to avoid the shelling and on {{nowrap|27 and 28 June,}} heavy rain added to the devastation, as the bombardment varied from steady accurate shelling to shell-storms and periods of quiet. At night British patrols moved into no man's land
On the night of {{nowrap|30 June /1 July,}} the bombardment fell on rear defences and communication trenches, then at dawn British aircraft "filled the sky", captive balloons rose into the air at {{nowrap|6:30 a.m.}} and an unprecedented barrage began all along the German front, until {{nowrap|7:30 a.m.,}} when the bombardment abruptly stopped. The remaining German trench garrisons began to leave their shelters and set up machine-guns in the remains of trenches and shell-holes, which proved difficult to spot and allowed the occupants to change direction, easily to face threats from all directions. Where the British infantry advanced close behind the barrage the German defenders were often overrun and at Montauban, Mametz and around Fricourt, the Germans were rushed, while most were still underground. Further north, the Germans had time to emerge and stopped most attacks in no man's land. In the 26th Reserve Division area, a front of {{cvt|9000|yd|mi+km|0}} from Ovillers to Serre, four regiments occupied the first line with two battalions each, one in the support line and one in reserve. The Germans emerged to see lines of British infantry in no man's land and opened rapid fire on them, lines and waves falling down, reforming and moving forward. Some German infantry stood on trench parapets to aim better and red rockets were fired to call for artillery barrages on no man's land, which shattered the British infantry formations. The survivors kept going and began a bombing fight close to the German line which, was defeated except at the {{lang|de|Leipzig}} Redoubt, which was quickly sealed off by German flanking parties and between Thiepval and the Ancre, where the Iriish advanced towards Grandcourt {{cvt|3000|yd|mi+km|0}} away. Several counter-attacks were mounted, which forced the British back to the German front trench after dark.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=61–64}}▼
On the night of {{nowrap|30 June /1 July,}} the bombardment fell on rear defences and communication trenches; at dawn British aircraft "filled the sky", captive balloons rose into the air at {{nowrap|6:30 a.m.}} and an unprecedented barrage began all along the German front, until {{nowrap|7:30 a.m.,}} when the bombardment abruptly stopped. The remaining German trench garrisons began to leave their shelters and set up machine-guns in the remains of trenches and shell-holes, which proved difficult to spot and allowed the occupants to change direction, easily to face threats from all directions. Where the British infantry advanced close behind the barrage the German defenders were often overrun and at Montauban, Mametz and around Fricourt, the Germans were rushed while most were still underground. Further north, the Germans had time to emerge and stopped most attacks in no man's land.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=61–64}}
▲
==Aftermath==
===Analysis===
Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson wrote that the conventional account of the day has soldiers burdened by {{cvt|66|lb
At the northern end of the British front, the leading brigade of the 31st Division advanced into no man's land before zero hour,
In 2009, J. P. Harris described the success of the French
In the south, barbed wire was cut, the German fortifications were "exceptionally" damaged and a crude form of creeping barrage preceded the infantry to their objectives. Harris held Haig responsible for the extension of the objectives in the north to the German second position, which diluted the density of British artillery-fire, although no study had been made of the details of the preliminary bombardment and caution must accompany a conclusion that bombardment of the closer objectives was unduly dissipated. Harris concluded that the attack front was too broad and that Rawlinson should be held responsible with Haig for attempting to advance on a {{cvt|16|mi
In 2009, William Philpott wrote that
===Casualties===
Line 324 ⟶ 345:
{{quote|North of the Ancre, VIII Division (sic) said they began well but as the day progressed, their troops were forced back into the German front line, except two battalions which occupied Serre village and were, it is said, cut off. I am inclined to believe from further reports that few of VIII Corps left their trenches.{{sfn|Sheffield|Bourne|2005|p=196}}}}
VIII Corps ''had'' left their trenches and over {{nowrap|14,000 men}} became casualties.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|p=202}} Edmonds wrote that for the loss of Britain and Ireland's "finest manhood" there was only a small gain of ground, although an advance of {{cvt|1|mi
Some casualties survived for up to a week in no man's land,
{{quote|The lists represent 20,790 names of the men who most likely fought on the Somme in early July. Of these 6,226 can be identified as having been killed, wounded, injured or captured on 1 July 1916. An additional 1,912 can positively [be] identified as having become a casualty before or after this date. Of the remainder, 12,642 names, only time will tell if the details of their fate can be established.{{sfn|Whitehead|2013|p=476}}}}
▲Some casualties survived for up to a week in no man's land, living on rations from dead soldiers' packs before being rescued. At {{nowrap|7:30 p.m.,}} the Fourth Army headquarters believed that there had been {{nowrap|16,000 casualties,}} by 3 July the staff thought that there had been {{nowrap|40,000}} and by 6 July the count had risen to {{nowrap|60,000 men.}} The Third Army diversion at Gommecourt cost VII Corps 6,758 casualties against 1,212 German.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=474–475}} The final total of {{nowrap|57,470 British}} casualties, {{nowrap|19,240 of}} whom had been killed, was not calculated for some time; the French Sixth Army suffered {{nowrap|1,590 casualties}} and the German 2nd Army suffered {{nowrap|10,000–12,000 casualties.}}{{sfnm|1a1=Edmonds|1y=1993|1p=483|2a1=Sheffield|2y=2003|2p=68}} In 1971 Martin Middlebrook wrote that whereas German units normally submitted a casualty return every ten days, many submitted a special daily return for 1 July. It is possible to estimate that German forces on the British sector (including [[Attack on the Gommecourt Salient|Gommecourt]]) suffered 6,000 dead and 2,200 prisoners. He offered no figure for German missing or for German casualties on the French sector.{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|p=264}} In 2013, Ralph Whitehead wrote that {{nowrap|20,790 German}} casualties were suffered in early July, of whom {{nowrap|6,226 men}} certainly became casualties on 1 July. Before 1 July, {{nowrap|1,912 casualties}} were suffered during the Anglo-French preliminary bombardment or in the days afterwards and {{nowrap|12,642 troops}} were recorded missing.{{sfn|Whitehead|2013|p=476}}
===Subsequent operations===
{{main|Battle of Albert (1916)}}
Haig visited the Fourth Army headquarters and discussed the continuation of the attack on 2 July, although in the confused situation the original plan was not changed. Pressure was to be maintained on the Germans to inflict losses and reach ground from which to attack the German second position, with particular emphasis on the capture of Fricourt. Gough, with the
In the afternoon of 1 July, the German survivors of the 28th Reserve Division and 12th Division and part of the [[10th Bavarian Infantry Division|10th Bavarian Division]] at Montauban Ridge, had been driven back to the {{lang|de|Braune Stellung}} (second position) from Ginchy to Longueval and Bazentin le Grand. The 12th
==Commemoration==
For Newfoundland, the first day of battle changed the course of the island's history, ending any hope of independence.{{sfn|Brooks|Rumboldt|2007}} After the war the Newfoundland government bought {{cvt|40|acre
==Victoria Cross==
* [[Eric Norman Frankland Bell|Eric Bell]], 9th Battalion [[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]] at [[Thiepval]]{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|p=329}} — posthumous.
* [[
* [[John Leslie Green|John Green]], [[Royal Army Medical Corps]] (att. 1/5th Battalion [[Sherwood Foresters]]) at [[Foncquevillers]]{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|p=329}} — posthumous.
* [[
* [[
* [[Robert Quigg]], 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles at [[Battle of Hamel|Hamel]].{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|p=329}}
* [[Walter Potter Ritchie|Walter Ritchie]], 2nd Battalion [[Seaforth Highlanders|Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, Duke of Albany's)]] at [[Beaumont Hamel]].{{sfn|Middlebrook|1971|p=329}}
Line 357 ⟶ 380:
==References==
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* {{cite book|author1-link=Robert A. Doughty |last=Doughty |first=R. A. |title=Pyrrhic victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War |___location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=Belknap Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-674-01880-8}}
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* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Military Operations France and Belgium, 1916: Sir Douglas Haig's Command to the 1st July: Battle of the Somme |volume=I |last=Edmonds |first=J. E. |author-link=James Edward Edmonds |year=1993 |orig-year=1932 |publisher=Macmillan |___location=London |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum and Battery Press |isbn=978-0-89839-185-5}}
* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Military Operations France and Belgium 1916: Appendices |volume=I |last1=Edmonds |first1=J. E. |last2=Wynne |first2=G. C. |year=2010 |orig-year=1932 |publisher=Macmillan |___location=London |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press |isbn=978-1-84574-730-5}}
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* {{cite book |title=Douglas Haig and the First World War |last=Harris |first=J. P. |year=2009 |orig-year=2008 |publisher=CUP |___location=Cambridge |edition=paperback |isbn=978-0-521-89802-7}}
* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Transportation on the Western Front 1914–1918 |last=Henniker |first=A. M. |year=2009 |orig-year=1937 |publisher=HMSO |___location=London |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum and Battery Press |isbn=978-1-84574-765-7}}
* {{cite book |title=History of the 17th (Northern) Division |last=Hilliard Atteridge |first=A. |year=2003 |orig-year=1929 |publisher=R. Maclehose & Co |___location=London |edition=Naval & Military Press |isbn=978-1-84342-581-6}}
* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War based on Official Documents by Direction of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=The War in the Air, Being the Story of the Part Played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force |volume=II |last=Jones |first=H. A. |year=2002 |orig-year=1928 |publisher=Clarendon Press |___location=London |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press |url=https://archive.org/details/warinairbeingsto02rale|url-access=registration |via=Archive Foundation |access-date=14 October 2014 |isbn=978-1-84342-413-0}}
* {{cite book |title=Underground Warfare
* {{cite book |editor-last=Jones |editor-first=S. |title=At All Costs: The British Army on the Western Front 1916 |year=2018 |publisher=Helion |___location=Warwick |isbn=978-1-912174-88-1}}
** {{harvc |last=Gale |first=T. |c=French XX Corps and the Preparations for the Somme Offensive |year=2018 |in1=Jones}}
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* {{cite book |title=Early Trench Tactics in the French Army: the Second Battle of Artois, May–June 1915 |last=Krause |first=J. |year=2013 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |___location=Farnham, Surrey |isbn=978-1-4094-5500-4}}
* {{cite book |title=The Real War |last=Liddell Hart |first=B. H. |author-link=B. H. Liddell Hart |year=1930 |publisher=Faber |___location=London |oclc=219779831}}
* {{cite book |title=How I filmed the War: a Record of the Extraordinary Experiences of the Man Who Filmed the Great Somme Battles, etc |last=Malins |first=G. H. |year=1920 |publisher=Herbert Jenkins |___location=London |edition=online scan |url=https://archive.org/details/ifilmedwar00maliuoft|url-access=registration |via=Archive Foundation |access-date=5 October 2013 |oclc=246683398}}
* {{cite book |title=Military Effectiveness: The First World War |volume=I |last1=Millett |first1=A. |last2=Murray |first2=W. |author-link2=Williamson Murray |year=1988 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |___location=London |isbn=978-0-04-445053-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Middlebrook |first=M. |author-link=Martin Middlebrook |title=The First Day on the Somme |publisher=Penguin Books |year=1971 |___location=London |isbn=978-0-14-139071-0}}
* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Military Operations France and Belgium, 1916: 2nd July 1916 to the End of the Battles of the Somme |volume=II |last=Miles |first=W. |year=1992 |orig-year=1938 |publisher=Macmillan |___location=London |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum and Battery Press |isbn=978-0-901627-76-6}}
* {{cite book |title=The Fighting Newfoundlander: A History of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment |last=Nicholson |first=G. W. L. |author-link = G. W. L. Nicholson |year=1964 |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |___location=Montreal |edition=Carleton Library 2006 |isbn=978-0-7735-3133-8}}
* {{cite book |title=Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century |last=Philpott |first=W. |year=2009 |publisher=Little, Brown |___location=London |edition=1st |isbn=978-1-4087-0108-9}}
* {{cite book |last1=Prior |first1=R. |last2=Wilson |first2=T. |title=The Somme |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2005
* {{cite book |title=Landrecies to Cambrai: Case Studies of German Offensive and Defensive Operations on the Western Front 1914–17 |editor-last=Rogers |editor-first=D. |year=2010 |publisher=Helion |___location=Solihull |isbn=978-1-906033-76-7}}
* {{cite book |title=The Somme |last=Sheffield |first=G. |author-link=Gary Sheffield (historian) |publisher=Cassell |year=2003 |___location=London
* {{cite book |title=Douglas Haig: War Diaries and Letters 1914–1918 |editor-last1=Sheffield |editor-first1=G. |editor-last2=Bourne |editor-first2=J. |year=2005 |publisher=Weidenfeld & and Nicolson |___location=London |edition=BCA |isbn=978-0-297-84702-1}}
* {{cite book |title=The Chief: Douglas Haig and the British Army |last=Sheffield |first=G. |year=2011 |publisher=Aurum Press |___location=London |isbn=978-1-84513-691-8}}
* {{cite book |title=The German Army on the Somme 1914–1916 |last=Sheldon |first=
* {{cite book |title=The Other Side of the Wire: The Battle of the Somme. With the German XIV Reserve Corps, 1 July 1916 |volume=II |last=Whitehead |first=
* {{cite book |title=If Germany Attacks: The Battle in Depth in the West |last=Wynne |first=G. C. |year=1976 |orig-year=1939 |publisher=Faber |___location=Connecticut |edition=Greenwood Press, NY |isbn=978-0-8371-5029-1}}
* {{cite thesis |title=British Intelligence and the German Army 1914–1918 |last=Beach |first=J. |year=2004 |publisher=London University |___location=London |type=PhD |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.416459|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.416459}} |access-date=13 July 2013 |oclc=500051492}}
* {{cite thesis |title=The Evolution of the British Army's Logistical and Administrative Infrastructure and its Influence on GHQ's Operational and Strategic Decision-Making on the Western Front, 1914–1918 |last=Brown |first=I. M. |year=1996 |type=PhD |publisher=London University |___location=London |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321769|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.321769}} |access-date=1 July 2013 |oclc=53609664}}
* {{cite thesis |title=The Operational Role of British Corps Command on the Western Front 1914–18 |last=Simpson |first=A. |year=2001 |type=PhD |publisher=London University |___location=London |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.367588|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.367588}} |access-date=29 May 2015 |oclc=557496951}}
* {{cite web |last1=Brooks |first1=C. |last2=Rumboldt |first2=C. |title=What We Might Have Been: The Tragic Battlefield Loss on July 1, 1916 that Ended the Dreams of a Nation |work=Battery Radio |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |year=2007 |url=http://www.batteryradio.com/Pages/BHamel.html |access-date=1 July 2009}}
{{refend}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Clayton |first=Derek |series=Wolverhampton Military Studies |title=To Do the Work of Men: An Operational History of the 21st Division in the Great War |year=2023 |publisher=Helion |___location=Warwick |isbn=978-1-80451-233-3}}
▲'''Books'''
* {{cite book |title=The Fifth Army |last=Gough |first=H. de la P. |author-link=Hubert Gough |year=1968 |orig-year=1931 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |___location=London |edition=repr. Cedric Chivers |oclc=59766599 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Greenhalgh |first=Elizabeth |series=Cambridge Military Histories |title=Foch in Command: The Making of a First World War General |year=2013 |orig-year=2011 |chapter=Chapter 7: The Scientific Method: planning the Somme, 1916 and Chapter 8: Fighting on the Somme, July–November 1916 |pages=140–191 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |___location=Cambridge |edition=pbk. repr. |isbn=978-1-107-63385-8}}
* {{cite book |title=History of the 17th (Northern) Division |last=Hilliard Atteridge |first=A. |year=2003 |orig-year=1929 |publisher=R. Maclehose & Co |___location=London |edition=Naval & Military Press |isbn=978-1-84342-581-6 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Somme 1916: Success and Failure on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme |last=Kendall |first=P. |year=2015 |publisher=Frontline Books |___location=Barnsley |isbn=978-1-84832-905-8 |ref=none}}
Line 417 ⟶ 439:
* {{cite book |title=Fighting the Somme: German Challenges, Dilemmas & Solutions |last=Sheldon |first=J. |year=2017 |publisher=Pen & Sword Military |___location=Barnsley |isbn=978-1-47388-199-0 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=The Battle of the Somme |editor-last=Strohn |editor-first=M. |year=2016 |publisher=Osprey |___location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-4728-1556-9 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Travers |first=Tim |title=The Killing Ground: The British Army, The Western Front and The Emergence of Modern War 1900–1918 |url=https://archive.org/details/y00timo_0 |url-access=registration |via=Archive Foundation |publisher=Allen & Unwin |___location=London |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-85052-964-7 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Travers |first=Tim |title=How the War Was Won |publisher=Routledge |___location=London |year=1992 |isbn=978-1-84415-207-0 |ref=none}}
* {{cite thesis |first=Thomas G. |last=Bradbeer |title=The Battle for Air Supremacy over the Somme, 1 June–30 November 1916 |url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a428801.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422180504/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a428801.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=22 April 2016 |date=18 June 2004 |work=US Army Command and General Staff College |___location=Fort Leavenworth, KS |access-date=3 July 2016 |oclc=923353776 |ref=none}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Dye |first=P. J. |title=Air Power's Midwife: Logistics Support for Royal Flying Corps Operations on the Western Front 1914–1918 |type=PhD |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.600269 |year=2014 |publisher=Birmingham University |access-date=3 July 2016 |id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.600269}} |oclc=881014806 |ref=none}}
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* {{cite thesis |last=Mitchell |first=S. B. T. |title=An Inter-Disciplinary Study of Learning in the 32nd Division on the Western Front, 1916–1918 |type=PhD |url=http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/5283/ |year=2013 |publisher=Birmingham University Department of Modern History School of Historical Studies |___location=Birmingham |access-date=1 December 2014 |oclc=894593861 |ref=none}}
* {{cite thesis |title=British 21st Infantry Division on the Western Front 1914–1918: A Case Study in Tactical Evolution |last=Snowden |first=K. L. |year=2001 |publisher=Birmingham University Department of Modern History School of Historical Studies |___location=Birmingham |type=PhD |url=http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/21/1/Snowden01MPhil.pdf |access-date=30 September 2013 |oclc=690664905 |ref=none}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.forces-war-records.co.uk The Somme personnel records] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113175919/https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ |date=13 November 2016}}
* [http://www.cwgc.org/somme/content.asp?menuid=1&id=1&menuname=The%20First%20Day&menu=main First Day, Commonwealth War Graves Commission]
* [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/greatwar/articles/somme.html Newfoundland and the Great War by Heritage Newfoundland]
* [https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battles-of-the-somme-1916/ The British Army in the Great War: The Battles of the Somme, 1916]
* [http://maps.omniatlas.com/europe/19160920/ Map of Europe during the Battle of the Somme at omniatlas.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106094703/http://maps.omniatlas.com/europe/19160920/ |date=6 January 2014}}
* [http://www.images-en-somme.fr/historial-de-la-grande-guerre.php Peronne, Great War Historial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110162635/http://www.images-en-somme.fr/historial-de-la-grande-guerre.php |date=10 November 2012 }}
{{World War I}}
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[[Category:Conflicts in 1916]]
[[Category:1916 in France]]
[[Category:July 1916
[[Category:Royal Newfoundland Regiment]]
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