The Battle of
the Somme was one of the most dramatic of the First World War. In fact, it
lasted from July 1 to November 13 1916, General
Haig intended to break the German lines to the north of the Somme with
eleven British divisions, and to the south of the river with five French divisions.
A heavy bombardment in advance of the infantry attack only gave the Germans
warning of the assault and time to shelter in heavily fortified underground
bunkers. When the week-long artillery pounding stopped (1.6 million shells
were fired) the Germans were able to set up firing positions that allowed
them to slaughter the advancing troops. On the first day of battle, the British
casualty figures were 20,000 dead and 40,000 injured; sixty percent of all
officers had been killed. Stalemate followed and by mid-November the Allies
had advanced only 8 kilometres. the cost of that territory had been high:
420,000 British casualties, 195,000 French and 650,000 German.