One Day on the Somme

by Barry Cuttell

The name VERDUN is to the French as the SOMME is to the British people and the two have remained inextricably linked. The main German action in 1915 against the French was in Artois and Champagne areas while, on the British front, the battles of Neuve Chapelle, Ypres, Hooge, Festubert and Loos were fought.

It was evident that the British would have to bear the brunt of the battle on the Somme and as the long British bombardment began in the last week of June, only five French divisions were assembled in the trenches compared with thirteen British divisions (plus five divisions in reserve). Generals Haig, the C. in C., and Rawlinson in command of the Fourth Army must have been inwardly disappointed but if this was the case no such feelings were relayed to the corps and divisional commanders. The plan of attack had been meticulously prepared; no detail was too small for consideration.

In spite of the meticulous preparations and the week-long bombardment, most divisions were in difficulty as soon as they left the trenches, particularly from Gommecourt to Ovillers. The artillery barrage failed to cut the German wire in many places and did little damage to the deep German fortifications. With the benefit of hindsight we can sit back and reflect on the results of the first day of the battle but Haig and Rawlinson had no such advantage and in the evening they were not too disappointed with the results of the day's work.

Following bitter fighting north of the Somme in 1917, the German Army attacked in a westerly direction in March 1918 passing partly through the blood-soaked Somme battleground pushing the British divisions west towards Amiens. It seemed as though this small corner of Picardy would be forever denied to the Allies.

Thousands of visitors come each year to the Somme; this book is addressed to those who come for the first time, or are perhaps returning for a second or third visit, possibly to trace the steps of a fallen relative or to find some of the well-known sites on the battlefield. This book is intended to be an easy guide to factual information relative to the 1st July for those who are unfamiliar with the accessibility of official trench maps and other documentation and perhaps serve as an introduction to further reading.

Specification

Binding: Softback, wire-bound

Pages: 128 pages, 252mm x 175 mm

ISBN 1 870384 67 9

Price £9.95/$15.00