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The bloodiest day
The first day of the Battle of the Somme. On 1 July 1916, the British divisions suffered 57,470 deaths, plus 19,240 wounded soldiers. Settling for just a measly 3 Square Mile area of land. The Newfoundland Regiment also took apart of this first-day battle and lost around 700 soldiers. Newfoundland did not become an official part of Canada until decades later in the 1940's.
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The British advance.
21,000 British soldiers and 8,000 Germans are dead. Brits have successfully captured Montauban. (Commune in France). -
Grieve for Pals Battalions.
Lists of the dead and wounded began to appear in the papers.
People at home wore black armbands in honor of those who had lost their lives fighting the war.
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Night assault on Bazentin Ridge
Douglas Haig, the British Commander-in-Chief, was suspicious of night attacks prior to a five-minute artillery bombardment.
Germans had established sufficient defenses to be able to decimate the oncoming British with machine gun fire. Link -
“Devil's Wood”
Soldiers who fought at Delville would refer to this place as "Devil's Wood".
3,000 soldiers of the 1st South African brigade occupied the wood.
The Germans unleashed machine gun and artillery fire and launched a brutal series of counter-attacks. -
The Anzacs capture Pozières
The leading battalions of the First Division rushed forward and seized the German position around the Pozières Trench.
Pozières was the key to controlling the heights to the east. The Germans pointed all available guns on Pozières. -
Battle of the Somme film
20 million people watched The Battle of the Somme. The film remains one of the most watched in British cinema history.
Cameramen were allowed to travel to France, they were prevented from visiting the frontline trenches. -
Falkenhayn resigns
The Germans had suffered nearly 250,000 casualties. German leaders believed the battle was lost.
The Germans were losing ground at the Somme and at Verdun. The
German soldiers were to give up ground in order to confirm maximum deaths on the Allies. -
Canadians Enter.
With only 3 months remaining, Canada had joined the Battle. Throughout the next few weeks, Canada helps to capture major defensive positions including Courcelette, Thiepval, and Ancre Heights. -
The introduction to British Tanks
The British revealed a new piece of technology – the tank.
12 divisions of British men advanced, with the use of their secret weapon, 48 Mark I tanks.
This was the first major battle that Canadians took apart of. They assisted using a new tactic called the creeping barrage. (Wait for Allied artillery fire to advance whilst the Germans take cover).
The French-Canadian 22nd and 25th Battalion secured Courcellete and defended against 17 German counterattacks.
They maintained 29,000 casualties. -
The Germans fight back on land and in the air
The Germans deployed new planes and new tactics.
The Fokker DII, the Halberstadt and the Albatros DI and DII outclassed their British counterparts.
Outclassed by Germany’s aircrafts, the British responded by building the Sopwith Pup. -
Allied Victory may be near.
The British made two substantial gains – Morval and Thiepval Ridge.
The British 18th Division captured a key German defensive position. The next day, German planes strafed the British trenches and their artillery let go a powerful bombardment. -
British vs Brutal Weather
The weather began to deteriorate and British soldiers were slowed down.
The men fought on for three weeks, failing to capture the German trenches.
The harsh weather hindered the British air observation – The British suffered 57,000 casualties and gained little to no ground. -
War shrines appear on British streets
Citizens banded together to build war shrines to honor the fallen soldiers. -
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Capturing Regina & Desire Trench
The Canadian 4th Division troops charge forward alongside British troops to helpand capture the Regina Trench. In the following week, they were also able to get ahold of the Desire Trench. -
The last battle on the Somme
The British carried out their final battle on the Somme on the River Ancre.
British troops stormed the German defenses.
The French gave up trying to capture St.Pierre Vast Wood as the cold winter took its place. -
Troops dug in
The fight was now suspended. Haig deemed the soldiers had done enough and resolved to resume the offensive in February.
In conclusion, the British had advanced a miserable seven miles and failed to break the German defense.
