This ‘Somme Offensive’ quiz looks at the battle which occurred by the river Somme.
In December 1915 the Chantilly Conference met to discuss Allied plans for the year ahead. It was decided that in June of 1916 the Allies would attack the Germans on all fronts simultaneously, giving them little time to relocate their troops. The French were to attack with British support across the river Somme. In February 1916 the Germans began their attack on Verdun and the French troops intended for the Somme Offensive were sent to defend the town. Consequently, the British forces, intended for a supporting role, became the core of the attack. What was to follow was one of the bloodiest engagements of World War One.
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The British and French infantry attacked on 1st July, 7 days after the bombardment had started. This first engagement of the campaign, the Battle of Albert, lasted until 13th July and was a victory for the Allies. However, the British suffered 57,470 casualties, 19,240 of whom were killed
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The attack was a failure for the Allies. The number of Germans had been underestimated and the Allied troops were inexperienced. The attack was driven back and of the 7,080 British casualties, 5,533 were inflicted on one division of the Australian Imperial Force; the 5th Australian Division
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The aim of the second phase of the Somme Offensive was to take control of fortified villages, woods or land which offered any strategic advantage, such as observation points. The South Africans took Delville Wood and held it for 6 days until they were relieved. They sustained the loss of 2,536 men
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The village was actually taken from the Germans on September 3rd, but a German counter attack successfully retook it. Further attempts to take the village were made on September 4th and 5th but both met with failure. On 9th September 1916 Ginchy fell and the second phase of the Somme Offensive was won
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The Corps, only founded in October 1915, was disbanded in 1922. From it the Royal Tank Corps, later to become the Royal Tank Regiment, was formed
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Rain turned the battlefield into mud which, when combined with the destruction of the land by artillery shells, made it almost impossible to cross. The Germans used these delays to further fortify their positions and to increase their numbers. The Allied attack was abandoned after 42 days
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The effect of this increased rate of shell fire was poor as the Germans, having lost their vantage points, were firing blind onto unknown enemy positions. It is also estimated that up to a quarter of the German guns could not be fired due to mechanical failures
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After the Battle of the Ancre the Offensive paused until January 1917. On the last day of battle the weather was poor with fog and snow making conditions harsh for both sides
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For all the hardship endured and the lives lost (Allied casualties are estimated to have been 485,000 and German casualties 630,000) at its deepest point, the Allied advance had won approximately 7 miles from the Germans
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Winston Churchill and Prime Minister of the time, Lloyd George, were amongst the many who criticised the way the battle was fought and the huge loss of life. Later thought is that the new weapons and methods of warfare of an industrial army required experience in how to use them. Whether the commanders were at fault or not, the Somme Offensive was still a bloody battle in which many young men were to lose their lives
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