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View Full Version : The Battle of the Somme



Mister D
07-01-2013, 11:51 AM
Gettysburg came to mind but it's already under discussion. :smiley:

The Battle of the Somme began today after a week long artillery bombardment of the German positions. The offensive was conceived as a way of taking the pressure off of the French at Verdun. France had borne the brunt of the fighting for the last two years and was slowly passing the torch to Britain. Ironically, the French achieved the real successes of the first day's carnage largely because the British were still relatively inexperienced. July 1st, 1916 was the bloodiest day in British military history with approximately 60,000 men killed, wounded, or missing. The preparatory bombardment did not, as planners imagined, flatten the German defences or cut their wire. The shells were not heavy enough, generally speaking, and shrapnel did not have the effect on the wire it was expected to have. The lesson would be costly. Before it's end, the butcher's bill would reach a million with roughly 500,000 casualties per side.

Peter1469
07-01-2013, 02:12 PM
WWI was an amazing display of inept military leadership.

Mister D
07-02-2013, 02:28 PM
WWI was an amazing display of inept military leadership.

I disagree with that assessment. The commanders of the era faced strategic and tactical problems that, while not qualitatively different, were much greater in terms of degree than anything faced before or since. We've discused that before though. Agree to disagree. :smiley: