The Battle Of The Somme (Stages)

Question 1

Stage 1: the artillery bombardment
What, guns, aim

Answer 1

-A massive, week long artillery bombardment of the German lines
-500 heavy guns here used
-Aimed to destroy majority of German defenses and cut the barbed wire before the infantry advanced
Not enough high explosive shells so shrapnel shells where used (shrapnel aren’t effective against trenches)

Question 2

Stage 2: Poisonous gas
Where, how it was used, info about gas

Answer 2

-In some places poisonous gas was used ( mainly chlorine)
-Released from cylinders which was blown by wind towards the German lines
-First used in 1915 although terrifying due to its power to cause suffocation, blindness and blistering it never made a big impact on the fighting and gas masks where quickly developed (it was banned in 1925 in the Geneva convention)
-The gas could also blow backwards

Question 3

Stage 3: The detonation of mines
What and when, reason for mines

Answer 3

A number of large explosives mines near the German front lines were detonated in the early morning of 1 July 1916
Made massive craters and the hope was they would destroy key German strong points

Question 4

Stage 4: the infantry attack
Amount, when, aim, artillery and problems

Answer 4

-700,000 infantrymen where gathered for use at the Somme
-At 7:30 am the first wave went over the top into into no man’s land
-The aim was for massed infantry to advance in waves and capture German positions then be reinforced
- limited support from artillery however in some areas a creeping barrage was used so that the Germans could not use their guns
- in some areas difficulties in communicating caused the barrage to be too far ahead meaning it was useless or in some cases friendly fire

Question 5

What was the outcome of the first day?

Answer 5

British troops did not achieve a swift and decisive breakthrough on the first day
Some achieved their objective but most found the German defenses fully in tact with little to no damage from the artillery and found themselves bogged down by heavy fire

60,000 British casualties on the first day, 20,000 deaths

Question 6

How did the battle play out and continue ?

Answer 6

By the 11 of July most of the German front line had been captured ( ten days since the start of the assault)
However Allied progress was minimal

Question 7

What was a continuity to previous wars ?

Answer 7

Cavalry, used on two separate occasions but both times made no significant impact showing how traditional methods now lacked power against modern weaponry

Question 8

What was a new piece of technology ?
Where they effective

Answer 8

The tank !
They had great potential to support infantry and scared the shit out of Germans
However in the Somme they could not achieve a breakthrough due to
Small numbers (49)
Technical problems (breaking down and could only go 7km/h)
Not used to their greatest tactical advantage: only used in pairs for infantry support but a mass rally of tanks would have been far more effective