WWI - The Battle of the Somme Flashcards
When did the Allied infantry attack on German trenches at the Somme begin?
1 July 1916
How many soldiers were dead or wounded by the end of the first day of the Somme?
By the end of the first day,
- 57,470 Allied and
- 8,000 German soldiers were dead or wounded.
What did the Allies do the week before the attack at the Somme?
A week before the attack, the Allies had begun a massive bombardment, designed to destroy the German frontline trenches.
What did the Germans do when the Allies attacked them at the Somme?
The Germans knew about the preparations from reports by their observer airplanes.
Their troops simply retreated to dug-outs, and waited as the Allies shelled their empty trenches.
What was the name of the Allied commander at the Somme?
General Haig
What did General Haig do after the disastrous first day?
Even after the disastrous first day, the Allied commander, General Haig, saw no reason to change tactics.
Waves of men went ‘over the top’ into enemy fire, marching slowly forwards.
How many men had died at the Somme by November 2016?
By November, 620,000 Allied and 450,000 German soldiers had been killed or wounded.
How far had the Allies advanced by November 2016?
The Allies only advanced around 15km.
Why was there so much war poetry written?
Most poems were written by people who fought in the trenches.
Many were killed but wanted to tell us their feelings about the war beforehand.
