Somme Ends: One Million Casualties for Seven Miles
The Battle of the Somme ended on November 18, 1916, after 141 days of fighting that produced over one million combined British, French, and German casualties. The British alone suffered 420,000 casualties for an advance of roughly seven miles. On the first day, July 1, 1916, the British Army suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 killed, the worst single day in its history. The plan had been simple: a week-long artillery bombardment would destroy German defenses, and infantry would walk across no-man's-land to occupy the ruins. The bombardment failed to cut the wire or destroy the deep German bunkers. Soldiers laden with 60 pounds of equipment walked into machine gun fire. The battle introduced tanks to warfare when 49 Mark I tanks went into action on September 15, but mechanical failures limited their impact.
November 18, 1916
110 years ago
Key Figures & Places
France
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World War I
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Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
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Battle of the Somme (1916)
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British Expeditionary Force (World War I)
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World War I
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Battle of the Somme
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British Expeditionary Force (World War I)
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Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
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Paul von Hindenburg
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Weimarer Nationalversammlung
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Dolchstoßlegende
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First Battle of Ypres
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Força Expedicionária Britânica
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