Britain’s bloodiest battle

3 km

3 miles

1

2

3

Rancourt

Combles

Paris

France

French

6th army

German

2nd army

Allied front line 1 July 1916

German front line 1 July 1916

Allied front line 18 November 1916

Serre

Gommecourt

Thiepval

Miraumont

Bouchavesnes

Cléry

Maricourt

Bapaume

Albert

British

3rd

army

British

4th army

Somme

river

3

18 November 1916:

Winter weather ends the offensive after four months which saw major contributions from troops across the British empire as well as the first ever use of tanks. Allied forces have advanced a total of seven miles since July with over 300,000 dead on all sides

2

1 July 1916:

At 7.30am some 100,000 British soldiers launch the main attack. German machine guns immediately inflict heavy casualties, particularly north of the Albert-Bapaume road. British forces suffer 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 dead, without achieving a complete breakthrough

1

24 June - 1 July 1916:

British and French bombard German positions north of the Somme river ahead of a major infantry offensive to break the stalemate on the western front. The German defences remain largely intact despite over 1.5m shells fired

Allied front line 1 July 1916

German front line 1 July 1916

Allied front line 18 November 1916

3

1

2

5 km

5 miles

Paris

France

French

6th army

German

2nd army

Serre

Gommecourt

Thiepval

Miraumont

Bouchavesnes

Rancourt

Cléry

Maricourt

Combles

Bapaume

Albert

British

3rd

army

British

4th army

Somme

river

3

18 November 1916:

Winter weather ends the offensive after four months which saw major contributions from troops across the British empire as well as the first ever use of tanks. Allied forces have advanced a total of seven miles since July with many hundreds of thousands dead on all sides

2

1 July 1916:

At 7.30am some 100,000 British soldiers launch the main attack. German machine guns immediately inflict heavy casualties, particularly north of the Albert-Bapaume road. British forces suffer 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 dead, without achieving a complete breakthrough

1

24 June - 1 July 1916:

British and French bombard German positions north of the Somme river ahead of a major infantry offensive to break the stalemate on the western front. The German defences remain largely intact despite over 1.5m shells fired

2 km

2 miles

1

Paris

France

2

3

French

6th army

German

2nd army

German front line

1 July 1916

Allied front line

18 November 1916

Allied front line

1 July 1916

Serre

Gommecourt

Thiepval

Miraumont

Bouchavesnes

Rancourt

Cléry

Maricourt

Combles

Bapaume

Albert

British

3rd army

British

4th army

Somme

river

3

18 November 1916:

Winter weather ends the offensive after four months which saw major contributions from troops across the British empire as well as the first ever use of tanks. Allied forces have advanced a total of seven miles since July with many hundreds of thousands dead on all sides

2

1 July 1916:

At 7.30am some 100,000 British soldiers launch the main attack. German machine guns immediately inflict heavy casualties, particularly north of the Albert-Bapaume road. British forces suffer 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 dead, without achieving a complete breakthrough

1

24 June - 1 July 1916:

British and French bombard German positions north of the Somme river ahead of a major infantry offensive to break the stalemate on the western front. The German defences remain largely intact despite over 1.5m shells fired

3

2

1

Paris

France

2 km

2 miles

French

6th army

German

2nd army

German front line

1 July 1916

Allied front line

18 November 1916

Allied front line

1 July 1916

Serre

Gommecourt

Thiepval

Miraumont

Bouchavesnes

Rancourt

Cléry

Maricourt

Combles

Bapaume

Albert

3

18 November 1916:

Winter weather ends the offensive after four months which saw major contributions from troops across the British empire as well as the first ever use of tanks. Allied forces have advanced a total of seven miles since July with many hundreds of thousands dead on all sides

2

1 July 1916:

At 7.30am some 100,000 British soldiers launch the main attack. German machine guns immediately inflict heavy casualties, particularly north of the Albert-Bapaume road. British forces suffer 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 dead, without achieving a complete breakthrough

1

24 June - 1 July 1916:

British and French bombard German positions north of the Somme river ahead of a major infantry offensive to break the stalemate on the western front. The German defences remain largely intact despite over 1.5m shells fired

British

3rd army

British

4th army

Somme river