He favoured the method of “bite and hold” in which a modest section of line was bitten out by an initial attack and then held against counter-attacks with the support of artillery. ‘From his experiences in 1915, General Sir Henry Rawlinson, whose Fourth Army was to launch the attack, believed that attempts to advance by limited objectives were more likely to succeed than ambitious hopes for a breakout. Yet his vision differed greatly from that of the man he selected to carry it out. Mr Steel added: ‘Haig’s conception was one of breakout and return to open warfare. This would allow cavalry units to pour through and go east to Bapaume and north towards Arras, breaking the trench deadlock. General Sir Douglas Haig, the British commander, ordered a week-long artillery bombardment of more than a million shells from the village of Serre to Maricourt that would allow troops to punch a huge hole in the German lines. Party of Royal Irish Rifles in a communication trench (Picture: PA) ‘The proposed frontage of France’s attack on the Somme was reduced from 25 to eight miles and, for the first time in the war, the main burden of the assault would be borne by the British.’ What were the military objectives? Nigel Steel, historian at the Imperial War Museum, said: ‘The fighting (at Verdun) quickly drew in more and more French troops and it gradually became clear that the French army would be unable to sustain the defence of Verdun and lead an attack on the Somme. The Allies’ original plan was for an attack on three European fronts in a bid to end years of sapping trench warfare.įrench and British commanders began discussions in late 1915 for a joint attack along a 25-mile front straddling the once-picturesque River Somme in Picardy in northern France.īut the German attack on French forces at Verdun in February 1916 meant the Allies had to alter their plan and bring more British soldiers into the attack. The Battle of the Somme was also known as the Somme Offensive (Picture: PA)
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