Somme 1916

the long version

The Battle of the Somme raged from 1 July to 18 November 1916 and was one of the bloodiest fought in military history. It has come to signify for many the waste and bloodshed of the First World War as hundreds of thousands of men on all sides lost their lives fighting over small gains in land. Yet, this battle was also to mark a turning point in the war and to witness new methods of warfare, such as all-arms integrated attacks, with infantry units and the new Tank Corps fighting alongside each other. In this Battle Story, Andrew Robertshaw seeks to lift the battle out of its controversy a.