The Somme (1916): The Real First Day & the Debut of the Tank

Military History: World War I

Chapter 6 · The Somme (1916): The Real First Day & the Debut of the Tank

The Somme was planned as a joint Anglo-French offensive, then reshaped by Verdun (Chapter 5) into a mainly British one. Its first day remains the worst in the history of the British Army. But the battle lasted almost five months, and the story of what happened after 1 July — including the first tanks ever used in battle — is more complicated than the famous opening.

The Plan

Why the Somme?

It was where the British and French sectors met, so the two armies could attack side by side. It was chosen for alliance reasons, not because it was a good place to attack — the Germans held most of the higher ground.

Who Planned It

The British commander-in-chief, General Sir Douglas Haig, hoped for a breakthrough. General Sir Henry Rawlinson, commanding the Fourth Army that would attack, preferred more limited "bite and hold" steps. The final plan mixed both ideas awkwardly.

The New Army

Most of the attacking British troops were volunteers who had joined in 1914–15. Many served in "Pals battalions," recruited from the same towns, workplaces, or sports clubs, so friends and neighbours fought — and died — together.

The Bombardment

For seven days before the attack, British guns fired more than 1.5 million shells at the German lines. The idea was that the bombardment would destroy the wire, the trenches, and the defenders, so the infantry could simply walk across and occupy what was left.

Why It Failed Many of the shells were shrapnel, designed to burst in the air, which was nearly useless against deep dugouts (Chapter 4) and often failed to cut barbed wire. There was too little high-explosive ammunition for field guns, and many shells, made in a hurry by a newly expanded munitions industry, didn't explode. The bombardment was also spread across the whole front rather than concentrated. German soldiers sheltered in dugouts many metres below ground, then climbed out with their machine guns when the shelling stopped.

The First Day: 1 July 1916

7:20 a.m. A mine under Hawthorn Ridge is exploded ten minutes early, warning the Germans that the attack is coming.
7:28 a.m. Other large mines are exploded, including one at La Boisselle that leaves the huge Lochnagar Crater, still visible today.
7:30 a.m. The whistles blow. British and French infantry leave their trenches along a front of about 25 km.
Morning In the north and centre, many British attacks are cut down by machine-gun and artillery fire in no man's land or at uncut wire. In the south, British troops take Montauban, and the French, with heavier artillery and more experience, reach their objectives.

	Casualties on 1 July 1916
British	57,470, including 19,240 killed
French	About 1,590
German	About 10,000–12,000

Beaumont-Hamel

The Newfoundland Regiment, from what was then a separate British dominion, attacked at Beaumont-Hamel and was almost destroyed in about half an hour: of roughly 800 men who went forward, only a small fraction answered the roll call the next day. In Newfoundland, 1 July is still a day of remembrance.

Did the Troops Just Walk Slowly Into Machine Guns? The popular picture is of soldiers ordered to walk upright, in straight lines, carrying heavy packs. Some units did advance at a walking pace, and many carried heavy loads for holding captured ground. But the attack was carefully organised into waves with different jobs, and many units used other methods, such as creeping out into no man's land before zero hour. Where the wire was cut and the defenders suppressed, those methods worked; where it wasn't, almost nothing would have.

After the First Day: July – November 1916

The battle didn't end on 1 July. It continued for another four and a half months as a long series of attacks, with Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and South African troops joining in.

A Night Attack, 14 July

An attack on the German second line after a short, heavy bombardment and an approach in darkness was a real success — showing the British Army was learning quickly.

The Creeping Barrage

Artillery learned to lay down a moving curtain of shells just in front of advancing infantry, lifting forward step by step, so defenders stayed in their dugouts until the attackers were almost on top of them.

Rain and Mud

By autumn heavy rain turned the battlefield into mud. The offensive was halted in mid-November with the Allies about 10 km forward at the deepest point.

The First Tanks: 15 September 1916

Flers–Courcelette

Britain had secretly developed armoured, tracked vehicles to cross trenches, crush wire, and survive machine-gun fire. They were called "tanks" to disguise them as water tanks. At Flers–Courcelette 49 of the new Mark I tanks were available, but many broke down or got stuck before or during the attack; only a minority actually went into action. Those that did helped capture the village of Flers and frightened German defenders.

Too Early, or Just in Time? Critics argued that using only a few dozen unreliable tanks gave away the surprise before enough could be built to make a real difference. Supporters argued that combat experience was essential to improve them. Either way, the first tanks were slow, hot, mechanically fragile, and far from decisive. They became truly effective only as part of combined attacks in 1917–1918 (Chapter 9) — the same pattern as gas in Chapter 4.

The Cost and the Verdict

Army	Estimated casualties, 1 July – 18 November 1916
British Empire	About 420,000
French	About 200,000
German	Estimates range widely, from about 240,000 to over 400,000

"Lions Led by Donkeys"? For decades the Somme stood for the idea of brave soldiers wasted by stupid generals. The phrase "lions led by donkeys" became famous through Alan Clark's 1961 book The Donkeys, which attributed it to a German general — but Clark later admitted he couldn't source it, and he may have made it up. Since the 1980s many historians have argued for a "learning curve": the British Army, expanded from a small regular force into a mass army almost overnight, made terrible mistakes in 1916 but learned from them, laying the foundation for the victories of 1918. Others argue the learning was too slow and too costly. Both sides agree the first day was a disaster.

The German Side The Somme was also devastating for the German army, which lost many experienced soldiers and junior officers it couldn't replace. A German staff officer later called it "the muddy grave of the German field army." Early in 1917 Germany withdrew to a shorter, stronger defensive line — the Hindenburg Line — partly to avoid another battle like it.

Questions to Sit With

The bombardment was enormous but failed. Was the problem the plan, the ammunition, or the belief that artillery alone could win?

Why might Pals battalions have made the losses of the Somme feel so much more devastating at home?

Is it fair to judge the whole battle by its first day? What does looking at July to November add?

Quick Reference — Chapter 6

The Somme was chosen for alliance reasons where British and French sectors met; Verdun made it a mostly British battle
A seven-day bombardment of over 1.5 million shells failed to destroy German dugouts or cut much of the wire
1 July 1916: mines at Hawthorn Ridge and La Boisselle; British losses of 57,470, including 19,240 killed, the worst day in British Army history; the French and British XIII Corps succeeded in the south
The Newfoundland Regiment was almost destroyed at Beaumont-Hamel; Pals battalions concentrated losses in particular towns
Later phases saw the creeping barrage and a successful night attack on 14 July; the battle ended on 18 November about 10 km forward
First tanks: 15 September 1916 at Flers–Courcelette; 49 Mark I tanks available, many broke down
About 420,000 British Empire and 200,000 French casualties; German figures disputed; "lions led by donkeys" vs. the "learning curve" debate

What's Next

Chapter 7: The War at Sea: Jutland (1916) & the Real U-Boat Campaign.