A diversionary British assault at Richebourg-l'Avoué on 30 June 1916, intended to support the forthcoming Battle of the Somme by harassing German forces on the Western Front.
Key Facts
- Date
- 30 June 1916
- British casualties
- 850–1,366
- British formation
- 39th Division, XI Corps, First Army (BEF)
- German formation
- German 6th Army
- Units attacking
- Two battalions of the 116th Brigade
- Western Front raids (to Nov 1916)
- 310 raids by Third, First and Second Armies
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As the British Fourth Army prepared to launch the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, British armies north of the Somme were ordered to conduct raids and diversionary operations to harass German forces, give inexperienced divisions combat experience, inflict casualties, and prevent German troop transfers to the Somme sector.
Before dawn on 30 June 1916, two battalions of the 116th Brigade, 39th Division, attacked the Boar's Head salient at Richebourg-l'Avoué. British troops captured and briefly held the German front-line trench and a second trench for several hours before withdrawing to their own lines.
The attacking British force suffered between 850 and 1,366 casualties without securing a permanent gain. The operation formed part of a broader pattern of 310 raids conducted by British armies north of the Somme, presaging the much larger and costlier Battle of Fromelles on 19–20 July 1916.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent