The capture of Ovillers cost three British divisions over 9,800 casualties during the opening weeks of the Somme offensive in 1916.
Key Facts
- Operation duration
- 1–16 July 1916
- 8th Division casualties
- 5,121 men
- 12th (Eastern) Division casualties
- 4,721 men
- German IR 180 casualties
- 280 men
- German RIR 110 casualties
- 35 men
- British corps involved
- III Corps
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of the broader Battle of the Somme, British forces needed to capture the village of Ovillers-la-Boisselle, a fortified German position in the III Corps sector. On 1 July 1916, the opening day of the Somme, the 8th Division launched an assault on the village but was repulsed with catastrophic losses, prompting successive relief operations by additional divisions.
Beginning on 1 July 1916, the British 8th Division, followed by the 12th (Eastern) Division, and then the 25th Division, conducted a series of costly attacks against the German-held village of Ovillers. The operation lasted until 16 July, when the 25th Division finally captured the village during the evening, ending over two weeks of intense fighting.
The village of Ovillers was secured by the British Expeditionary Force on 16 July 1916, but at a combined cost of more than 9,800 British casualties across three divisions. German defenders of Infantry Regiment 180 and Reserve Infantry Regiment 110 sustained comparatively light losses, highlighting the strength of the defensive position.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent