The first day of the Somme offensive resulted in 57,470 British casualties, the costliest single day in British military history.
Key Facts
- British total casualties
- 57,470
- British fatal casualties
- 19,240
- French Sixth Army casualties
- 1,590
- German 2nd Army casualties
- 10,000–12,000
- Gommecourt diversion casualties
- 6,758 British vs 1,212 German
- Battle duration (Albert phase)
- 1–13 July 1916
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Allied high command planned a major offensive on the Somme front to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun and break through German lines. The British Fourth and Third armies, alongside the French Sixth Army, were tasked with capturing German defensive positions between Foucaucourt and Gommecourt, believing preliminary artillery bombardment had sufficiently weakened German defenses.
On 1 July 1916, nine corps of Allied forces attacked the German 2nd Army along a broad front. South of the Albert–Bapaume road, French and some British forces achieved substantial gains; XIII Corps took Montauban and XV Corps captured Mametz. However, attacks north of the road largely failed under withering German fire, with VIII Corps suffering catastrophic losses and III Corps gaining only minimal ground.
The catastrophic British losses north of the Albert–Bapaume road and partial successes in the south reshaped Allied strategy for the following weeks of the Somme offensive. German forces on the south bank retreated from the Flaucourt plateau, while the massive British casualty toll of 57,470 in a single day became a lasting source of grief and controversy in Britain. Orders were issued to continue the offensive on 2 July.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Fritz von Below.