Key Facts
- Dates
- 15–22 September 1916
- First tank use in battle
- Yes — tanks deployed for the first time
- Ground gained (centre)
- ~3,500 yards beyond Flers and Courcelette
- German casualties (September)
- ~130,000 on the Somme front
- Villages captured
- Courcelette, Martinpuich, Flers
- Jagdstaffel 2 debut
- 16 September 1916, with Albatros D.I fighters
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 15 September, the British Fourth Army and French Sixth Army attacked, with tanks appearing in combat for the first time. The Canadian Corps captured Courcelette and the New Zealand Division fought its first Somme engagement. High Wood fell and the Fourth Army crossed Bazentin Ridge. However, German resistance on the British right flank halted exploitation and prevented cavalry from advancing. On 18 September, the Quadrilateral strongpoint was finally taken, consolidating gains.
01 / The Origins
The Battle of Flers–Courcelette formed the third major phase of the broader Battle of the Somme, itself launched in July 1916 to relieve pressure on French forces at Verdun and to wear down the German army. By mid-September, Anglo-French commanders sought a decisive breakthrough on the Somme front, deploying new technology and fresh Commonwealth divisions to crack the German defensive line between Flers and Courcelette.
03 / The Outcome
The battle ended on 22 September without achieving the intended strategic breakthrough. Tactical gains included the capture of three villages and an advance of up to 3,500 yards in the centre. German losses in September reached approximately 130,000 on the Somme alone. Follow-up operations began at the Battle of Morval on 25 September and the Battle of Thiepval Ridge on 26 September, maintaining Allied pressure into autumn 1916.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Henry Rawlinson, Hubert Gough, Émile Fayolle.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.