Key Facts
- Dates
- 25–28 September 1916
- Villages captured
- Combles, Morval, Lesbœufs, Gueudecourt
- Part of
- Battle of the Somme, 1916
- Postponement due to
- Rain delayed attack from 21 to 25 September
- Tanks deployed
- Small number, used later in afternoon
Strategic Narrative Overview
Rain delayed the attack from 21 to 25 September. On 25 September the Fourth Army launched its assault, capturing Combles, Morval, Lesbœufs, and Gueudecourt and inflicting heavy German casualties. The French made slower progress near St Pierre Vaast Wood. The inter-army boundary was shifted north on 27–28 September to give French forces more room. A small number of tanks assisted later in the day, reducing German strongpoints that had resisted earlier infantry attacks.
01 / The Origins
Morval, Gueudecourt, and Lesbœufs had been the final objectives of the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September 1916) but remained in German hands. The British Fourth Army planned a renewed assault coordinated with the French Sixth Army attacking Combles to the south, as part of the broader Somme offensive aimed at driving back the German 1st Army and relieving pressure on Allied forces elsewhere along the front.
03 / The Outcome
The Fourth Army's advance on 25 September was its deepest since 14 July, leaving the Germans in serious difficulty around a salient northeast of Combles. However, tiredness and lack of reserves prevented exploitation beyond patrols and cavalry probes. Deteriorating weather, mud, rain, and fog hampered transport, grounded aircraft, and impeded artillery. The Reserve Army launched its own follow-on operation at the Battle of Thiepval Ridge on 26 September.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.