Key Facts
- Start date
- 23 July 1916
- Farm captured (first)
- 16 September 1916 by 3rd Canadian Division
- Final recapture date
- 26 September 1916
- Final capturing unit
- 11th (Northern) Division
- Last defenders cleared by
- No. 16 Section, 6th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment
Strategic Narrative Overview
Fighting began on 23 July 1916, with repeated Allied assaults against tenacious German defenders. The 3rd Canadian Division of the Canadian Corps captured the farm on 16 September, but a swift German counter-attack retook the position. The struggle exemplified the attritional, back-and-forth nature of Somme combat, with the farm changing hands amid intense close-quarters fighting and heavy use of bombing and smoke tactics.
01 / The Origins
The Battle of Mouquet Farm was part of the broader Battle of the Somme in 1916, during which British forces sought to relieve pressure on French troops at Verdun and break through German lines in northern France. The farm, a fortified position near Pozières on the Western Front, became a focal point as the British Reserve Army pushed to outflank the heavily defended village of Thiepval.
03 / The Outcome
The farm was finally secured on 26 September 1916 by the 11th (Northern) Division during the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. Number 16 Section of the 6th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment (Pioneers) smoked out the last German defenders, ending resistance. The capture contributed to Allied gains along the Thiepval ridge, consolidating British positions in that sector of the Somme battlefield.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.