Key Facts
- Date
- 25 September 1916
- Distance from Amiens
- 30 miles (48 km) north-east
- Parent operation
- Battle of Morval, Battle of the Somme
- German recapture
- 24 March 1918 (Operation Michael)
- Final Allied recapture
- 29 August 1918 (Second Battle of Bapaume)
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 25 September 1916, British brigades from the 56th (1/1st London) Division and 5th Division wheeled right to form a south-facing flank above Combles, while the French 2nd Division attacked from the south. German machine-gun fire slowed the French advance near the village, though the French captured Rancourt and closed on Frégicourt. Allied artillery maintained a continuous barrage on escape routes after prisoners revealed a planned German withdrawal.
01 / The Origins
Combles, a village in the Somme valley of northern France, became strategically important during the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The Germans had developed it as a supply depot and staging area, protected by the Gallwitz Riegel third defensive line running close behind it. Its position between Morval, Ginchy, and Falfemont Farm made it a significant node in the German defensive system that the Allies sought to reduce during the broader Somme offensive.
03 / The Outcome
British and French patrols met inside and east of Combles in the early hours of 26 September, completing its capture alongside large quantities of equipment and stores. The inter-army boundary shifted north to Morval on 27 September to support further French advances. Combles changed hands twice more: German forces retook it on 24 March 1918 during Operation Michael, before the 18th (Eastern) Division recaptured it for the last time on 29 August 1918.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.