The Battle Of The Somme

The British launched The Battle of the Somme to achieve two objectives. The first and most important goal was to relieve pressure on the French Army at Verdun, and the second was to inflict as heavy a loss as possible on the German Armies. The Battle of the Somme had to be fought to save the French Army from the crucifixion of Verdun. The head of the French Army, General Fock, and some leading British commanders did not believe this battle would help, but political masters in London and Paris supported the campaign. For many years The Battle of the Somme received much criticism for the way the battle was fought based on the number of casualties.

The battle of Somme took place during the 1st of July and the 18th of November 1916 in the region Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of Somme. It was during the time of the First World War that Newfoundland was still under the power of the British Empire. Britain declared war on Germany in August of 1914. This was the beginning of Newfoundland's first regiment. There was a great response from Newfoundland with many proud Newfoundlanders ready to serve in the war. There was such a huge demand that from a population of 240,000 that more than 12,000 people joined up for the regiment. When war had been declared an enormous amounts of soldiers were being killed and the rapid progression of military warfare such as tanks, grenades and mines were being introduced promptly in large numbers. In order to end this war, generals came up with the conclusion of making what they called the "Big Push" which was the joining of the British and French troops against enemy Germany. These troops would start the assault at the Somme. This would be the Battle of Somme near Beaumont Hamel that the first Newfoundland Regiment would partake in. On the morning of July 1st thousands of British and French troops marched towards No Man's Land, within half an hour of walking to their destination, the troops were dramatically decreasing in soldiers

The first day of the battle of the Somme was a dreadful scene but a victory for the Germans.According to Document B: George Coppard (British soldier) ,it states that ,” Hundreds of dead,many of the British 37th Brigade..Quite as many died on the enemy wire as on the ground,like a fish caught in the net...The Germans faith in the wire had paid off.” This evidence shows that a lot of the British army had died due to the German’s barbed wire and as a result is was an horrendous scene to look at.Also written in Document C: Ottis Lais(German soldier),it states that,”As the destructive British shell rushed towards our artillery which was firing courageously..the british keep charging forward...Despite the fact that hundreds are already lying dead

In 1916, the battle of the Somme began, intending to end the war for the allies. It pitted an unexperienced British army, against a professional German one. It was also, however significant in many ways. Two of the main areas where the battle of the Somme was significant were in its military value, and the reactions it caused, on the home front.

The British went into the Somme with a mixed attack plan, which led to an unsuccessful first assault resulting in a battle of attrition. The opening day of The Battle of the Somme resulted in near 60,000 casualties for the British, the largest in British military history for a single day. Originally the Somme was supposed to be a French dominated offensive, however the Germans attacked to the South in Verdun occupying the majority of French troops. The British were then thrust into control of the offensive, leaving Sir Douglas Haig and General Rawlinson to arrange an offensive strike against the Germans. Haig advocated for the use of infantry including foot soldiers as well as cavalry to lead the offensive. Rawlinson countered with a bite and hold strategy, which involved fortifying a strong defense and warding off German counter attacks. Rather than committing to one strategy, the two were combined in order to create a week-long bombardment followed by an offensive attack on foot.

In “The Face of Battle,” John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much more useful products, it seems as though the organized warfare in Waterloo was much more effective; the soldier’s mediocre training for the Somme was obvious in the chaotic events that occurred. While each battle was disastrous in their own ways, industrialization certainly improved means of warfare and the experience that the soldiers had.

The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time a former colonial force defeated a European power on European soil. It was the most gruesome battle fought in World War I because of the chemical warfare and Germany’s use of advanced technology. After a torturous month of fighting the German army, however, the Canadian soldiers emerged victorious.

On 15 January, Porter continued to be in position to provide their most massive bombardment yet in preparation for the attack. At noon, 1600 sailors and 400 marines executed the ground assault along the beach about a mile and a half north of the fort. By 1500 the marines’ new position was now unable to effectively provide cover for the ensuing assault and failed to keep the Confederate riflemen off the fort’s parapet. As 1500 passed, the sailors quickly became restless for the army’s attack signal. Not waiting for visual confirmation of the army’s attack as directed, 1600 sailors ran across the open beach, and the naval attack very quickly became a rout. The sailors with only their pistols and cutlasses were no match for the Confederate riflemen, canister, and grape. After only 20 minutes the assault was repulsed, with the men retreating in droves, leaving over three hundred dead or wounded sailors and marines. Many of the wounded were left to drown in the rising tide. This was not the outcome Admiral Porter’s had envisioned.

December 16, 1944 marks the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. This Battle took place on what is know as the Western Front. This battle will forever be known as one of the biggest battles to be fought during WWII. This battle would prove to be a costly battle for both sides. Both sides will see a tremendous loss of life and equipment.

Imagine hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in blizzard conditions, both sides fighting for their country, The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest battles of the war and proved to be one of the most important. Some people ask how the Allied forces were able to stop the seemingly unbeatable Nazi war machine, this battle would be the last major offensive by the Third Reich in attempt to change the tides of the Second World War. The Allied forces were about to be a part of the true terrors of war.

When Eisenhower summons 10th Armored Division to Bastogne, Patton exercises disciplined initiative in setting the stage for victory at the Battle of the Bulge. Before Patton is summoned to Verdun, he set the conditions for his forces to break away from the battle in the Saar River Valley and move toward Bastogne.

After the U.S. began to push out the Germans and enlarge the pathway to Bastogne at the end of December 1944, the U.S. troops and some British soldiers started a counterattack, to eliminate the bulge in the American line. This success was largely due to General Patton’s third army, that attacked from the North and the South. On January 8, 1945, the German forces began to pull out of the Bulge. As the Americans advanced, they continued to erase all German gains. By the end of January, 1945, all territory that was captured by the Germans was back under Allied control (“Battle of the Bulge”). The Battle of the bulge was one of the most difficult battles of the war for the United States. Along with having the most American casualties of any other battle, many of the soldiers suffered great emotional and physical trauma from the cold, and lack of medical supplies, and the horrors that many of them witnessed on the battlefield (Farmer). One battalion, the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, is a notable example of the physical and emotional trauma of the Battle of the Bulge. At the start of the battle the battalion had 793 men. By the end, only 110 were left alive. The 551st was the worst casualties of any unit during the Battle of the Bulge (Orfalea). Nearing the end of the battle, the allied troops fought harder than ever, partly to ensure that all of the bloodshed and death was not in vain.

Nearing the end of World War II and after the successful D-Day invasion by Allied Forces, Adolf Hitler would personally plan a counteroffensive he believed would turn the tied of the war in his favor and prevent his unconditional surrender. Historically known as the Battle of the Bulge, the Ardennes Counteroffensive, from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, would showcase the power of a full-scale German offensive while highlighting the ingenuity and heart of the United States Army as they encountered a seemingly undefeatable foe.

After Marshal Montgomery blockaded Rommel, whose fame was generally known as the ‘Desert Fox’ with the navy and the air force in the Strait of Sicily for more than 100 days, the Allies won the North African Campaign on May 13, 1943. As the Allies freed for further action with the victories of about 250,000 German and Italian troops surrendered on the north coast of Africa, the British and the American strategists were facing two options as their huge army quartered in the southern Mediterranean (www.history.com). One of the option was put forward by the American chief, suggesting that the Allies should transfer their forces north for the impending invasion of Europe from the English Channel. Even though this suggestion was disapproved by the English chief who held the opinion that the Allies should strike the Europe from the southern Italy, this strategy was later known as the ‘Invasion of Normandy’ that completely helped the Allies win the WW II. The option that the British chief favor for finally became the strategy of the Allies’ first-step invasion in Europe because it not only utilized the fighter cover from air bases on British Malta, 60 miles south of Sicily, but also saved the Allies’ shipping to the English Channel as the American chief suggested that. The strategy of pressing north into Italy was vividly described by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as invading the ‘the soft underbelly of Europe’(www.history.com). The underbelly here, however, referred to

Like many events in history, a battle is very telling about the society it took place in. This idea rang true during the Battle of the Somme, happening in the midst of World War I, July 1916. The British, aligned with the other Allies were set to take on the Germans. According to Keegan, “the French and British had been planning a great offensive