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MIL006 - Edition 20,000
The Somme
It was a Saturday morning. The long-prepared British and French offensive on the Western Front was about to begin- the location the River Somme in Picardy, France.
This was the biggest British
army yet sent into battle, 26 divisions all volunteers on a 15-mile
front. We had expected in addition another 40 French divisions, but
less than half of those turned up. At 7.30am the artillery barrage
was lifted and the British went over the top. Each man carried
entrenching tools, two gas helmets, wire cutters, 220 rounds of
ammunition, two sandbags, two Mills bombs, groundsheet, haversack,
water bottle and field dressing - almost 70 pounds of equipment
each. The aim was to seize some 4,000 yards of enemy territory in
the first day.
In the first five minutes thousands were cut down by relentless
enemy fire. By nightfall many battalions numbered barely a hundred
men. On every side there were dead and wounded. The success was
limited to a few miles and 2000 prisoners. The British had 60,000
casualties.
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