“The decisive issue of the war depends on the victory of the Second Army on the Somme. We must win this battle in spite of the enemy’s temporary superiority in artillery and infantry. The important ground lost in certain places will be recaptured by our attack after the arrival of reinforcements. The vital thing is to hold on to our present positions at all costs and to improve them. I forbid the voluntary evacuation of trenches. The will to stand firm must be impressed on every man in the army. The enemy should have to carve his way over heaps of corpses…” —General Fritz von Below of the German Army, July 3, 1916

“Overall, the first day on the Somme was a failure for the Allied forces. The British had suffered 19,240 dead, 35,493 wounded, 2,152 missing and 585 prisoners for a total loss of 57,470. This meant that in one day of fighting, 20% of the entire British fighting force had been killed, in addition to the complete loss of the Newfoundland Regiment as a fighting unit. Haig and Rawlinson did not consider the enormity of the casualties and injuries from the battle, and actually considered resuming the offensive as soon as possible. In fact, Haig, in his diary the next day, wrote that “…the total casualties are estimated at over 40,000 to date. This cannot be considered severe in view of the numbers engaged, and the length of front attacked.”

Battle of the Somme

Peace, pass it on.

Mike