It was almost 90 years ago that the British Army suffered the greatest losses in any single day to warfare. This was the battle of the Somme in July 1916, an event that lasted well into the fall, but was most well known for a single day of carnage.

The truth is that the forces were not ready, there was a difference of opinion on how to proceed amongst the top commanders, and the Germans were quite strong and superbly trained. To add to the difficulties, the British were subordinate to the French as this was a dual French/British operation.

It is unfortunate that the desires of politicians cause the needless death of so many of their citizens, and that has been something that almost all wars have in common. It is true now and it was equally true back in 1916. British commanders were pushed into starting this offensive before the New Army units were fully trained and fully equipped. The French needed to have a second assault on the  front to take away pressure from the battles around Verdun. It was hoped that this new offensive would draw away German troops and provide some relief.

Battles in WWI were heavily reliant on artillery. This meant lots of guns, big ones and accurate fall of shot. The purpose of this was to break up the masses of barbed wire, destroy enemy trench works and kill as many of the defenders as they could to make the going easier for Allied troops. The French were masters at this, having had a lot of practice and a goodly supply of troops and guns. The British were somewhat handicapped by insufficient guns of insufficient caliber and poorly operating fuses that had a high failure rate.

The result was that in some sectors, all the objectives were met while in others it was a disaster with troops either barely making it into no-man's land or being forced back to their starting positions. The overall result was the loss of nearly 60,000 British troops.

Author Robertshaw provides us with a look at the events that lead up to the battle, the commanders on both sides of the line, and the units that were participating. An in-depth look at the overall plans of battle allows us to see what the objectives were and gives us a basis for determining how well those goals were met. In something this complex, the easiest way to portray the battle is to start from one end of the line and work down and that is just what is done. Each of the various armies and divisions are taken from the North to the South and a synopsis of events gives an excellent overview of the opening day of the Battle. This is further enhanced by the superlative illustrations and maps provided by Peter Dennis.

This is all followed by a look at the aftermath of the day's events and a piece on the battlefield today.

Overall, one of the best books on the subject that I have read. It is enough to give a real feel for things without getting bogged down into minutiae. A book that I can highly recommend.

May 2006

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