An Illustrated Introduction to the Somme 1916

The Battle of the Somme epitomised the cruelty of the Western Front. 1 July 1916 witnessed the opening round of the British Army’s attempt to break through an eighteen-mile front of heavily defended German lines straddling the River Somme in northern France. Preceded by an artillery bombardment of over 1,500 big guns that lasted a week, the inexperienced members of Lord Kitchener’s New Army went ‘over the top’ and suffered the deadliest day in British military history. On the first day, British losses alone totalled nearly 20,000 dead. In the next four and a half months of combat, over 350,000 British soldiers would become casualties to one of the most intense, lethal, and futile engagements in history.

Author: Robert J. Parker
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Published: 02/15/2016
Series: Illustrated Introduction to …
Pages: 96
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.40w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781445644424
Language: English