Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme, also called

Somme Offensive, was one of the largest, bloodiest
and deadliest battles of World War 1. It was fought
between July 1 and November 1, 1918 near the
Somme River in France. On the first day alone, the
British suffered more than 57,000 casualties, and
by the end of the campaign the Allies and Central
Powers would lose more than 1.5 million soldiers.
The deaths is mostly why the Battle is remembered. In the first day of the battle, July 1,
1916, the British saw 57,470 casualties. The French suffered only around 2,000 casualties. By
the time the offensive ended in November, the British had suffered around 420,000 casualties,
and the French was around 200,000. The Germans saw around 465,000 casualties.
On July 1, 1916, the
British attacked north of the
Somme with fourteen infantry
divisions. The French attacked
south of the Somme with five
divisions. In defense, the
German army deployed seven
divisions.