This is the story of the first day of the Somme Offensive, 1 July 1916 – the single bloodiest day in British military history. 57,000 British soldiers became casualties, most within a few hours of the initial attack. The offensive was part of a doomed attempt to break the deadlock of trench warfare. But behind the myths lies the story of an elaborately-planned battle, fought against a determined and experienced German enemy, and a struggle that was seen at the time as both unavoidable and necessary. The Battle of the Somme, of which 1st July was just the first, disastrous day, raged for another four months, and was vital not only in diverting German forces away from their assault on the French at Verdun, but in teaching Britain’s ‘citizen army’ how to fight a modern war against the German army.
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British Infantryman vs German infantryman – Somme 1916:
France , Britain and her Allies E.G Australia, New Zealand and others. Fromelles, Pozieres etc. Generals Haking, Gough, Haig, should have been hung for their incompetence and arrogance. As well as the rest of the so called "thrusters" Basically anyone with "Sir" in their title IMO.
Just think to put into perspective, 30000 men killed on first day of Somme offensive. So when collecting and removing the bodies on that first day. You would have needed a convoy of 1000 trucks each piled high with 30 men on each truck killed in the battle.
The fact we sent Pals battalions, friends who wanted to enlist together and had little to no experience of warfare into the Somme, to watch the deaths of those closest to them. Lest we forget, these men are 10x the men we are today.
Germany lost more troops at the 4 month Somme battle than they lost fighting France at Verdun all of 1916 FrFr. Only by 100,000 and I'm convinced more than that
Funny allies like to be seen as liberators ,good guys & portray axis powers as being bad while at the same time they were responsible for as much loot , deaths , destruction & suffering if not more in the countries they had occupied. I guess it's just that saying in play afterall that "Victors write history "
For historical accuracy it would be better not to speak of the Allies, but rather correctly of the Entente powers. Allies is a term for WWII. It's a bit like calling Man City Man United. Try it on Beckham and you know what I mean.
For the gigantic mess fighting with weapons has got us into today what the world leader puppets seem to have learned is that we need more fighting with weapons
WW1 is the best example in my opinion of selfish old leaders sending young men to die they saw the enormous casualties with little gain and said keep going they saw those people as a number not actual humans
It was the British army and the incomparable Anzacs and Canadians that really brought the Great war to a close Despite the fighting from the French and Americans, the sectors the British broke into and out, were by far the most strategic. Once the Hindenburg line was decisively breached at Amiens August 1918, it was the beginning of the end. The Germans thought that line impregnable and were confident of holding out for a draw. Had Amiens been a failure and the subsequent advances blunted with the Germans managing to hold out to winter , they may have got their draw. .
Here is a story from John Toland's fantastic book , just called 1918
So the war is over and it's November 1918. Some American soldiers are in a Paris bar. There are other allied soldiers there and they are celebrating the end of the war. Suddenly an American soldier stands up on a table and shouts out
' A toast, to Britain, who really won the war'
Toland then says that there was a veritable riot in the bar that spilled out onto the street as the French went ape shit
I find it quite funny
It is the definitive book on the story of the war in 1918. and a must for anyone who has an interest in it
6:06 I remember one of the regiments to storm the Hawthorn Redoubt on the 1st day was the Newfoundland Regiment, 800 men participated in the attack, only 68 were left the next day. The Newfoundlands suffered the 2nd worst battalion casualties on that day, only surpassed in casualties by the 10th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, with only 67 of the men remaining from the attack on Fricourt
everyone should read Ernst Friedrichs "Krieg dem Kriege'. the most horrific pictures are collected here and its author was the founder of Germanys 'Anti War Museum' which sadly was closed down when that animal Hitler and his goons gained control of Germany.
I am from Belgium.. and believe me these men were al heroes!! Every year we go pay there honor 🎖 and lay flowers it's insane that so many people died for nothing.. r.i.p to those brave men ❤
So call “generals “ eh.. what a waste..
Imagine firing over 1 million shells in a single day. Cannot comprehend this one statistic much less the others.
France , Britain and her Allies E.G Australia, New Zealand and others.
Fromelles, Pozieres etc.
Generals Haking, Gough, Haig, should have been hung for their incompetence and arrogance.
As well as the rest of the so called "thrusters"
Basically anyone with "Sir" in their title IMO.
A million men for ten miles but that number would be drawfed at Stalingrad which was just one city.
Sounds like the dad from fallout 3
Just think to put into perspective, 30000 men killed on first day of Somme offensive. So when collecting and removing the bodies on that first day. You would have needed a convoy of 1000 trucks each piled high with 30 men on each truck killed in the battle.
The fact we sent Pals battalions, friends who wanted to enlist together and had little to no experience of warfare into the Somme, to watch the deaths of those closest to them. Lest we forget, these men are 10x the men we are today.
Were the generals ever brought to book for slaughtering their own men on that battlefield?
WW1 Casualties be like: 1,000,000,000,000,000 Dead, 1cm of land taken.
Why didn’t the British commanders shift all reserves south and punch through to the backlines of the Germans? Genuine question. What stopped them?
Do a video on Verdun and Tannenberg
Germany lost more troops at the 4 month Somme battle than they lost fighting France at Verdun all of 1916 FrFr. Only by 100,000 and I'm convinced more than that
W. Churchill was right, british army was a doll army !.
Rawlinson was so sure the Germans had been destroyed he ordered his men to walk across towards the Germans, no running!!!!
No mention of Australia in this battle and we lost a lot of men there WTF
in b4 wwiii
My great grandfather was there. He died when I was eight years old. He was a genuine hero to me as I grew up
Funny allies like to be seen as liberators ,good guys & portray axis powers as being bad while at the same time they were responsible for as much loot , deaths , destruction & suffering if not more in the countries they had occupied. I guess it's just that saying in play afterall that "Victors write history "
My great great grandmother told her children that she could actually hear this battle from the middle of the Netherlands. Like thunder, far, far away.
We all know now this was depopulation
They should make an Axis & Allies WWI version
For historical accuracy it would be better not to speak of the Allies, but rather correctly of the Entente powers. Allies is a term for WWII. It's a bit like calling Man City Man United. Try it on Beckham and you know what I mean.
So it wasn't just a war of shooting,there was fighting against shit ,sleeplessness,illness, thirst, and many more things uncountable
WW1 was pointless, so the Battle of the Somme was too.
arty noobs
gold medal hokey 21
this battle is happening this instant… for time isn't linear as we know it…the past and the future exist simultaneously… ENJOY!
91e boiźźzzzz
WWI was utter madness…all for one man
Old men having a pissing contest at the cost of millions of young lives. Unspeakable horror.
Well done. thank you!
For the gigantic mess fighting with weapons has got us into today what the world leader puppets seem to have learned is that we need more fighting with weapons
WW1 is the best example in my opinion of selfish old leaders sending young men to die they saw the enormous casualties with little gain and said keep going they saw those people as a number not actual humans
After the first day of the Battle of the Somme, British generals Haig and Rawlinson should have been taken to the nearest field and summarily shot.
writing an essay with this deadass, 10/10
Hope there's no war anymore…
The Britisch fought the wrong enemy 1914
Can you imagine what it was like to actually be there?
One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.
The graphics are a model of clarity and the commentary is admirably concise. Well done, indeed.
It was the British army and the incomparable Anzacs and Canadians that really brought the Great war to a close
Despite the fighting from the French and Americans, the sectors the British broke into and out, were by far the most strategic. Once the Hindenburg line was decisively breached at Amiens August 1918, it was the beginning of the
end. The Germans thought that line impregnable and were confident of holding out for a draw. Had Amiens been a
failure and the subsequent advances blunted with the Germans managing to hold out to winter , they may have got
their draw.
.
Here is a story from John Toland's fantastic book , just called 1918
So the war is over and it's November 1918. Some American soldiers are in a Paris bar. There are other allied soldiers
there and they are celebrating the end of the war. Suddenly an American soldier stands up on a table and shouts out
' A toast, to Britain, who really won the war'
Toland then says that there was a veritable riot in the bar that spilled out onto the street as the French went ape shit
I find it quite funny
It is the definitive book on the story of the war in 1918. and a must for anyone who has an interest in it
6:06 I remember one of the regiments to storm the Hawthorn Redoubt on the 1st day was the Newfoundland Regiment, 800 men participated in the attack, only 68 were left the next day. The Newfoundlands suffered the 2nd worst battalion casualties on that day, only surpassed in casualties by the 10th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, with only 67 of the men remaining from the attack on Fricourt
And still, thomas shelby manage to survive with his comrades.
everyone should read Ernst Friedrichs "Krieg dem Kriege'. the most horrific pictures are collected here and its author was the founder of Germanys 'Anti War Museum' which sadly was closed down when that animal Hitler and his goons gained control of Germany.
‘Costly but necessary’…..tell that to the dead.
I am from Belgium.. and believe me these men were al heroes!! Every year we go pay there honor 🎖 and lay flowers it's insane that so many people died for nothing.. r.i.p to those brave men ❤