Why The First Day Of The Somme Failed
On the 1st July 1916, after a weeklong artillery bombardment; General Haig launched the "Big Push" attack on the German trench-line north of the river Somme. With the French Army being hard-pressed to the south at Verdun the British intended to breakthrough the German defences in a matter of hours. However on July 1st this plan failed due to defective equipment, poorly trained soldiers and tactics that were outdated. These factors contributed to the British gaining almost no ground on the first day.
The attack was preceded by an eight-day artillery bombardment, in which 1537 British guns fired 1,723,873 rounds. The sound of the bombardment could be heard in England. The aim of the bombardment was two-fold: firstly to kill the German soldiers and reduce them to shell-shocked chaos, secondly to destroy the German barbed wire and machine gun positions. However one third of the shells fired by the British artillery were duds. This was due to inferior munitions workers as the skilled workers had almost all been amongst the original volunteers that came into the British army when after the recommendation from the then-Secretary of State for War, Horatio Kitchener these men were called pals. Because of this unskilled men were called upon to build munitions that they were not qualified to make. Furthermore, of 1,437 British guns, only 467 were heavies, and just 34 of those 9.2" (234 mm) or greater calibre; only 30 tons of explosive would fall per mile of British front. Of the 12,000 tons fired, two thirds was shrapnel, only 900 tons high explosive capable of penetrating the Germans bunkers.
It is said General Douglas Haig the commander of the British forces at the Somme, was told by scouts that the barbed wire was still intact it is not known for certain. Evidence that Haig was told about the condition of the barbed wire is that the Night before the initial attack men were sent into No-man’s land to cut holes in the Allied barbed wire to...
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