The First Day of The Somme

The First Day of The Somme

Dan Explains the first day of The Somme which remains the bloodiest day in the history of the British army; a symbol of the senseless carnage of the First World War. At 7:30 a.m. on July 1 1916, the British soldiers climbed out of their trenches and advanced towards the German lines. They were met with a bombardment of machine gun fire, artillery barrages, and a hail of bullets from the well-entrenched German troops. It was a bloodbath.


It wasn't supposed to happen like that- beforehand, the British had spent several days bombarding the German lines, believing they would destroy their enemy trenches and barbed wire defences, making the British advance straightforward and almost painless. They didn't know just how well-fortified the Germans were in their deep dugouts. When the bombardment stopped, the Germans manned their defences, waiting for the British to walk right into their line of fire.


In chilling detail, Dan retells the astonishing story of that fateful first day of The Somme- determining what really happened in the days leading up to it and what the men endured when they went 'over the top', using the diaries of the men who were there.


Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited and sound designed by Dougal Patmore.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.


We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1489)

Who are the Houthis?

Who are the Houthis?

As Houthi missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea continue, we turn to the past to answer the all-important questions - who are the Houthis, and what do they want?Dan is joined by Baraa Shiban, a Y...

7 Feb 202448min

The City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria

This is the story of a city that laid the foundations for our modern world. Sitting at the intersection of East and West, Alexandria has been home to many of humanity's greatest architectural and cult...

5 Feb 202431min

WWII: The Allied Invasion of Italy

WWII: The Allied Invasion of Italy

By the summer of 1943, there were Allied boots on Axis soil. Sicily had been taken, and fascism's grip on Italy was beginning to loosen. But Allied command was faced with a tough decision - what to do...

4 Feb 202431min

Prohibition

Prohibition

On 17 January 1920, the 18th Amendment came into effect in the United States. It made the manufacture, sale and transportation of 'intoxicating liquor' illegal.Sarah Churchwell is BACK to explore the ...

1 Feb 202442min

The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

People have always looked to the wonders of the ancient world for awe and inspiration. In the Ancient era, people embarked on dangerous pilgrimages to visit storied sites like the Pyramids of Giza, or...

31 Jan 202431min

First Polynesians

First Polynesians

In small wooden canoes and with just the stars for navigation, how did the first Polynesians conquer the largest ocean on earth? For centuries this has perplexed scholars and anthropologists. The Poly...

30 Jan 202438min

Masters of the Air: WWII's Bloody 100th Bombers

Masters of the Air: WWII's Bloody 100th Bombers

Screenwriter John Orloff joins Dan to talk about the new WWII mini-series 'Masters of the Air'. It tells the true story of the 'Bloody Hundredth', an American bomb group stationed in England that foug...

28 Jan 202439min

The Vandals

The Vandals

Known for bringing about the fall of the Western Roman Empire - the Vandals have a reputation for violence, destruction, and conquering. Moving from Eastern Europe across Gaul, and eventually taking C...

25 Jan 202449min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-historiske-romanser
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
sektledere
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
med-egne-oyne
rss-gamle-greier
taakeprat
vare-historier
undersattene
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
historiepodden-ww2