Somme 1916: Leaked Attack Plans, Creeping Barrages and the First Tanks

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At the Chantilly Conference in December 1915, Britain, France, Russia and Italy agreed on simultaneous offensives for 1916 so Germany could not shuttle reserves between fronts by rail. The Western Front plan was a joint push astride the Somme River led by the larger French army, though General Sir Douglas Haig preferred Flanders. Then in February 1916 Erich von Falkenhayn attacked Verdun to bleed France white, and the Somme became a British-led relief effort carried largely by the volunteers of Kitchener's Army. A days-long bombardment of more than a million shells was meant to destroy the German wire and trenches so the infantry could walk across.

German dugouts 20 to 30 feet deep, reinforced with concrete, sheltered the defenders, who climbed out and manned their machine guns when the guns lifted on July 1, 1916. Britain suffered 57,470 casualties that day, more than 19,000 killed, mostly north of the Albert-Bapaume road. The fight broke into local struggles for Bazentin Ridge, Delville Wood and Pozières, with creeping barrages and night attacks, and Mark I tanks debuted at Flers-Courcelette in September. Autumn rain ended the offensive in November after about six miles gained, and in early 1917 the Germans fell back 25 miles to the Hindenburg Line.

• Two disgruntled soldiers captured in trench raids revealed the attack's details, and a mine fired early added to the warning.
• White chalk dug from British assembly trenches made them easy targets for German artillery observers.
• The South African Brigade lost more than 2,500 men holding Delville Wood against repeated counterattacks.
• Early tanks crawled at three or four miles an hour, and many broke down before reaching the start line.
• For the 2016 centenary, 1,400 actors in First World War uniform silently handed out cards naming soldiers who died on July 1, 1916.