The Western Front July–December 1916

A burial service on the Somme July 1916
(© Imperial War Museum: Q 820)

The Battle of the Somme (1 July–18 November 1916):

95,675 British soldiers, 50,729 French soldiers, and 164,055 German soldiers killed; 419,654 British and Imperial casualties, 204,253 French casualties, and between 437,000 and 680,000 German casualties.

The Battle of the Somme lasted about four and a half months and consisted of a series of meticulously planned mass attacks against the German entrenchments that had been carved deep into the chalk moorland ridges to the north of the River Somme. It is generally accepted that the Battle involves five phases:

the first phase (1–12 July), which concludes with the capture of Mametz Wood);
the second phase (23 July–3 September), which concludes with the capture of Pozières, and includes the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14–17 July), the Battle of Delville Wood (15 July–3 September) and the Battle of Pozières Ridge (23 July–4 August);
the third phase (3–6 September), also known as the Battle of Guillemont;
the fourth phase (15–22 September), also known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette;
the fifth phase (25 September–23 October), which includes the Battle of Thiepval Ridge (26–28 September) and the Battle of Transloy Ridge (1–20 October).

“. . . the British & French (came the news later) have occupied the German front line on a front of 16 miles. Our casualties [are] said not to be very great.”

“Advance, both French & British, seems to be on the whole proceeding satisfactorily: our advance seems to be over more difficult ground than the French & so to be going more slowly.”

“Dined in Hall. Saw Denning afterwards: a likeable boy: has three brothers fighting, two in army, one, a midshipman, in the navy – (was in battle of Jutland). […] Advance going badly – but, one hopes, surely.”

“News from both E. & W. fronts good. Germans spitefully bombarding Verdun cathedral. Jellicoe’s report of the battle of Jutland published. Somers-Smith killed at front.”

(C.C.J. Webb, Diary entries, 1, 3, 6 and 7 July 1916)

“News of war pretty good.”

“The news from the front today is pretty good.”

“The news these two days good; a considerable British advance, gaining the ridge.”

“British have attacked on a long front from a wood just north of Combles to the Albert–Bapaume road: the communiqué gives the idea that the battle is going as we would wish.”

“The news good today. The British gains are very considerable & all have been held.”

“[The ‘Tanks’] seem to have been most effective & a complete surprise.”

“The Pope thinks both sides do horrible things but the Germans frankly, while the Allies pretend they don’t.”

(C.C.J. Webb, Diary entries, 26 July, 18 and 21 August, 15, 16, 18 and 29 September 1916 (citing a conversation with his friend, the Austrian Roman Catholic theologian Baron von Hügel, who spent the war in Britain)

“Details yet unknown – only an announcement by Asquith that the King has consented to a reconstruction of the Cabinet. There seems to have been a great convergence of opinion in favour of some change with a view to the increase of vigour in the conduct of the War.”

“The public news these days is distracting & depressing. The Roumanians in evil plight. Nothing doing on western front. Ships still being sunk. Crisis in the cabinet. Asquith first refused to have a War Council of wh[ich] he as Premier was not a member: Lloyd George resigned: then Asquith resigned: then the King sent for Bonar Law: he declined to form a government: Lloyd George is now said to have been sent for but this does not seem quite certain.”

“A day of bad news.”

(C.C.J. Webb, Diary entries, 4, 6 and 7 December 1916)

Somers-Smith, John Robert 1.vii.1916

Cholmeley, Harry Lewin 1.vii.1916

Sproat, Gerald Maitland 1.vii.1916

Jones, David William Llewellyn 2.vii.1916

Gold, Cecil Argo 3.vii.1916

Ellwood, Geoffrey Thomas Lovick 14.vii.1916

Gilroy, George Bruce 15.vii.1916

Hichens, James Byrn 15.vii.1916

Cree, Charles Edward Victor 20.vii.1916

Roberts, Richard 7.viii.1916

Alington, Geoffrey Hugh 9.viii.1916