The Somme campaign

Ch. 1 Planning the Offensive -- ch. 2 One Disastrous Day -- 1 July -- ch. 3 Clearing the Flanks -- 2 to 13 July -- ch. 4 A Different Approach -- 14 to 20 July -- ch. 5 The Trouble with Villages and Woods -- 21 to 31 July -- ch. 6 Facing a Wearing Out Battle -- 1 to 18 August -- ch. 7 Straightening the Line -- 19 to 31 August -- ch. 8 Preparing for Another Big Push -- 1 to 14 September -- ch. 9 Armoured Creepers Join the Fray -- 15 to 24 September -- ch. 10 Exploiting the Success -- 25 to 30 September -- ch. 11 The Weather Turns -- 1 to 31 October -- ch. 12 One Final Push -- 1 to 19 November. A concise, account of each stage of the Somme battles, whether a set piece attack or a minor action. The emphasis of the book would be to explain the art of waging trench warfare during the Somme campaign. This book concentrates on the British Armys experience during the five and a half month long campaign on the Somme during July and November 1916. This book does have large sections on 1 July and 15 September because they were large battles. But it also has large sections on the other large battles, such as the 14 July, 25 September and 13 November. It also covers all the medium sized actions to clear tactical points such as the woods and villages down to the small actions to capture individual trenches. The information contained in the book has been gathered from a variety of sources. The backbone of the narrative was created from the Official History, the two Somme volumes forming part of the twenty-eight volume series complied by Brigadier General Sir James Edmonds. The first volume was printed in 1932 and it covers the background of the battle, including the politics, planning and preparations. It also narrates the fateful first day of the campaign. The second volume was printed six months later and it covers the rest of the campaign, ending on 19 November. It also includes a series of controversial conclusions on the conduct of the campaign and the casualties. You will find plenty of information on the reasoning behind each battle and the objectives. There is discussion on artillery bombardments, tactics, zero hours, the terrain and an attempt to understand the successes and failures of each attack. Where possible the men who made a difference are mentioned, the men who lead the assault companies and bombing teams, those who cut the wire and led the survivors into the German trenches, those who stopped the counterattacks and those awarded the Victoria Cross. The five and a half month long Somme campaign in the summer and autumn of 1916 was a defining moment in the history of the British Army. From the disastrous opening day on 1 July to the final attacks in November, each large battle and minor action is given equal treatment inside these pages.#8232;The book concentrates on the British Army's repeated efforts to first break through the enemy lines,and then to wear down the German in a bloody war of attrition. By compiling information from the Official History and the printed histories we get a balanced view of the most talked about side of the campaign, the British side.#8232;You will find plenty of information on the reasoning behind each battle and the objectives. There is discussion on artillery bombardments, tactics, zero hours, the terrain and insights into the successes and failures of each attack. Over ninety new maps chart the day by day progress of Fourth and the Reserve Armyacross the rolling chalk downs of the Somme.#8232;Together the narrative and mapsprovide an insight into the British Army's learning curve during that fateful summer; a learning curve which set the scene for future battles on the Western Front. We can see the hard lessons learnt and the solutions used to solve a multitude of problems, from communication and all arms co-operation, to the inclusion of tanks and the growing role of the Royal Flying Corps.#8232;Where possible the men who made a difference are mentioned; the men who lead the assault companies and bombing teams, those who cut the wire and led the survivors into the German trenches, those who stopped the counterattacks and those awarded the Victoria Cross.#8232;Discover the real Somme campaign fought by the British Army and learn how its brave soldiers fought hard to achieve their objectives. [Elib] Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 Planning the Offensive ch. 2 One Disastrous Day 1 July ch. 3 Clearing the Flanks 2 to 13 July ch. 4 A Different Approach 14 to 20 July ch. 5 The Trouble with Villages and Woods 21 to 31 July ch. 6 Facing a Wearing Out Battle 1 to 18 August ch. 7 Straightening the Line 19 to 31 August ch. 8 Preparing for Another Big Push 1 to 14 September ch. 9 Armoured Creepers Join the Fray 15 to 24 September ch. 10 Exploiting the Success 25 to 30 September ch. 11 The Weather Turns 1 to 31 October ch. 12 One Final Push 1 to 19 November. A complete history of the entire Somme Campaign from the opening Day on 1 July to the end of the battles on 19 November. Each battle is illustrated with over 80 battle maps that helps the reader identify what happened where.