Corps performance on the Somme 1st July

[PhilB]

Everyone from Private to Field Marshall placed ultimate faith in the power of the bombardment: indeed, the 'Battle of the Somme' film was made to celebrate this power. But as historians we now know this faith was misplaced; the bombardment was not capable of everything everyone expected it to be, and in no small part this led to the outcome on 1st July.

That we learnt from this, and the use of artillery changed within days of 1st July, and continued to change thereafter, should be a credit to the much maligned staff, but it rarely is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We`ll have to agree to different interpretations of this, Paul. To my mind, if the staff "misplace their faith" in the bombardment, that`s a mistake. The fact that the privates believed it is hardly relevant. If the staff compound the error by planning the attack solely on the prediction of a successful bombardment, thus causing huge casualties, that`s another mistake. If the staff learn from a series of mistakes that cost many thousands of lives, that`s not a cause for congratulation, it`s the very least that can be expected. Phil B