Chapter I: Preface

In two previous volumes of this work a narrative has been given of those events which occurred upon the British Western Front during 1914, the year of recoil, and 1915, the year of equilibrium. In this volume will be found the detailed story of 1916, the first of the years of attack and advance.

Time is a great toner down of superlatives, and the episodes which seem world-shaking in our day may, when looked upon by the placid eyes of historical philosophers in days to come, fit more easily into the general scheme of human experience. None the less it can be said without fear of ultimate contradiction that nothing approaching to the Battle of the Somme, with which this volume is mainly concerned, has ever been known in military history, and that it is exceedingly improbable that it will ever be equalled in its length and in its severity. It may be said to have raged with short intermissions, caused by the breaking of the weather, from July 1 to November 14, and during this prolonged period the picked forces of three great nations were locked in close battle. The number of combatants from first to last was between {vi} two and three millions, and their united casualties came to the appalling total of at least three-quarters of a million. These are minimum figures, but they will give some idea of the unparalleled scale of the operations.

With the increasing number and size of the units employed the scale of the narrative becomes larger. It is more difficult to focus the battalion, while the individual has almost dropped out of sight. Sins of omission are many, and the chronicler can but plead the great difficulty of his task and regret that his limited knowledge may occasionally cause disappointment.

The author should explain that this volume has had to pass through three lines of censors, suffering heavily in the process. It has come out with the loss of all personal names save those of casualties or of high Generals. Some passages also have been excised. On the other hand it is the first which has been permitted to reveal the exact identity of the units engaged. The missing passages and names will be restored when the days of peace return.

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.

_February_ 3, 1918.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

JANUARY TO JULY 1916

General situation--The fight for the Bluff--The Mound of St. Eloi--Fine performance of Third Division and Canadians--Feat of the 1st Shropshires--Attack on the Irish Division--Fight at Vimy Ridge--Canadian Battle of Ypres--Death of General Mercer--Recovery of lost position--Attack of Thirty-ninth Division--Eve of the Somme

CHAPTER II

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

Attack of the Seventh and Eighth Corps on Gommecourt,
Serre, and Beaumont Hamel

Line of battle in the Somme sector--Great preparations--Advance of Forty-sixth North Midland Division--Advance of Fifty-sixth Territorials (London)--Great valour and heavy losses--Advance of Thirty-first Division--Advance of Fourth Division--Advance of Twenty-ninth Division--Complete failure of the assault

CHAPTER III

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

Attack of the Tenth and Third Corps, July 1, 1916

Magnificent conduct of the Ulster Division--Local success but general failure--Advance of Thirty-second Division--Advance of Eighth Division--Advance of Thirty-fourth Division--The turning-point of the line

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CHAPTER IV

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

The Attack of the Fifteenth and Thirteenth Corps, July 1, 1916

The advance of the Twenty-first Division--Of the 64th Brigade--First permanent gains--50th Brigade at Fricourt--Advance of Seventh Division--Capture of Mametz--Fine work by Eighteenth Division--Capture of Montauban by the Thirtieth Division--General view of the battle--Its decisive importance

CHAPTER V

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

From July 2 to July 14, 1916

General situation--Capture of La Boiselle by Nineteenth Division--Splendid attack by 36th Brigade upon Ovillers--Siege and reduction of Ovillers--Operations at Contalmaison--Desperate fighting at the Quadrangle by Seventeenth Division--Capture of Mametz Wood by Thirty-eighth Welsh Division--Capture of Trones Wood by Eighteenth Division

CHAPTER VI

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

The Breaking of the Second Line. July 14, 1916

The great night advance--The Leicester Brigade at Bazentin--Assault by Seventh Division--Success of the Third Division--Desperate fight of Ninth Division at Longueval--Operations of First Division on flank--Cavalry advance

CHAPTER VII

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

July 14 to July 31

Gradual advance of First Division--Hard fighting of Thirty-third Division at High Wood--The South Africans in Delville Wood--The great German counter-attack--Splendid work of 26th Brigade--Capture of Delville Wood by 98th Brigade--Indecisive fighting on the Guillemont front

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CHAPTER VIII

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

The Operations of Gough's Army upon the Northern Flank
up to September 15

Advance, Australia!--Capture of Pozières--Fine work of Forty-eighth Division--Relief of Australia by Canada--Steady advance of Gough's Army--Capture of Courcelette

CHAPTER IX

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

August 1 to September 15

Continued attempts of Thirty-third Division on High Wood--Co-operation of First Division--Operation of Fourteenth Division on fringe of Delville Wood--Attack by Twenty-fourth Division on Guillemont--Capture of Guillemont by 47th and 59th Brigades--Capture of Ginchy by Sixteenth Irish Division

CHAPTER X

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

Breaking of the Third Line, September 15

Capture of Martinpuich by Fifteenth Division--Advance of Fiftieth Division--Capture of High Wood by Forty-seventh Division--Splendid advance of New Zealanders--Capture of Flers by Forty-first Division--Advance of the Light Division--Arduous work of the Guards and Sixth Divisions--Capture of Quadrilateral--Work of Fifty-sixth Division on flank--Debut of the tanks

CHAPTER XI

THE GAINING OF THE THIEPVAL RIDGE

Assault on Thiepval by Eighteenth Division--Heavy fighting--Co-operation of Eleventh Division--Fall of Thiepval--Fall of Schwaben Redoubt--Taking of Stuff Redoubt--Important gains on the Ridge

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CHAPTER XII

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

From September 15 to the Battle of the Ancre

Capture of Eaucourt--Varying character of German resistance--Hard trench fighting along the line--Dreadful climatic conditions--The meteorological trenches--Hazy Trench--Zenith Trench--General observations--General von Arnim's report