The mighty struggle for the Somme sector of the Western Front in the second half of 1916 has come to be remembered for the dreadful toll of casualties inflicted on Britain's 'New Armies' by the German defenders on the first day of the offensive, 1 July. The battle continued, however, throughout the autumn and only came to a close in the bitter cold of mid-November. The British plan relied on the power of artillery to suppress and destroy the German defences; the infantry were tasked with taking and holding the German trenches, but minimal resistance was anticipated. Both sides incurred major losses, however; German doctrine emphasised that the first line had to be held or retaken at all costs, a rigid defensive policy that led to very high casualties as the Germans threw survivors into ad hoc, piecemeal counterattacks all along the line. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and based on meticulous reassessment of the sources, this engaging study pits the volunteers of Kitchener's 'New Armies' against the German veterans who defended the Somme sector in the bloody battles of July-November 1916.

Britain's mass army of volunteers - the 'New Armies' - saw their first prolonged test in the bloody struggle for the Somme sector in 1916, in which their frequently outnumbered German opponents proved to be staunch in defence but were often committed to bloody and inconclusive counterattacks. In this fully illustrated study an authority on infantry tactics pits these two forces against one another in the unforgiving terrain of the Somme battlefield in a clash that would shape infantry doctrine for both sides.

About the Author
Dr Stephen Bull is Curator of Military History and Archaeology for Lancashire Museums, with particular responsibility for local regimental collections. Currently he is engaged in the redisplay of the Museum of Lancashire, including a new gallery on World War I. He has previously worked at the National Army Museum and BBC in London. A Member of the Institute of Archaeologists, he has also appeared in the TV series Battlefield Detectives. He has written numerous articles for specialist journals, including a number on the weapons and tactics of World War I. His other books include several Osprey titles on the tactics of World War I and World War II. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.


Book Information
ISBN 9781782009146
Author Dr Stephen Bull
Format Paperback
Page Count 80
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 265g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 184mm * 8mm