Key Term Glossary What was the Battle of the Somme?

Transcription

1 Key Stage 2 Glossary Key Stage 2 Term Explanation or definition Key Term Glossary What was the Battle of the Somme? This resource will use some specialist terms and phrases that may require some explanation. Refer back to this glossary as and when you need to. Ally/allies Artillery British Empire Colony Infantry Mortar Shelling Trench Trench mortar The Western Front Zero hour A country s allies are other countries that have agreed to fight with them on their side in war, this is a formal agreement. Artillery is a term that describes all large guns that can be moved about, capable of firing explosive shells that cause considerable destruction. Artillery fire caused more deaths in the First World War than any other form of weapon. Britain used to maintain many colonies across the world and their collective term, together with Britain, was the British Empire. Even though this term is no longer current or relevant to Britain, you will notice that this resource uses this term - this is because the resource is referring to Britain and its colonies at the time of the First World War, rather than Britain in the present day. A colony is a country, region or territory that is under full or partial control by a more powerful nation and is occupied by settlers of that nation. This is usually achieved through military means. The infantry are soldiers that move about and fight on foot. The vast majority of soldiers who fought on the Western Front belonged to the infantry. A mortar is a small gun, operated by one or two soldiers and capable of firing grenade-like bombs. Mortars were used for close quarter fighting or trench warfare, where those fighting were quite close together. Heavy gunfire aimed at saturating an area not necessarily aimed at hitting one specific target but rather overwhelming an entire area. Trenches were deep and long ditches, often in zigzag patterns (to prevent explosions reaching its full length), that were dug by soldiers in the battlefield, providing basic cover for soldiers from gunfire. A light simple mortar designed to propel a bomb into enemy trenches. The Western Front, a 400-plus mile stretch of land through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea, was the point at which opposing forces concentrated the majority of face to face combat in the First World War. The time at which a planned military operation is set to begin. 1

2 Key Stage 2 Section 1 The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War in which more than 1 million men were wounded or killed on both sides. It took place between 1 st July and 18 th November 1916 in Northern France around the River Somme. Britain and its Allies aimed to make progress in fighting the Germans at this battle. Before the battle, both sides had been stuck for about 18 months without having much success. Trenches Trenches were deep ditches that were dug to protect soldiers from gunfire in battle. Look at the photograph below: Discussion points: What shape has the trench been dug in? Can you think why it has been dug in this shape? How has the trench been made stronger? NAM 2

3 Trenches were dug in zigzag shapes so that if a mine blew up in one section, the force of the blast would not travel down the whole trench. Trenches were also strengthened with wooden fences and sandbags the sandbags also helped to stop bullets from reaching the soldiers in the trench. Discussion points: Can you see the sleeping soldiers in the photograph above? How have they protected themselves from the rain and cold? What does this tell you about life in the trenches? Look at the photograph to the right. Why do you think there was so much water and mud in some of the trenches? What do you think it was like to live in trenches like this for several weeks at a time? 3

4 The First Day of the Battle of the Somme The first day of the Battle of the Somme was 1 July It was the most disastrous the British Army has ever suffered, and British soldiers were killed. Before this day, the British Army had attacked the German lines with artillery and gun fire. They hoped to destroy the German lines so that the British Army could advance over the land between them and take charge of the German trenches. When the time came for soldiers to leave the British trenches, they were told that the German trenches had been destroyed. But they hadn t much of the German army had survived in their trenches and were ready to fight the oncoming British. The British were met with a hail of German machine gun and artillery fire and huge numbers of soldiers were quickly injured or killed. The surviving British forces dived for cover and were only able to advance slowly from shell-hole to shell-hole. Soldiers advancing in battle shortly after zero hour on 1 July IWM (Q 53) The Battle of the Somme continued for the next few months with the Allies making progress in pushing back the Germans, though slowly. In November, as winter set in, the battle ground to a halt. By the end of the Battle the British had lost 420,000 men, the French lost nearly 200,000 men and the Germans around 500,000. The Allied forces had managed to advance a few miles, damaging the German army, but at a huge cost in lives. Discussion points: Do you think that the battle was a success for the British and allied forces or for the German forces? 4

5 The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing - background Information The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is on one of the highest points of land on the old Somme battlefield. It remembers the British and South African men who died at the Battle of the Somme but whose bodies were never found (there were over 72, 000). Because this means they would not have their own grave and gravestone, it was decided to create a memorial specially for them. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a famous architect, and was built between 1928 and The names of all of the soldiers killed at the Somme with no known grave are inscribed on it. It is the largest British battle memorial in the world and it can be seen from a long distance away because it has been built on a slight hill above the battlefield. Discussion points: Why do you think the memorial was designed and built like this? In your opinion, do you think the architect did a good job? What do you think it is like to visit the memorial? 5

6 Activity 1: What was the impact of more than 72,000 dead? There are more than 72,000 names carved on the pillars of the Thiepval Memorial, but how might you begin to think about the impact of the 72,000 names? Let's look at one of the names on the Memorial: James Pendlebury lived in Chorley and served with 11 th East Lancashire Regiment (otherwise known as the Accrington Pals). He was killed at the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July His name is one of the 72, 000 on the Memorial. Can you spot his name on the memorial (above right)? But what was the impact of his death? Find out by filling in the missing numbers in the table below. People affected Numbers His wife 1 3 children 3 His parents 2 His parents-in-law 2 2 brothers 2 3 sisters 3 3 brothers / sisters in law 3 1 grandparent 1 5 nieces and nephews 5 4 aunts / uncles 4 Immediate neighbours 4 Friends from work / school 5 Total number of people directly affected by Write your answer here: the death of James Pendlebury If this is the number affected by one death, roughly how many people would be affected by 72, 000 deaths? Write your answer here: Multiply your answer above by 72,000. Population of the UK in 1911 (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) What percentage of the UK population might have been affected by the Missing of the Somme? 45,400,000 People affected = Divided by UK population = Times 100 = % of the UK population = 6

7 What happened to the Accrington Pals? When war broke out in 1914 Britain had only a small regular army. The government needed to recruitment more men. In order to help this, men from the same town, the same street and, in some cases, the same football team, were allowed to join together and serve alongside each other. They became known as Pals battalions. Recruitment to these Pals Battalions was very successful; the men were happier to join together instead of on their own, and their home towns and villages were very proud of them. They became part of a local regiment, so the men from Accrington and other towns in north and east Lancashire became the 11 th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment. Bradford, a larger city, recruited two Pals Battalions - the 16 th and 18 th Battalions of the West Yorkshire Regiment, and the Sheffield City Battalion and Barnsley Pals joined the York and Lancaster Regiment as its 12 th, 13 th & 14 th Battalions. For most of these men the Battle of the Somme was their first real experience of battle. In parts of the Somme battlefield the Pals Battalions suffered very heavy casualties (injuries and deaths) in the first hours of the Battle. The Accrington Pals were particularly hard hit; approximately 700 men from the Accrington Pals went into action on 1 st July 1916 and within half an hour 235 were killed. Soldiers of a Pals battalion (the 10th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, the Hull Commercials ) march up to the trenches on the Somme, 28 June IWM (Q 743) Discussion points: Do you think that you would have joined up to fight if you could do it with your friends in a Pals battalion? What percentage of the Accrington Pals were killed in the first half hour of the battle? Many of the Pals Battalions came from the same few streets in a town or village what would this have meant for the friends and family of the Accrington Pals? 7

8 How have the memories of the Accrington Pals been kept alive since 1916? The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates more than 1.7 million people who died in both World Wars. They aim to honour each person equally, regardless of rank, race or religion. They keep their memory alive by caring for the graves and memorials of those who died during the battle of the Somme, at sites across the battlefield, behind the lines and in the home countries of the men and women who fought and died. Some of these memorials name members of the Accrington Pals: Queens Cemetery, Puisieux The cemetery was begun in 1917 after the battle of the Somme when the British Army searched the battlefields for those who had died. Buried or commemorated within this cemetery are over 310 Commonwealth soldiers, 50 of whom belonged to the Accrington Pals. Queens Cemetery, Puisieux, looking towards the village of Serre. CWGC Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps Some 24 soldiers of the Accrington Pals are buried here, alongside 150 other soldiers who died on 1 July. Today, nearly 1,300 Commonwealth soldiers of the First World War are buried in the cemetery Mike St Maur Sheil Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps Mike St Maur Sheil Thiepval Memorial The Thiepval Memorial commemorates 72,000 British and South Africa servicemen who died on the Somme. Over 140 men of the Accrington Pals are inscribed on this memorial. 8

9 How else have the memories of the Accrington Pals been kept alive since 1916? Memorial to the Accrington Pals on the Somme, France The memorial was built with red Accrington brick and dedicated in 1991 to the memory of the Accrington Pals. The Accrington Pals website This website is dedicated to the memory of the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the Accrington Pals. The website can be found at: e.htm The Accrington Pals, a play by Peter Whelan This fictional play was written in 1982 by Peter Whelan. It tells the story of the men of the Accrington Pals who volunteered to fight in the British Army during the First World War and of the women who were left behind in Accrington. The Accrington Pals, a song by Mike Harding In 1986 Mike Harding, a folk singer wrote a song about Accrington Pals - the lyrics and the song can be found on his website at: Discussion point: What would you do to remember them? 9

10 Key Stage 2 Section 2 Map 3: The Battle of Loos: A British Offensive Why did the British attempts to break through the German lines in 1915 end in failure? By the early spring of 1915 (before the Battle of the Somme) the line of trenches known as the Western Front was no longer changing and developing, it had become very settled and stuck - the various battles that had taken place in the autumn of 1914 had ended in stalemate (when nobody wins or loses) with very heavy loss of life and injuries on both sides. Both Britain and its Allies and the Germans extended and strengthened their positions using concrete and barbed wire and bringing up heavier artillery and more machine guns. Now, to be successful, an attacking force had to somehow reach and punch a hole through the enemy's defensive lines. This problem was to be a challenge for both sides for most of the war. In 1915 the British launched a number of offensives against the Germans including at villages and towns such as Festubert and Loos but all ended in failure. What happened at the Battle of Festubert? There was a bad shortage of ammunition for the British artillery. The British gunfire was insufficient to break the German wire and defences, or to destroy the machine guns in the front line. Poor organisation behind the British front line made it harder to move soldiers up to the front and move casualties away from the front. British reserves had been positioned too far back to be able to support the initial attack. When they did arrive, the Germans had already patched up their defences. British artillery equipment and ammunition were in poor condition through over-use and faulty design. Britain did not know that the Germans had dug a new second line of trenches behind their original front line. Discussion points: Which of the point above do you had the worst effect on the battle for Britain and its Allies? What lessons do you think the British Army learnt from this battle? 10

11 How did British High Command work out their 1916 plan of attack on the Somme? Task 2a: Look at the list of problems the British Army had in 1915 when fighting the Germans at battles like the one you have studied in Festubert. Can you think of some possible solutions for each of the problems and write them in the table? Planning a New Offensive Problems Possible Solutions The volunteers, including the Pals battalions, were not experienced or trained enough. Some artillery were faulty or needed repair. Not enough army reserves. Not knowing where troops are on ground during battle. Difficulties in moving reserve soldiers forward in a busy front area. Difficulties in breaking through the well- defended lines of German trenches. 11

12 What did the British Army do differently in 1916 at the Somme? The battle was delayed until the summer of 1916 in order to build up the size of the army in France and better train the new army units including the Pals battalions. Despite this there were still concerns about the experience of the soldiers and so the attack was planned so that it relied on a massive artillery bombardment of the German lines which would last for 5 days (which was extended to 7 days due to poor weather). The attack would be much larger than previous attacks, along a wider front, involving many thousands more troops and hundreds more artillery guns than the battles of Behind the lines, troops constructed miles of roads and light railways to allow the movement of men, ammunition and equipment to and from the front lines. The Royal Flying Corps and French air forces would gain control of the skies over the battlefield, which meant planes could fly over German artillery and troops and bring information back for the British Army. A number of large mines would be exploded underneath German strong points before the infantry attack. At Zero Hour waves of troops would leave their front lines and occupy the first lines of German trenches. It was hoped that the artillery bombardment (lots of sustained gunfire) would have been so thorough that the soldiers would find it easy to advance forward. The battlefield at Pozieres, 20th September IWM (Q 12

13 So why was the first day of the Battle of the Somme such a disaster? The first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, was the most disastrous the British Army has ever suffered. The soldiers advanced over no-man's land expecting the German defences to have been destroyed, or at least badly damaged, by a week of artillery bombardment. Instead, along much of the line of attack, they were met with intact barbed wire defences and a great deal of German machine gun and artillery fire - huge numbers of soldiers were quickly injured or killed. The surviving attackers dived for cover and advanced slowly from shell-hole to shell-hole. It was later calculated that one third of the British shells fired in the preliminary bombardment failed to explode, usually due to faulty manufacture. "The officers were in the front. I noticed one of them walking calmly carrying a walking stick. When we started firing we just had to load and reload. They went down in their hundreds. You didn't have to aim, we just fired into them." - A German machine gunner at the Battle of the Somme (from The First day on the Somme, Martin Middlebrook, first published 1967) Remains of German trenches in Delville Wood, September 1916 IWM (Q 4267) 13

14 Did all the attacks during the Battle of the Somme end in failure? In September 1916 General Sir Ivor Maxse was ordered to plan an attack on Thiepval and the Schwaben Redoubt a heavily defended part of the Somme battlefield. Why did Maxse think he could be successful? In his own words he believed 'a well-trained division can capture any stronghold'. Discussion point: Why was this attack more successful than some of the others? Can you tell what lessons they have learnt? Preparation and Training: Prisoners were questioned about the position of machine guns and artillery. These were all marked on a map. Officers were brought to inspect the German positions two weeks before the attack began. The attack was planned in great detail. Artillery and Infantry officers worked closely together to plan the attack. 5 days before the attack all plans were finished giving officers time to ask any questions. Infantry training was thorough: men were not just told what to do, everything was explained to them. Each man knew his part in the attack. Ten days before the attack the infantry spent time in the trenches in front of Thiepval making sure that they got to know this part of the battlefield. The Attack: Previous attacks had often started early in the morning, Maxse ordered this assault to start at midday. A creeping barrage moved twice as fast as was usual, moving 100m towards the enemy every two minutes. The 1 st Infantry Wave was equipped with 250 Lewis guns (light machine guns). Lewis gunners were told to target known German machine gun positions. The artillery focused more on targeting the enemy guns rather than trying to destroy their trenches. The attack was supported by a number of tanks (six). These were slow and often broke down, but when they worked they were capable of crushing the barbed wire and engaging enemy machine guns. 14

15 Key Stage 2 Section 3 What was the cost of the Battle of the Somme? The Battle of the Somme ended in November 1916 and in those 5 months the British line had advanced about halfway to the town of Bapaume. Across a front of approximately 20 miles, the furthest the line had moved forward was 6 miles. Although this isn t the only way to measure success or failure, the distance gained does indicate that the Allies had not achieved all that they set out to. Map 1 below shows exactly how far the British and Allied forces moved forward during the Battle - look at the difference between the British front line on the 1 st July and the 19 th November. Map 1 15

16 The loss of men during the Battle was huge: the British and Commonwealth casualties (killed, wounded and missing) amounted to 420,000 men and the total German losses are estimated to be between 437,000 and 680,000. The French forces lost 204,000 men. These numbers are far higher than other battles in the First World War. In parts of the line British soldiers were able to break into the German defences, but often the attacks to their right and left had failed and so the soldiers were forced to retreat or were overwhelmed by German counter attacks. In the south, British and French forces made some progress, capturing a number of the fortified villages, but in the north the attacks almost entirely unsuccessful. There was also an enormous personal cost - many villages, towns and cities in Britain were affected by the losses at the Battle of the Somme, especially communities that had raised Pals battalions. The Battle of the Somme did not result in victory for the British over the Germans. The First World War dragged on for a further two years and loss of life continued to add up. Discussion point: Given the scale of the losses and the huge cost how might you measure the impact of the Battle of the Somme? How has the outcome of the Battle of the Somme been viewed by historians since 1916? Several books written by historians have changed the way the Battle of the Somme has been viewed by the general public. To many the Battle of the Somme and much of the First World War is seen as senseless and disastrous, and that the blame for the enormous loss of life lies firmly with the Generals who are portrayed as uncaring, stubborn and not able to do their jobs properly. Other historians take a more balanced view and argue that although the Battle of the Somme was very costly and did not lead to a breakthrough in the War it is wrong to conclude it was a waste of time and lives. It did weaken the German Army and relieve pressure on other parts of the Western Front, and in the end victory was achieved. They also argue that the British Generals did learn from the mistakes of the 1 st July 1916, and that although the tactics were changed during the Battle, loss of life and injury were unavoidable. Task Using the information above - do you think the Battle of the Somme was worth fighting? Was anyone to blame for the losses and the cost? Write a four minute speech making your argument. 16

17 Key Stage 2 Section 4 Final Task: How and why should we remember the Battle of the Somme today? Design an information leaflet for a Year 5 class that is going to visit the Somme battlefield sites in France. The aim of the leaflet is to provide class with background information about the Battle of the Somme and to explain how and why it should still be remembered 100 years later. It is up to you to decide how and why the Battle of the Somme should be remembered. What you choose to include in this leaflet will affect how the readers of this leaflet view the events of Your leaflet should include the following: Some facts for the reader about the Battle of the Somme 1. Where it was fought 2. When it was fought 3. Why it was fought 4. How it was fought 5. The outcome of the Battle 6. The eventual cost of the Battle Decide what images and other sources you might include in your leaflet to get your point across to the reader. Remember, what you choose to include will affect how the reader views the events of Your opinion as to why the Battle of the Somme should be remembered today. Choose the reasons you think make it important that the Battle should be remembered. 17