I. Summary of Events
In so far as the principal or Western theatre of war is concerned the chief events of 1916—and they were events of stupendous magnitude—were the resolute attack on the French troops around Verdun and the most magnificent and successful defence by our allies. In all their warlike and heroic past the gallant French never fought such a fight, and even the greatest of their historic victories, such as Jena, Austerlitz and the like, pale in renown when compared to Verdun. After many German offensives west of Soissons and about Ypres, the enemy appears to have definitely made up his mind to relinquish the idea of seizing Calais and the Channel ports as hopeless, and by forcing the French lines at Verdun to revert to his original plan of reaching Paris—this time by another route. It was on the 21st February that this great battle commenced, and the hostile lines swayed to and fro for days and weeks as the tremendous struggle continued. Men died by thousands and thousands, but never were our allies broken; “on ne passe pas” was the war cry, and the enemy never got through the Frenchman’s line.
The battle of Verdun may have said to have lasted till the end of June, and there were not wanting many who murmured that we English were deserting our comrades and that some great attempt on our part should be made to bring aid to our exhausted allies in their desperate straits. We had, however, our work cut out to defend our own line, for our armies were not yet at full strength nor all our new soldiers fully trained for war. What could be done was done. The British line was extended, on the 23rd March, to include Souchez, and, as Sir Douglas Haig, the new Commander-in-Chief, pointed out, the principle of an offensive campaign during the summer was early decided on.
Preparations of a very extensive nature, however, had to be made: Haig was in close consultation and agreement with Joffre, but the date was dependent on many doubtful factors; the British armies were growing in numbers and the supply of munitions steadily increasing; also training was daily improving the new levies. On the other hand, the Germans were continuing to press their attacks at Verdun, and both there and on the Italian front, where the Austrian offensive was gaining ground, it was evident that the strain might become too great to be borne unless timely action was taken to relieve it. It was in June no secret throughout France or England that an attack by us on a great scale was in contemplation. The different units, brigades, divisions and so on were all preparing for a very big event, and were moving to the several points from which action was to take place. It was on the 1st July that the Battle of the Somme actually took place or rather began, and it started by a grand combined Anglo-French offensive on a twenty-five mile front, north and south of the river of that name. The Somme operations lasted many weeks and are divided in Haig’s description into three phases: firstly, the successes gained between the 1st of July and the 17th, during which the southern crest of the main plateau between Delville Wood and Bazentin le Petit was gained; secondly, a long and severe struggle for the mastery between the contending armies, which may be said to have resulted in our favour by the first week in September; and thirdly, the advance, which was pushed down the forward slope and extended so that the whole plateau was in our possession.
There are many works now available, as well as the despatches themselves, which will give a military student a good and clear description of all this fighting; but the short sketch given above must serve one who reads merely to understand what the Buffs were doing in France during this momentous period.