Battle of Somme
When and where did the battle of Somme take place?
The battle of Somme took place from July 1st, 1916 to November 18th, 1916. And the battle of Somme took place near the Somme River Valley.
What was the FIRST factor of the offensive failures that was mentioned in the podcast?
The artillery bombardment couldn't completely destroy the German units due to the lack of surprise
What was the German plan for the battle of Pozieres?
Their plan was to defend the village of Pozieres from the British forces.
Allies were able to achieve a significant breakthrough on the Western Front. True or False?
False
The German troops that were well ______ defensively had already deployed their defenders and were ready to utilize the _________ weapons behind the lines. Fill in the blank.
dug in, long-range artillery
Why was the village of Pozieres a crucial part of the German defensive trench system?
Because the village prevents Britain from pushing Germany's second defense trench system from the North.
How did the Allies start their offensive? How were they able to achieve this?
The Allies initially launched their offensive with a massive artillery attack as they were able to locate the position of German lines by using aerial photography.
Soldiers weren't able to do this due to the lack of communication. What is it?
Forces could not shift quickly to certain areas where the resistance was light, meaning that they would meet much heavier resistance on the battlefields.
Which army attacked the village of Pozieres from the South?
1st Australian Division
What was the purpose of the Somme offensive?
It was a joint operation between British and French forces intended to achieve a decisive victory over the Germans on the Western Front.
There was no effective means of communication between the commanders and the soldiers on the battlefields. What happened to the commanders due to this lack of communication?
Many commanders had a limited idea of what was actually happening in the battles.
Were the Allies able to take over the village of Pozieres at the end? Yes or No?
Oui
How were the Allies able to destroy some of the German lines?
By setting off high explosives after mining under the enemy lines.
What did the commander of the Allies have to do to have an effective concentrated attack? Why did he have to do this?
The Allies commander placed the troops closely packed together, which made them easy targets for the German defenders. This was inevitable as many of the long-serving soldiers had been killed in the initial fighting of the battle of Somme.
Explain the three stages of the 1st Australian Division assault on the village of Pozieres.
The first stage of the Australian 1st Division’s assault was to take the Pozieres trenches from the south of the village. The second stage was to pressure the German armies in the village. The third stage was to push to the Albert-Bapaume road.