Notes on The Area between the River Somme, the St. Quentin & La Sensee Canals, & the River Scarpe July 1916 (Paperback)

The notes also cover in a tabulated list habitations with details, e.g. Longueval consisted of 130 houses with 406 inhabitants, eight wells, 17 ponds and a sugar factory. The 1:100,000 scale map shows the whole of the Somme Front from Arras south to St. Quentin and east to Cambrai, with both British and German front lines at the commencement of the offensive, with various German headquarters, railheads, depots etc. All-in-all, a valuable addition to any 'Somme' library, and a most useful reference for the battlefield tourist or historian. The last act of the Somme offensive took place in the Ancre sector from 13 to 19 November. Since 1 July, the British had seized a strip of territory 6 miles (10km) deep by 20 miles long (32km) yet were still 3 miles (5km) from Bapaume and the French, further south, had stopped short of Péronne. Although the Germans were weakened, the Allies failed to achieve all of their objectives and the war was to continue for another two years. Over a million men from both sides became casualties in the long and bitter struggle on the Somme in 1916. But the Somme was a strategic necessity fought to meet the needs of an international alliance and British commanders learned difficult but important lessons that would contribute to eventual Allied victory in 1918. "No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of men's lives". (Written by Haig in June 1916 before the Battle of the Somme began)