The Conflict Collection

~ At What Cost ~

It’s the morning of 1st July 1916 and what’s about to happen on this day and the rest of the Battle of the Somme for the next five months is the First World Wars largest and bloodiest campaign.

Resulting in a MILLION casualties and ground gained measured in a few miles.

Roughly 3.5 million men fought in the campaign.

British Empire: ~420,000 casualties (over 100,000 fatalities)

French Army: ~200,000 to 204,253 casualties (about 50,000 fatalities)

German Army: ~440,000 to 500,000) casualties (up to 160,000 fatalities)

Prior to the start of the battle the pre bombardment resulted in 1.5 million artillery shells being fired.

The first day of the Somme remains the single bloodiest day in the history of the British Army.

Total British Casualties: 57,470 (including 19,240 fatalities).

Did you know……

On September 15, 1916, tanks were used on the battlefield for the very first time in military history.

To all those who went over the Top…

We Remember.

~ OTD ~

1644: King Charles I defeated a Parliamentarian detachment at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge during the English Civil War.

1941: The heroic but doomed defense of the Brest Fortress in Belarus concluded in a German victory during the opening days of Operation Barbarossa. Simultaneously, Germany and Finland launched Operation Silver Fox to target the Soviet port of Murmansk.

1944: Soviet forces captured the vital rail hub of Bobruysk in Byelorussia, capturing 70,000 troops from the German Army Group Center.1945: U.S. President Harry Truman officially approved Operation Olympic, the planned massive Allied invasion of the Japanese home island of Kyushu. On the same day, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis departed Guam, beginning a fateful voyage toward the Philippines in preparation for the upcoming campaigns.