mistyshade
Pickled Onion
The opening barrage of the battle took place a week before the troops went 'over the top'.
The sound of all the artillery pieces firing at once was heard 80 miles away in London.
By the end of the barrage, a million shells had been fired.
This was the first of many and costly mistakes.
Generals ordered that ONLY shrapnel shells should be fired to try and break the miles of barbed-wire in front of the enemy's line. Front line officers pleaded for high-explosive to be used to create large shell holes for advancing troops to hide in and then fire and move. This would also disrupt the bunkers and tunnel complexes that had been built in 1915.
At 7.30 am on the 1st July the troops went over the top from the start line. They had been ordered to WALK and not RUN. With their trenches and defence systems reletively untouched the enemy soon manned their guns and a hail of rifle and machine-gun fire, mortars, grenades, and shells tore into the British.
After two hours, 20,000 lay dead in 'no-mans-land'. At the end of the first day that had risen to 50,000.
This was the worst day the british had ever suffered in terms of casualties.
Pals Battalions.
The army was desperate to recruit new troops. From towns and cities across Britain whole streets of men signed up. They had spent their lives together. Playing football and cricket as young boys, school, then usually working in the same companies together. They trained for the front together and formed battalions together, hence the 'Pals Battalions'.
At the end of the war, there were many streets with no men, just bewildered children and women.
I think this says it all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/...U5Y90jTtz1n8G9lx71dcgNPBvqLH4LOvtETVmazjc.jpg
Please remember them.
Phil.
The sound of all the artillery pieces firing at once was heard 80 miles away in London.
By the end of the barrage, a million shells had been fired.
This was the first of many and costly mistakes.
Generals ordered that ONLY shrapnel shells should be fired to try and break the miles of barbed-wire in front of the enemy's line. Front line officers pleaded for high-explosive to be used to create large shell holes for advancing troops to hide in and then fire and move. This would also disrupt the bunkers and tunnel complexes that had been built in 1915.
At 7.30 am on the 1st July the troops went over the top from the start line. They had been ordered to WALK and not RUN. With their trenches and defence systems reletively untouched the enemy soon manned their guns and a hail of rifle and machine-gun fire, mortars, grenades, and shells tore into the British.
After two hours, 20,000 lay dead in 'no-mans-land'. At the end of the first day that had risen to 50,000.
This was the worst day the british had ever suffered in terms of casualties.
Pals Battalions.
The army was desperate to recruit new troops. From towns and cities across Britain whole streets of men signed up. They had spent their lives together. Playing football and cricket as young boys, school, then usually working in the same companies together. They trained for the front together and formed battalions together, hence the 'Pals Battalions'.
At the end of the war, there were many streets with no men, just bewildered children and women.
I think this says it all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/...U5Y90jTtz1n8G9lx71dcgNPBvqLH4LOvtETVmazjc.jpg
Please remember them.
Phil.
Last edited: