Battle of the Somme

1916-07-01 - 1916-11-18

World War I battle of 1 July to 18 November 1916 on the Somme river in France, fought by British Empire and French forces against Germany. More than three million men fought and over one million were wounded or killed, making it one of the deadliest battles in history; the British suffered 57,470 casualties on 1 July alone, the worst single day in British Army history. The battle saw the first use of the tank in warfare, but Anglo-French forces advanced only about 10 km and failed to capture Peronne and Bapaume.