The Battle of Somme is the second great battle in World War 1 that Canada was involved in. The Battle of Somme took place between July and December in 1916. Canada only took place in the final three months of the battle. This battle was a great attack intended to break the stalemate between Germany and the Allies in Somme river. The offensive began with a sub-optimal artillery bombardment. This was proven ineffective at taking out troops or destroying enemy artillery weapons. This was due to the faulty British shells that often didn’t explode on contact. The Germans remained passive and hid until the artillery ended, and then braced themselves for the incoming attackers. Tens of thousands of British soldiers were killed by machinegun fire and barbed wire, dampening their assault. Amid the thousands that were dead or missing, more than 700 soldiers from the Newfoundland regiment were gone. Douglas Haig and Henry Rawlinson helped plan this attack. Haig, however, was criticized for prolonging the campaign until winter. This great failure prompted the British to develop new tactics, recreate artillery shells, and caused more planning and coordination.
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ExploreIn this battle, the Canadians explored a new approach to destroying a stalemate.
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EncounterIn this battle, Canadians encountered faulty weaponry, machinegun fire and barbed wire
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ExchangeDuring this battle, the Canadians exchanged many casualties with the Germans. The allied casualties were roughly 625,000 to the German’s 660,000.
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