forward trenches because of the massive German bombardment, the Newfoundlanders were forced to attack from the reserve lines. The bulk of the regiment was killed before they even reached no-man’s land. Of the 801 Newfoundlanders who attacked, only 68 answered the roll call the next day. Over 550 were killed. The unit had a total casualty rate of 91 per cent, and this from a country with a population of around 250,000.
In fact these devastating losses to the island’s male gene pool caused lasting social and economic damage and contributed to Newfoundland’s decision to become a Canadian province in 1949. To this day, 1 July is a day of solemn remembrance for Newfoundlanders for the sacrifices of their youth on the Somme.
In early July, the Germans fell back in some southern areas of the offensive and opportunities opened to break through their line. But the fleeting chances slipped by, thanks in part to British losses and poor communications, and the Germans rushed reinforcements in from other sectors.
While the British dithered, the French continued to make inroads. They pushed back the German line as much as 10 kilometres in some areas while taking 12,000 prisoners and capturing considerable numbers of armaments. The British tardiness brought conflict between the two allies as the French were forced to halt their advance to avoid opening a gap between their forces and the British.
Despite these setbacks, the offensive on the Somme did bring some benefits to the Allied cause because it forced the Germans to scale down their offensive at Verdun and to rush divisions from other parts of their line to ease the pressure of the British and French along the Somme front. Initially, the Germans moved fourteen divisions into their line against the British on the Somme, along the way to throwing in a total of more than 40 additional divisions. The British response to these German reinforcements had a direct and devastating impact on the Australians just taking their place in the line at Fromelles.
The Australian 59th Battalion heading up to the front line at Fromelles in July 1916. Most of these men would have been killed or wounded in the battle. The 59th, which was one of the battalions attacking the Sugar Loaf salient, was devastated by the German machine-gunners there and suffered almost 700 casualties. ( KNYVETT PHOTO )
The Diggers of the 59th Battalion calmly await the order to move up into their front-line trenches at Fromelles around 11 July 1916. Within a week, more than 90 per cent of these men would become casualties. ( KNYVETT PHOTO )
On 5 July, the British on the Somme identified a newly arrived German unit, the 13th Jager Battalion, as one that had been previously defending the area near the Sugar Loaf. A total of nine enemy battalions had been identified as having come to the Somme from the Lille area.
The British Corps Commander, General Godley, issued the following order to II Anzac Corps:
It is imperative that raids and all possible offensive should be undertaken at once by both divisions of the corps in order to make a certainty of holding on our front such German troops as may be there.
Raids must therefore take place immediately and must be on a larger scale than has hitherto been attempted – about 200 men or a company [around 100 men] …
At this stage, the Australian 5th Division troops had not yet even reached their lines opposite the Sugar Loaf. But in any event, events elsewhere would change these priorities and the raiding was left to the New Zealand Division. They met with very strong resistance from the German defences which culminated in a bloody rebuff on 13 July when a reinforced company of the 1st Otago Battalion forced its way through the German wires but was thrown back with heavy losses – 52 killed or missing, 123 wounded – only six of the party returning without wounds.
Clearly, far stronger measures were needed to prevent any further German units being moved to the
In fact these devastating losses to the island’s male gene pool caused lasting social and economic damage and contributed to Newfoundland’s decision to become a Canadian province in 1949. To this day, 1 July is a day of solemn remembrance for Newfoundlanders for the sacrifices of their youth on the Somme.
In early July, the Germans fell back in some southern areas of the offensive and opportunities opened to break through their line. But the fleeting chances slipped by, thanks in part to British losses and poor communications, and the Germans rushed reinforcements in from other sectors.
While the British dithered, the French continued to make inroads. They pushed back the German line as much as 10 kilometres in some areas while taking 12,000 prisoners and capturing considerable numbers of armaments. The British tardiness brought conflict between the two allies as the French were forced to halt their advance to avoid opening a gap between their forces and the British.
Despite these setbacks, the offensive on the Somme did bring some benefits to the Allied cause because it forced the Germans to scale down their offensive at Verdun and to rush divisions from other parts of their line to ease the pressure of the British and French along the Somme front. Initially, the Germans moved fourteen divisions into their line against the British on the Somme, along the way to throwing in a total of more than 40 additional divisions. The British response to these German reinforcements had a direct and devastating impact on the Australians just taking their place in the line at Fromelles.
The Australian 59th Battalion heading up to the front line at Fromelles in July 1916. Most of these men would have been killed or wounded in the battle. The 59th, which was one of the battalions attacking the Sugar Loaf salient, was devastated by the German machine-gunners there and suffered almost 700 casualties. ( KNYVETT PHOTO )
The Diggers of the 59th Battalion calmly await the order to move up into their front-line trenches at Fromelles around 11 July 1916. Within a week, more than 90 per cent of these men would become casualties. ( KNYVETT PHOTO )
On 5 July, the British on the Somme identified a newly arrived German unit, the 13th Jager Battalion, as one that had been previously defending the area near the Sugar Loaf. A total of nine enemy battalions had been identified as having come to the Somme from the Lille area.
The British Corps Commander, General Godley, issued the following order to II Anzac Corps:
It is imperative that raids and all possible offensive should be undertaken at once by both divisions of the corps in order to make a certainty of holding on our front such German troops as may be there.
Raids must therefore take place immediately and must be on a larger scale than has hitherto been attempted – about 200 men or a company [around 100 men] …
At this stage, the Australian 5th Division troops had not yet even reached their lines opposite the Sugar Loaf. But in any event, events elsewhere would change these priorities and the raiding was left to the New Zealand Division. They met with very strong resistance from the German defences which culminated in a bloody rebuff on 13 July when a reinforced company of the 1st Otago Battalion forced its way through the German wires but was thrown back with heavy losses – 52 killed or missing, 123 wounded – only six of the party returning without wounds.
Clearly, far stronger measures were needed to prevent any further German units being moved to the
Similar Books
![Dawn, Dakota - The Desperate Fay King [Kidnapped by a Fay] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More ManLove)](https://fs.ageofbook.online/579903/thumbs/152x264/dawn-dakota-the-desperate-fay-king-kidnapped-by-a-fay-siren-publishing-menage-and-more-manlove.jpg)
