First Battle of the Somme (1918)

Operation Michael
Part of the Western Front of World War I
Evolution of the front line during the battle
Date 21 March – 5 April 1918 Location Northern France Result See the Aftermath section
Belligerents
German Empire	British Empire United Kingdom Australia  Canada New Zealand France United States
Commanders and leaders
Erich Ludendorff	Douglas Haig Ferdinand Foch
Strength
72 divisions	26 plus 3 cavalry 23 French divisions later
Casualties and losses
239,800	177,739 British 77,000 French 77 American

British Empire

France

Operation Michael was a major German military offensive during the First World War that began the Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was to break through the Allied (Entente) lines and advance in a north-westerly direction to seize the Channel ports, which supplied the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and to drive the BEF into the sea. Two days later General Ludendorff, the Chief of the German General Staff, changed his plan and pushed for an offensive due west, along the whole of the British front north of the River Somme. This was designed to separate the French and British Armies and crush the British forces by pushing them into the sea. The offensive ended at Villers-Bretonneux, to the east of the Allied communications centre at Amiens, where the Allies managed to halt the German advance; the German Armies had suffered many casualties and were unable to maintain supplies to the advancing troops.

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