Battle of the Somme (1918) | |||||||
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Part of the Western Front of World War I | |||||||
British soldiers revictualling a Gun Carrier Mark I tank, named Kingston, at Miraumont 26 August 1918 |
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | German Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Douglas Haig Henry Rawlinson Arthur Currie John Monash |
Erich Ludendorff | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
British Third Army British Fourth Army Canadian Corps Australian Corps United States II Corps |
German Second Army | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
11,500 casualties 5,600 casualties | 'Heavy', 6,000 taken prisoner |
The Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought during the First World War on the Western Front from late August to early September, in the basin of the River Somme. It was part of a series of successful counter-offensives in response to the German Spring Offensive, after a pause for redeployment and supply.
The most significant feature of the 1918 Somme battles was that with the first Battle of the Somme of 1918 having halted what had begun as an overwhelming German offensive, the second formed the central part of the Allies' advance to the Armistice of 11 November.
On 15 August 1918, British Field Marshal Douglas Haig refused demands from Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch to continue the Amiens offensive during World War 1, as that attack was faltering as the troops outran their supplies and artillery, and German reserves were being moved to the sector. Instead, Haig began to plan for an offensive at Albert, which opened on 21 August. The main attack was launched by the British Third Army, with the United States II Corps attached.