Events of WWI

3 Important Battle Sites The Somme Verdun Ypres

The Somme

The Somme On 1st July, 1916, after a week of artillery bombardment the British launched the now infamous "Big Push" attack across the river Somme. They intended to breakthrough the German defenses in a matter of hours. The battle however, lasted four months.

The Somme The Lochnagar Crater

The Somme

The Somme The troops marched in uniform lines towards the enemy across no-man's land. The failure of the artillery bombardment to dislodge much of the German barbed wire, or to destroy machine-gun posts, led to one of the biggest slaughters in military history.

The Somme

The Battle of the Somme When the attack began the Germans dragged themselves out of their dugouts, manned their posts and destroyed the oncoming waves of British infantry.

The Somme

The Somme

The Somme When the offensive was eventually called off the British were still 3 miles short of their objectives.

The Battle of the Somme Total losses on the Allied side numbered 419,654 with German casualties between 450,000 and 680,000.

First Aid Post Somme

The Somme

The Somme

The Somme

Verdun The Battle of Verdun was a ten month long ordeal between the French and German armies.

Verdun The battle was part of an unsuccessful German campaign to take the offensive on the western front.

Verdun Both the French and German armies suffered with an estimated 540,000 French and 430,000 German casualties and no strategic advantages were gained for either side.

Verdun The Battle of Verdun is considered one of the most brutal events of World War I, and is remembered as the "battlefield with the highest density of dead per square yard.”

Verdun The German attack began on February 21, 1916 with an intense artillery bombardment of the forts surrounding Verdun.

Verdun Although three French forts near Verdun had fallen to German forces, Verdun itself remained undefeated. The Germans were eventually removed from the three forts.

Verdun Today

Ypres There were three significant battles fought around Ypres during the War.

Ypres Ypres is notable for the first use of poison gas by the Germans.

Ypres The Battle of Passchendaele, one of the most famous of WWI, was fought here for four months.

Ypres By the time the offensive was called off total casualties for both sides had been approximately 250,000.

Ypres One of the central objectives, the village of Passchendaele (taken on November 6 by Canadians), lent its name to the whole conflict.

Ypres

Ypres