Battle of the Somme, a map of the situation in December 1916
Information
Description
Published in December 1916, this map of the Somme region marks the Allied advances there during the previous five months.
Overprinted blue lines give the successive front lines on the eve of the initial attack on 1 July, followed by 17 July, 13 September and 30 November.
Red indicates the complex German trench systems facing the attack. These are especially prevalent to the north of the front line, where the British attack was the least successful.
This map is unusual amongst military maps in that it was intended for public sale. Its production may well have been intended to emphasise the territorial gains (six miles in total) made during the offensive, and to justify the considerable human cost – over 400,000 British and dominion casualties – during what had become a controversial and highly criticised military operation.
- Full title:
- Map of the Somme area. Dec.1916.
- Created:
- December, 1916
- Format:
- Map
- Usage terms
- Public Domain
- Held by
- British Library
- Shelfmark:
- Maps C.14.f.21.
This item is featured in:
Explore further
Related articles
Combat and the soldier's experience in the First World War
- Article by:
- Vanda Wilcox
- Themes:
- Race, empire and colonial troops, Life as a soldier
In a war that saw new weaponry technology and great numbers of casualties, Assistant Professor Vanda Wilcox considers the common experiences of soldiers in active combat.
Fighting the First World War: Stalemate and attrition
- Article by:
- Jonathan Boff
- Themes:
- The war machine, Origins, outbreak and conclusions, Historical debates
For much of the First World War, the Western Front remained almost static, with each side killing many of the other’s men but otherwise making little progress. Dr Jonathan Boff investigates why the war developed in this way and whether later depictions of wartime strategy were fair.
Share this page
Please consider the environment before printing