What did the British plan to do in the battle of the Somme?

Answer 1

The British decided to first destroy German defenses to the east with a massive artillery bombardment. Then, after the British had overcome the initial German defenses, two cavalry divisions would be sent in to finish off the Germans.

Answer 2

The same plan as in every major WWI offensive. Bombard the enemy for a week, nonstop, around the clock. This was supposed to kill all the frontline enemy troops and destroy his barbed wire entanglements in front of his trenches, but never did, because high explosive shells did not cut the wire and the enemy troops stayed in dugouts until the shelling stopped, which meant the infantry attack was on the way.

Each side usually had three or four complete trench systems, one behind the other, to fall back into if necessary. So an attack had to plan on breaching all these lines to get through to open country beyond.

Then the attacking troops were to turn, some left, some right, and continue to "roll up" the enemy positions to either side of the breakthrough.

The British kept a cavalry corps in France through the entire war, splendidly equipped with handsome horses, to exploit the breakthrough once the never-never land of open country in the enemy's rear was reached. This of course never happened.

Answer 3

The British used mass frontal "over the top" assaults, and the rolling artillery barrage.

Answer 4

to take off pressure of the battle at Verdun. To try to get German troops to there, so less troops will be at the battle of Verdun