Battle of Flers–Courcelette 1916
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1916 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | World War I era (1914–1918) | derived from year |
| Location | France | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Battle of the Somme, World War I | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Canadian Expeditionary Force, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 50.0589, 2.7478 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Flers–Courcelette ([flɛʁ kuʁsəlɛt], 15 to 22 September 1916) was fought during the Battle of the Somme in France, by the French Sixth Army and the British Fourth Army and Reserve Army, against the German 1st Army, during the First World War. The Anglo-French attack of 15 September began the third period of the Battle of the Somme but by its conclusion on 22 September, the strategic objective of a decisive victory had not been achieved. The infliction of many casualties on the German front divisions and the capture of the villages of Courcelette, Martinpuich and Flers had been a considerable tactical victory.
The German defensive success on the British right flank made exploitation and the use of cavalry impossible. Tanks were used in battle for the first time; the Canadian Corps and the New Zealand Division fought their first engagements on the Somme. On 16 September, Jagdstaffel 2, a specialist fighter squadron, began operations with five new Albatros D.I fighters, which had a performance capable of challenging British and French air supremacy for the first time in the battle.
The British attempt to advance deeply on the right and pivot on the left failed but the British gained about 2,500 yd (1.4 mi; 2.3 km) in general and captured High Wood, moving forward about 3,500 yd…
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Flers–Courcelette (revision 1376295330), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Fighting for Mouquet Farm 1916 · 3 km
- Capture of Regina Trench 1916 · 3 km
- Battle of the Ancre 1916 · 4 km
- Battle of Bazentin Ridge 1916 · 4 km
- Battle of Thiepval Ridge 1916 · 4 km
- Capture of Ovillers 1916 · 5 km
Other battles of the World War I
- Landing at Anzac Cove 1915
- Second Battle of Krithia 1915
- Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes 1915
- Siege of Mbombwe 1915
- Third Battle of Krithia 1915
- Action of 19 August 1916 1916
- Actions of the Bluff, 1916 1916
- Battle of Asiago 1916
- Battle of Delville Wood 1916
- Battle of Dogger Bank (1916) 1916
All 138 battles of the World War I →
Browse more: battles in France · Europe · World War I era battles