Delville Wood order of battle
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The Battle of Delville Wood was fought from 14 July to 3 September 1916, one of the twelve battles of the Somme in 1916. It was fought by the British and French against the army of the German Empire in the Somme River valley in northern France. The battle was the début of the 1st South African Brigade (part of the 9th (Scottish) Division) on the Western Front, which captured Delville Wood and held it from 15 to 19 July. The casualties of the brigade were similar to those of many British brigades on First day on the Somme (1 July 1916).[1]
Battle of Delville Wood | |||||||
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Part of the Battle of the Somme in the First World War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
German Empire | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Douglas Haig Henry Rawlinson |
General–Major Fritz von Below Max von Gallwitz | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
9 divisions, 1 brigade | |||||||
Only brigades and battalions that participated in the actions associated with the Battle of Delville Wood are shown. For details on the full organisation, see the Order of Battle for the Somme. |
Delville Wood is well preserved with the remains of trenches, a museum and monument to the 1st South African Brigade. After the relief of the South Africans the battle for the wood continued until the end of August, when the last German footholds were captured by the 43rd Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division on 27 August. A large German counter-attack on 31 August regained part of the north edge of the wood until British attacks from 4 to 8 September, which secured the wood until the battles of 1918.[2]