July 1, 1916: The Battle of the Somme

British "Tommies" emerging from the trenches

and "going over the top"

July 1, 1916: The Battle of the Somme breaks out, along the River Somme, outside Ovillers-la-Boisselle, 100 miles north of Paris. It becomes the 2nd-longest battle of World War I, behind the Battle of Verdun -- which started earlier in the year, and finished after the Somme -- and is the war's largest battle in terms of manpower.

On one side: Imperial Germany, with 1 million men, commanded by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria. On the other side: France, defending their homeland with 1.3 million men, commanded by Marshal Ferdinand Foch; and Britain, assisting their ally with 1.2 million men, commanded by General Douglas Haig.

Douglas Haig

The 1st day at the Somme was one of the few days on which the Allies made significant progress in World War I. But it was also one of the bloodiest: In one day, the British lost 19,240 men. To put that in perspective: America lost its mind when nearly 60,000 men were lost in the 8 years of the Vietnam War. The British lost nearly 20,000 men in one day, the worst day in terms of losses that their army has ever had, since there has been a nation of England to keep records. The Germans lost 12,000. The French, 1,590.

But that battle continued. In September, the British used tanks in battle for the 1st time. It was also one of the earliest battles in which air power was used. Hostilities finally ceased on November 18, at which point the British and French had gained... 6 miles.

Among the British soldiers -- known as "Tommies," derived from "Tommy Atkins," a long-standing name for them -- was Lieutenant John Ronald Ruel Tolkien, later the author of the Lord of the Rings books. He arrived early in July, and suffered all the horrors of the trenches, including lice, which led to trench fever, which led to him being evacuated in early November. After that, everyone in his platoon was killed in action. People who thought his books were allegories for World War II were way off: They were allegories for World War I.

J.R.R. Tolkien, 1916

When the battle was over, the Germans claimed losses of 440,000 men, plus 73,000 prisoners of war; the French, 200,000; the British, 420,000. Add it up: 1,060,000 soldiers killed. That's right: One battle, one million men dead. For six miles.

Haig was promoted to Field Marshal in 1917, given the title The Earl Haig in 1919, and lived until 1928. His grandson is Alexander, the 3rd Earl Haig. Despite the name and the shared profession, former U.S. Army General and Secretary of State Alexander Haig was not closely related.

For many years thereafter, the 1st Earl Haig was considered one of the most effective commanders of the war. But, in the words of the Canadian War Museum, "His epic but costly offensives at the Somme (1916) and Passchendaele (1917) have become nearly synonymous with the carnage and futility of First World War battles."

Marshal Foch became France's greatest military hero of the modern era, and accepted the German surrender on November 11, 1918. He lived until 1929.

Ferdinand Foch

With the Bavarian monarchy, as well as the larger German one, abolished by the Weimar Republic, Crown Prince Rupprecht tried and failed to establish a constitutional monarchy for Bavaria. The Nazis never asked him to be a part of their movement. He fled to Italy, then to Hungary, and was captured by the Nazis, and held at the Dachau concentration camp (which, at the absolute least, was in Bavaria). The postwar American occupation allowed him to return home, and he lived until 1955.

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July 1, 1916 was a Saturday. Actress Olivia de Havilland was born on this day. These baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-4 at Shibe Park (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium) in Philadelphia. Les Nunamaker doubled home the winning run in the top of the 9th inning.

* The New York Giants lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-2 at the Polo Grounds. Al Demaree went the distance for the Phils, allowing only 5 hits, 3 of them to Dave Robertson. He appears not to have been related to the later Yankee pitcher David Robertson.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers were swept in a doubleheader by the Boston Braves, 7-4 and 2-0 at Braves Field in Boston. Pat Ragan pitched a 2-hit shutout in the 2n game, outpitching future Hall-of-Famer Rube Marquard. The Dodgers -- or, more accurately, the Brooklyn Robins, as they were known from 1914 to 1931, as Wilbert Robinson was their manager -- won the National League Pennant, anyway.

* The Washington Senators beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 at American League Park (later renamed Griffith Stadium) in Washington. Walter Johnson pitched the last 2 innings for the Senators, and got the save, not that anyone knew what a "save" was at the time. Babe Ruth started for the Red Sox, pitched 3 1/3rd innings, and got the loss. He had no official at-bats, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox went on to beat the Dodgers/Robins in the World Series.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Browns, 5-4 at League Park in Cleveland. The game went 11 innings, although I can't find how the winning run was scored. Stan Coveleski was the winning pitcher, Eddie Plank the losing pitcher. Neither started the game. Both made the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tris Speaker went 2-for-3 with 2 walks. George Sisler went 1-for-4.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1 at Redland Field (later renamed Crosley Field) in Cincinnati. Honus Wagner hit a home run.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Eddie Collins went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Shoeless Joe Jackson went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ty Cobb went 1-for-4.

* And a doubleheader between arch-rivals was played at Robison Field in St. Louis. The Chicago Cubs won the opener, 9-2. The St. Louis Cardinals won the nightcap, 4-3. This was another game that went 11 innings, without Baseball-Reference or Retrosheet having a record of how the winning run was scored.