Editing First day on the Somme (section)

===French Sixth Army===

====XXXV Corps====
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80513.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Maricourt and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80513)}}]]
South of the river, the [[35th Army Corps (France)|XXXV Corps]] (the [[51st Infantry Division (France)|51st]], [[61st Infantry Division (France)|61st]] and [[121st Infantry Division (France)|121st]] Divisions, backed by {{nowrap|20 batteries}} of heavy artillery) attacked two hours after the offensive began on the north bank. The 61st Division was right-flank guard for the I Colonial Corps near the river.{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}} A French attack of any great size on the south bank had been considered impossible by the German command and after the [[10th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)|10th Bavarian Division]] was transferred north of the river to reinforce the [[XIV Reserve Corps (German Empire)|XIV Reserve Corps]], divisional frontages were made even wider on the south side of the river, the three remaining divisions of XVII Corps using their third regiment to fill the gap at the cost of having no reserve. The French preliminary bombardment caused the Germans many casualties and destroyed many machine-guns and mortars.{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}}

When the attack began, concealed by mist, the German defenders were surprised and overrun. The French artillery had {{circa|10 }} heavy batteries per {{cvt|1|km|order=flip}} of front, {{nowrap|18 observation}} balloons were opposite the German [[11th Division (German Empire)|11th Division]] alone and French artillery observation aircraft were flown so low by their pilots over [[Estrées-Deniécourt|Estrées]] that German soldiers could see the faces of the crews. The division had only two field artillery regiments and part of one regiment sent as reinforcement, with no heavy guns for counter-battery fire, except for periodic support from a small number of heavy guns covering all of the south side of the river.{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}}

The German artillery group around Estrées, [[Soyécourt]] and [[Fay, Somme|Fay]], attempted a systematic bombardment of the French front line on 30 June. The French replied with {{nowrap|2,000 heavy}} shells on one German field regiment alone, that knocked out three guns. By the time of the attack of 1 July, German artillery on the south bank had been hit by {{nowrap|15,000 shells}} and had almost been silenced by {{nowrap|11:00 a.m.}}{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=170–171}} Only eight heavy batteries were available to the Germans on the south bank; at {{nowrap|9:30 a.m.,}} the French barrage lifted off the German front line and three mines were blown under a redoubt at the village of Fay. A measure of surprise was gained, despite losses to German flanking fire from beyond the southern flank of the attack.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=342–343}} Grenadier Regiment 10 had been subjected to a "torrent" of fire overnight, which had forced the German infantry to shelter in mine galleries. A gas bombardment was synchronised with the French infantry attack and the mine explosions at {{nowrap|10:00 a.m.}} killed many of the sheltering troops. By {{nowrap|2:00 p.m.}} the German defences had been overwhelmed and the garrisons killed or captured; such reinforcements as existed were moved forward to occupy the second position south of [[Assevillers]].{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|pp=173–174}}

====I Colonial Corps====

[[File:Banks of the Somme, 1916.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Banks of the Somme, 1916}}]]
On the south bank, the [[I Colonial Corps (France)|I Colonial Corps]] ([[2nd Colonial Infantry Division (France)|2nd]], [[3rd Colonial Infantry Division (France)|3rd]], [[16th Colonial Infantry Division (France)|16th Colonial]] and the [[99th Territorial Division (France)|99th Territorial]] divisions along with {{nowrap|65 heavy artillery batteries}}) also attacked two hours after the main assault.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=342–343}} The 2nd and 3rd Colonial divisions, advanced between XXXV Corps and the river and overran the first line of the German [[121st Infantry Division (German Empire)|121st Division]], holding the line south from the Somme, in fifteen minutes, taking [[Dompierre-Becquincourt|Dompierre-Bequincourt]]. On the French left flank, [[Frise, Somme|Frise]] held out until the village was re-bombarded and then taken by a second attack at {{nowrap|12:30 p.m.}} The 2nd and 3rd Colonial divisions began probing {{cvt|2500|m|order=flip}} of the German second position held by the III Battalion, Infantry Regiment 60 around Assevillers and [[Herbécourt]]. Assevillers was captured at {{nowrap|4:00 p.m.}} Herbécourt was attacked from the north-west at {{nowrap|5:30 p.m.}} and captured, then lost to a German counter-attack. The colonial divisions took {{circa| 2,000 prisoners,}} for very few casualties.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|pp=183–184}} The attack on the south bank had advanced {{cvt|2|km|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Doughty|2005|p=293}}

====XX Corps====
[[File:Map commune FR insee code 80231.png|thumb|{{centre|Modern map of Curlu and vicinity (commune FR insee code 80231)}}]]
North of the Somme, the French XX Corps consisted of the [[11th Division (France)|11th]], [[39th Division (France)|39th]], [[72nd Infantry Division (France)|72nd]] and [[153rd Infantry Division (France)|153rd]] divisions, with {{nowrap|32 batteries}} of heavy artillery. The 11th and 39th divisions attacked at {{nowrap|7.30 a.m.,}} the commanders of the 1st [[Liverpool Pals]] (part of the [[30th Division (United Kingdom)|30th Division]] (XIII Corps) and the French 153rd Infantry Regiment advancing together.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=342–343}} At {{lang|fr| Bois Y}}, north-west of [[Curlu]], which contained many machine-guns and was protected by Menuisiers Trench {{cvt|200|m|yd|order=flip}} further forward, the attack went "like clockwork". The 79th Regiment, whose final objective was {{cvt|1500|m|yd|order=flip}} beyond the start line, found that the French bombardment had destroyed much of the German fortifications and that the creeping barrage kept the Germans under cover. Only at {{lang|fr|Bois Favière}} (in the 39th Division area, where part of the wood was held by the Germans for several days) and at Curlu (in the 11th Division area on the north bank) were the Germans able to conduct an organised defence.{{sfn|Philpott|2009|pp=176–178}}

The 37th Regiment (11th Division) attacked Curlu and received massed small-arms fire; the regiment was repulsed from the western fringe of the village before attacks were suspended for a re-bombardment, by which time the village was outflanked on both sides. Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 6 (BRIR 6) recorded the first attack at {{nowrap|9:00 a.m.,}} after drumfire (so many shells exploding that the reports merged into a rumble) which began at {{nowrap|6:00 a.m.,}} followed by two more until drumfire fell again at {{nowrap|4:00 p.m.}} and the remaining garrison was ordered to retire. Most of BRIR 6 was thrown in piecemeal from the river Somme to Montauban and destroyed, suffering {{nowrap|1,809 casualties.}}{{sfn|Sheldon|2006|p=168}} The French did not exploit their success, because the British did not advance to their second objective beyond Montauban. Four counter-attacks from Hardecourt were repulsed and by mid-morning {{nowrap|2,500 prisoners}} had been taken and an advance of {{cvt|1.5|km|order=flip}} had been achieved.{{sfnm|1a1=Philpott|1y=2009|1pp=183–184|2a1=Doughty|2y=2005|2p=293}}