Editing First day on the Somme (section)

====III Corps====
=====La Boisselle=====
{{main|Capture of La Boisselle}}
[[File:La Boisselle sector 1 July 1916.png|thumb|{{centre|The 34th Division attack on [[La Boisselle]]}}]]
The 34th Division (New Army) was to attack along the Albert–Bapaume road, aided by the blowing of Lochnagar mine and Y Sap mine (the largest mine explosions of the day) either side of La Boisselle. The mine at Y Sap, north of the village, caused no casualties as the Germans had evacuated the area in time but the springing of the Lochnagar mine, south of the village, temporarily trapped German troops in shelters nearby and the position was lost.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=391–392}} Parties of the [[Grimsby Chums]] got into the Lochnagar mine crater before being pinned down by German small-arms fire. The [[Tyneside Scottish Brigade]] was to attack up Mash Valley and against La Boisselle at the Glory Hole ({{lang|fr|[[L'îlot de La Boisselle|L'îlot]]}} to the French and {{lang|de|Granathof}} to the Germans). The [[Tyneside Irish]] were in reserve, ready to advance and capture the second objective from Contalmaison to Pozières.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=371–375}}

At zero hour, the Tyneside Scottish Brigade started its advance from the Tara–Usna Line (a British reserve position behind the front line) to cross {{cvt|1|mi}} of open ground before they reached no man's land. Despite machine-gun fire, a party of around {{nowrap|50 men}} survived to advance up Sausage Valley, south of La Boisselle, almost to the edge of Contalmaison. The survivors were captured after making the furthest British advance of the day, about {{cvt|4000|yd|mi+km}}.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=375–384}} The positions of Reserve Infantry Regiment 110 had been severely damaged in the bombardment but the regiment was forewarned of the British attack by a {{lang|de|Moritz}} device, which eavesdropped on British telephone signals and allowed the Germans to withdraw before the Y Sap mine exploded.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=391–392}} The 34th Division suffered the worst [[casualties]] of the day, {{nowrap|6,380.}}{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|p=391}}

=====Ovillers=====
{{main|Capture of Ovillers}}
The [[8th Division (United Kingdom) in the First World War|8th Division]] attacked the Ovillers spur, north of the Albert–Bapaume road. The division had to cross {{cvt|750|yd}} of no man's land and advance towards German trenches sited to exploit spurs running down from the ridge. The only approach to the German lines was up Mash Valley, under the guns in La Boisselle to the south, Ovillers to the front and the Thiepval spur to the north. All three brigades attacked, the 23rd Brigade up Mash Valley, where {{circa| 200 men}} reached the German second trench and then held about {{cvt|300|yd}} of the front trench, until {{nowrap|9:15 a.m.}} The centre brigade reached the second line, before being forced back to the British front line and the left-hand brigade managed to reach the third trench, while German counter-bombardments cut off the leading troops from reinforcements. Co-ordination by the British artillery and infantry failed, the field artillery lifting to the final objective and the heavy artillery lifting an hour before the attack, leaving the German defenders unmolested as they repulsed the infantry.{{anchor|Glory Hole}}{{sfnm|1a1=Edmonds|1y=1993|1pp=371–375, 385–389|2a1=Sheffield|2y=2003|2pp=52–54}} Ovillers was defended by Infantry Regiment 180, which had suffered {{nowrap|192 casualties}} in the bombardment. Many of the German defences were smashed, except on their right at The Nab. The British advance was met by massed small-arms fire at {{cvt|100|yd}}, which cut down many men, after which a bombing fight began. British penetrations were contained by German troops in communication trenches on the flanks. The two battalions of the regiment in the area suffered {{nowrap|280 casualties}} and the 8th Division {{nowrap|5,121.}}{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=391–393}}