Editing First day on the Somme (section)

===British Third Army===
{{main|Attack on the Gommecourt Salient}}

The Third Army (General [[Edmund Allenby]]), was to mount a diversion north of the Fourth Army area, with VII Corps. At the Gommecourt [[Salients, re-entrants and pockets|Salient]], the German trenches curved around a [[château]] and its parkland and a gap of {{cvt|1|mi}} separated the Gommecourt diversion from the northern edge of the main attack. Preparations for a [[pincer movement]] to catch the garrison in a [[pocket (military)|pocket]], were made as obvious as possible to attract German attention.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=453–462}} The 56th (1/1st London) Division had prepared jumping-off trenches in no man's land and when the attack commenced at {{nowrap|7:30 a.m.}} swift progress was made. The first three German trenches were captured and a party pushed on towards the rendezvous with the 46th (North Midland) Division. A German barrage descended on no man's land, which made it impossible for reinforcements to move forward or for a trench to be dug as a defensive flank to the south and the survivors were forced to withdraw after dark. The 46th (North Midland) Division attack found that the German wire was uncut and the ground littered with unexploded [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]] bombs. A smoke screen intended to mask the infantry obscured their view and left the Germans with observation over the attack. The ground was particularly wet and muddy and few troops reached the German trenches; the remaining British troops overran the front line, where German troops were able to emerge from shelters not mopped-up by the supporting battalions pinned down in no man's land by the German barrage and engage the British troops from behind.{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=453–464, 471–474}}

The British bombardment cut much of the wire at Gommecourt and demolished many trenches, particularly in the area of Infantry Regiment 170 opposite the 56th (1/1st London) Division. The smoke screen obstructed the beginning of the attack and the damage caused by the bombardment blocked many dugout entrances; a counter-attack was swiftly mounted from {{lang|de|Kern}} Redoubt (the Maze), which was not under attack. The counter-attack failed to stop the 56th (1/1st London) Division reaching the third line of trenches, before a converging attack by Infantry Regiment 170 and Reserve Infantry {{nowrap|regiments 15 and 55}} began. The British had consolidated and the counter-attack made little progress, until co-ordinated bombing attacks in the afternoon gradually recovered the position. Opposite the 46th (North Midland) Division, Reserve Infantry {{nowrap|regiments 55 and 91}} took post in time, engaged the attackers while they were crossing no man's land but failed to stop the loss of the front trench until a counter-attack from the third trench "annihilated" the leading British troops; the German regiments suffered {{nowrap|1,212 casualties.}} The 46th (North Midland) Division suffered {{nowrap|2,445 casualties,}} which was the lowest divisional loss on 1 July. The commander, Major-General [[Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley|Montagu-Stuart-Wortley]], was dismissed for the failure. The 56th (1/1st London) Division suffered {{nowrap|4,314 casualties.}}{{sfn|Edmonds|1993|pp=453–462, 465–471, 474}}