Editing First day on the Somme (section)

===German 2nd Army===
By May 1916, eight German divisions held the front from [[Roye, Somme|Roye]] northwards to Arras with three in reserve. The German defence of the south bank of the Somme was the responsibility of XVII Corps (General {{ill|Günther von Pannewitz (General)|de}}), with three divisions. On the north bank the XIV Reserve Corps ({{lang|de|[[Generalleutnant]]}} [[Hermann von Stein (1854-1927)|Hermann von Stein]]) with two divisions held the line from the Somme to the Ancre and the [[Guard Corps]] ([[General of the Infantry (Germany)|General]] [[Karl von Plettenberg]]) with three divisions held the ground north of the Ancre opposite Serre and Gommecourt. On 20 June, British heavy artillery bombarded German communications behind the front line as far back as Bapaume and then continued intermittently until the evening of 22 June. At dawn on 24 June, a shrapnel barrage began on the German front position and villages nearby. At noon, more accurate fire began before increasing in intensity around Thiepval as heavy batteries commenced firing and in the evening, a light rain turned the German positions to mud.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=57–58}}

On 25 June, heavy artillery-fire predominated, smashing trenches and blocking dugouts. Variations in the intensity of fire indicated likely areas to be attacked; the greatest weight of fire occurring at Mametz, Fricourt and Ovillers; during the night the German commanders prepared their defences around the villages and ordered the second line to be manned. After an overnight lull, the bombardment increased again on 26 June, gas being discharged at {{nowrap|5:00 a.m.}} towards Beaumont Hamel and Serre, before the bombardment increased in intensity near Thiepval, then suddenly stopped. The German garrison took post and fired red rockets to call for artillery support, which placed a barrage in no man's land. Later in the afternoon huge mortar bombs began to fall, destroying shallower dug-outs, a super-heavy gun began to bombard the main German strong-points, as smaller guns pulverised the villages close to the front line, from which civilians were hurriedly removed.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=58–60}}

German troops billeted in the villages moved into the open to avoid the shelling and on {{nowrap|27 and 28 June,}} heavy rain added to the devastation, as the bombardment varied from steady accurate shelling to shell-storms and periods of quiet. At night British patrols moved into no man's land; prisoners taken by the Germans said that they were checking on the damage and searching for German survivors. German interrogators gleaned information suggesting that an offensive would come either side of the Somme and Ancre rivers at {{nowrap|5:00 a.m.}} on 29 June. All of the German infantry stood to with reinforcements but the bombardment resumed in the afternoon, rising to drumfire several times. Artillery-fire concentrated on small parts of the front, then lines of shells moved forward into the depth of the German defences. Periodic gas discharges and infantry probes continued but German sentries watching through periscopes were often able to warn the garrisons in time to react. The bombardment on 30 June repeated the pattern of the earlier days, by when, much of the German surface defences had been swept away, look-out shelters and observation posts were in ruins and many communication trenches had disappeared.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=60–61}}

On the night of {{nowrap|30 June /1 July,}} the bombardment fell on rear defences and communication trenches; at dawn British aircraft "filled the sky", captive balloons rose into the air at {{nowrap|6:30 a.m.}} and an unprecedented barrage began all along the German front, until {{nowrap|7:30 a.m.,}} when the bombardment abruptly stopped. The remaining German trench garrisons began to leave their shelters and set up machine-guns in the remains of trenches and shell-holes, which proved difficult to spot and allowed the occupants to change direction, easily to face threats from all directions. Where the British infantry advanced close behind the barrage the German defenders were often overrun and at Montauban, Mametz and around Fricourt, the Germans were rushed while most were still underground. Further north, the Germans had time to emerge and stopped most attacks in no man's land.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=61–64}}

The 26th Reserve Division held a front of {{cvt|9000|yd|mi+km}}, from Ovillers to Serre, four regiments occupied the first line with two battalions each, one in the support line and one in reserve. The Germans emerged to see lines of British infantry in no man's land and opened rapid fire on them, lines and waves falling down, reforming and moving forward. Some German infantry stood on trench parapets to aim better and red rockets were fired to call for artillery barrages on no man's land, which shattered the British infantry formations. The survivors kept going and began a bombing fight close to the German line, which was defeated, except at the {{lang|de|Leipzig}} Redoubt, which was quickly sealed off by German flanking parties and between Thiepval and the Ancre, where the Irish advanced towards Grandcourt {{cvt|3000|yd|mi+km}} away. Counter-attacks forced the British back to the German front trench after dark.{{sfn|Rogers|2010|pp=61–64}}