How effectively did the British attempt to defeat the Germans in the great positional battles of 1916 and 1917?

Example - Battle of the Somme 1916

Success
Attempted join offensive with French
27,000 yard front, 14 divisions, many enthusiastic volunteers
Massive 7 day bombardment prior to attack – 1.5 million shells
120,000 troops
Flying corp had superiority over German air force
15th Sept – First time tanks used
3500 yards achieved by 15th Sept
Germans abandoned positions Feb and March 1917
BEF gained experience and tested tactics

Failure
Germans managed to attack first against French at Verdun. French contribution reduced.
Shells mainly contained shrapnel rather than high explosive.
Many shells were duds with poor fuses.
Germans aware of attack due to bombardment
57,000 casualties – 19,000 killed
Lasted from 1st July 1916 until Sept
Most tanks broke down and only moved at 2 MPH

German casualties equal to British and French est 600,000 however 2/3 were British on allied side.

The Battle of the Somme

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