Which 1916 battle was fought along both sides of the River Somme in France?

The 1916 battle fought along both sides of France’s River Somme was the Battle of the Somme.

The offensive ran from 1 July to 18 November 1916 on the Western Front. British Empire and French forces attacked German positions in an effort to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun and break through the German front.

More than three million soldiers took part, and over one million were killed or wounded, making the battle one of the war’s bloodiest. The first day, 1 July, became especially notorious: the British Army suffered about 57,000 casualties, including nearly 20,000 dead.

A common mix-up is the Battle of Verdun, which was also fought in 1916 but centered on the Meuse River and primarily pitted Germany against France. The Somme is also associated with the first battlefield use of tanks by the British, beginning in September 1916, although the early tanks were unreliable and used in small numbers.