the battle Hostile_encounter of le unk was the last big attack Attack by the fourth army of the british expeditionary force Causation ( bef ) in the 1916 battle Hostile_encounter of the somme in france , during the first world war Military_operation .

the germans began Process_start systematic fortification of the area , according to a directive from erich von falkenhayn the german army chief of staff , to fortify the western front so that a small number of infantry could defend Defending the front indefinitely and later in the year began Process_start work on second and third defensive positions but in the somme area , the defences north of the unk were improved Cause_to_make_progress first and by july 1916 the first position defences around mametz were extensive but the second position was a shallow trench and the third position had only been marked Recording out .

since 1 july 1916 , the cost Cost of the battle and the `` meagre gains '' have been a source of grief and controversy in britain ; in german and french writing Writing , the first day of the battle of the somme has been little more than a footnote to the mass losses of unk and the battle of verdun .

at the battle Hostile_encounter of le unk and in local operations Military_operation in november , unk was used Using as a jumping-off point ; in the winter of unk the area was held Hold by the i anzac corps , which considered the conditions around the village to be the worst on the somme front .

regina trench ( ) was a german trench dug along the north-facing slope of a ridge running from north-west of the village of le sars , unk to stuff redoubt ( ) , close to the german fortifications at thiepval on the somme battlefield .

two days later general erich ludendorff , the chief of the german general staff , adjusted Change his plan and pushed Motion for an offensive due west , along the whole of the british front north of the river somme .