Somme Offensive Preparations Expanded
Haig expands preparations for the planned Anglo-French offensive while Verdun increases pressure on France.
Role range: 1914-1918
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Douglas Haig Biography and Timeline — Page 2
Follow Douglas Haig through 289 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Douglas Haig, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
289Distinct records
2 of 8Page
1916–1916Years on this page
1916
Somme Artillery Build-Up Directed
Haig oversees the concentration of guns, ammunition and divisions for the coming offensive.
Role range: 1914-1918
Somme Preliminary Bombardment Opened
Haig's armies begin the prolonged bombardment intended to destroy German wire and forward defences.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of the Somme, 1st
Royal Flying Corps aircraft support preparatory operations by attacking German observation balloons.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Albert Operations Directed
Haig directs the opening Somme phase as British armies attack across the Albert sector.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of the Somme, 1st
Commands the British Expeditionary Force as the Somme attack opens after a week of bombardment.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of the Somme, 1st
The British attack opens on the Somme, causing 57,470 British casualties on the first day.
Role range: 1914-1918
First-Day Somme Losses Reviewed
Haig reviews catastrophic first-day casualties but decides the offensive must continue.
Role range: 1914-1918
Somme Offensive Continuation Ordered
Haig orders continued pressure to support France and wear down the German army.
Role range: 1914-1918
Bazentin Ridge Night Attack Approved
Haig supports the night assembly and dawn attack that gains ground on Bazentin Ridge.
Role range: 1914-1918
Delville Wood Operations Continued
Haig maintains pressure around Delville Wood during the second phase of the Somme battle.
Role range: 1914-1918
High Wood Exploitation Attempted
Haig seeks rapid exploitation toward High Wood after the Bazentin Ridge success.
Role range: 1914-1918
Pozieres Ridge Operations Supported
Haig supports Australian and British attacks intended to seize the important Pozieres ridge.
Role range: 1914-1918
Creeping Barrage Methods Expanded
Haig's armies increasingly use creeping barrages to improve infantry support during Somme attacks.
Role range: 1914-1918
Guillemont Attacks Continued
Haig continues attacks around Guillemont to improve the British position before renewed larger operations.
Role range: 1914-1918
Ginchy Capture Exploited
Haig orders pressure maintained after British troops capture Ginchy during the Somme offensive.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
British tanks are used in battle for the first time during the Somme offensive.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
Orders the Somme offensive to continue as tanks are used in battle for the first time.
Role range: 1914-1918
Tank Commitment at Flers Approved
Haig approves the first battlefield use of tanks during the attack at Flers-Courcelette.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Morval
British Fourth Army attacks Morval, Gueudecourt and Lesboeufs while French forces move toward Combles and Rancourt.
Role range: 1914-1918
Sixth Army
Supported by Fochs 6th Army but 20,000 British perish on the first day of the battle
Role range: 1914-1918
Thiepval Ridge Assault Opened
Haig's forces attack Thiepval Ridge and secure important positions overlooking the Ancre valley.
Role range: 1914-1918
Ancre Heights Operations Continued
Haig continues pressure on the heights north of the Somme as autumn weather worsens.
Role range: 1914-1918
Le Transloy Offensive Continued
Haig sustains attacks toward Le Transloy despite mud, rain and increasingly difficult supply conditions.
Role range: 1914-1918
ANZAC
The First Battle of Passchendaele, on 12 October 1917 began with a further Allied attempt by 5 British and 3 ANZAC divisions (the New Zealand Division and the Australian 3rd and 4th Divisions) to gain ground around Poelcappelle
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Passchendaele
The First Battle of Passchendaele, on 12 October 1917 began with a further Allied attempt by 5 British and 3 ANZAC divisions (the New Zealand Division and the Australian 3rd and 4th Divisions) to gain ground around Poelcappelle. The Allied troops were fought-out, and morale was suffering, against the well-prepared German defences, the gains were minimal and there were 13,000 Allied casualties
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Ypres, 3rd
The four divisions of the Canadian Corps were transferred to the Ypres Salient and to make additional advances on Passchendaele
Role range: 1914-1918
Somme Weather Constraints Reviewed
Haig reviews deteriorating battlefield conditions as rain and mud sharply reduce operational mobility.
Role range: 1914-1918
Final Ancre Attack Approved
Haig approves the final major British attack of the Somme campaign along the Ancre.
Role range: 1914-1918
Agreement of Calais
As the Battle of the Somme comes to a bitterly cold end, a meeting is held between the Allied generals at Chantilly just outside Paris, a decision is reached by Generals Haig and Joffre that on the Western Front things would recommence in February
Role range: 1914-1918
Western Front
As the Battle of the Somme comes to a bitterly cold end, a meeting is held between the Allied generals at Chantilly just outside Paris, a decision is reached by Generals Haig and Joffre that on the Western Front things would recommence in February
Role range: 1914-1918
Somme Offensive Formally Ended
Haig ends major Somme operations after months of attritional fighting and limited territorial gains.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Passchendaele
At a conference in Chantilly in November 1916, and a series of subsequent meetings, the Entente agreed on an offensive strategy where they would overwhelm the Central Powers by means of attacks on the Western, Eastern and Italian Fronts
Role range: 1914-1918
Conference of Chantilly
Haig was ordered to co-operate with Nivelles planned attack, but secured Nivelles agreement that in the event the French offensive failed, the British would attack in the area of Flanders. At a conference in Chantilly in November 1916, and a series of subsequent meetings, the Entente agreed on an offensive strategy where they would overwhelm the Central Powers by means of attacks on the Western, Eastern and Italian Fronts
Role range: 1914-1918
Somme Tactical Lessons Reviewed
Haig reviews artillery, infantry, tank and communications lessons from the completed Somme campaign.
Role range: 1914-1918
Agreement of Calais
Nivelle proposes that the system of attack he had used at Verdun could be scaled upwards and used on a weaker part of the German line, the enemy lines could be ruptured within 48 hours
Role range: 1914-1918
BEF Army Reorganisation after Somme
Haig reorganises formations and command arrangements after the heavy losses of the Somme.
Role range: 1914-1918
BEF Artillery Expansion for 1917 Planned
Haig directs further artillery and ammunition preparation for the next year's major operations.
Role range: 1914-1918
Battle of Passchendaele
In December 1916, at the conclusion of the Battle of the Somme, Haig identified Flanders as the most promising theatre for a British offensive of 1917 and by January 1917 the idea of a Flanders offensive had met with the approval of the British Cabinet
Role range: 1914-1918
Flanders Offensive Concept Revived
Haig renews plans for a future offensive in Flanders against German positions near Ypres.
Role range: 1914-1918
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.