Capture of Ovillers

Capture of Ovillers
Part of the Battle of the Somme, of the First World War
Battle of the Somme 1 July – 18 November 1916
Date 1–16 July 1916 Location Picardy, France 50°01′56″N 02°41′55″E / 50.03222°N 2.69861°E / 50.03222; 2.69861 Result British victory
Belligerents
Britain	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Douglas Haig	Erich von Falkenhayn
Strength
1 division	two regiments
Casualties and losses
1 July: 5,121	1 July: 315
Ovillers class=notpageimage| Ovillers, a commune in the Somme department of Picardy, northern France

The Capture of Ovillers (1–16 July 1916) was a British local operation during the Battle of Albert, the name given by the British to the first two weeks of the Battle of the Somme. The village of Ovillers-la-Boisselle (commonly shortened to Ovillers) forms part of the small commune of Ovillers-la-Boisselle, about 22 mi (35 km) north-east of Amiens in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. By 1916, the village was called Ovillers by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to avoid confusion with La Boisselle south of the road. To the south-west of Ovillers lies La Boisselle.

On 1 July 1916, the first day on the Somme, Ovillers was attacked by the 8th Division, part of the III Corps. The attack was a disaster and the division lost 5,121 casualties, the defending Infantry Regiment 180 had 280 casualties and Reserve Infantry Regiment 110 35 casualties. The 8th Division was withdrawn and replaced by the 12th (Eastern) Division, which resumed the attack on Ovillers on 3 July and lost 4,721 men by the time it was relieved. Attacks by the 25th Division continued and the village was captured during the evening of 16 July.