Battle of the Somme - as it happened

Summary

Battle of the Somme - as it happened
Almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed on the opening day of the battle
2,069 men from the 36th Ulster Division were killed at the Somme on 1 July 1916
All times are +1 hour BST
Picture: Attack on Thiepval, Getty Images

Live Reporting

Eunan McConville and Lee Costello

Death tollpublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
An accurate death toll over the course of the Battle of the Somme is an impossibility. But it is thought that as many as a million men were killed in those 20 weeks.
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Hindenburg linepublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
In early 1917, the Germans fell back to the safety of the Hindenburg line - negating all the gains for which the Allies had paid such a high price.
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Image caption,
The Hindenburg line
What was learned from the Somme?published at 18:20 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The Battle of the Somme saw British improvements in trench warfare. The creeping barrage was improved; tanks were used for the first time; intelligence got better.
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A battle that lasted 141 dayspublished at 18:11 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The Battle of the Somme would continue for almost five months. The British lines moved forward by about 4.5 miles (7km).
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The bloodiest daypublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
As dusk descends on the Somme, it becomes apparent that the British army has suffered its bloodiest day. In all, the first day saw 57,470 British casualties - 19,240 dead. In comparison the German army had around 6,000 casualties.
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Counting the Ulstermen's deadpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The 36th Ulster Division finishes the first day of the Battle of the Somme right back where they started. But with more than 5,000 casualties - around 2,069 of them lying dead.
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Horrific casualty ratepublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The battle rages on into the evening. The first day is yet not over but the casualties count is rising at an alarming rate.
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Back to British linespublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
On the way back towards the British front lines, they meet the reinforcements they were hoping for about seven hours earlier.
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Ulstermen retreatpublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The Germans are exhausted and the 36th manages its retreat in an orderly fashion.
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Ulstermen forced back to German front line trenchpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The Ulster men fall back to the initial German front line. They brace themselves for an onslaught.
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Giving up the Schawbenpublished at 16:38 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The order is given to relinquish the Schawben Redoubt.
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The defence of the Schawben Redoubt is becoming desperatepublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Fewer men and fewer bullets means the Ulster Division's defence is becoming increasingly desperate. The Germans just keep coming.
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Ulstermen being attacked on three sidespublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Another determined German counter-attack. It's coming from three sides.
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The Ulster Division are managing to hold the Schwabenpublished at 15:54 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
So far, the Germans haven't succeeded in breaking through the Ulstermen. But it's only a matter of time.
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No reinforcementspublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
With scant possibility of reinforcements any time soon, the 36th Division have to attempt to hold on until dark.
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The Ulster Division faces a German backlashpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The German counter-attacks just keep coming.
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German attack on Ulster Division is fiercepublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The counter attack from the Germans is fierce coming from the direction of the village of Grandcourt.
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The Ulstermen are on their ownpublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Communication with the Ulstermen through No Man's Land is nigh on impossible.
The Ulster Division has nowhere to gopublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The men from the 36th who are at Schwaben are effectively cut off from their nearest comrades. No-Man's Land isn't an option for the Ulster Division at the minute - the German machine gun fire from Thiepval is almost constant.
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The counter attacks beginpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The Germans want the Schwaben Redoubt back and start their counter attacks to take it.
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