1916] VERDUN AND TEE SO^OIE

view of the Allied strategy, the huge German salient
in the West was like an elastic band drawn very
tight. Each part of such a band has lost elasticity,
and may be severed by friction which would do
little harm to the band if less tautly stretched.

The coming attack was allotted to the Fourth
Army, under General Sir Henry Rawlinson. Behind
in the back areas lay the nucleus of another army,
called first the Reserve, and afterwards the Fifth,
under General Sir Hubert Gough, which at this time
was mainly composed of cavalry divisions. It was a
cadre which would receive its complement of infantry
when the occasion arose. The French striking force
lay from Maricourt astride the Somme to opposite the
village of Fay.

About the middle of June on the whole front held
by the British, and on the French front north and
south of the Somme, there began an intermittent
bombardment of the German lines. There were raids
at different places, partly to mislead the enemy as to
the real point of assault, and partly to identify the
German units opposed to us. During these days, too,
there were many fights in the air. It was essential
to prevent German airplanes from crossing our front
and observing our preparations. Our own machines
scouted far into the enemy hinterland, reconnoitring
and destroying. On Saturday, 24th June, the bom-
bardment became intenser. It fell everywhere on
the front; German trenches were obliterated at
Ypres and Arras as well as at Beaumont Hamel and
Fricourt.

All the last week of June the weather was grey
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