29 RARE PHOTOS OF WWI

The Battle of Somme lasted from 1 July 1916 to 18 November of the same year. After 18 months of trenching in World War I, the battle was a joint operation between the British and French forces with the hope of obtaining a final victory over the Germans on the Western front.

A bombing of over 1.5 million bullets was launched against the German lines in the seven days before the battle, with the aim of destroying the defenses of the enemy trenches.