Preparing for a modern battle is a Herculean task. At a sufficient
distance behind the front line immense ammunition and revictualling
depôts are established. Miles of railway, both narrow and normal
gauge, have to be put down, to bring up supplies to the trenches.
Existing roads have to be improved, and new ones made. In the Somme,
long embankments had to be built across the marshy valleys, as well as
innumerable shelters for the combatants, dressing-stations, and sheds
for storing the ammunition, food, water, engineering supplies, etc.
Miles of deep communicating trenches, trenches for the telephone wires,
assembly trenches, parallels and observation-posts had to be made. The
local quarries were worked, and wells bored.
[Illustration: _Ginchy, bombarded by the British on July 11, 1916._]
[Illustration: _Ginchy, ten days later (July 21, 1916)._]
[Illustration: _Ginchy, two days before capture by the British (Sept.
7, 1916). See p. 86._
ILLUSTRATING THE PROGRESSIVE DESTRUCTION AND LEVELLING OF A VILLAGE BY
ARTILLERY.]
[Illustration: FIRING A 12-INCH LONG-RANGE GUN.]