The Battle of the Ancre Heights 1 October – 11 November 1916, was the continuation of British attacks after the Battle of Thiepval Ridge from 26–28 September, by the Reserve Army (renamed Fifth Army on 29 October) from Courcelette near the Albert–Bapaume road, west to Thiepval on Bazentin Ridge. British possession of the heights would deprive the German First Army of observation towards Albert to the south-west and give the British observation north over the Ancre valley to the German positions around Beaumont Hamel, Serre and Beaucourt. The Reserve Army conducted large attacks on 1, 8, 21, 25 October and 10–11 November. Many smaller attacks were made in the intervening periods, amid interruptions caused by frequent heavy rain, which turned the ground and roads into rivers of mud and groun
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| - The Battle of the Ancre Heights 1 October – 11 November 1916, was the continuation of British attacks after the Battle of Thiepval Ridge from 26–28 September, by the Reserve Army (renamed Fifth Army on 29 October) from Courcelette near the Albert–Bapaume road, west to Thiepval on Bazentin Ridge. British possession of the heights would deprive the German First Army of observation towards Albert to the south-west and give the British observation north over the Ancre valley to the German positions around Beaumont Hamel, Serre and Beaucourt. The Reserve Army conducted large attacks on 1, 8, 21, 25 October and 10–11 November. Many smaller attacks were made in the intervening periods, amid interruptions caused by frequent heavy rain, which turned the ground and roads into rivers of mud and groun
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| - the Battle of the Somme of World War I
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| Commander
| - Erich Ludendorff
- Douglas Haig
- Joseph Joffre
- Ferdinand Foch
- Fritz von Below
- Max von Gallwitz
- Hubert Gough
- Kronprinz Rupprecht
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French Empire
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| - Battle of the Ancre Heights
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| - The Battle of the Ancre Heights 1 October – 11 November 1916, was the continuation of British attacks after the Battle of Thiepval Ridge from 26–28 September, by the Reserve Army (renamed Fifth Army on 29 October) from Courcelette near the Albert–Bapaume road, west to Thiepval on Bazentin Ridge. British possession of the heights would deprive the German First Army of observation towards Albert to the south-west and give the British observation north over the Ancre valley to the German positions around Beaumont Hamel, Serre and Beaucourt. The Reserve Army conducted large attacks on 1, 8, 21, 25 October and 10–11 November. Many smaller attacks were made in the intervening periods, amid interruptions caused by frequent heavy rain, which turned the ground and roads into rivers of mud and grounded aircraft. German forces in footholds on the remaining part of the ridge at the east end of (Regina Trench) and in the uncaptured parts of (Schwaben Redoubt) to the north and Stuff Redoubt () north-east of Thiepval, fought a costly defensive battle with numerous counter-attacks and attacks, which delayed the British capture of the heights for more than a month. Stuff Redoubt fell on 9 October and the last German position in Redoubt fell on 14 October, exposing the positions of the 28th Reserve Division in the Ancre valley, to British ground observation. A German retreat from the salient that had formed around St. Pierre Divion and Beaumont Hamel either side of the Ancre, was considered by Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff and the new army group commander Field Marshal Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and rejected, due to the lack of better defensive positions further back, in favour of counter-attacks desired by General Fritz von Below the First Army commander. General Max von Gallwitz the Second Army commander, noted in early October that so many of his units had been moved to the First Army north of the Somme, that he had only one fresh regiment in reserve. The German counter-attacks were defeated with great loss. By 21 October the British had managed to advance and the Germans had been able to retain their hold on the eastern part of (Regina Trench). A French offensive at Verdun on 24 October forced the Germans to suspend the movement of troops to the Somme front. From 29 October – 9 November British attacks were postponed due to more poor weather, before the capture of of the eastern end of Regina Trench by the 4th Canadian Division on 11 November. Fifth Army operations resumed in the Battle of the Ancre (13–18 November).
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