Subsequent operations After the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the British tried to straighten the salient at Delville Wood by advancing on both flanks, to reach High Wood and to capture Pozières on the left (northern) flank for good jumping-off positions for another general attack. The Germans tried to eliminate the salient at Delville Wood, to retain ground which shielded German positions from view and overlooked (gave observation over) British positions. For the rest of July and August, both sides fought for control of the three areas but struggled to maintain a high tempo of operations because of ammunition shortages, high casualties and wet weather which reduced visibility and made movement much more difficult. Both sides were reduced to piecemeal attacks and piecemeal defence on narrow fronts, except for a few bigger, wider-front attacks. Until September, most attacks were defeated by defensive fire power and the inclement weather, which frequently turned the battlefield into a mud-slough. Notes Footnotes References Books Theses Further reading Books Translation of Meine Tätigkeit im Weltkriege 1914–1918 (Berlin, Verlag Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn 1939) Encyclopaedias Theses External links Battle of the Somme: order of battle Somme map Battle of the Somme Battles of World War I involving Germany Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom Battles of World War I involving South Africa Battles of the Western Front (World War I) Conflicts in 1916 1916 in France Battle honours of the Rifle Brigade Battle honours of the King's Royal Rifle Corps July 1916 events