› The bombardment lasted two whole days  It was one of the most veracious bombardments of the whole war  British commanders and officers boosted how they would walk into the trenches after the bombardment › Bombardment failure  The bombardment failed to create holes in the German barbed wire  Had failed to destroy and kill the German soldiers and positions  20,000 British service men died on the first day of combat  450,000 would be the total figure of dead after the attack was called off