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Experiences of the Great War

Haig: Lessons of the Somme

General Haig himself recorded what he saw as the lessons of the Somme:

  1. The only possible way of preventing the enemy from interfering with our artillery and photo machines is to force him to defend himself in his own country. For this, large numbers of fighting machines of the best type are essential.
  2. The great value of successful co-operation with the artillery.
  3. The great value of photographs taken from aeroplanes.
  4. The moral effect of superiority in the air upon our troops on the ground had been out of all proportion to casualties inflicted upon the enemy

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