Caption: "Men of 1st Lancashire Fusiliers are addressed by Major General de Lisle, commander of the 29th Division, on the day before battle." The Battle of the Somme was a battle of WWI fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire. It took place between July 1 - November 18, 1916 on either side of the River Somme in France. The battle was one of the largest of World War I, in which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed, making it one of humanity's bloodiest battles. The battle is notable for the importance of air power and the first use of the tank. At the end of the battle, British and French forces had penetrated 6 miles into German-occupied territory, taking more ground than any offensive since the Battle of the Marne in 1914. The British 29th Division, known as the Incomparable Division, was a WWI regular army infantry division formed in early 1915. The division fought throughout the Battle of Gallipoli, including the original landing at Cape Helles. From 1916 to the end of the war the division fought on the Western Front in France. The number of Victoria Crosses won by members of this division was 27 (12 at Gallipoli).