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| rdfs:comment | - Fricourt was from Albert, north of Bray and west of Mametz, near the D 938 and at the junction of the D 147 and D 64. The village was northeast of Amiens and on the route of the Albert–Péronne light railway. Fricourt Wood was north-east of the village with a chateau on the edge of the village and a number of craters, known as the Tambour () on the west side. Fricourt formed a salient in the German front-line and was the principal German fortified village between the Somme and the Ancre. The ground sloped south-west from Bazentin Ridge, divided by the Willow Stream, which rose in Trônes Wood and flowed past the ends of the Mametz and Fricourt spurs. The stream was the inner boundary of the British 7th Division on the right and the 21st Division on the left. German fortification of the area
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| Partof | - the Battle of the Somme, World War I
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| Commander | - Douglas Haig
- Fritz von Below
- Henry Rawlinson
- Henry Horne
- Hermann von Stein
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| Notes | - A contingent of the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps was attached to a 21st Division battalion.
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| Place | - Fricourt, Picardy, France
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| abstract | - Fricourt was from Albert, north of Bray and west of Mametz, near the D 938 and at the junction of the D 147 and D 64. The village was northeast of Amiens and on the route of the Albert–Péronne light railway. Fricourt Wood was north-east of the village with a chateau on the edge of the village and a number of craters, known as the Tambour () on the west side. Fricourt formed a salient in the German front-line and was the principal German fortified village between the Somme and the Ancre. The ground sloped south-west from Bazentin Ridge, divided by the Willow Stream, which rose in Trônes Wood and flowed past the ends of the Mametz and Fricourt spurs. The stream was the inner boundary of the British 7th Division on the right and the 21st Division on the left. German fortification of the area around Mametz and Fricourt had created a web of trenches deep behind the front-line trench, which was irregular, making many angles from which an attacker could be engaged. On 24 June the artillery preparation began for the Anglo-French offensive; the Fricourt area was subjected to several British gas attacks during the bombardment and a number of mine explosions just before 7:30 a.m. on 1 July, when British infantry attacked the German defences either side of the village. By the end of 1 July, the village had been enveloped on three sides and during the night the German garrison withdrew towards the second position. British patrols reported the retirement overnight and at noon on 2 July, troops of the 17th Division occupied the village and captured Fricourt Wood in the mid-afternoon. The 28th (Baden) Reserve Division, which held the front from Montauban to Fricourt and Ovillers, was saved from destruction by reinforcements from the 10th Bavarian Division. The 3rd Guard Division was hurried forward from Valenciennes to hold the ground in front of the second position and British attacks began on Shelter and Bottom woods up the slope towards Contalmaison. XV Corps had more than 8,000 casualties, the 10th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment had 733 casualties, the worst loss of any of the battalions engaged on the first day. XV Corps took c.1,600 prisoners.
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