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Contrary to Haig and the rest of the German High Command’s expectations, the Germans had largely survived the barrage.<ref> Middlebrooke, p. 211</ref> They had sustained many casualties and many soldiers had been driven mad during the five days of shelling. The Germans, once the barrage ended, were able to man the front line. Critically they were able to man the machine gun nests and order up their own artillery to fire on no-mans-land. The Germans picked off the British at will despite the fact that they had ‘inferior numbers and less firepower’ <ref> Wilson, p. 115</ref>. The British as a result failed to take many German trenches and instead suffered catastrophic casualties. The order to advance at a walking pace over no man's land probably cost many brave men their lives. The first day on the Somme was also the worst day in the history of the British army, it suffered almost 60,000 casualties, mainly on the frontline between the Albert–Bapaume road and Gommecourt.<ref> Wilson, p. 234</ref>

The French did achieve some significant results and they ejected large elements of the German 2nd Army from their positions south of the Somme. The British in total only made very limited gains at a huge cost. It was clear after the first day that the British had not achieved tactical surprise and that the German defences were stronger than expected. However, the British and the French High Command continued with the offensive. The Somme offensive was to become a series of set pitched battles mainly between the British and the French. Historians had identified some thirteen significant battles between the Anglo-French armies and the Germans during the Somme offensive. The British were on the offensive all through the summer and the early autumn.