River Somme

River Somme
Platform
Game	Battlefield 1
Game modes	Conquest Assault Domination Rush Team Deathmatch War Pigeons Shock Operations
Setting
Part of	World War I
Teams	German Empire vs. British Empire
Date	1 July 1916
Location	Somme, France
Terrain	Farmland
Combat	Ground Forces with Tank support
Weather	Overcast, Fog, Rain

This item has a Codex entry: River Somme

"The scenic wheat fields by the Somme river transform into hell on earth from devastating artillery barrages."

— DLC Overview - Battlefield.com

River Somme is a map featured in the Battlefield 1: Apocalypse expansion.

This map is set during the infamous "First day on the Somme". British casualties on this day were the worst in the history of the British army, with 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 of whom were killed, the most out of any single day of the Battle of the Somme.

Overview

The map boundaries of River Somme form a rough rectangle that takes the assaulting British southwest to northeast along a diagonal route. A single main road winds the same way up through the map center, connecting the British deployment to the farthest-flung objectives. Horizontally, the map is separated into sectors by a number of defensive trench lines, interconnected via support trenches, and branching off extensively to cover most of the map's core.

The attack is launched amidst wide-open wheat fields that give way to a marshy valley, and the namesake of the map, the River Somme. Across the river are more, gently-sloping farming fields of gold and green, along with increasingly intricate German fortifications, which carve new routes through the land alongside the main road. The appearance of shell craters and tank wrecks, dotting the countryside in added frequency with every step north, give an eerie indication of what lies ahead. Cresting a hill, the full scale of the devastation is revealed. Descending the reverse slope takes the advance through the twisted remains of an industrial zone, rendered almost unrecognizable by artillery. North still, the horizon is tinted orange by a raging inferno as it lays waste to a vast forest, as shells continue to pound whatever else used to lie beyond. This barrier of flame marks the map's northern boundaries, the end of the main road, and the assault's ultimate stopping point.

Behemoth

In place of a Behemoth, three elite kits spawn in the British base should the team falter. These consist of a Sentry, Sentry SMG, and a Flame Trooper.

Control Points

show/hide

Control Point	Conquest	Domination	Rush	Shock Operations
British Empire Deployment
Wellington Farm	A
Wellington Trench			1A 1B	1A
Marsh Landing	B		2A	2A
Munich Trench	C		2B	2B
Hill 21	D	A	3A 3B	3B
Sugar Mill	E	B	4A	3A
Hawthorn Station	F	C	4B	3C

Conquest Assault

In Conquest Assault, the British must forge a path northwards, capturing objectives as they go, in order to force the opposing Germans off the map. The attackers are granted a ticket lead of 300 points while the defenders initially hold all objectives.

For the British, the initial breakthrough must be made in a timely fashion to avoid the enemy from gaining a significant point lead, levying their unique advantage of tank support to do so. The Germans must maintain their superiority in point gain as long as possible with staunch defense and rapid counterattacks. Both teams can utilize the extensive trench web that spans much of the map as a means of quickly transferring force between objective points. As a result of this, despite the wide-open nature of the map, combat in the trenches that encircle most of the flags is often of the close quarters variety.

Equipment

Two Mark V Landships, available to the British, are the only deployment vehicles found on River Somme. A few neutral light vehicles can be found at some objectives.

Deployments

The British Team deploys from a long horizontal trench line at the southern end of the map. To their backs, dozens of heavy guns fire in support of the offensive, and tanks line the main road leading north. Ahead, either side of said road, are vast open wheat fields that span much of the ground before the river. The assault out of the deployment area must be made over this exposed ground. Infantry can make a direct assault on Wellington Farm with tank support, or alternatively bypass the flag by skirting around the edges of the map to the east and west.

The British have access to a Livens Projector, located in the trench on the left side of the road, to gas the opposition at Wellington Farm. A pair of heavy machine guns are also emplaced nearby, allowing players to suppress the defending infantry at the same objective.

Being Conquest Assault, the defending Germans do not have an HQ spawn location.

Flags

Wellington Farm

Wellington Farm consists of two buildings, a farmhouse and a barn, situated alongside a crossroads in the middle of the wheat fields south of the river. It is overlooked to the north by a ridge, atop which is the first German trench line (known in Shock Operations as Wellington Trench), which appears as a dominant defensive position against the exposed fields lying in between, although the surrounding wheat can obscure players lying prone. The buildings offer the majority of cover in the capture zone's immediate vicinity but can be demolished with explosives. On the objective outskirts, the occasional shell hole and fallen tree can be used to bound across the field in cover - either to climb the hill once the flag is captured, or to descend it to counterattack against the objective.

Following the road north through the first fortified line leads to the Somme River valley. The water is shallow, allowing it to be easily forded by infantry and vehicles alike. A single bridge spans the waterway, connecting the south section of main road to the north's larger portion--the bridge can be partially, or completely, destroyed using explosive weapons.

A single MC 18J Sidecar spawns at the crossroads near the barn.

Marsh Landing

Marsh Landing is on the north bank of the Somme River, and on the west side of the main road. It consists of a windmill and small pier, the mooring point for many small boats seen beached along the riverside. A rising hill and accompanying trench line rings the area to the north and northeast, creating an overwatch point for the flag itself as well as the opposite bank. The circular capture zone, which includes the windmill interior, extends to the water's edge, allowing capture from cover when behind the pier or in the shallow trench alongside it. A woodshed shielded by the hill in the north of the capture zone provides an additional, if destructible, point of high cover.

A Tank Hunter kit can be picked up from the German's second line of trenches near the main road bridge across the river. It is located halfway between Marsh Landings and the parallel Munich Trench.

Munich Trench

Munich Trench is a square loop of trenches that surround a lone farmhouse inland from the riverside in the map's southeast sector. The fortifications are the meeting point between the second and third defensive line, and are quite extensive, with the capture zone encompassing a large area. Clearing the objective may require searching quite a span of trenches, although the farmhouse provides the most obvious central covered position.

Hill 21

Hill 21 is a tight loop of deep trenches dug into a mound, located on the east side of the map center. The objective's capture zone is small, and may result in intense close quarters fighting for control. Within the trenches, troops may ambush each other from around corners or out of dugouts cut into the walls. Above ground and out of the capture radius, the surrounding area is a turmoil of barbed wire, fighting pits and shell craters, granting more abundant positions of cover on the indirect route to the flag.

There are a number of field guns emplaced within the German's third and fourth defensive lines, oriented around Hill 21, and deployed in pairs on opposite sides of the main road. The first two are ahead of Hill 21, in the third line. The second two are alongside it, in the fourth line.

A Sentry SMG is located closest to this flag, and can be found in a stepped trench on the opposite side of the main road, approximately 80 meters northwest of the flag itself. It is nearby one of the FK 96 cannons.

Sugar Mill

Sugar Mill is one of two parallel objectives located near the map's northern edge, being the westernmost of the pair. A smokestack and some tattered archways and walls of red brick are all that is left of the building exterior, while the mill floor is covered with heaps of debris of stone and timber, burying the factory's shattered machinery. The flag area consists roughly of what used to be the building interior, and includes a gantry climbable by ladder that can serve as a watchtower of sorts over the adjacent area. Behind the factory is a dirt road and more ruins from which defenders of the flag spawn within--necessitating all-round observation when seizing the objective.

An RNAS Armored Car and MC 18J Sidecar spawn on the dirt road to the immediate northeast of the flag, regardless of which team currently controls it.

Hawthorn Station

Hawthorn Station is found in the map's northeastern corner, downhill from Hill 21. A railway line, which runs horizontally parallel with the flag and Sugar Mill, spans an arched rail bridge that goes over the main road between the two objectives. A freight train, thrown from the track by the barrage, is the only remaining identification of the building ruins encompassing the capture zone, outside of its name. As with Sugar Mill, the primary cover here is in the form of debris piles and half-standing walls, although they are much lower here than at the latter flag. The surrounding low ground consists of shredded trees and houses. Again, players defending the flag spawn across the road to the north, amongst the burning forest.

A Flame Trooper kit can be found on the north side of the arched rail bridge that crosses the main road, to the west of the flag.

Shock Operations

In Shock Operations, the British "big push" is made against the German lodgment in the heavily fortified farmland and industrial infrastructure that surrounds the Somme River. The three-phase operation sees the attackers targeting increasingly broad fronts, with a corresponding increase in objective frequency at each successive stage.

If a British battalion is wiped out at any stage, their fresh formation is supplied with several elite kits in the form of a Flame Trooper, a Sentry and a Sentry SMG.

Sector 1

The spearhead of the assault is made against the singular objective of Wellington Trench, the first of the German trench lines. Built on a prominent ridge overlooking the adjacent wheat fields below, the defenders have strong firing positions against the British crossing through them. Map boundaries prevent them from advancing too far forward however and prevent them from occupying Wellington Farm, which can subsequently be used for cover by the attackers.

The capture zone of the objective comprises the central section of the ridgeline trenches, which extends some distance forward into the wheat fields to allow attackers to gain a foothold. The relatively small capture zone can be difficult to attack, although it also leaves the Germans concentrated into an area vulnerable to artillery barrage. The defenders should also be mindful of their extreme flanks, such as on the other side of the road to the east or around the lumber piles to the west, which can give British access to the trench entrances and allow them to enact enfilade fire along its length. Counterattacks by the defenders can be difficult to pull off, as their primary spawn for this sector is along the riverbank - they must climb back up the hill and jump almost blindly back into the trenches in order to stall capture momentum.

The British receive two Mark V Landships for tank support, as well as an RNAS Armored Car and an MC 18J Sidecar for motorized transport across the open fields. An Infiltrator kit is additionally provided, which may prove vital in its ability to enable frontline reinforcement and to sweep trenches clear with artillery.

Sector 2

In phase two, the defenders are pursued back across the river, where they take up positions around their second trench line. Two objectives are present this time - Marsh Landing to the northwest, and Munich Trench to the northeast.

Marsh Landing is generally devoid of cover, both inside the capture area and along the exposed hillsides that border it. Attackers may run into difficulty attempting to cross the river directly in front of the objective, with long-range fire potentially coming from the northern ridge upon which an FK 96 is emplaced. A shallow trench line along the riverside to the southwest of the capture zone, as well as the windmill and the shed buildings beyond it, make up the majority of the cover. When captured, the defenders can be left similarly vulnerable when attacking down from the bare ridge, but may also attack through the trenches that curve around the clearing to the east.

The more expansive earthworks around Munich Trench presents a contrary challenge to the British. The riverbank up towards the objective is steeper, limiting sightlines from the hill crest and generally providing a safer approach. The oblong network of trenches, which extend past head height, can completely obscure defenders until the last moment of approach, and the large capture zone, which covers almost the entire stronghold, gives players ample opportunities for ambush. As in Conquest, the single house in the middle of the position is attractive as an "island" above the trench maze, however its layout and popularity can lead to similarly, intense close quarters fighting over its control. If neutralised, the Germans can funnel back into the capture zone through communication trenches on the northwest side of the area, or by crossing the wheat fields that border the position to the north. An FK 96 gun in this area can assist through high-explosive bombardment.

The British attackers are reduced in strength, losing their light vehicles and their Infiltrator. Their Mark Vs are left to tackle two German field guns and a Tank Hunter kit, which spawns in the vertically-running trench line just west of the main road.

Sector 3

The final phase of the Operation is directed towards the northern end of the map, with three objectives needing to be secured simultaneously. Each objectives are fairly isolated from one another by open ground, and are themselves enclosed from most sides to prevent long-range supporting fire. They must, therefore, be won in point-blank fighting.

Objective A, Sugar Mill, is located forward of its regular Conquest location across the road further to the south. The crumbling brick walls still standing, as well as the archways on the east side, bar sightlines into the position from the outside. Inside the area, rubble piles, broken machinery and shell craters provide defenders with plenty of protective options, although the area can be attacked from any direction due to the attacking team's nonrestrictive map boundaries.

Objective B, Hill 21, is the central of the trio of objectives. It is also the smallest, with the capture zone covering a loop of trenches barely 20m², and with extremely cramped trench interiors that are deep and have many corners. Adjoining support trenches lead into the area from all directions, giving teams a protected avenue of approach and also a possible bottleneck for enemies to exploit. Players can also tuck into the side compartments, or cover the zone exterior from one of the may surrounding craters. If the attackers push through the trenches, they are given a formidable line of sight on Objective C.

Objective C is Hawthorn Station. It is isolated far to the rear of the German lines, with the final approach from Sugar Mill or Hill 21 made over the open ground of fields and the railyard. The largest of the three capture zones, the objective comprises the demolished station building on the edge of the destroyed town to the north. Like Sugar Mill, the area is covered with ruined masonry and excavated ground, with half-standing walls forming a rough perimeter. These walls can be useful for directional cover, as the attackers are afforded only a few possible directions to approach from due to its remoteness. Once neutralised, the Germans can sneak back into the objective from the nearby Sugar Mill, or by attacking out of the scorched earth bordering the objective to the north.

With the British down to a single tank at this stage, the threat of two more FK 96 guns, one on either side of the road, is further increased. For their part, the Germans are forced back into a spawn area around the Conquest location of Sugar Mill, and can be effectively contained there should the British advance far enough.

If conquered, the British can claim the Somme Offensive as a success - having won back territory from the Germans and relieving pressure on the French at Verdun - regardless of the price paid in blood.

Rush

In Rush, the British team is charged with pushing the defending Germans from their positions along the banks of the River Somme, eventually advancing to the pulverized industrial zone in the map's northern extremities. While the Germans receive no vehicles of any kind, the attacking British team can briefly enjoy the support of tanks for the first objective before combat descends into trench warfare for the following sectors.

Sector 1

Starting from the usual deployment, the British team must attack uphill past Wellington Farm to destroy telegraphs located in the first trench line. Each of the pair of objectives are located at opposite ends of the trench - objective A is at the west end and objective B is adjacent to the main road at the east end. The British have access to a single Mark V Landship in the initial attack.

Sector 2

Crossing the river, the attackers are loosed against the German's second defensive line. Objective A is in a trench a short distance south from the windmill at Marsh Landing. The telegraph is just past the trench entrance, inside the corner as the trench turns south-east. Objective B is across the main road, located within the trench behind the farmhouse on the north side of the Munich Trench area. It is found at the corner of the support trench that links the second and third lines.

The British lose their vehicle support for the rest of the battle at this point.

Sector 3

The third attack is made against the third and fourth trench lines. Again, the two objectives lie in trenches separated by the main road. Objective A is to the west, in a square ditch about the same location as a Sentry kit spawn in Conquest. Objective B is found in a dugout within the Hill 21 trench coil, close to the mouth of the support trench on the south side of the objective area.

Sector 4

The final objective set is downhill in the destroyed industrial area. The two objectives are placed in the same location corresponding to the Conquest flags of Sugar Mill and Hawthorn Station. As before, objective A is the westernmost of the pair, found near the remains of the entrance archway at Sugar Mill, and objective B is found eastwards in the middle of the foundations of the station.

Domination

Domination constricts the play area to the northernmost sector of the larger map, its southern boundary running alongside the third German defense line, cutting off the riverside objectives of Marsh Landing and Munich Trench. The flag placements are generally unchanged from Conquest, with the three objectives forming an equilateral triangle in the middle of the play area.

Hill 21

Hill 21 is the southernmost objective, taking place within the trenches of the cyclical hilltop debout. Although the tiny capture area is less crowded than in Conquest, seizing the objective may still consist of an intense, close range slogging match between teams. The objective's location uphill from the industrial zone makes it the most isolated of the three objectives, and players may be attacked when moving in the open to and from this flag.

Sugar Mill

Sugar Mill is on the western end of the industrial zone. The flag is moved slightly eastwards compared to its Conquest location, but otherwise comprises the same area of the ruined mill interior.

Hawthorn Station

The capture zone extends some distance westwards in relation to the flag itself, resulting in the largest of the three capture zones. The lack of substantial cover in the area leaves those taking the flag vulnerable to ranged attack from all directions, depending on the enemy team's spawn location.

Team Deathmatch

Team Deathmatch takes place in the same area as Domination.

War Pigeons

War Pigeons takes place within the same boundaries of Domination and Team Deathmatch.

Gallery

Concept Art

Trivia

• The internal name for this map in Community Test Environment is MP_Offensive.
• This map along with with other maps from Apocalypse were publicly trialed in the Community Test Environment with a "white box" prototype texture like the one seen in Operation Outbreak in Battlefield 4 and four maps from Battlefield 1: Turning Tides.
• Some flags on River Somme are references to various locations at which the Battle of the Somme was fought:
  • Munich Trench (Flag C) refers to the site of a British war cemetery and a German trench close to Beaumont-Hamel, a village to the front lines.
  • Sugar Mill (Flag E) refers to a sugar factory at Courcelette (part of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette), close to the strategic Albert-Bapaume road. It was utilised as a strongpoint by the German defenders.
  • Hawthorn Station (Flag F) refers to the Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt, a German redoubt close to Beaumont-Hamel. It was the site where the first mine of the Battle of the Somme was dug and detonated, right under the German positions.
• During the Community Test Environment version of the map, Flag A was known as Hamel Farm and Flag B as Beaumont Mill. Now, they are named Wellington Farm and Marsh Landing respectively.
  • These former names, plus the ones from some current flags, suggest that this map is set in Beaumont-Hamel, among the first locations to be attacked during the Battle of the Somme.