Why did the British walk into battle during world war 1?

Question

Why did they walk in rows towards the german lines instead of running like hell, surely this just left them open to the german fire as the 419 000 that died in the somme would attest.

Answer 1

20,000 dead i the first day of the Somme Battle....

Its about obsolescent military tactics adapted driled as a discipline since the previous American Civil war day...except in WW1, it wasn't slow loading muskets but the the machine gun and magazined bolt-action rifles enabling a higher and more devastating higher rate of fire against any advancing forces on open ground.

After grievous casualties, the British, Germans and French eventually had to change this rather ridiculous way of advancing and eventually adopted the full frontal charge instead of the death walk.

The Americans came in later into the war and were updated with newer battle tested tactics.

Answer 2

In 1916, it was feared that the French line would collapse at Verdun, so the new British general, Douglas Hague, decided on a new initiative. He decided that the time had come to attack. He prepared for battle by five days of artillery assault of a 25 mile length of the battle line. This was intended to kill or at least drive away all resistance on this particular stretch. On 1st July, at 7:30 A.M., at a given signal, officers and men climbed out of the trenches and advanced. At some points of the line, German defences had been wiped out and the British troops advanced without difficulty. At other points, German gun batteries were still intact and advancing British troops were wiped out. Some groups were almost completely annihilated. The worst affected were the Tyneside Irish Brigade and the Accrington Pals with about 90% casualties. An exact count of the dead on the first day was impossible but it is estimated that 8,000 British troops were killed that day.

The Battle of the Somme continued for another three months, during which British and Empire troops suffered 140,000 casualties and gained about 100 square miles of territory. After this, the trench lines were re-established and the war continued as usual. In 1917, other breakouts were made, making extensive use of tanks. These forays were slightly more successful than the Somme, but the war only came to an end in 1918, when the German army ran out of materiel and were obliged to sue for peace.

Answer 3

419000 died in the Somme not from marching in lines to their deaths. They died from disease, and relentless bombardment while in trenches. They died from gas warfare and from exposure to the elements. That being said, watch any movie about the American civil war to see lines of men marching slowly while the enemy shoots, reloads, shoots again.
Warfare has changed to adapt to the weapons used, but sometimes tactics are used way after they should have been abandoned.

Answer 4

Probably a last ditch effort to get the opposing side to drop the weapons or else.