<P> The destruction of German units in battle was made worse by lack of rest . British and French aircraft and long - range guns reached well behind the front - line, where trench - digging and other work meant that troops returned to the line exhausted . Despite the strategic predicament of the German army, it survived the battle, withstood the pressure of the Brusilov Offensive, and conducted an invasion of Romania . In 1917, the German army in the west survived the large British and French offensives of the Nivelle Offensive and the Third Battle of Ypres, though at great cost . </P> <P> Falkenhayn was sacked and replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff at the end of August 1916 . At a conference at Cambrai on 5 September, a decision was taken to build a new defensive line well behind the Somme front . The Siegfriedstellung was to be built from Arras to St. Quentin, La Fère and Condé, with another new line between Verdun and Pont - à - Mousson . These lines were intended to limit any Allied breakthrough and to allow the German army to withdraw if attacked; work began on the Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line) at the end of September . Withdrawing to the new line was not an easy decision and the German high command struggled over it during the winter of 1916--1917 . Some members wanted to take a shorter step back, to a line between Arras and Sailly, while the First and Second army commanders wanted to stay on the Somme . Generalleutnant von Fuchs on 20 January 1917 said that, </P> <P> Enemy superiority is so great that we are not in a position either to fix their forces in position or to prevent them from launching an offensive elsewhere . We just do not have the troops...We cannot prevail in a second battle of the Somme with our men; they cannot achieve that any more . (20 January 1917) </P> <Table> BEF railway tonnage, France 1916 <Tr> <Th> Month </Th> <Th> Tonnage (Long tons) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> January </Td> <Td> 2,484 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> February </Td> <Td> 2,535 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> March </Td> <Td> 2,877 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> April </Td> <Td> 3,121 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> May </Td> <Td> 3,391 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> June </Td> <Td> 4,265 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> July </Td> <Td> 4,478 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> August </Td> <Td> 4,804 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> September </Td> <Td> 4,913 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> October </Td> <Td> 5,324 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November </Td> <Td> 5,107 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> December </Td> <Td> 5,202 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Battle of the somme where did it take place