In hindsight and from the British viewpoint, the Battle of the Somme was the wrong battle (effectively like sending cavalry against tanks) in the wrong place (an offensive near the Channel might have worked well) at the wrong time (it happened to be one of the wettest summers on record). 

Initially public support for the Battle of the Somme offensive was tremendous.  The newspapers spoke in terms of ‘advances’, ‘leaps forward’ and ‘captures’. 

It was not until the offensive had been underway for some weeks that it became obvious a very high price was being paid.