During the First World War, the Germans constructed deep dugouts throughout the butte and surrounded it by several belts of barbed wire, making it a formidable defensive position. After the battle of Flers-Courcelette (15–22 September 1916) the view from the butte dominated the new British front line and was used by the Germans for artillery observation. The butte was the subject of several attacks by the British Fourth Army, which were costly failures. Attacks in November also failed. The 1/6th, 1/8th and 1/9^th bat. of the DLI were involved in the last assault of the Somme offensive against this butte, on 5^th November. They lost nearly 940 officers and men killed, wounded or missing for no gain. It was the further point that the British reached at the end of the battle.

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