This proved its importance on the first day of the Somme, July 1, 1916, when almost 60,000 British soldiers were killed. It was the king of defense and a small team operated the cannon in an entrenched position; this allowed them to protect themselves from most artillery fire. Besides the artillery, they killed the most soldiers and were feared by those who crossed the peak. It was because of machine guns that it was necessary to invent innovations such as the tank to absorb some of the fire and allow easier movement for infantry. The machine gun was so effective because it slowed down the war and reduced the number of frontal assaults.