That would be Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, who was a good buddy of God's from way back. Here's what one web source says on the subject:
"Haig's upbringing profoundly influenced his character and resulted in his unshakeable faith in God, which gave him total confidence in his actions, making him appear excessively proud. His fanatical belief in God, which '...in the end...became one of the strongest influences on his thoughts and conduct', was instilled into him from a young age in the form of the Presbyterian faith of the Scottish Lowlands by his mother. This religious dimension lay dormant for a number of years, until it was strongly embraced by Haig again when he became Commander-in-Chief: 'I feel I am only the instrument of that Divine Power who watches over each one of us, so all the honour must be His...I know quite well that I am being used as a tool in the hands of the Divine Power and that my strength is not my own.' Consequently, any of the shortcomings of Haig's command could then be justified as 'God's will.' This is further supported by [A.J.P.] Taylor who argues that Haig believed that: 'Divine help would make up for any deficiencies on his part', and that this 'enabled Haig to survive a long record of failure to emerge victorious.'"
[See http://www.graphics35.freeserve.co.uk/dhaig/pages/essay.html]
As to whether the Somme offensive made "any kind of ruthless sense," after a four-month campaign the Allies gained 10 kilometers of ground at a total cost of 600,000 casualties.
Carl
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