Battle of Passchendaele

The battles of so known Passchendaele as the third battle of Ypres took place between the July 31st and the November 6th 1917 in Western Flanders during the First World War, it opposed the British Army and of the reinforcements of the French Army to the German Armée.

Context of the battle

After success obtained in June 1917 at the time of the Battle Metz-native by the British troops of the general Herbert To pluck, Douglas Haig, the commander-in-chief of the BEF (British Expeditionary Forces), estimates that an opening is possible. To launch its offensive, it chooses the sector of Ypres in the South-west of the current Belgium. Thanks to this new attack, Haig hopes to reach the bases of U-boot S located at Bruges, with 50 kilometers of the face. Indeed, at this period of the war, the German underwater offensive reached its apogee and starts to strongly weigh on the British economy. However the main aim remains to dislodge German of their positions on the peak between Westrozebeke and Broodseinde, it before the winter, and in the final analysis to realize very waited bored for which thousands of men gave in vain their life since the end of the year 1914.

The success of the offensive depends primarily on the factor speed since one knows by experiment that in this zone and in this season, as well as possible three weeks ago of sharpened without rain. However the rain slows down the movements and condemns almost any attempt at attack. And what was to arrive arrived, a continual rain falls down on the sector of Ypres much earlier than envisaged: mud makes its appearance and the craters of shell are transformed into dangerous mud pits. In spite of this climatic hitch, the offensive is maintained: the center of the device is entrusted to Ve armed with the general Hubert Gough, the line in IIe armed To pluck and the left with the I {{Re}} French Army with the general Antoine, opposite, IVe armed German awaits them firm footing.

Course of the battle

The offensive begins on July 31st with 3:30 from the morning by a thick fog which does not facilitate the British progression. Quickly one realizes that the latter will not be that discounted. However, the troops of the Entente gain some successes: in the north of Ypres, the villages of Sint-Juliaan, Pilkem and Bikschoote are removed. However in south-east, the push towards the Ypres-Menin road is blocked in particular because of a ceaseless rain which slows down the troop movements considerably. These two weeks of rains will make it possible German more effectively to reorganize and face with the British attacks.

August 16th, Haig launches a new offensive: Ve armed with Gough is launched against the Geluveld-Langemark line which is conquered but the projection stops there. The moral one of the British soldiers crumbles: the latter curse mud, German resistance and the staffs which sacrifice them unnecessarily.

Being given the failure of the attack of the Gough general, Haig orders in IIe armed To pluck to attack the plate of Geluveld in the North of its positions but in the South of Ypres. The third offensive of the battle of Passchendaele begins on September 20th with 5:40: four divisions including two Australian launches out to the attack of a face of six kilometers between Klein Zillebeke and Westhoek. The progression of the British is made meter per meter and those undergo the constant counter-attacks of the troops of the Kaiser which use for the first time of the Mustard gas, also baptized Ypérite of the name of the town of Ypres. A division reaches almost the village of Geluveld and the Wood of the Polygon is conquered. To North Ve armed progresses along the Ypres-Roulers way until Zonnebeke.

The ultimate offensive, fixed on November 6th at six hours, is entrusted to Canadian Corps of Currie and aims at the villages of Passchendaele (currently Passendale ) and of Mosselmarkt, and the peak beyond. 1st and the 2nd division supported by a powerful stopping of Artillerie remove the two villages in two hours with losses rising with 2 238 men: Haig is satisfied. The battle of Passchendaele, also known under the name of third battle of Ypres, will stop there.

Assessment of the battle

The battle of Passchendaele finally made it possible to relieve the pressure on the French and covering it of Ypres was inserted of eight kilometers. But at what a price! The losses (deaths, wounded and disappeared) rise with approximately 8 500 French, 300 000 British of which at least 40 000 missings, generally drowned in mud, and 260 000 Germans. An almost useless butchery, with the image of the majority of the great offensives of the Western face of the First World War.

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