Ypres Battles

Battles on the Ypres Salient

 The Battles of Ypres, 1914. – 19^th October – 22^nd November

(Referred to as 1^st Ypres)

The British Expeditionary Force, which was relatively small, was operating with Belgian Forces to its north and French to the South.  As they advanced in the Ypres area, they met a very much larger force of Germans.  Whilst many were crack troops, there were also the Volunteer Reserve Corps of young, untrained men.  The BEF pushed the Volunteer Reserve Corps back to the Passchendaele Ridge.  Despite counter-attacks particularly in the Polygon Wood area, the Germans were eventually pushed back and Ypres was saved.   Both sides lost a considerable number of men wounded and killed. 

After this Trench Warfare set in and Battles of attrition would be the order of the day.

The Second Battle of Ypres  - 22^nd April – 25^th May 1915

The Germans used poison gas for the first time in an attack to the north of the city.  Some troops in the allied lines broke but many stayed put and suffered terrible losses.  The Fresh 1^st Canadian Division stood their ground and resisted. This despite having an inferior rifle and hardly anything to protect them from gas.

The Allied lines had to be shortened after the attacks.

2^nd Ypres –

Battle of Gravenstafel       22^nd – 23^rd April

Battle of St Julien           24^th April – 4^th May

Battle of Frenzenburg        8^th –13^th May

Battle of Bellwaarde          24^th-25^th May 

Between this date and June 1917 it was mostly local attacks to gain small amounts of ground. 

A prelude to 3^rd Ypres (Passchendaele) was the very successful – Battle of Messines 7^th-14^th June 1917.   The Germans were then given a six-week breathing space before Passchendaele. 

The British had to divert attention from the French front, which was weakened by mutiny. 

3rd Ypres (Passchendaele) – 31^st July – 10^th November 1917

It was a long and savage struggle and the weather was appalling.  Despite this the British fought their way to the village of Passchendaele itself.  The cost was huge even by Great War standards.  It was to prove a totally pointless exercise as in early 1918; Passchendaele was given up when the Allied lines were shortened.

Battle of Pilckem  – 31^st July – 2^nd August

Battle of Langemarck  - 16^th –18^th August

Battle of the Menin Road - 20th - 25^th September

Battle of Polygon Wood  - 26^th September – 3^rd October

Battle of Broodseinde  - 4^th October

(See 9^th Sherwood Foresters and Broodseinde Battle plans)

Battle of Poelcappelle - 9^th October

First Battle of Passchendaele  - 12^th October

Second Battle of Passchendaele – 26^th October – 10^th November 

In spring 1918 the Germans began their spring offensive.  Passchendaele was given up to shorten the lines.  The 300,000 casualties of 3^rd Ypres may have wondered – Why. 

4^th Ypres – During the last 100 days of the Great War the Allies attacked on all fronts.  By mid-October the last shell had fallen on Ypres and so ended the fourth Battle. 

On 11^th November 1918 the British troops were close to where they started in August 1914 – at Mons in Belgium.

Steve Morse 2004

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