Battle of Passchendaele (third battle of Ypres)

31 July-6 November 1917

Passchendaele ridge lay to northwest of the Belgian town of Ypres, which had been defended by the Allies since the early days of the war. British forces had captured the Messines ridge to the south of the town in June and it was believed that by taking the Passchendaele ridge the way would be clear to liberate the Belgian channel ports and further extend the Ypres salient. Haig, the British Commander in Chief, even hoped that an advance would lead to a complete German defeat.

After an artillery assault from 3,000 guns, the offensive began with a push across a fifteen mile front by nine British and six French divisions. In two days the Allies advanced by up to two and a half miles and thousands of German prisoners were taken. But, as the fighting continued into August a combination of heavy German resistance and fierce rain slowed progress and the battle developed into the usual war of attrition.

Offensives were renewed in September and early October, by which time the British forces alone had suffered casualties of 163,000 dead and wounded. The Germans counter attacked on many occasions, sometimes with mustard gas, but by 12 October the British were within reach of Passchendaele ridge. The final assault on the ridge, by British and Canadian troops, was hampered by atrocious rain which again turned the battlefield into a swamp; many injured soldiers drowned in shell-holes because they could not crawl out. The village of Passchendaele itself was finally taken by Canadian troops on 30 October.

Allied dead and wounded at Passchendaele totalled 245,000, of which 66,000 were killed. The German casualties were probably 400,000. Allied plans to strike at German held territory beyond Passchendaele were postponed.

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