YPRES, BATTLES OF

I. First Battle (Oct.- Nov. 1914). For the circumstances leading up to the formation of the salient, see War, THE Wor.p. The salient described a semicircle pa ing through Bixschoote, Langevoorde; thence by Hollebeke and s. of Me ines to Armentiéres. On Oct. 21 the bulk of four fresh German corps was thrown against the 7th Division between Zonnebeke and Becelaere, and the front was temporarily pierced at the latter point. Joffre promised to send help, but it could not arrive for three days, and the task of the defenders was to hold their precarious and extended front for that period at all costs. On the 22nd the line was badly dented on the left of the 1st Divisions at Pilkem, where part of the Camerons were cut off. They were liberated by a counterattack on the following day. The left | of the 7th Division at Becelaere was in an ugly salient. On the 23rd the new Ger. levies made a furious onslaught in the neighborhood of Langemarck, but were repeatedly mown down. On the 24th the Fr. 9th Corps advanced between Zonnebeke and Poelcappelle, and took over the line of the 1st Division, which moved to Zillebeke. The relief came just in time, for on that day the point of the salient at Becelaere gave way. The Germans entered Polygon Wood at Reutel, but once again were unable to extend their advantage (25th). At Kruiseik, n.z. of Zandvoorde, another salient was attacked, and the Scots Guards were eventually pushed back with heavy lo es (26th). The line of the 7th Division was dangerously advanced, and in the ominous lull which ensued it was readjusted. On the 29th the storm burst. Under the eyes of the Kaiser, who had taken up his quarters at Thielt in readine for a triumphal entry into Ypres, the Germans advanced in ma formation against the center of the 1st Corps at the point of the salient on the Gheluvelt cro -roads. The Ist Division was driven back, and the line swayed violently. All through the 30th the struggle continued and extended southwards, where the right of the 2nd Division was drawn back to the Klein Zillebeke ridge. It was e ential that this position should be held in order to safeguard the communications of the Ist Corps holding the salient. To achieve their purpose, the Germans then extended the attack still farther s., and drove the 2nd Cavalry Division from Hollebeke to St. Eloi. Next day came the crisis. The attack beat with desperate fury on Gheluvent village, which was lost. In the nick of time troops of the Fr. 9th Corps under General Mou y had come up, and they kept the line intact towards Klein Zillebeke, every available man begin thrown into the fray. It seemed as if nothing human could prevent. the Ger. ma es from pouring through the gap down the Menin-Ypres road, when the enfilading fire of the 2nd Division n. of Gheluvelt momentarily checked the onset, and the 2nd Worcesters, by a glorious charge which saved the battle, retook Gheluvelt, and brought the attackers to a standstill. On the following day reinforcements, French and British, came up, and the situation was eased; but the position was serious, for from Me ines the Germans could easily throw shells into Ypres. For five days the battle slackened into an artillery duel. Then a sudden attack began on the Klein Zille-. beke position (Nov. 6), the French were dri ven in, but rallied. Again came a period of ominous quietne , lasting till the 10th. On the following day the Germans made a supreme effort. The Pru ian Guard came down the Menin road against Gheluvelt. They were terribly punished before they were in contact with the defence, but neverthele they took the first trenches. There they were subjected to a devastating fire, and except 12 a few places were compelled to withdraw. The Germans made no further serious effort to win Ypres. About 600,000 Germans had been defeated by a force of one-third their strength, and they lost 150,000 men in advancing 3 or 4 miles, II. Second Battle (April-May 1915).— After the winter inaction the enemy made a series of attacks at various points of the salient, all of which were repulsed (March 5-11, 1915). In local engagements at St. Eloi (March 12-18), that village was lost and recaptured by the British. Then in April the Germans made a second great bid for Ypres. Just before the attack commenced the British exploded powerful mines at Hill 60, a mound of earth forming a good gun position besides the Ypres-Lilles railway, and occupied the site (April 17). The Germans replied with a number of unsucce ful counter-attacks. They kept up a terrific connonade, but the British still remained in po e ion on the 22nd, when the Germans opened a great a ault on the northern part of the Ypres salient, using for the first time in the war the dastardly weapon of asphyxjiating gas. Towards the evening of that day a green vapor descended on the lines occupied by Fr. Colonial troops between Langemarck and Steen str a ate, wafted by a light breeze from the n.n. Suffocated and blinded, they broke in panic, and in their retreat uncovered the flank of the Canadians before St. Julien. A gap opened between the Yser Canal and Langemarck, and through this the attackers poured, the Canadians, who were now also affected with the deadly nausea, in turn being obliged to fall back, leaving four guns behind. But they rallied magnificently, and with reinforcements, which came up in the morning (23rd), recovered part of the lost ground between Steen str a ate and Langemarck, together with their guns. Gradually order was evolved out of chaos, and the tide was stemmed. Farther n. the Germans cro ed the Yser and took Lizerne, from which they were ejected later by Fr. Zouaves and the Belgians. On the 24th the Canadians were again a ailed with poison gas. The position became critical, especially at St. Julien, but on the right the Canadians held firm at Grafenstafel, Brit. reinforcements were rushed to this critical point, and the front was maintained. For some days the fighting was critical, especially around Shell trap farm a nd| Fortuin, where Northumbrian and La- ‘hore divisions had taken the Canadians’ ‘place. It was decided at this stage to ‘shorten the front. Accordingly, preparations were made for a bold retire-. “ment which would make of the salient an easy curve, with its farthest point within 3 m. of Ypres. But on May 2nd the Germans launched a fresh gas attack against the French on the Yser Canal and the 4th Division ». and w. of F¥ortuin. The troops had now been supplied with respirators, and succeeded in holding their ground. Thereafter the withdrawal was carried out piecemeal under cover of night, and practically without casualties. The new line ran from the French w. of the Langemarck road by Shell trap farm, along the Frezenberg ridge, and then due s., including the Bellewaarde lake and Hooge, and curving round to the Zillebeke ridge and’ Hill 60. The Germans now began operations against the Frezenberg ridge. At the s.w. extremity of the salient they recaptured Hill 60 by a gas attack (May 5). Three days later they pushed in the center of the salient from Frezenberg to Verlorenhoek, and to the vn. reached Wieltje, but were driven out in bayonet fighting. Under cover of gas they attacked again on the following day, but were mown down. Heavy rains impeded movement for some days, and then on the 13th, after a terrific bombardment, the 1st and 3rd dismounted cavalry divisions between were attacked; they lost ground, but recovered it in a brilliant counterattack, The fighting ebbed away, but revived suddenly on the 24th, when gas was released on the positions between Shell trap farm and the Gellewaarde lake, followed by Ger. attacks at various points, which, however, availed them nothing.; Ill, Third Battle (JulyNov. 1917).— A long period of comparative calm followed, broken only by isolated actions of a give-and-take character and artillery activity. On July 31, 1917, the British took the offensive in Flanders, and the third battle of Ypres—a series of powerful attacks with limited objectives—had begun. ‘The preliminary to it was the capture of Mu ines (June 1917), which cleared the ridges s. of Ypres. The forces engaged were, on the Allied side, the Fr. 1st Army, under Anthoine, on the Yper canal between Reninghe and Boesinghe on the left; the Brit. 5th Army, under Gough, in the center; and the 2nd Army, under Plumer, from Gapaard to the Lys on the right flank. At 3:50 a.m. on the 31st, under cover of discharges of thermit and blazing oil, and such a barrage as had not yet been seen, the infantry cro ed their parapets, and the battle began. The whole of the Ger. front position fell at once. Anthoine cro ed the canal and took Steen str a ate; Verlorenhoek fell to the 15th Division; and farther s. the chateau of Hooge and the lake of Bellewaarde were taken. The Allies then pre ed on to the second position, and by 9 a.m. the whole of it wn. of Westhoek was in their hands. ¥rezenberg, St. Julien, and Pilkem fell, the 5ist Division and the Guards cro ed the Steenbeek, and the fr. occupied Bixschoote. South of the Menin road Stirling Castle, a point dominating Ypres, was taken; but Ger. resistance in this important sector was stubborn, and later in the day a counter-attack on a large scale compelled a retirement from the advanced points; but the crest of the first’ ridge was held, and the Germans had lost observation over the salient here. The subsidiary action fought by the 2nd Army was an unbroken succe , the front being advanced to the Lys at LaBa e Ville. From midday on Aug. 1, for four days and nights, rain fell without ceasing, and made the battlefield a quagmire, A| further advance was impo iole for a fortnight. St. Julien was lost and On the 10th the high ground round Westhoek was captured, and also Glen corse Wood. Then on the 16th the 5th Army advanced against the Ger. third position, the Gheluvelt-Langemarck line, which ran along the second of the tiers of ridges mn. of Ypres. Von Armin had strewn the ground with ‘pill-boxes,’ from which poured heavy and persistent machine-gun fire, which inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. On the left and left center the French carried the bridgehead of Drie Grachten, and the British after a check gained Langemarck; but in the center the ground gained could not be held, and a series of counter-attacks drove the 5th Army back practically to its starting point. On the right the fighting was still more intense. On the Menin road the highest point, Hill 64, known as Clapham Junction, the bo or pillar of all the ridges 5. of Ypres, had been pa ed, but Glen corse Wood *was fought for all day in vain. The new Ger. method of defence had baffled the attackers. The rest of the month was one long downpour; but a few small were recorded. The third stage of the battle opened on Sept. 20, when the whole line pre ed forward knee-deep in mud. All the objectives were attained. Perhaps the most remarkable achievement was that of the Scot. and S. African brigades of the 9th Division, which, advancing on| -both sides of the Ypres-Roulers railway, took the fortified farms of Vampire and Borry, and the Potsdam and Anzac tedoubts. But the key of the Ger. position lay on the Menin road. South of it, Welsh and West of England troops pushed into Shrews bury Wood; Eng. North-country troops carried Inverne Copse and entered Veldhoek, and n. of the road the Austral i ans cleared Glen corse Wood and Nuns’ Wood, and occupied the w. half of Polygon Wood, including the racecourse. Every inch of the ground won was vital. The Germans suffered heavy lo es in attempting to regain it. On the 26th the Brit. attack was renewed on a 5-m. front. The Tower Hamlet spur on the Menin road was completely captured, as well as the remainder of Polygon Wood, while farther n. Zonnebeke and some fortified farms were taken. The Germans counter-attacked powerfully till Oct. 3rd, especially at Tower Hamlets, a key position. In heavy rain the fourth stage of the attack began on Oct. 4, and caught the Germans in the act of preparation for a counter-effort with three fresh divisions, which were broken up by. the barrage. They fell back in confusion before the bayonet, and the advance measured nearly 2 m. The objective was the line of the main ridge ©. of Zonnebeke. Just n. of the Menin road Polderhoek and Reutel were captured, on the height overlooking Becelaere. Farther Nn. the Austral i ans took Moordhemhoek, Molenaarelsthoek, and Broodseinde. On the other side of the Ypres-Roulers railway the British drew nearer Gravenstafel and several fortified farms, and part of Poelcappelle. The Ger. lo es, which included 4,500 prisoners, were particularly heavy in this engagement. Haig now determined to aim for Pa chendaele, and compel the defence to spend the winter on the lower, muddier terrain. On Oct. 9th French and British advanced on a wide front from n. of Bixschoote to s.n. of Broodseinde. On the left the troops took many fortified farms and blockhouses, and reached the s.w. edge of Houthulst Forest. The capture of Poelcappelle was comleted. In the center and on the right orkshire, Lancashire, and Midland troops moved nearer to Pa chendaele along the main ridge, gaining from 1,500 to 2,000 yards. After the position had been consolidated, the attack was renewed on-.a limited scale (Oct. 22), ground being gained on the edge of Houthulst Forest and x. of Poelcappelle. At dawn on the 26th a fresh offensive was begun towards Pa chendaele, the French again supporting the attack on the left. I N co-operation with the Belgians, they Cleared the Merckem peninsula and menaced Houthulst Forest from the w. Canadian and Brit. troops captured Many positions &. of Poelcappelle, and reached the southern slopes of Pa chendaele village. On Nov. 6th the Canadians, by a prodigious effort, captured the hamlets of Mo elmarkt and Goudberg to the n., and finally carried Pa chenGaele. Four days later they increased their gains. The vital part of the main ridge, after long and bloody fighting, was in Brit. hands, and the salient had been wiped out.