Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? On the British front, the counterattacks of the morning had made it possible to build up the long exposed Canadian left flank, and, but for a gap of about 1,000 yards (0.9 km) north of St. Julien, a solid line of defense now existed from the original Canadian left to the canal. However, the Canadian left, now strengthened by the Canadian 1st Battalion, had stabilized. Background. On April 14 reliable and detailed information was received at British and French headquarters that the Germans intended to use a new weapon, asphyxiating gas discharged from cylinders, opposite the northern edge of the Ypres salient at Langemarck (now Langemark). During the Second Battle of Ypres, Lt. Col. John Alexander McCrae M.D. Meeting heavy resistance, they released a gas cloud on May 10. Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn. The reinforcements arrived at the front line about 1:00 am. Lance Sergeant Elmer Cotton described the effects of chlorine gas in 1915: It produces a flooding of the lungs – it is an equivalent death to drowning only … Ypres was the principal town within an important salient, or bulge, in the British lines on the Western Front during World War I.The Ypres salient was the site of three major battles—First Ypres (October–November 1914), Second Ypres (April–May 1915; marked by the Germans’ first use of poison gas as a weapon), and Third Ypres (also called Passchendaele; July–November 1917)—with total Allied and German … In early April 1915 the Allied forces on the Ypres front comprised (from south to north) elements of the two corps of the British Second Army—which included the 1st Canadian Division—commanded by Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, the French 45th (Algerian) and 87th Territorial divisions under Gen. Henri Putz, and the Belgian 6th Division under Maj. Gen. Armand de Ceuninck. Finally reaching the coast, the Western Front became a continuous line stretching to the Swiss frontier. This was done by opening the gas cylinders by hand and relying on the prevailing winds to carry the gas towards the enemy. On April 24 a second German gas attack hit the Canadians directly, but, although some units were forced to fall back, the 1st Division held the line until reinforcements could be rushed to the front. This might be a better book if you're more interested in the first attack on April 22nd, since that's its main focus. The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power (Germans) on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St. Julien-Kitcheners' Wood. Moving forward, the Germans entered the Allied lines but their exploitation of the gap was slowed by darkness and a lack of reserves. The unusual noise of traffic behind the German lines caused so little alarm that three of the eight Canadian field batteries at Ypres would be caught while rotating troops from the front line to the rear. of Guelph wrote "In Flanders Fields" in the voice of those who perished in the war. Though the Germans had failed to break through the Allied lines, they reduced the Ypres Salient to around three miles which allowed for the shelling of the city. The effect of the gas on the French was greater than the German infantry had anticipated. The left flank of this line was in contact with the St. Julien garrison, whereas the right bent back some distance from the old front line. Though the Germans had not achieved a breakthrough, they succeeded in bringing Ypres within range of their artillery. Gas was not a new weapon in 1915 but the Second Battle of Ypres was the first time chlorine gas was used and the first time it was employed on such a scale. Between them, they suffered 41,000 of the 59,000 British casualties and the battle was to be the last major action on the Western Front fought predominantly by British ‘Old Army’ units. Having consolidated their position, the Allies were again attacked by the Germans on May 8. At daybreak on April 23 the Allies began the arduous process of establishing a continuous line along the Canadian flank to join the French on the Yser canal. Unprepared for such an attack, the French troops began retreating as their comrades were blinded or collapsed from asphyxiation and damage to lung tissue. As the withdrawal began on May 1, the Germans again attacked with gas near Hill 60. In the fighting at Second Ypres, the British suffered around 59,275 casualties, while the Germans endured 34,933. As such, he recommended withdrawing two miles to a new line in front of Ypres where his men could consolidate and re-form. The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April to 25 May 1915 on the Western Front of World War I when the Imperial German Army launched an offensive against the Entente forces at the Ypres salient in Flanders, Belgium.Ypres was the first battle in history to feature the use of chlorine gas. The second battle of Ypres was fought between April 22 and May 25 in 1915. Days passed without any noticeable augmentation of the German forces, already concentrated unseen in Houthulst Forest. The 16th Battalion extended toward St. Julien and dug in while the 10th held the left and patrolled the wood. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. The Second Battle of Ypres was Canada’s first major engagement in the First World War set in Flanders in the Ypres Salient – a section of the front line surrounding the town of Ypres, Belgium. The attack was unsuccessful and was broken off in May. The Second Battle of Ypres April and May 1915 saw 121 Lancastrians killed, making them the worst two months of the War for the town. It was a weapon that, when used in the second battle of Ypres, destroyed any romantic notions of conflict. Late that morning Smith-Dorrien ordered the British 13th Brigade and other British units in the area to counterattack northward along the east side of the canal toward Pilckem. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. It was the first mass use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front. Moving in the open by short rushes and under devastating fire, the 3rd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, carried that part of the line to the lower slopes of Pilckem Ridge, a short distance from the new German trenches. The 10th Canadian Field Battery, by switching fire to the left rear, stopped the German advance in its sector before moving to a less-exposed position. These activities diverted the Allies’ attention from the northern face of the salient, where the first German blow would strike the junctions of the British, French, and Belgian forces. It happened in the spring of 1915. Sweeping over the trench, the Canadians pressed on through the wood, recovering the four guns of the 2nd London Heavy Battery, but, instead of advancing northwestward toward the east side of Pilckem as planned, they lost direction and emerged to dig in along a hedge northeast of the wood. Subsequent British counterattacks over the next two days failed to retake St. Julien and the units engaged sustained heavy losses. canisters of chlorine gas to the front opposite Gravenstafel Ridge which was occupied by French 45th and 87th Divisions. The leftmost Canadian units pushed on for an additional 700 yards (0.6 km), where they found about 200 French soldiers with a machine gun who were occupying elements of a trench and in contact with the enemy. It was clear that the line on the left had broken, but the extent of the disaster was not realized at first. Second Battle of Ypres in Southern Victory Edit. Simultaneously, a second advance moved down the open slopes of Hill Top Ridge toward the German trenches on Pilckem Ridge. However, by early October, 1914, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was able to recapture the town. As the two sides sought an advantage, they clashed in Picardy, Albert, and Artois. Had the assault been backed with sufficient reserves, it may have broken through the Allied lines. Naval Operations in the Dardanelles Campaign. Two German corps were to follow through the gap made by the gas cloud. In addition, the French incurred around 10,000. The Second Battle Of Ypres 1093 Words | 5 Pages. Most of these deaths were associated with the Second Battle of Ypres (22 nd April to 25 th May) and 90 of the deaths were from the 1 st /5 th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Subscribe to Dispatches Support the Great … The Canadians held the old front line and the flank along the St. Julien–Poelcappelle road in the hope that a counterattack would restore the shattered left. Williams and R. James Steel (2020). How to say second battle of Ypres in English? This latter attack had been ordered by French Gen. Ferdinand Foch at about 8:00 pm on April 22 to regain the ground lost to the gas attack. It marked the first mass The second battle of Ypres continued for another month after the Canadians were relieved, fought largely by British units  and by a battalion of the Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry  who re-established control of the Ypres salient. Between that position and St. Julien, the 13th Battalion’s two supporting platoons suffered heavy losses while countering the German effort to penetrate behind the trench line and roll it up. Their first move was to be securing a bridgehead across the Yser (Ijzer) canal. This focus ultimately resulted in the stunningly successful Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive in May. The battle marked the Germans’ first use of poison gas as a weapon. After the northern portion of the Ypres Salient was subjected to the world’s first poison gas attack in April, ... Britain, Canada, Germany, Second Battle of Ypres, trenches, Ypres. Second Ypres was a hard and exhausting struggle, with the ‘Old Army’ Divisions, the 4th, 5th, 27th and 28th, bearing the brunt of the fighting. Ypres, a medieval town in Belgium, was taken by the German Army at the beginning of the war. In six days of bloody fighting, the Germans were only able to advance around 2,000 yards. When he volunteered at age 41 for service in the First World War, McCrae wrote to a friend that “I am really rather afraid, but more afraid to stay at home with my conscience.” In April 1915, McCrae and a young friend, Alexis Helmer,…, …a 6-km (4-mile) front at Ypres, Belgium, on April 22, 1915, creating a wind-borne chemical cloud that opened a major breach in the lines of the unprepared French and Algerian units. As soon as Allied commanders received news of the breaking of the line on their left, they sent reinforcements to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade to strengthen the line between St. Julien and the Bois des Cuisinièrs. The first of these began on 22 nd April 1915 as a surprise attack by the German 4th Army on the French sector of the Allied Front Line. The Second Battle of Ypres, as it is known in British military history, encompassed four battles in the northern sector of the Ypres Salient. Opening with a heavy artillery bombardment, the Germans moved against the British 27th and 28th Divisions southeast of Ypres on Frezenberg Ridge. The Second Battle Ypres was fought April 22 to May 25, 1915, during World War I (1914-1918) and saw the Germans conduct a limited offensive around the strategic town of Ypres in Flanders. The second battle began on Apr. During World War I, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium after the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. This approach clashed with General Paul von Hindenburg who wished to deliver a decisive blow in the East. He painted this enormous work of art, with the canvas 371.5 by 589.0 centimetres, in his London studio. Most infamously, this battle also served as a testing ground for releasing chlorine gas as a weapon of mass destruction. The French 153rd Division was being brought up, but it took some time to gather fresh troops, and three Belgian battalions were lent for the attack. As the gas was denser than air it quickly filled low-lying areas, such as trenches, forcing the surviving French defenders into the open where they were susceptible to German fire. Overseeing German operations, Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn preferred to focus on winning the war on the Western Front as he believed that a separate peace could be obtained with Russia. Great War Blog On Kindle. From April 22 to 25, 1915, the 1st Canadian Division fought with great determination and courage to hold back a German offensive in the salient. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Battle-of-Ypres, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Canada and the Second Battle of Ypres, Government of Canada - The Second Battle of Ypres (22 April-25 May 1915). Conditions to the left of the Canadian front were precarious from the first, but some 200 Algerians, although gassed, took up a position near and parallel to the road between Ypres and the village of Poelcappelle (now Poelkapelle) to the northeast. Hedges and ditches made it difficult to keep order in the darkness, but the Canadians pressed on. For the first time, a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division) defeated a European power (the German Empire) on … The Germans detonated a mine at St. Éloi (now St. Eloois) on April 14, and three days later the British responded by blowing up most of Hill 60, a rise 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Ypres. Meanwhile, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade prepared for a counterattack to capture the Bois des Cuisinièrs—an oak forest whose name the British and Canadians had translated as “Kitcheners’ Wood”—roughly 1,000 yards (0.9 km) west of St. Julien. It targeted a 4-mile stretch of the Allied line on the north side of the salient, held by French and Algerian troops. second battle of Ypres - battle in World War I (1915); Germans wanted to try chlorine (a toxic yellow gas) as a weapon and succeeded in taking considerable territory from the Allied salient battle of Ypres, Ypres Three hundred yards (some 270 metres) from the German trench covering the southern approach to the wood, the German defenders detected movement. During the Second Battle Ypres, the British suffered around 59,275 casualties, while the Germans only had 34,933. 11 - May Flowers, 1915 - Old World In Ruins, Eastern Front. The greatest handicap was lack of artillery support: the Canadian frontage was 300 yards (roughly 275 metres) per gun. This plan was rejected by the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir John French, who elected to sack Smith-Dorrien and replace him with the commander of V Corps, General Herbert Plumer. Second Battle of Ypres, (April 22–May 25, 1915), second of three costly battles in World War I at Ypres (now Ieper), in western Flanders. Canadian forces would return to the Ypres salient in 1917 for the Battle of Passchendaele  also known as the Third Battle of Ypres a bloody conflict that resulted in 15,654 Canadian casualties (including over 4,000 killed). These units were comprised of territorial and colonial troops from Algeria and Morocco. The first gas attack came on 22 April. Edited 28 April by KernelPanic Fear of the new weapon. Thus, the threat of combined Allied operations by sea and land along the Flemish coast would be dispelled and the stage set for a German thrust toward the Channel ports. In the spring of 1915, the Germans were preparing a major offensive against Russia, but the development … With the German defeat at the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914 and the unraveling of the Schlieffen Plan, both sides commenced a series of flanking maneuvers in northern France and Flanders. During World War I, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium after the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. Assessing the situation, Plumer also recommended falling back. Though many neutral nations agreed with this assessment, it did not stop the Allies from developing their own gas weapons which debuted at Loos that September. Although the gas attack opened a wide hole in the Allied line, the Germans failed to exploit that advantage. [57] [58] Tanks were first … As fighting spread down the salient as far as Hill 60, Smith-Dorrien came to believe that only a major counter-offensive would be able to push the Germans back to their original positions. In fact, the German XXIII and XXVI Reserve Corps, after a short artillery preparation, had attacked under cover of a discharge of nearly 200 tons (180,000 kg) of chlorine gas. e Second Battle of Ypres is today remembered as marking the rst use of gas on the Western Front. If the French could not recover the ground on the left, an extensive withdrawal would be necessary, and converging German attacks might break down the apex before the withdrawal could be completed. Two days later, on 24 April, a … Updates? It is historically significant because it was the first time a colony defeated Europe in a battle fought on their soil. After the Second Battle of Ypres, in August 1915, they were transferred to the 51st (Highland) Division as the divisional pioneers, and disbanded in March 1919 at Haddington The 1/9th mobilised at Edinburgh in August 1914, and moved to France in February 1915 with the 27th Division; when this moved to Salonika in November they remained in France, transferring to the 5th Division, and then to Third Army reserve. The third battle of Ypres, popularly known as Passchendaele, began on July 31, 1917, and continued until November. The hero of Tannenberg, he was able to use his fame and political intrigue to influence the German leadership. Though Germany had elected to follow an "east-first" approach, Falkenhayn started planning for an operation against Ypres to begin in April. A German move to widen the breach had failed, a German attempt to cross the canal in front of the Belgians had met with no success, and the right flank of the Belgian 6th Division still held. Beginning before dawn on May 24, the German assault sought to capture Bellewaarde Ridge. Fritz Haber, a German chemist who proposed the use of the heavier-than-air chlorine gas as a weapon … On 22 April 1915, at the Second Battle of Ypres, the Germans (violating the Hague Convention) used chlorine gas for the first time on the Western Front. By nightfall the XXIII Corps had crossed the Yser canal and the XXVI had advanced some 2 miles (3 km), capturing the high ground at Pilckem (later called Mauser) Ridge and approaching the town of St. Julien (now St. Juliaan), some 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of Ypres. In short order, a gap of around 8,000 yards opened in the Allied lines as around 6,000 French soldiers died from gas-related causes. The Battle of Ypres 1915 Cost 6000 Canadian Casualties, The Battle of Passchendaele - World War I, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. The Second Battle of Ypres is historically significant for being the only major offensive initiated by the German military at the Western Front. Having endured earlier gas attacks, the British had developed new tactics such as shelling behind the cloud to strike at the advancing German infantry. The Second Battle Ypres was fought April 22 to May 25, 1915, during World War I (1914-1918) and saw the Germans conduct a limited offensive around the strategic town of Ypres in Flanders. Fighting on the Eastern Front. The Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April to 25 May 1915 War artist Richard Jack portrays the Canadian stand during the Second Battle of Ypres, which he did not witness. However, the legacy was not easily earned as they had to pay the price of losing most of their troops who were either wounded, killed, or had went … It was during this time that Canadian officer John McCrae penned the first lines of the poem “In Flanders Fields” as a tribute to a friend who had been killed in the fighting. Flares soared upward, rifle fire flickered from the parapet, and the two battalions charged. The use of poison gas had come as a tactical surprise to the Allies who roundly condemned its use as barbaric and reprehensible. Its deadly effect was carried on … The Second Battle of Ypres consisted of four separate engagements: The Battle of Gravenstafel: Thursday 22 April – Friday 23 April 1915 The Battle of Saint Julien: Saturday 24 April – 4 May 1915. By 8:00 pm there were no formed bodies of French troops east of the canal, all their batteries in that sector had been captured, and the entire left flank of the 1st Canadian Division lay exposed to attack. The British sought to break the German line, but, bogged down by mud … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Opposite the French, the Germans had added slightly to the ground they had captured west of the canal, in spite of the efforts of the French 87th Territorial Division reserves and fresh troops transferred from Nieuport (now Niewpoort) to stop them. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Australian soldiers wearing gas masks during the Second Battle of Ypres, 1915. The offensive was to begin on the night of April 15–16 or with the next favourable wind thereafter. The shock of the gas and its effects resulted in a breach of the Allied line. Pronunciation of second battle of Ypres with 1 audio pronunciation, 3 synonyms, 10 translations and more for second battle of Ypres. Cassar deals with the entire 2nd Ypres. Additionally, the battle was the first time that a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division) … Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Artillery support for the counterattack was negligible, however, and casualties were so heavy that little ground was regained. This attack witnessed the first use of a new German weapon on the Western Front: a cloud of poisonous gas. Post navigation. Older posts. Although the Belgian and Canadian hinges held firm, the gates to Ypres had been thrown open. During the course of the battle, the Germans debuted the use of poison gas on the Western Front. Great War Blog On Facebook. Forming up, elements of the division, led by the 10th Battalion, 2nd Canadian Brigade, counterattacked at Kitcheners' Wood around 11:00 PM. It also marked the first time a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division) defeated a European power (the German Empire) in Europe (at the Battle of St. Julien and Battle of Kitcheners' Wood). This new technology provided an initial advantage, but the Germans were ultimately stopped after heavy fighting. Continuing pressure on the northern part of the Ypres Salient, the Germans released a second gas attack on the morning of the 24th as part of an effort to take St. Julien. The Germans wished to gain an advantage over the Allied Forces at the Eastern front where defeating the Russians … In addition, they had secured much of the high ground in the area. Successive attacks in echelon to the south were then intended to roll the British line back to the west of Ypres. The Germans were not prepared to exploit the opening, which gave the French and Algerians time to rush reinforcements…. Omissions? Lachlan Roche Mr. Whitfield Social Studies 17, April 2015 The Second Battle of Ypres The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time a former colonial force defeated a European power on European soil. Intended as a limited offensive, he sought to divert Allied attention from troop movements east, secure a more commanding position in Flanders, as well as to test a new weapon, poison gas. The gas attack on the first day of the battle became one of the conflict's great missed opportunities. Though tear gas had been used against the Russians in January at Bolimov, the Second Battle of Ypres would mark the debut of lethal chlorine gas. In preparation for the assault, German troops moved 5,730 90 lb. The position of the front line at nightfall on April 23 was little different from that of the morning. The Second Battle of Ypres comprised the only major attack launched by the German forces on the Western Front in 1915, Eric von Falkenhayn preferring to concentrate German efforts against the Russians on the Eastern Front. The situation of the troops in the salient remained desperate, however. This attack began at 5:00 pm, and the right advanced to the thin line of the 1st Canadian Brigade; the left, briefly assisted by a French battalion, came up abreast and extended to the canal. A dangerous method of dispersal, it resulted in numerous casualties among the German forces. Several types of gas soon became widely used by both sides, and though it never proved a decisive, battle-winning weapon, poison gas became one of the most-feared and best-remembered horrors of the war. Drifting across the lines, the grey-green cloud struck the French 45th and 87th Divisions. Thus far, the counterattack had been a remarkable success, but German machine guns placed near the southwest corner of the wood still commanded the southern approaches. In a brutal battle, they succeeded in reclaiming the area from the Germans but sustained high casualties in the process. To seal the breach, the 1st Canadian Division of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien's Second British Army was shifted to the area after dark. Before daylight the Canadian line was withdrawn to the captured trench south and east of the wood. Though the Canadian troops attempted to improvise protective measures such as covering their mouths and noses with water or urine-soaked handkerchiefs, they were ultimately forced to fall back though they exacted a high price from the Germans. It marked the first time that Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front. The situation of the defenders at the point of the new salient was becoming more serious by the hour. 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