what happened at ypres during ww1

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What happened at the Battle of Ypres in 1914?

Race to the Sea. The First Battle of Ypres (French: Première Bataille des Flandres German: Erste Flandernschlacht, 19 October – 22 November) was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium, during October and November 1914.

What was the fighting at Ypres Like for British soldiers?

The fighting at Ypres was tragic, but unfortunately it was just another example of the type of battle that awaited the British at all turns during the First World War. In such circumstances, many of them found the mental strain harder to face than the physical stresses.

What was the Ypres Salient in WW1?

The area between the positions established by both sides during this period—from Ypres on the British side to Menin and Roulers on the German side—became known as the Ypres Salient, a region that over the course of the next several years would see some of the war’s bitterest and most brutal struggles.

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What happened in the Battle of Ypres ww1?

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. The battle marked the Germans' first use of poison gas as a weapon. Although the gas attack opened a wide hole in the Allied line, the Germans failed to exploit that advantage.

Why was Ypres so important in ww1?

The defence of Ypres, or “Wipers”, was key to the British hold on this sector of the Western Front. The town was an important strategic landmark blocking the route for the Imperial German Army through to the French coastal ports.

Why was the Battle of Ypres so important?

Ypres was so important because it was the last geographical object protecting the Allied ports at Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. The loss of these ports would have denied the shortest logistical supply route to Allied forces on the Front. For the German Army, Ypres was also vital.

Who won the Ypres battle ww1?

First Battle of YpresDate 19 October – 22 November 1914 Location Ypres, Belgium50.8641°N 2.8956°E Result IndecisiveBelligerentsFrance Belgium United KingdomGermanyCommanders and leaders9 more rows

Why was Ypres destroyed?

The town of Ypres was almost completely destroyed by the end of 1918. From October 1914, a few weeks after the outbreak of war in August 1914, the peaceful way of life in this part of Belgian Flanders was shattered by the arrival of massed military forces and their destructive weapons of war.

Who attacked first in ww1?

On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe's great powers collapsed. On July 29, Austro-Hungarian forces began to shell the Serbian capital of Belgrade, and Russia, Serbia's ally, ordered a troop mobilization against Austria-Hungary.

Was the Battle of Ypres a success?

Haig's vision was for a war-winning breakthrough. He planned to capture the high ground around Ypres, as well as a key rail junction to the east, and then advance on the German-occupied ports of the Belgian coast - critical to the U-Boat campaign. The battle failed to achieve Haig's objectives. It lasted over 100 days.

How did the battle of Ypres end?

The Second Battle of Ypres ended on May 25, with insignificant gains for the Germans. The introduction of poison gas, however, would have great significance in World War I. Immediately after the German gas attack at Ypres, the French and British began developing their own chemical weapons and gas masks.

Why is Ypres called wipers?

'The Wipers Times' was the brainchild of Captain Fred Roberts and Lieutenant Jack Pearson of 12th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters. They found a damaged but serviceable printing press among the ruins of the heavily shelled city of Ypres (pronounced 'Wipers' by the soldiers).

Why was Ypres important to Canada?

Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross, while countless other acts of bravery occurred through the division. Fighting with great resilience against incredible odds, the Canadians suffered great losses, and the horrific events at the Second Battle of Ypres inspired what became Canada's best known war poem.

What is the battle of Ypres?

The Battle of Ypres was a series of engagements during the First World War, near the Belgian city of Ypres, between the German and the Allied armies (Belgian, French, British Expeditionary Force and Canadian Expeditionary Force). During the five engagements, casualties may have surpassed one million.

How long did the battle of Ypres last?

The Canadian Division's trial-by-fire at Ypres earned the Canadians a reputation as tough and dependable troops, but they had paid a high price: some 6,000 casualties over the four-day battle.

Why was the city of Ypres important?

Ypres was one of the sites that hosted an unofficial Christmas Truce in 1914 between German and British soldiers. During World War Two, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) would fight the Germans in a delaying action at the Ypres-Comines Canal, one of the actions that allowed the Allied retreat to Dunkirk.

Why is Ypres called wipers?

'The Wipers Times' was the brainchild of Captain Fred Roberts and Lieutenant Jack Pearson of 12th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters. They found a damaged but serviceable printing press among the ruins of the heavily shelled city of Ypres (pronounced 'Wipers' by the soldiers).

Was the Battle of Ypres a success?

Haig's vision was for a war-winning breakthrough. He planned to capture the high ground around Ypres, as well as a key rail junction to the east, and then advance on the German-occupied ports of the Belgian coast - critical to the U-Boat campaign. The battle failed to achieve Haig's objectives. It lasted over 100 days.

Why was Ypres important to Canada?

Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross, while countless other acts of bravery occurred through the division. Fighting with great resilience against incredible odds, the Canadians suffered great losses, and the horrific events at the Second Battle of Ypres inspired what became Canada's best known war poem.

What happened at the Battle of Ypres?

However, the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 once again made it exceptionally dangerous to live in the town . In 1918, as a result of a major spring offensive, German forces got to the outskirts of the town on its eastern and southeast flanks. However, British forces held firm and the town was not taken.

When did the military leave Ypres?

On May 9 th, a decision was taken to compulsorily evacuate all civilians from the town. After this date, Ypres was left to the military. In 1916, fighting around Ypres quietened (when compared to 1914 and 1915) and some civilians returned to their town.

What was the fitting tribute to the men who were classed as missing and with no known grave at Ypres?

It was felt that a fitting tribute to the men who were classed as missing and with no known grave at Ypres was to top the Menin Gate with a lion, now at rest, looking out in the direction that the men would have taken.

What was the most important building in Ypres?

The most important post-war construction in Ypres was the Menin Gate. Before World War One this was the site of the Hangoart Gate, which was later renamed the Antwerp Gate.

What happened to the fortifications in 1914?

However, as a result of the major changes that had occurred in society, by 1914, these fortifications had become redundant. Road widening schemes and a new rail line meant that the old gates as designed by Vauban had been reduced to one and many of his ramparts had been pulled down. On October 13 th 1914, German troops from ...

What happened to the Cloth Hall in 1914?

The old Cloth Hall, which dated from 1260, was set on fire and large parts of the medieval town were destroyed . Civilian casualties were high and may have been worse had it not been for the work of Abbé Delaere and Sister Marguerite who both did what they could to help the homeless and wounded. Despite the devastation of the town, some civilians remained. However, many went to the comparative safety of nearby Poperinge.

What happened to Poperinge in 1915?

Between April and May 1915, there was a second German barrage against the town. The Cloth Hall was destroyed during this attack along with the historic Collegiate Church of St. Martin.

Where was the Battle of Ypres?

The First Battle of Ypres ( French: Première Bataille des Flandres; German: Erste Flandernschlacht 19 October – 22 November 1914) was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German, French, ...

Who attacked Belgium at the Battle of Ypres?

Attacks by the BEF ( Field Marshal Sir John French) the Belgians and the French Eighth Army in Belgium made little progress beyond Ypres. The German 4th and 6th Armies took small amounts of ground, at great cost to both sides, during the Battle of the Yser and further south at Ypres.

What was the Battle of Langemarck?

The Battle of Langemarck took place from 21–24 October, after an advance by the German 4th and 6th armies which began on 19 October, as the left flank of the BEF began advancing towards Menin and Roulers. On 20 October, Langemarck, north-east of Ypres, was held by a French territorial unit and the British IV corps to the south. I Corps (Lieutenant-General Douglas Haig) was due to arrive with orders to attack on 21 October. On 21 October, it had been cloudy and attempts to reconnoitre the German positions during the afternoon had not observed any German troops movements; the arrival of four new German reserve corps was discovered by prisoner statements, wireless interception and the increasing power of German attacks; 5#N#+#N#1⁄2 infantry corps were now known to be north of the Lys, along with the four cavalry corps, against 7#N#+#N#1⁄3 British divisions and five allied cavalry divisions. The British attack made early progress but the 4th army began a series of attacks, albeit badly organised and poorly supported. The German 6th and 4th armies attacked from Armentières to Messines and Langemarck. The British IV Corps was attacked around Langemarck, where the 7th Division was able to repulse German attacks and I Corps was able to make a short advance.

What was the 4th Army's role in the Battle of Antwerp?

Falkenhayn sent the 4th Army headquarters to Flanders, to take over the III Reserve Corps and its heavy artillery, twenty batteries of heavy field howitzers, twelve batteries of 210 mm howitzers and six batteries of 100 mm guns, after the Siege of Antwerp (28 September – 10 October). The XXII, XXIII, XXVI and XXVII Reserve corps, of the six new reserve corps formed from volunteers after the outbreak of the war, were ordered from Germany to join the III Reserve Corps on 8 October. The German reserve corps infantry were poorly trained and ill-equipped but on 10 October, Falkenhayn issued a directive that the 4th Army was to cross the Yser, advance regardless of losses and isolate Dunkirk and Calais, then turn south towards Saint-Omer. With the 6th Army to the south, which was to deny the Allies an opportunity to establish a secure front and transfer troops to the north, the 4th Army was to inflict an annihilating blow on the French, Belgian and BEF forces in French and Belgian Flanders.

Where did the Germans attack on 11 November?

On 11 November, the Germans attacked from Messines to Herenthage, Veldhoek woods, Nonne Bosschen and Polygon Wood. Massed small-arms fire repulsed German attacks between Polygon Wood and Veldhoek. The German 3rd Division and 26th Division broke through to St Eloi and advanced to Zwarteleen, some 3,000 yd (2,700 m) east of Ypres, where they were checked by the British 7th Cavalry Brigade. The remains of II Corps from La Bassée, held a 3,500 yd (3,200 m) front, with 7,800 men and 2,000 reserves against 25 German battalions with 17,500 men. The British were forced back by the German 4th Division and British counter-attacks were repulsed. Next day, an unprecedented bombardment fell on British positions in the south of the salient between Polygon Wood and Messines. German troops broke through along the Menin road but could not be supported and the advance was contained by 13 November. Both sides were exhausted by these efforts; German casualties around Ypres had reached about 80,000 men and BEF losses, August – 30 November, were 89,964; (54,105 at Ypres). The Belgian army had been reduced by half and the French had lost 385,000 men by September, 265,000 men having been killed by the end of the year.

What was the purpose of the transfer of the British army from the Aisne to Flanders?

In late September, Marshal Joseph Joffre and Field Marshal John French discussed the transfer of the BEF from the Aisne to Flanders, to unify British forces on the Continent, shorten the British lines of communication from England and to defend Antwerp and the Channel Ports. Despite the inconvenience of British troops crossing French lines of communication, when French forces were moving north after the Battle of the Aisne, Joffre agreed subject to a proviso, that French would make individual British units available for operations as soon as they arrived. On the night of 1/2 October, the transfer of the BEF from the Aisne front began in great secrecy. Marches were made at night and billeted troops were forbidden to venture outside in daylight. On 3 October, a German wireless message was intercepted, which showed that the BEF was still believed to be on the Aisne.

What war did Britain and France declare?

Britain and France declared war on Turkey on 5 November and next day, Keupri-Keni in Armenia was captured, during the Bergmann Offensive (2–16 November) by the Russian army. On 10 October, Przemysl was surrounded again by the Russian army, beginning the Second Siege; Memel in East Prussia was occupied by the Russians a day later. Keupri-Keni was recaptured by the Ottoman army on 14 November, the Sultan proclaimed Jihad, next day the Battle of Cracow (15 November – 2 December) began and the Second Russian Invasion of North Hungary (15 November – 12 December) commenced. The Second German Offensive against Warsaw opened with the Battle of Łódź (16 November – 15 December).

How many casualties were there in the Battle of Ypres?

First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 22 November 1914). During the Race to the Sea. More than 250,000 casualties. Second Battle of Ypres (22 April – 15 May 1915). First mass use of poison gas by the German army.

What was the 5th Battle of Ypres?

Fifth Battle of Ypres (28 September – 2 October 1918) an informal name given to a series of battles in northern France and southern Belgium, also known as Advance of Flanders and Battle of the Peaks of Flanders.

How many people died in the Battle of Passchendaele?

Battle of Passchendaele (31 July – 10 November 1917) also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. 400,000 to 800,000 casualties. Battle of the Lys (1918) (9–29 April 1918) also known as the Battle of Estaires or the Fourth Battle of Ypres. Around 200,000 casualties.

What was the first Canadian battle of the Great War?

Dancocks, Daniel G. Welcome to Flanders Fields: the First Canadian Battle of the Great War : Ypres, 1915. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1988.

What gas did the Germans use in the Ypres salient?

I witnessed from the air the first gas attack when the Germans used chlorine gas in the Ypres Salient. Suddenly we saw to the north of us in the salient this yellow wall moving quite slowly towards our lines. We hadn’t any idea what it was. We reported it of course when we landed. And an hour or so later the smell of chlorine actually reached our aerodrome.

Who followed up their gas attacks with infantry assaults on the Allied front line?

The Germans followed up their gas attacks with infantry assaults on the Allied front line. Signaller H Williams remembered how his regiment responded.

What was the first gas mask?

And all it consisted of was a pad of wool covered by gauze with an elastic band running right round and about four inches by two. It fitted over the nostrils and mouth and then the elastic went up over the head.

What is Voices of the First World War?

Voices of the First World War is a podcast series that reveals the impact the war had on everyone who lived through it through the stories of the men and women who were there.

Who was the British soldier who died from poison gas?

Jack Dorgan , of the Northumberland Fusiliers, suffered from the poison gas. He explained how he and the other British soldiers were affected.

Who described the primitive means of combating the gas that soldiers were supplied with?

And all those sorts of questions as they had no idea about what the gas attack was. Stretcher bearer William Collins described the primitive means of combating the gas that soldiers were supplied with. About midday that day, supplies of the first so-called gas masks came up.

Who recalled another way in which troops tried to counter the effects of the gas?

British NCO Alfred West recalled another way in which troops tried to counter the effects of the gas.

What is the history of the Battle of Ypres?

The modern historiography of the Battles of Ypres remains firmly grounded in the official histories produced by Britain, France and Germany soon after the war. Recent studies have emphasised the multi-national nature of the battles, which at various times involved Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, North African, South African and West African soldiers. The historiography of Third Ypres remains especially controversial. Modern work emphasises the complexity of the battle but stands divided on whether the British Army conducted the offensive in an appropriate fashion.

What was the French and British position at the end of the First Battle of Ypres?

French and British troops were left occupying an exposed salient at the end of the First Battle of Ypres. The relative vulnerability of the Entente position meant that this sector of the front was characterised by incessant trench warfare.

Why was Ypres rebuilt?

Ypres was rebuilt to resemble its pre-war state. The narrative of remembrance contrasted the medieval city with the modern, industrial battles that had raged around it. The centrepiece of British and Commonwealth commemoration is the Menin Gate, which lists the names of 54,896 soldiers who have no known grave.

How many men did Germany lose in the Battle of Ypres?

Germany lost approximately 130,000 men compared to Entente losses of around 100,000 soldiers. Casualties amongst the British Expeditionary Force effectively destroyed Britain’s highly trained pre-war army. Nevertheless, Ypres remained in Entente hands and the battle was celebrated as a victory in Britain .

What was the Germans' unable to break through the Entente line?

Despite their numerical superiority and greater weight of artillery, the Germans were unable to break through the Entente line. Rapid rifle, machine gun and artillery fire took a heavy toll on advancing German infantry and their attacks were frequently repulsed with heavy losses.

What were the trenches used by the Entente defenders?

The trenches employed by the Entente defenders were crude compared to the complex earthworks that would feature in the later years of the Western Front, providing cover against bullets but little protection against artillery. Nevertheless, the battle revealed the great difficulties of assaulting entrenched defenders.

What was the result of the Battle of Marne?

This resulted in the “Race to the Sea” as Entente and German forces simultaneously sought to turn the northern flank of their opponent.

Overview

Background

Prelude

Battle

Aftermath

Footnotes

Further reading

External links